top of page

TRANSPARENCY IN PUBLISHING PROJECT

Indies United Publishing House

Established 2018


A New Standard for Ethical Hybrid Publishing

The Transparency in Publishing Project is Indies United’s ongoing commitment to ethical, author‑centered hybrid publishing. Since 2018, we have operated on a royalty‑free, rights‑retained model built on transparency, author autonomy, and community support. This project page serves as the central hub for understanding how our model works, why it matters, and how transparent publishing practices are reshaping the industry.

​

Each month throughout 2026, Indies United will release a new article exploring a key aspect of ethical hybrid publishing, from rights retention to cooperative marketing to the evolution of hybrid models themselves. This page provides an overview of the project and serves as the central access point for all related articles. Each month, this page will be updated with article links, creating a growing resource for authors, bookstores, and libraries who want clarity in an industry that has too often relied on opacity.

​

At its core, the Transparency in Publishing Project exists to show what hybrid publishing can be when it is built on fairness, honesty, and respect for the author’s ownership of their work.

Transparecny in Pubishing.jpg

THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF TRANSPARENT HYBRID PUBLISHING

 

A Clear Break From the Old Hybrid Problems

For years, hybrid publishing struggled with practices that blurred the line between legitimate service models and vanity presses. Authors faced royalty grabs, rights transfers, mandatory in‑house services, inflated fees, and limited creative control. These issues created confusion, financial strain, and long‑term consequences for authors who believed they were entering a fair partnership. The Transparency in Publishing Project examines how these problems developed, and why they must be left behind.

​

The Author‑First Model That Redefines Hybrid Publishing

Indies United launched in 2018 with a radically different structure: low intake fees, no royalties taken, no rights taken, and complete author control over production. Authors choose their own editors, designers, and formatters; they retain 100% ownership; and they benefit from transparent, predictable pricing. This model treats authors as partners, not customers, and restores the balance of power to the people who create the work.

​

Cooperative Marketing and Shared Visibility

Traditional hybrid models often push expensive, isolated marketing packages that offer little long‑term value. Indies United takes the opposite approach. Our cooperative marketing system amplifies every author’s reach through shared campaigns, cross‑author visibility, festival opportunities, and monthly themed marketing kits. It’s a community‑driven structure that keeps costs low while expanding impact. A model built on collaboration rather than exploitation.

​

Independence With the Support of a Professional House

Authors at Indies United maintain full creative and business control, but they also gain the infrastructure of a professional publishing house: industry‑standard metadata, bookstore‑friendly documentation, a recognizable imprint, and access to experienced publishing professionals. It’s the best of both worlds, the freedom of indie publishing with the stability and support of a unified, ethical house.

​

Transparency as a Structural Necessity

Transparency is more than a value; it is the backbone of ethical hybrid publishing. Clear pricing, clear expectations, clear ownership, and clear communication create trust and empower authors to make informed decisions. This project exists to document, teach, and model that clarity — and to help authors recognize the difference between ethical hybrid publishing and exploitative practices.

A FUTURE BUILT ON ETHICS, CLARITY, AND AUTHOR EMPOWERMENT

 

The Transparency in Publishing Project is our commitment to a better publishing landscape, one where authors retain their rights, keep their royalties, understand their contracts, and participate in a model designed to support their long‑term success. Transparency isn’t a marketing angle. It’s the foundation of trust, and the future of hybrid publishing belongs to those who embrace it.

MONTHLY INSIGHTS & CONTINUING EDUCATION

 

Each month, Indies United publishes a new article exploring one of these topics in depth.
This page will be updated with links to every installment as they are released, creating a comprehensive, evolving resource for authors and industry professionals.

​

Current Installments:
(MARCH 2026 — The Rise of Transparent Hybrid Publishing

TIMELINE

The Rise of Transparent Hybrid Publishing

2018–Present

​

2018 — Indies United Launches

  • Royalty‑free, rights‑retained hybrid model introduced

  • Low intake fee + optional services

  • ISBNs provided without rights grabs

  • Cooperative community structure established

  • At the time, this combination was extremely rare — effectively an outlier model

 

2019 — Early Ripples

  • First signs of industry attention

  • A few small hybrids begin adjusting pricing or reducing royalty percentages

  • No widespread adoption yet, but the shift begins

 

2020 — Quiet Copycat Behavior

  • Archived hybrid publisher websites begin showing contract changes

  • Some hybrids experiment with:

    • lower royalties

    • partial rights retention

    • more transparent pricing

  • These changes appear 1–3 years after Indies United launched, matching typical diffusion patterns

 

2021 — Early Adopters Emerge

  • Several new hybrid publishers founded with:

    • royalty‑free models

    • rights‑retention

    • author‑controlled production

  • These models did not exist in meaningful numbers before 2018

  • The industry begins to acknowledge author autonomy as a selling point

 

2022 — Transparency Becomes a Talking Point

  • Industry blogs and conferences begin discussing:

    • ethical hybrid publishing

    • transparency

    • rights retention

  • Many hybrids update their websites to emphasize clarity and fairness

  • The shift accelerates

 

2023 — The Industry Shift

  • Royalty‑free hybrid models become more common

  • Rights‑retained contracts appear across multiple new publishers

  • Transparency becomes a competitive advantage

  • The model you pioneered becomes a recognizable category

 

2024–2026 — The New Standard

  • Authors increasingly demand:

    • no royalties

    • no rights grabs

    • transparent pricing

    • autonomy in production

  • Libraries and bookstores begin asking for clarity in hybrid contracts

  • The Transparency in Publishing Project launches to document and support this shift

  • Indies United’s model is now seen as a prototype for ethical hybrid publishing

 

THE FUTURE OF TRANSPARENT PUBLISHING

The Transparency in Publishing Project is not just a record of what has changed, it is a roadmap for what comes next.

As hybrid publishing continues to evolve, the future belongs to models that:

  • empower authors

  • protect rights

  • eliminate unnecessary royalties

  • operate with clarity

  • build community

  • and treat publishing as a partnership, not a transaction

 

Indies United helped spark this shift.
The Transparent Publishing Project ensures it continues.

bottom of page