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I think we need to shine some light on something that is confusing a lot of new authors here.
There is no such thing as hybrid publishing.
Period. End of quote.
I'm being serious here. You can be a large trade press, a small trade press, a university press, a regional press. An author can be a self-publisher. But, if a press asks an author for money in exchange for anything (larger percentage of royalties, hardback sales instead of just e-books, etc., etc., etc.), there's only one thing they are -- a vanity press. And in most cases you can easily say they're a stealth vanity press (because at least vanity presses are up-front about the fact you have to pay-to-play), which moves them even further down on the list of desirable presses (just above outright scammers).
I can almost guarantee that these "hybrids" have figured out exactly what it costs to print your work and whatever they're charging you covers all of it plus leaving some profit for them. They're putting all of the risk on you financially and providing nothing you can't do for yourself.
If you want an example of a "hybrid" publisher, please take some time and review the Tate Publishing thread in the Index.
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There most certainly are hybrid authors (authors who publish both in the trades and self-publish).
There ARE NO hybrid publishers.
There is no such thing as hybrid publishing.
Period. End of quote.
I'm being serious here. You can be a large trade press, a small trade press, a university press, a regional press. An author can be a self-publisher. But, if a press asks an author for money in exchange for anything (larger percentage of royalties, hardback sales instead of just e-books, etc., etc., etc.), there's only one thing they are -- a vanity press. And in most cases you can easily say they're a stealth vanity press (because at least vanity presses are up-front about the fact you have to pay-to-play), which moves them even further down on the list of desirable presses (just above outright scammers).
I can almost guarantee that these "hybrids" have figured out exactly what it costs to print your work and whatever they're charging you covers all of it plus leaving some profit for them. They're putting all of the risk on you financially and providing nothing you can't do for yourself.
If you want an example of a "hybrid" publisher, please take some time and review the Tate Publishing thread in the Index.
--------------------------------------------
There most certainly are hybrid authors (authors who publish both in the trades and self-publish).
There ARE NO hybrid publishers.