What is hybrid publishing?
Hybrid Publishing is a new approach to publishing that combines the benefits of traditional publishing with the freedoms of self-publishing.
With Acorn Publishing, a hybrid publishing company, you:
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Keep the rights to your book
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Keep 100% of your profits
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Keep the control (Cover Design, Look & Feel, Pricing, Sales)
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Keep your integrity
Publish your book alongside best-selling authors. Brand your novel with a traditional publishing logo, and get guidance from a team of industry professionals.
How do you combine traditional and self-publishing?
TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING BENEFITS
Vetting Process
Our books are vetted, meaning we don't accept every author who submits to us. By being selective about the books we include under our imprint, we ensure that our catalogue is of good quality. Our books are set apart from the vast amounts of self-published work flooding the market.
Guidance
You get the support of a team of professionals to help you along the way. We promote your book, represent your work at numerous book festivals, and answer any questions you may have about the process.
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Branding
Even though behind the scenes you will technically be self-publishing, to the rest of the world your work will appear “traditionally published” with a branded logo and “published by Acorn Publishing” on all retailer websites.
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ISBN
As part of our services, we provide all clients with an Acorn Publishing ISBN free of charge. ISBNs can cost self-published authors around $125 each.
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SELF-PUBLISHING BENEFITS
Fees
Traditional publishers are paid through the sales of your book. They take a cut of each sale, the retailer (Barnes & Noble) takes a cut of each sale, the literary agent takes 15% off the top, and the author is left with pennies. With Acorn Publishing, you pay us a flat fee in the beginning and that’s it. If you make 100,000 sales, you keep whatever profit you make. We do NOT take a cut of your money.
Artistic Control
Since you will be self-publishing under our label, you get to make all the decisions. Your cover, the interior look and feel, the price of your book, the formats available (audio book, ebook, print, etc.)…It’s all up to you.
Book Rights
With traditional publishers, you sign away the rights to your work. You’re bound to a contract and you have no control over any aspect of your book.
With Acorn Publishing, you keep 100% of your rights.
Payments
One of the benefits of self-publishing we’ve carried over into our company is the direct payment from book retailers. Your royalties will be directly deposited from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc. into your bank account every month. You will also be able to check sales, royalties earned, and any other information at any time.
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Why do you charge a fee instead of taking royalties?
It works out better for everyone this way. We get paid for our services (guiding you through the process, answering your questions, setting you up with cover designers and other professionals, the use of our logo, our marketing efforts, etc.) but you don't get locked into paying us for every sale. It gives both parties a nice amount of freedom.
Do you provide editing services?
If you submit a manuscript that is polished and ready we do provide a one-time FREE line edit prior to publication to catch any type-o's or grammar errors.
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If you submit a manuscript that (in our opinion) is not ready for publishing, we will partner you with a freelance content editor and/or our in-house editor for a separate cost. They will help you shape your novel for publication.
Once the book is ready, you are welcome to re-submit.
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All children's books are content and line edited in-house at no additional cost.
What do I get for the $3,995?
If you are selected to join our team, you will be given an easy to follow timeline showing you exactly what needs to be done and when. Our detailed guidance and input will cover the steps needed for both the creation of your book, as well as a successful marketing campaign. We will also provide general pricing for freelance book cover designers, line editors, website builders, formatters etc. so that you have a clear idea of how much you want to spend and what you will want to do on your own.
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Acorn Publishing provides you with our publishing logo for the spine of your book cover. From there we will be available to bounce ideas off of for your book cover choices, website look, marketing decisions etc.
Where will people be able to buy my book?
Hardcover and paperbacks are all made available through Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com as well as several other retailers. Ebooks are made available through Kindle, Nook, KOBO, and pretty much any ebook retailer you can imagine.
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Audio books are only available through Audible on Amazon.
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All of our books are available to be ordered through Barnes & Noble book stores if a customer were to walk in and request it. However, your book will not be available on the shelf.
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Brick and mortar book stores are difficult because most space in those stores is purchased by the top 5 publishers. Getting your book in stores is hard, but not impossible. It involves going to each store individually or contacting the Barnes & Noble small press department.
Do you charge $3,995 per book? What if I have 2 or 3?
The $3,995 is a one time fee to join our imprint, but we do charge our clients $950 for each additional book they publish through us. We usually suggest doing one first so you can get an idea of the value we add. If you're happy with us you can choose to do the second or third. We've never had an unhappy client!
Are there other fees I should be aware of?
Other fees you should be aware of are all up to you. We will provide general pricing for freelance book cover designers, website builders, formatters etc. so that you have a clear idea of how much you want to spend and what you will want to do on your own. At the very least you can expect to pay around $500 for a professional cover. We can teach you how to do most everything else yourself, helping you maintain control over your project and your budget.
If you're a children's book author and/or illustrator, include the cost of software to format your book for print (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign).
Also, the cost of business cards or other promotional material if you think you need it (if you attend any festivals you should have that).
Will it cost me anything to have my books printed?
The short answer is no. For novels we use print and ship companies that print a single book when it is ordered and ship it to the buyer. They charge the cost of printing the book against the price of your book, so you have to pay $0 upfront. Then they direct deposit your portion of the profit into your bank account every month. You pay nothing and only see income.
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This is how it works for hardcover (with dust jacket) and paperback.
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**Print and ship is not available for children's board books. We do help authors publish board books, but the process is different.
How will you help market my book?
We do our best to market through social media, offering you the option to attend festivals with us including WonderCon, LA Times Festival of Books, OC Kids Book Fest, Vegas Valley Book Festival, etc., We do giveaways and partner you with blog tour companies. We also have a PR & marketing director who can assist and guide you and/or is available for hire if you'd like someone to take over marketing efforts completely.
What formats will my book be available in?
Acorn authors have the option to publish their books in all formats. This includes traditional hardcover with dust jacket, trade paperback, ebook for all e-readers, and audio book.
Do I need an agent to submit to Acorn Publishing?
No. We accept submissions directly from authors. Simply go to our SUBMISSIONS | CONTACT page and send us a query, synopsis, and first 3 chapters of your finished novel. We are currently accepting all genres.
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For children's books. Please submit your completed manuscript along with sample art and/or completed draft pages.
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**note - if you have a completed children's manuscript but are looking for an illustrator, please email us. We will put you in contact with one.