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We’re the best of both worlds. Ballast’s hybrid model combines the quality and industry expertise of traditional publishing while enabling authors to retain control of the creative process, keep full rights over their intellectual property, and see greater profits on sales of their books, hallmarks of self-publishing.
Our goal is to democratize the publishing industry for the benefit of all authors. You do not need an agent to submit your work to Ballast Books. Simply reach out to get in touch with an acquisitions editor and begin discussing your book.
All authors invest in their books, no matter which publishing route they choose. Yes, you read that correctly. All authors. The key financial difference between hybrid publishing and traditional publishing is WHEN the author invests. The hybrid publishing model allows the author to make their investment upfront by directly funding the publishing of their work and then reap the reward of 80 percent to 100 percent of royalties on every book sold for years to come.
When a traditional publisher makes the initial investment in production and distribution costs, the author pays in the form of giving up the majority of royalties—and the rights to their work—to the publisher for the entirety of the contract. Depending on the success of the book, what the author ends up “paying” the publisher in royalties may likely eclipse the publisher’s initial investment many times over. While the traditional option offers a low upfront risk, many authors are discovering it is simply not worth the potential profits they’re forfeiting in the long run.
No two books are identical, and neither are their publishing proposals. Our acquisitions editors will review your work and schedule time to talk with you about your goals for publication. We’ll then create a publishing proposal of recommended services unique to your book.
With Ballast Books, the author keeps almost all royalties, which are paid quarterly on all sales that have been rectified with distributors/retailers.
Ballast Books provides expertise in all aspects of the publishing process: editing, ghostwriting, curation, design, layout, printing, marketing & PR, distribution, fulfillment, reporting, and sales.
Ballast Books can get your book to market faster than a traditional publisher. However, we can take whatever pace works best for the author.
Authors come to us in all stages of the process. Whether you have just the beginnings of an idea or a fully written and professionally edited manuscript, we can help guide your book through production, retail distribution, and beyond.
While our current available titles are primarily adult nonfiction, we are openly accepting all genres for review at this time.
(To submit to our children’s book imprint, please visit www.blueballoonbooks.com.)
When you publish with Ballast Books, you will own the rights to your work. Period.
Your book should be available wherever books are sold, whether in physical stores or online. We work with large retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Costco, and Target, as well independent bookstores, specialty retailers, and even airport stores.
Yes! In fact, we encourage independent sales. When our authors sell their books directly to customers, they keep 100 percent of the profit.
No publisher can make your book a bestseller. Who makes your book a bestseller? You and your readers. But we’ll do everything we can to make sure it’s ready for the list.
A well-written book is the cornerstone of a fully developed brand and business. Becoming an author can lead to additional opportunities like speaking, consulting, selling courses, and more.
The more we know about your book, the better prepared we’ll be to offer our guidance and expertise. When inquiring about our services, please provide a detailed summary of your book, whether it’s written or not. If you have started the writing process, be prepared to submit a sample of the work to an editor upon request. Don’t worry—your submitted ideas and writing are safe. We will never share or use any portion of your work without your consent.
