TL;DR: Hay House is a well-known self-help and spirituality publisher now owned by Penguin Random House. Their books and courses can be valuable if you're deep in the wellness or new-age space, but their self-publishing imprint, Balboa Press, is consistently rated poorly by authors and should be avoided. Most self-publishing authors will find better, cheaper, and more supportive alternatives.
You’re on the hunt for publishing companies and somehow you’ve landed on Hay House Publishing. They seem popular, but what is Hay House, exactly? And is Hay House Publishing actually a good fit for your book?
Before doing business with Hay House, you should read Hay House reviews (including this one) to learn more about what the company offers.
At selfpublishing.com, our mission is to provide industry education and thorough review guides on self-publishing companies, so we always stay up-to-date on the top organizations for authors. In our effort to do so, we spent some time researching Hay House Publishing, and have compiled our findings in this complete review.
We've fully explored the books, courses, events, and services provided by Hay House Publishing (including the Hay House Writers' Community) to help you decide if they're the right publishing service for you.
We’ve also scoured the web to seek out real opinions from other authors who have used Hay House, so you don’t have to take our word for it!
We want you to make informed decisions when it comes to how and where to invest your money. That’s why our mission is to help educate authors on the various self-publishing companies and services that are on the market today.
Our reviews are meant to be unbiased, 3rd party reviews, but we will speak up if there is a scam or a clearly better option.
What is Hay House Publishing?
Hay House is a traditional publishing company specializing in self-help, wellness, and new-thought books, founded in 1984 and acquired by Penguin Random House in December 2023.
Louise Hay founded the company on the strength of her bestselling book You Can Heal Your Life, and for four decades it remained one of the most prominent independent publishers in the mind-body-spirit space. Notable authors in its catalog include Dr. Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Mel Robbins, whose 2024 book The Let Them Theory became the biggest-selling book in Hay House's history, moving over 3.6 million English copies.
The PRH acquisition in late 2023 changed Hay House's ownership structure, but CEO Reid Tracy remains at the helm and the company retains its editorial independence. Its publishing offices are in Carlsbad (California), New York, London, Australia, and India.
For self-publishing authors, Hay House is most relevant through its self-publishing imprint, Balboa Press, which is where the story gets complicated.
Hay House Products & Prices
Hay House offers books, audio courses, live events, mobile apps, and a self-publishing service (Balboa Press), most oriented toward the wellness and spirituality market.
Here's a quick breakdown of what's on offer:
| Product category | Volume | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Books & eBooks | ~3,000 titles | Varies |
| Online courses | 200+ | $5–$500 |
| Audio products | 600+ | A few dollars–$200 |
| Video programs | 150+ | $15–several hundred |
| Live events | 20+ | $50–$5,995 |
| Cards, kits & gifts | ~60 | Varies |
| Mobile apps | 40 | Free |
Books
Of the roughly 3,000 books in Hay House's catalog, the categories most relevant to authors cover business, communication, success, journaling, and writing. Their writing category includes author-focused titles like Your Story by Joanne Fedler and Conscious Writing by Julia McCutchen.
If you want writing guidance with a personal-development or spiritual angle, Hay House has options. If you're looking for craft-focused writing education, you'll want to look elsewhere.
Courses
Hay House's course catalog covers personal growth, confidence, communication, and writing. The four dedicated writing courses are all in audio format and cover topics ranging from writing mindset (The Muse and The Inner Critic) to marketing (Book Marketing Online Course).
Prices range from around $10 to a few hundred dollars. Before purchasing, compare these against selfpublishing.com's courses and programs, which are built specifically to help authors write, publish, and sell their books.
Events
Hay House runs two flagship writing-focused events:
Writers' Workshop — Priced at $349 VIP / $249 General Admission. Now hosted virtually. The main draw here is practical: attending qualifies you to submit a manuscript to Hay House without needing a literary agent. The top submission from each workshop is eligible for a $10,000 advance; runners-up receive self-publishing packages through Balboa Press.
Former attendees note the workshop focuses more on how to get published than on the craft of writing itself. If your goal is a Hay House publishing deal, it's relevant. If you want to become a stronger writer, there are better uses of that budget.
Heal Your Life — A 10-day in-person event at $4,200–$5,995. Focused on emotional and spiritual healing. Worth knowing about if you're deeply aligned with Hay House's philosophy, but not a self-publishing resource.
Hay House Books
Of the 3000 books on sale at Hay House Publishing, only some are directly relevant to writing and self-publishing. We’ve picked out the following categories that you might be interested in:
- Business. A variety of different authors and topics. Ranging from the esoteric side of business, such as the law of attraction, through to more conventional topics like succeeding as a woman in the business world.
- Communication. Around 25 different communication books. Conventional options include Healing America by Tim Ryan while Manifesting With The Angels is available if you want something a little more out there.
- Journals. Academic journals can play a huge part in all types of success, including succeeding as an author. The journals on offer here are in line with Hay House's new-age philosophy and cover ideas such as manifesting your desires from the universe.
- Success. Over 50 different titles dealing with business and entrepreneurial success. Some are fairly mainstream and contemporary, such as Disrupt-Her by Miki Agrawal, while others are less so, such as The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra.
- Writing. Hay House’s writing category consists of some books catered directly to book authors, such as Your Story by Joanne Fedler, as well as writers in general, like Conscious Writing by Julia McCutchen.
If you're interested in getting writing advice with a new-age/spiritual slant, we'd suggest browsing the Hay House Publishing catalog and seeing which titles catch your eye.
Hay House Courses
So how about the courses on offer at Hay House? Are they relevant to you as an author, and are they any good?
Of the course categories on offer, we feel these are most likely to interest you:
- Communication. Hay House offers 10 courses related to communication. You can pick from fairly mainstream topics like NLP Made Easy or go for something less conventional such as the Spirit Communication Online Course.
- Confidence. If you’re a writer, you almost certainly struggle with confidence from time to time. Courses such as Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind claim to be able to make you a more confident individual.
- Finance. Financial planning is hugely important for authors. Hay House Publishing has one audio course directly linked to this area, titled Expert's Guide For Your Book Publishing Questions.
- Personal Growth. The personal growth courses on offer at Hay House include those that are fairly conventional, like Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself! by Dr. Joe Dispenza, and those that require a particular belief system, like Qabalah Made Easy or those dealing with past lives.
- Writing. Hay House currently sells four different writing courses, all of which are in audio format. Some deal with the mindset aspect of writing, such as The Muse and The Inner Critic, while others are more practical, for example, Book Marketing Online Course.
Courses range from around $10 to several hundred, so you’re likely to be able to find something to suit your budget. Be sure to compare them to other self-publishing courses in the marketplace.
Hay House Authors
You can always tell a lot about a publishing company by the authors they work with.
Hay House publishes a massive amount of different authors. While they all approach their work from different angles, one thing they tend to have in common is some sort of new-age belief system.
Some of the authors published by Hay House are genuine titans of their field. Major names include Bernie Siegel and Cornel West, but there are plenty of works from lesser-known writers who have a huge following in the new-age community.
If you're curious about the average author salary, read this (not just a report of Hay House authors, but authors of all stripes).
Hay House Writers’ Community
Hay House Writers' Community
The Hay House Writers' Community is a paid program for aspiring authors in the wellness/self-help space who want to pursue a traditional Hay House publishing deal.
Members get guidance from publishing industry professionals, networking with like-minded writers, and the ability to submit work to Hay House for consideration. For authors in the spirituality or personal development niche who specifically want to be published by Hay House, it may be worth exploring.
Two things to know before you try to join: it's not cheap, and there's a waitlist. If you're willing to invest in your writing career but not locked into Hay House specifically, you'd likely get more hands-on support — and a faster path to publishing — through a dedicated coaching program.
How to Submit to Hay House Publishing
So how do you become a Hay House author yourself? Let's learn about Hay House submissions.
Hay House submissions require you to have an agent or to have attended one of the company's writing courses or workshops. Your other option is to self-publish a book through their Balboa Press imprint.
Hay House explicitly states they are interested in any topic with a positive, self-help slant, but specify self-help, new thought, and inspirational memoirs as particular areas of interest for Hay House submissions.
Hay House Events
As well as their books and courses, Hay House also provides a range of live events taking place around the world.
We’ll briefly touch on the two headline events run by Hay House before taking a closer look at their events for writers.
- Hay House Live! A chance to meet some of the high-profile Hay House authors such as Brian Weiss.
- Many Lives Many Masters. A hypnotic past-life regression course.
While the above courses are likely to interest a subgroup of authors, the Hay House writer’s workshops are more likely to appeal to you.
If you want to become a Hay House author, attending a workshop qualifies you to submit a manuscript.
But what about the events themselves? What do they cover, and how much do they cost?
At this time, Hay House offers two events specifically aimed at authors.
Writer’s Workshops
The main writing course from Hay House costs $349 to attend as a VIP, but often has a discount price of $249 available for General Admission. This event used to be in-person, but is now hosted virtually.
The workshop typically consists of a talk from Reid Tracy, the President of Hay House, sharing insight into how he grew the company, as well as other seminars from some of the Hay House author roster.
The exact contents of the workshop aren't publicly listed, but former attendees have stated that the material is more related to how to get published rather than the craft of writing itself.
The major reason to consider attending this event is to become eligible to submit a manuscript to Hay House without the need for an agent. The top submission from each event is eligible for a $10,000 advance, while runners up receive self-publishing packages from Balboa Press.
Heal Your Life
As well as their flagship writer’s workshop, Hay House also runs Heal Your Life events at different locations throughout the country. A ticket for this event costs anywhere from $4200-$5995.
This program is 10 days long and involves various emotional, mental, and spiritual exercises to heal from past life experiences.
If you’re a fan of the Hay House brand and philosophy, these events might work well for you, but make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. Also, be sure to evaluate them against other writers' conference options out there.
Now that you know what the main Hay House imprint has to offer, let’s check out their self-publishing service, Balboa Press.
Hay House Self-Publishing Prices
Balboa Press is Hay House’s self-publishing company.
To work with Balboa Press, you need to purchase one of their self-publishing packages. These are available in 3 tiers - Standard Core, Core Plus, and Color.
- Standard Core Packages. The lowest level of service ranges from $1,299 to $4,499.
- Core Plus Packages. A wider range of done-for-you publishing services. These packages start at $6,299 and go all the way up to $15,799.
- Color Packages. A selection of publishing services cost between $1,499 and $1,599.
In addition to these self-publishing packages, you can pay extra to add additional services.
Balboa Press provides done-for-you publishing services in the following areas:
- Editorial. This is for professional book editing services, such as copyediting or line editing.
- Formatting. This includes formatting services for your manuscript files.
- Book design. This includes interior and exterior design, such as cover design.
- Interior illustrations. This includes inside artwork that may go in your book.
- Manuscript preparation. This is if you need help preparing your manuscript.
- Layout. This service offers layout design.
- Marketing. This is for specific marketing assistance.
- Publicity. This is for authors who want to reach the media and gain more publicity.
- Advertising. This is for those in need of advertising services.
- Bookselling. This is for those who need help with selling more books.
So is Balboa Press a good way for you to get your book out into the world?
In a word, no!
The complaint record is extensive:
- Balboa Press holds a 1.2-star rating on ComplaintsBoard, with 23 of 24 complaints unresolved as of 2024
- On Trustpilot, authors describe aggressive upselling, poor communication, and books that generated no sales after thousands of dollars spent
- The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) flags Balboa Press as a publisher to approach with caution
- One author paid more than $30,000 AUD and has a Facebook survivors' support group as evidence of how badly things can go
Please do not publish with Balboa Press unless you’re absolutely convinced you can’t find a better deal on the same services out there.
While the cost to self-publish a book varies when you factor in education training, and services such as professional editing and cover design, the price to use Hay House or Balboa Press seems very steep - especially when you consider that publishing on Amazon through KDP or even using IngramSpark is actually free.
And what about the other side? How much can you expect to make? We have a full article on self-published author salary comparisons, so you can get a better look at the numbers.
Just to give you an idea of how people feel after working with Balboa Press, there's actually a survivors' support group on Facebook!
Also, Balboa Press’ willingness to charge eye-watering amounts for very little service has been widely noted, such as in the below quote.
Please leave us a comment if you've had direct experience with Balboa Press.
Is Hay House Publishing For You?
Hay House is a good fit for readers and aspiring authors who are already embedded in the wellness, spirituality, or new-age space, and who specifically want to be published by a brand known in that market.
It's probably not a fit if you're writing outside that niche, if you want actionable writing and publishing education, or if you're evaluating self-publishing services.
Best-fit Hay House audience
- Writers whose work aligns with self-help, new thought, or inspirational memoir
- Fans of Hay House authors (Deepak Chopra, Mel Robbins, Gabrielle Bernstein, etc.)
- Authors who want a traditional publishing deal in the wellness/spirituality space and are willing to attend a workshop to qualify
Not a fit if you
- Are comparing self-publishing services by price and value
- Write outside the wellness/spirituality niche
- Want comprehensive writing, publishing, or marketing education
Hay House Review: The Pros & Cons
In our research efforts to review Hay House Publishing, we sorted the pros and cons of using this publishing company.
Pros of Hay House Publishing:
- Longevity. Hay House has been going for decades.
- New-age. If you have a new-age way of thinking, you’ll feel at home here.
- Various price points. Hay House has affordable and even free offerings.
- Refund promise. You can get a refund for any reason.
Now, let’s dive into some of the major cons to working with Hay House Publishing that we found after digging into the company more.
Cons of Hay House Publishing:
- Outdated. A lot of what Hay House offers feels dated. Offering materials on CD Rom is just one example of this.
- Expensive. You can often get better quality information or services, for less money, from companies other than Hay House.
- Reputation. Read on to see a sample of what other people are saying about Hay House, but it's not good.
- Balboa Press. A self-publishing imprint with a less-than-stellar reputation.
Other Hay House Reviews
What are other people saying about Hay House?
Well, let’s just say it’s extraordinary how easy it is to stumble across cautionary tales in Hay House reviews.
The main warning we found in online conversations about the company speaks in no uncertain terms of what they would love to tell the company’s founder.
Tamra Mercieca titled her take on the link between Hay House and Balboa "Have you been scammed?" and it included the following quote:
The negative view of Hay House isn’t just from a few disgruntled authors. Even insiders at the company have a dim view of it on average, as shown in the following review summary from Glassdoor.
Hay House Alternatives
There ARE alternatives to Hay House Publishing, which is why we’re so passionate about sharing information and review guides on the industry’s top companies.
We believe in making informed choices, to protect your investment - in terms of time, money, and your reputation as an author.
While we will always strive to provide unbiased reviews, if we know there is a better alternative out there, we’re going to speak up! We've reviewed a variety of author programs and services, which you can see outlined on the linked page.
Hay House Publishing vs Self-Publishing School
So how does Hay House Publishing measure up against Self-Publishing School?
Related: Self-Publishing School Review
We urge you to take a look into it yourself...
Here are some added benefits that include this education package to help you succeed in your self-publishing journey...
- Self-Publishing School has better free training in the form of blog posts, podcasts, and YouTube videos.
- Hay House Publishing and Self-Publishing School have similarly priced live events (a few hundred dollars for their flagship event) but with Self-Publishing School you get an extra day and a larger number of speakers.
- Self-Publishing School provides 1-1 expert coaching with a bestselling author when you enroll in their program. Hay House doesn’t.
- Balboa Press & Self-Publishing School both offer done-for-you services.
All in all, if you’re an aspiring author in need of a proven training program to write, publish, and market your book, we don't see any advantage in choosing Hay House over Self-Publishing School.
Final Rating
If you want to buy books or watch videos from some of their top authors, you’ll probably get your money’s worth.
When it comes to learning writing or attempting to publish through Balboa Press, stay clear. Hay House Publishing is outdated, overpriced, and seems to have a bad reputation even from its own workers.
Like this review? Here are some other self-publishing companies we have reviews on:
- Self-Publishing School Review
- Mastermind.com Review
- Balboa Press
- Lioncrest Publishing Review
- Author Incubator
- Reedsy Review
- BookBaby Review
- Scribe Media Review and the Scribe Media controversy
- Christian Faith Publishing
- Lulu Publishing Review
- Smashwords VS Draft2Digital Review
- Xlibris Review
- Archway Publishing
If you would like help from a reputable company to self-publish your book, reach out for a free, no-obligation strategy call with the team at selfpublishing.com today. We can help you to turn your dream book into a best-selling reality.
Frequently asked questions about Hay House Publishing
What kind of books does Hay House publish? Hay House specializes in self-help, health and wellness, new thought, spirituality, and inspirational memoir. They publish roughly 100 new titles per year and maintain a backlist of over 1,500 titles.
Was Hay House bought by Penguin Random House? Yes. Penguin Random House acquired Hay House in December 2023. CEO Reid Tracy continues to lead the company, which retains editorial independence within the PRH structure.
Is Balboa Press a scam? Balboa Press is a legitimate legal entity, but its pricing model is widely criticized. You can access the same services (editing, cover design, formatting, distribution) at significantly lower cost from independent providers or free platforms like Amazon KDP. Balboa Press holds a 1.2-star rating across consumer complaint boards, and the Alliance of Independent Authors flags it as a publisher to approach with caution.
How do you submit a book to Hay House? You need either a literary agent, proof of attendance at a Hay House workshop or event, or you can submit through the self-publishing imprint Balboa Press. Their annual Writers' Community Contest (with a $10,000 advance prize) requires a proposal, marketing plan, sample chapters, and a video presentation.
Who are the most famous Hay House authors? Key names include Louise Hay (founder), Dr. Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Mel Robbins, Gabrielle Bernstein, Joe Dispenza, Marianne Williamson, and Brendon Burchard. Mel Robbins' The Let Them Theory became the biggest-selling book in Hay House history in 2024–2025.
What is the Hay House Writers' Community? It's a paid membership program for aspiring authors in the wellness/spirituality space. Members receive industry guidance, networking opportunities, and the ability to submit work to Hay House for publication consideration. There is currently a waitlist to join.
