When private equity starts writing checks to acquire businesses, you know an industry has changed. In September 2025, Civica Media—backed by BlackBern Partners—acquired both Greenleaf Book Group and Amplify Publishing Group, signaling more growth in what is largely considered the fastest-growing segment of an industry in transformation.
Shortly after the acquisition, leading hybrid and independent publishing experts spoke on a panel discussion at the 2025 Gathering of the Ghosts conference about some of the changes that make hybrid publishing appealing to authors. The panel, moderated by Weaving Influence’s Becky Robinson, featured editors and leaders from Amplify, Girl Friday Productions, Ideapress Publishing, and EndeavorInk who discussed changes in publishing and talked about what ghostwriters and authors need to know to successfully connect books with audiences.
Traditional publishing now captures only one-third of business author projects, according to Gotham Ghostwriters’ Book ROI study conducted in 2024. Meanwhile, hybrid-published books show profitability rates exceeding 50%, according to the ROI research.
Timelines and control
It’s more than statistics moving authors to investigate hybrid and independent options. In traditional publishing, the timelines are very long, advances negligible, , and the creative control is limited, according to panelists. Traditional publishers “control the capital so they get to call all the shots,” observed Rohit Bhargava, founder, Ideapress Publishing.
Taking a page from Beyoncé
The appeal of hybrid is straightforward but powerful: authors get the creative control and royalty rates of self-publishing combined with the professional infrastructure and distribution networks you’d expect from a real publisher. As Bhargava pointed out during the panel, authors are watching major cultural figures from Taylor Swift to Beyoncé embrace direct-to-audience models and are taking a similar approach. Many authors are entrepreneurs who’ve built companies, scaled operations, and understand leverage. They look at hybrid publishing and see a deal structure that can help them achieve their goals. They know they don’t want to become publishers themselves, but want partners who can execute while respecting their vision and timeline. Hybrid publishers who deliver on that promise are capturing market share.
The self-publishing approach
Panelist Katya Fishman runs a boutique agency that helps authors “publish books that don’t look self-published.” She told the audience that self-publishing is a better option when cost is a major factor, authors want control, have specific marketing strategies, and see how the book fits into their larger business strategy.
Steering clear of charlatans
With industry growth comes opportunists. Some authors have gotten burned by so-called hybrid publishers with slick websites and sales pitches and promises of professionally published, distributed books at very low prices. If someone tells you they can publish your book professionally for $5,000, they’re either lying about the quality or the scope of services. Probably both.The panelists offered practical guidance for vetting potential partners. Start with the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), which maintains a rating system specifically for hybrid publishers. Jane Friedman’s blog is another reliable filter.
Girl Friday Productions CEO Leslie Miller made a point worth remembering: evaluate hybrid publishers the way you’d evaluate any publisher. Who’s on their team? What’s their editorial process? How do they support authors through the entire lifecycle, not just production? Basic operational competence matters too. If they take three weeks to respond to an initial inquiry, imagine what working with them for twelve months will be like.
Talking money
The panel offered candid ideas about costs. For full-service hybrid publishing with reputable firms, expect to invest $15,000 to $75,000 for production. This covers developmental editing, design, distribution setup, and warehousing.
Professional self-publishing typically runs $10,000 to $15,000 for production.
Add $20,000 to $40,000 for a PR campaign. A website, social media management, best-seller campaign, and Amazon optimization is additional.
