The IBPA has Updated its Hybrid Publisher Criteria

on Sep 02, 2022

The Independent Book Publishers Association's (IBPA) Hybrid Publisher Criteria have been revised. The checklist was first introduced in 2018 and aims to "bring uniformity to the task of defining reputable hybrid publishers, distinct from being traditional publishers or self-publishing services providers," according to the IBPA.

"At the very least, reputable hybrid publishers should be able to easily check off all 11 points in the revised criteria," said Brooke Warner, publisher at She Writes Press and co-author of the original Hybrid Publisher Criteria and a contributor to the revision.

He further added, "while some hybrid publishers go above and beyond the minimum, the IBPA's goal with this project is to define reputable hybrid publishers as those who follow these 11 common denominators in their publishing practices."

When asked why an update was needed, IBPA CEO Angela Bole pointed to the introduction of the new document.

According to him, "the avoidance of doubt means organizations that do not adhere to the entirety of IBPA's Hybrid Publisher Criteria or adhere to most, but not all of the criteria. They are not hybrid publishers as IBPA would define them, and should not be calling themselves "hybrid," according to the introduction. These businesses are better classified as self-publishing service providers. The author is the publisher in a self-publishing service provider/author relationship."

"Self-publishing service providers incorrectly labeled themselves as hybrid publishers, knowingly or unknowingly, they are contributing to the ambiguity and exploitation of authors and are rightly called out for doing so," the introduction continues.