Book people,
The term “hybrid publishing” can mean very different things in different contexts. One meaning refers to publishing houses that split the middle between the traditional and indie publishing world, where some resources are shared, but the author is still responsible for much of the publishing burden. In this scenario, it is the publishing house itself which is the hybrid.
And then there is the other hybrid, the hybrid author. In this context, some of author’s books are independently published while others are through a traditional path of agents, publishing houses and all that entails. And those are the waters into which I will dip my toes.
So why the shift? When it comes to my middle grade stories, there are still a lot of barriers to getting your book in the hands of readers. The holy trinity of gatekeepers—teachers, librarians, and parents—are still reviewing and selecting books for kids. There is also still a preference for print books. Put the two together and kids aren’t using their own money to buy e-books. This calls for a different approach. It is my hope that taking my middle grade books down a traditional path, while keeping my YA, fantasy, and sci-fi books on an indie path will give me the best of both worlds.
Plus twice the overhead. Possibly.
But back to the here and now. The first query letters for “Brambleworld” have been released into the wild. I’ll provide updates on how its going here.
Until then, happy reading, happy writing. -phil coleman
