BERKELEY, Calif. and TEMPE, Ariz. (PRWEB) March 01, 2018
She Writes Press and SparkPress Publisher Brooke Warner spearheaded the initiative to establish hybrid publishing criteria in her role as Chair of the Advocacy committee of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). The Advocacy Committee is comprised of IBPA’s CEO Angela Bole, as well as nine board and publisher members of the IBPA, and both traditional and hybrid publishers lent their expertise to the final criteria, which has the support of the Authors’ Guild and is the first effort to standardize hybrid publishing. These criteria establish important guidelines for both the industry and authors alike.
Warner has long been held the mission to level the playing field for independent authors, and her position as Chair of the Advocacy Committee has created an opportunity to champion for hybrid publishers, but also to insist that there be standards, and that publishers claiming to be hybrid adhere to those standards.
“Hybrid publishing has been around for as long as publishers have been cutting creative publishing deals, but only now are hybrid publishers emerging as legitimate middle ground between traditional publishing and self-publishing,” said Warner. “With more hybrid publishers entering into the marketplace, it was time for us to set the bar and define what a hybrid publisher is.”
Since its founding in 2012 as a publishing platform for members of SheWrites.com and women writers everywhere, She Writes Press has been paving the way for the hybrid publishing model and advocating for indie authors. In 2014, SparkPoint Studio acquired SheWrites.com and She Writes Press, bringing to the table its own recognized hybrid imprint, SparkPress. Parent company SparkPoint Studio also recently acquired Shebooks, a hybrid e-book publisher that launched in 2013 from magazine industry veterans to bridge the gap between magazines and books, publishing 75 short e-book titles by women and for women. Between its three hybrid publishing arms (She Writes Press, SparkPress and the rebranded SheBooks), all under Warner’s leadership as publisher, the company has nearly 500 titles and is setting the gold standard for hybrid publishers everywhere.
The company has established itself as a leader in the hybrid publishing for its impeccable design, editorial standards, high-performing titles, and distribution by Ingram Publisher Services. In 2017, She Writes Press won BISG’s Industry Innovator Award.
“We’re proud to be such a prominent player in the hybrid publishing space and we understand that with that position comes a lot of responsibility, to our fellow hybrid publishers and to our authors, to create books that are every bit as beautiful and editorially sound as their traditional counterparts,” said Warner.
Crystal Patriarche, CEO of SparkPoint Studio, added, “This company and this industry are lucky to have a passionate advocate and leader like Brooke Warner, who works tirelessly to create an environment that pushes for equal evaluation of quality published works by indie authors and publishers.”
About SparkPoint Studio:
SparkPoint Studio, headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., is fast becoming the leading disruptor in the publishing industry, leveling the playing field for indie authors and emerging as the front runner and quality standard in hybrid publishing, with nearly 500 titles under its three imprints: SparkPress (a hybrid imprint for male and female authors), She Writes Press (an award-winning hybrid publisher for women authors) and the newly acquired SheBooks (e-book only options by women).
SparkPoint Studio doesn’t just publish authors through its innovative and recognized publishing arms. SparkPoint’s BookSparks division is the leading, go-to publicity and marketing agency for publishers and authors, executing more than 400 book publicity campaigns that merge traditional and digital media and delivering stellar results for New York Times bestselling, emerging and debut authors and publishers. BookSparks is a recognized game-changer and influencer in the book promotion industry. SparkPoint Studio also operates SheWrites.com, the largest online community of women writers around the globe, and SheReads.com, a new destination where women readers can find their next favorite book. SparkPoint Studio is a female-led, unique, multi-media company for All Your Story Needs™: gold standard publishing options through SparkPress, She Writes Press and SheBooks for writers who want to publish their stories; innovative publicity and marketing through BookSparks for authors and publishers to promote their stories; a community of women writers at SheWrites.com for women who want to join a platform of other storytellers; and a community of women readers at SheReads.com for those looking to find great stories to read. For more, visit GoSparkPoint.com.
