Matthew Chuprin

Something interesting happened recently. After finishing a manuscript and sending it out into the world, I received an offer from a hybrid publisher.

At first it sounded appealing. They handle editing, cover design, printing, distribution… the whole process of turning a manuscript into an actual book. The trade-off, of course, is that the author contributes to the production costs.

And that’s where the little dilemma begins.

Hybrid publishing sits somewhere between traditional publishing and self-publishing. You get a team and some structure around the process, which can be reassuring. But you are also sharing the financial side of bringing the book into the world.

Self-publishing is the other path. It means doing more of the work yourself… organising, editing, arranging a cover, and figuring out distribution. It can sound daunting at first, but it also comes with complete independence.

Writing a book already takes a surprising amount of patience. Deciding how to publish it probably deserves the same. If you’ve faced the same choice, I’d be interested to hear how you approached it.

For now, the manuscript sits on my desk while I think it through.