Last year, I announced on Facebook that I was opting out of trying to find an agent for my memoir Accidental Soldier: A Memoir of Service and Sacrifice in the Israel Defense Forces. People shared my post (surprisingly!) and left supportive and encouraging comments. 

I was tired and burnt-out from shopping for an agent only to get impersonal email responses. Even before I knew I wanted to publish with the hybrid route, I wrote an article for Mediabistro on Hybrid Publishing and shared my own hybrid story when I collaborated with a bunch of authors, some of whom are NYT bestsellers. It was this experience that left a good taste in my mouth, not the sour story of going the traditional route. To this day, I honestly believe that I wouldn't be writing this post and resonating with the hybrid model, if it wasn't for that sour tasting experience with that traditional publisher.

Since signing the contract, the hybrid route is still the best publishing choice I could have done for Accidental Soldier.

Just as a side note, prospective authors may shy away from the upfront costs associated with partnership publishing. I feel however, that if I hustle enough, I can recoup my investment within a short time or a longer one - it just depends how much I'm willing to work hard to sell and promote my book through speaking gigs, webinars, presentations, seminars and other venues - NOT the bookstores.

The main reason why I  took a financial gamble is because I'm finding some success as an expert in my niche with the branding of my work as a motivational speaker for different audiences: Jewish audiences through Hillel campuses starting with those in Pittsburgh, women organizations, business groups and military associations and groups.

The main choice for choosing She Writes Press was the traditional distribution, which is huge when you're a first-time author. To take on that job of getting your book out there in the retail chains is extremely daunting.

Another reason why I chose SWP was the team spirit and organization. With the hybrid model of publishing, I was lucky to  have that team in place including a proofreader and cover designer.

I consider myself a SWP ambassdor. Everywhere I go, people ooh and ah over the cover which is flat out gorgeous. And they ooh and ah even more when they peek in at the interior. But it takes a winning team spirit and mentality to bring a book cover up to quality standard.

This new publishing revolution is not going away especially since we're dealing with an outdated publishing model since 1907! Things need to change and I'm not in favor of giving a publisher 90% of the lion's share of the profit especially since I've been working hard to brand my platform and work as a memoirist.

Hybrid publishers like She Writes is on the cusp of something truly revolutionary because...

1. They have access to strong distribution channels, which I call "muscle"

2. They have access to trade accounts

3. They have access to the review channels like Library Journal and Kirkus

As my editor Brooke Warner says, "I don't think we are publishing in a way that allows us to see the volume that traditional publishers are selling. But we're still only two years old, so I hope that we'll grow toward that as we get bigger and have a stronger backlist propelling us along. We're already making strides in terms of being recognized for our great books and an innovative model."

Of course, there's no easy answer as to which publishing route fits an author's particular book vision. But with the right research and asking yourself the right questions like whether you're cut out to be your own entrepreneur or not, you'll soon be able to figure out which model best fits your needs like I've discovered with mine.