Questions to ask a publisher before you sign

The questions draw on the Independent Book Publishers Association's hybrid publisher criteria, the Authors Guild's guidance, Writer Beware and Jane Friedman, all checked October 27, 2026. This is not legal advice. The contract's exact words are what count; have a publishing lawyer or, if you are a member, the Authors Guild review it.

First: who pays whom?

The answer changes which questions matter most. A traditional publisher pays you an advance and royalties and charges you nothing. A hybrid publisher or a self-publishing service charges you. Writer Beware puts the second case plainly: "you are a customer purchasing a product" (Writer Beware, Self-Publishing).

For paid publishers, the clearest benchmark is the IBPA's list of eleven criteria that a hybrid publisher is "expected to meet." IBPA's page says hybrids "publish books using an author-subsidized business model" and, in exchange, "return a higher-than-industry-standard share of sales proceeds to the author" (IBPA Hybrid Publisher Criteria). The Authors Guild tells authors weighing a hybrid to send their contract to the Guild for review, ask other writers about their experience and use the IBPA criteria (Authors Guild, April 29, 2022). The full list, turned into questions, is in what a hybrid publisher is, and how to vet one.

Rights

1. Which rights do you want, and for how long?

Why it matters: The rights you license decide what you can do with your own book for years. Writer Beware warns that paid publishers' contracts "are exclusive, and often can't be terminated at will" (Writer Beware, Vanity, Subsidy and Hybrid Publishers).

A good answer: A specific list of formats and territories. From a traditional publisher, a license of publishing rights, not a transfer of your copyright. From a service you pay, no publishing rights at all, or a short non-exclusive license you can end. IBPA expects a hybrid's contract to cover term limits and include a rights reversion clause (Publishers Weekly on the IBPA criteria, September 1, 2022).

2. Whose name and ISBN go on the book?

Why it matters: The ISBN records the publisher of the book. IBPA's criteria say a hybrid should "Publish under its own imprint(s) and ISBNs."

A good answer: A clear statement of whose imprint and ISBN it will be, and what happens to both if you part ways. The clauses behind this, from copyright to option clauses, are in who owns what: rights, ISBNs and contract terms.

Royalties and costs

3. How is my royalty calculated, and who collects the money?

Why it matters: A percentage of the list price and a percentage of net receipts can be very different amounts. And with some services, sales income flows through the company before it reaches you.

A good answer: The rate for each format, whether it is on list or net, how often you get statements and whether you can audit them. For a hybrid, IBPA's criterion is to "Pay authors a higher-than-standard royalty." Jane Friedman notes that with paid services, "The best services do not take a cut of sales or pay royalties. Author earns 100 percent net on book sales" (Jane Friedman, updated July 8, 2026).

4. What will I pay, in total, and what is not included?

Why it matters: Writer Beware says that with a paid publisher, "The exact amount you are expected to pay should be stated at the outset." Fees that appear later, required purchases of your own books and paid add-ons are classic warning signs.

A good answer: One written total, a list of what it covers, the price of author copies, and every optional extra priced. The Authors Guild's advice: "Understand all of your publishing costs and what services your publisher will provide for you," and "ensure you have a contract that backs them up." From a traditional publisher, the answer is that you pay nothing.

Timeline

5. When will the book come out, and is that date in the contract?

Why it matters: A book tied to a speaking season, a launch or a business plan needs a real date. Without one in writing, the schedule is a hope.

A good answer: A schedule from manuscript to publication with the main steps, a publication date or window in the contract, and what happens if either side misses it.

Distribution and marketing

6. Who distributes the book, and will stores stock it or only be able to order it?

Why it matters: Almost any path can make a book orderable. Few put it on shelves. Writer Beware's questions for a hybrid include "Does it really work with a distributor (as opposed to a wholesaler like Ingram)?" and "Can it really get its books into brick-and-mortar stores?"

A good answer: The name of the distributor or wholesaler, which formats and stores are covered, and a straight answer on whether anyone will sell the book into stores.

7. What will you do to market this book, specifically?

Why it matters: Jane Friedman urges authors to "ask your publisher about their marketing and promotion plans for your book" before agreeing to a deal, and warns that "A general, mass outreach plan is rarely to your benefit, especially if it can't be measured." She also asks, "Does the publisher have a publicity staff?" (Jane Friedman, updated February 18, 2025).

A good answer: Named people, outlets and communities, a plan for advance review copies, and anything promised written into the contract. The Authors Guild says to "get specifics in writing in your contract" for any promised marketing. A plan with no names in it could fit any book.

Editing standards and track record

8. Who will edit the book, and what kind of editing is it?

Why it matters: "Editing" can mean a structural edit, a line edit, a copyedit or a proofread. IBPA expects a hybrid to "Ensure editorial, design, and production quality" and to "Vet submissions," which means it can say no.

A good answer: Which edits are included, who does them and their experience, how many rounds, and whether you approve changes. A publisher that accepts every manuscript unchanged is not editing it.

9. Can I see your recent books and talk to your authors?

Why it matters: Writer Beware's first question about a hybrid is "Who is behind the hybrid?" IBPA expects a hybrid to "Demonstrate respectable sales." The Authors Guild warns against any publisher that "cannot demonstrate such a track record."

A good answer: A list of recent titles you can buy and authors you can contact. Find a few authors yourself as well, not only the ones offered.

Exit terms

10. If this goes wrong, how do I leave, and what do I keep?

Why it matters: Every publishing relationship ends sometime: the book goes out of print, the company changes, or you change your mind. The way out is written before you sign or not at all.

A good answer: A termination or reversion clause in the contract, what you owe if you stop partway, and whether you receive the final print and ebook files, the cover and the source files. Ask the Authors Guild's question too: "What guarantees do you have, if any?" How reversion works once a book stops selling is in getting your book rights back.

An answer that dodges any of these, or arrives with a deadline to sign, is an answer in itself. Twelve red flags are in vanity press warning signs.

How Scribe answers them

If you have a finished manuscript and are willing to manage freelancers, self-publishing usually costs far less than any paid package. If you would rather talk the questions through with Scribe, you can book a free call.

What most people get wrong

• Asking only about price. Rights and exit terms last longer than the invoice.
• Accepting spoken answers. If it matters, it belongs in the contract.
• Talking only to the authors the company picks. Find your own.
• Treating "hybrid" as a quality label. It describes a business model. The IBPA criteria test the quality.