If you have not, go back and read Parts 1 through again.
Here is where there should be much discussion, and I am open to being wrong. But someone is going to have to prove it to me. And here is what I want to be wrong about, but as of yet I am not:
"Hybrid Publishing" is just another euphemism for vanity publishing, and so far it looks like another scam job you should run away from.
Any "publisher" who makes more money from authors than from book sales, in my opinion, is ripping off the author.
Here's how it's supposed to work: The publisher accepts the book. The publisher provides editing services and cover art. The publisher formats the book AND ACTUALLY PUBLISHES THE BOOK. The publisher then receives moneys from people who buy the book. the publisher pays the author a share of the profits from said book sales.
Notice how I said "The publisher pays the author'" and not, "the author pays the publisher." That's called The Golden Rule: The gold flows one way.
I recently had a brief exchange with someone who claimed she was a hybrid publisher, and tried to tell me her business was totally legitimate. I invited her to come on here and discuss my concerns. She went quiet. I never heard from her again.
And yet, here I am, open to being wrong.
The supposed business model of hybrid publishing supposedly goes like this: The author pays the publisher anywhere up to five thousand dollars (That's $5,000.00 for comparison) for the publisher, to offset editing costs and cover art, formatting, and publishing, including issuance of ISBN and copyright registration.
So what is the author getting for their five grand?
First off, we have to ask ourselves this: What is the acceptance rate for these hybrid publishers? About the same for vanity presses, which are proven scam jobs? That would put it at, basically, 100% acceptance. Congratulations! You are now a published author!
But what if your manuscript is (let's put it kindly) lousy to begin with? Wouldn't a reputable publishing house suggest they fix a few things and resubmit later, at least? Remember, an editor's job is not to "fix" the entire manuscript. That would mean they have to write the book all over for you, in which case the story is no longer yours. In addition, it's not fair to ask an editor to rewrite your poorly written manuscript in the first place. Editors' time is valuable. Their job as content editors is to offer suggestions on content, helping you the author remove repetitive or useless information, tighten the story up, or flesh out other parts. All these changes would remain in your voice as the author. You might go back and forth a few rounds with this editor before your work goes to a line editor, who preens it for grammar, syntax, catching typos and such. By the time you're through with these two stages, your baby is bright, clean, has a fresh diaper, and is ready for cover art built by a talented graphic artist.
All that to say that any publishing house with a 100% acceptance rate is a scam job.
You have to remember that you are way too close to your own work to just trust it to a quick spelling and grammar check. You need someone who can be brutally honest with you in a way that forces you to become a better writer, and who understands they have a vested interest in making this work the best it can. If they already have your money, they have no interest other than letting Microsoft Word do a cursory check, and there are your "editing services." Wasted money.
All the rest of these "services" can be done for free on KDP, or Draft2Digital. Even your ISBN is free on both those sites. If you want to buy a block of ISBNs, you can.
Now, if you are this (or any other) hybrid publisher, and you want to prove me wrong, I am right here. Willing to listen, willing to talk. Shoot me a comment. For that matter, anyone can shoot me a comment.
I won't bite.
We have more to talk about, and I promise I'll get to that in coming editions. Till then, keep the light on, and DON'T YOU DARE F--ING STOP WRITING.
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