Once an author steps away from the traditional publishing path (whether by choice or necessity), a whole new decision tree comes into play. Do you want to undertake the self-publishing process? Do you want to pay a company to assist you? Or would it be better to consider hybrid publishers?
What makes this decision all the more fraught is that the investment you make can be substantial. Whether you self- or hybrid publish, youâre often paying well into the four figures andâmore often than notâinto the five figures. Especially if youâre watching your budget, itâs natural to feel a lot of pressure over this choice.
Noted publishing expert Jane Friedman covers everything you need to know about the self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and paid publishing services landscape, in plain English. Youâll come away with a clear picture of how these companies work, how they differ from each other, and how it all compares to what professional, self-publishing authors do.
Weâll cover the best practices of hybrid publishers, e.g.: they conduct some level of gatekeeping and offer value that the author would have a hard time securing independently. Weâll also talk about the financials of all types of self-publishing and hybrid publishing arrangements because once you pay thousands of dollars to publish, it reduces the likelihood youâll make a profit on book sales. Every author should go in with eyes wide open, and spend only what they can truly afford.
By the end of this live webinar, youâll be able to assess if you are well-suited to self-publishing your work, either as a complete independent (by setting up your own publishing company) or with the help of a serviceâor if you would benefit from what a hybrid publisher offers.
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Meet the instructor
Jane Friedman
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER, SECOND EDITION (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing. Learn more at JaneFriedman.com.
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