The world of publishing is vast, and while we can’t go into detail about the whole industry, this blog will explain how we work as a hybrid publisher. Over the years, the hybrid process has been rapidly growing in popularity within the publishing industry. These 6 points will be sure to clear things up and summarise the hybrid publishing process.

1. Goals and Vision

Hybrid publishing was developed to change a traditional industry with a goal of opening doors, and thus, allowing publishing to be more accessible to all who have a good story that they wish to share. At Austin Macauley, our goal is to accept works from new and established authors alike, giving all talented writers a chance. Take for instance; Carol L. Steingreaber author of Pants Optional and Cyril O’Brien author of A History of London through Beer Goggles. These are two new writers that have achieved widespread coverage and sales, from events, press and awards; they are just two shining examples of what hybrid publishing can do for new authors.

2. Vetting Submissions

You should never judge a book by its cover, and a hybrid publisher will always ensure that the quality and print of each book is outstanding. At Austin Macauley, we believe in every single one of our books. Caleb Compton’s A Book of Rather Strange Animals is the perfect example of what can be achieved by a new author when they are given a chance to flourish in the industry. Caleb went through our submissions process; his work was vetted, and his title was accepted. With dedication, a proactive mentality, and a collaborative nature from our dedicated marketing team and from Caleb, his book has now been shared around the world and recognised by The Conservation Guide, BBC Radio Devon, OCA Magazine, and even by David Attenborough! Compared to other models, our hybrid publishing model will ensure that each book is reviewed carefully, and matches all of our criteria before offering the author a contract.

3. Ensuring Editorial Design and Production Quality

Quality control for books can be a hard thing to monitor, and every publisher has its own standard of print. While the occasional typos are expected, there should always be a conscious effort made to make sure the book is as close to perfect as it can be. A hybrid publisher will always have a dedicated team to proofread every page, aiming for a finish that you are happy with! This process fluctuates timewise and is different for every submission and is therefore taken into consideration when deciding the terms of the contract offered to the author. At Austin Macauley, we also work closely with our authors to create a cover that both can be satisfied with.

4. Pursuing and Managing a Range of Publishing Rights

From translation to film rights, a publishing house should always be actively selling rights. As a hybrid publisher, Austin Macauley recognises the importance of selling the rights to our published books. We participate in a number of book fairs including Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Frankfurt International Book Fair. These are two huge rights events that we attend yearly, where our very own rights specialist will meet with industry professionals to acquire the opportunities for your book that it deserves, in addition to obtaining new rights contacts and building business relationships.

5. Providing Distribution

A hybrid publisher will start your journey into the world of marketing and distribution when the book is ready for publication and will care just as much about your book as you do. With 195 countries in the world, there are so many places for your book to go. Here at Austin Macauley, we have a worldwide distribution and work with the likes of Ingram and Gardners.

6. Paying Authors a Higher-Than-Standard Royalty

A hybrid publisher may ask you to contribute a sum of money towards the publication of your book. This ensures that they can open their doors to the likes of new and unestablished authors. A hybrid publisher will always ensure that you will be paid a higher percentage in royalties, to cover these said costs. Although a lot of publishers keep their contracts closed, making it hard to tell if you will be receiving a fair cut, we suggest that you read your contract very carefully, and do your research before going into partnership with any publisher, including us!

From all of us at Austin Macauley Publishers, we wish you luck on your journey to publication and hope that we have helped you to understand more about us and the industry. If you would like to join the conversation about hybrid publishing, please reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

If you’d like to experience the fastest growing form of publishing, click here to submit your manuscript to us today. We’d love to hear from you!