The history of publishing models has evolved over time, adapting to technological advancements and changing market demands.
Traditional publishing involved authors submitting manuscripts to established publishing houses for consideration. Publishers handled editing, printing, distribution and marketing, while authors received royalties.
The digital age brought about self publishing, allowing authors to bypass traditional gatekeepers and publish independently. However, quality control and visibility remained challenges.
Then, hybrid publishing emerged as a bridge between traditional and self publishing. Combining aspects of both, hybrid publishing offers professional services, editorial support and wider distribution while allowing authors greater creative control.
But with the popularity of hybrid publishing increasing year on year, there has been an explosion of companies offering hybrid publishing services to authors. The downside of this of course, is that it can be hard to decipher which companies are worth consideration and which should be disregarded.
That is hopefully where this article can help, as we take a look at one such company, Atmosphere Press. We will take a deep dive into who they are, what they do and ultimately whether or not an author should consider using them for their hybrid publishing needs.
This Atmosphere Press review contains:
- Atmosphere Press backstory
- What do Atmosphere Press offer
- Further information about Atmosphere Press
- Atmosphere Press reviews
- What are the alternatives to Atmosphere Press
- Atmosphere Press review – final thoughts
Atmosphere Press Backstory
Founded in 2015 by Dr. Nick Courtright, an author and PhD in Literature, Atmosphere Press is a hybrid book publisher based in Austin, Texas. Their aim is to be ethical and author friendly hybrid book publishers. They state that they were built on the principles of Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, Kindness, and Making Your Book Awesome.
To date, they have published nearly 1000 books, and their authors have won dozens of awards whilst reaching the hands of tens of thousands of readers.
Atmosphere Press is an author friendly publisher and author services provider accredited by the Better Business Bureau as well as being partnered with the Independent Book Publisher’s Association, the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, Writer’s Digest, The Writer, Writing Magazine and Winning Writers, among others.
The founder and executive editor, Nick Courtwright, spent years working around and through publishing both as an editor and as a writer, and he came to feel that, too often, writers got the raw end of the deal, losing not just their royalties but also the rights to their material and to their control over their art.
That is why he decided to build a dedicated team of editors, designers, distributors and publicists to help authors ensure that their books are treated well.
What do Atmosphere Press Offer
Atmosphere Press offers a variety of conventional hybrid publishing services, the outlines of which can be found below.
Flagship Publication Service – selective offerings with pricing determined via a collaborative conversation to offer bespoke quote
Custom Cover Design – $800 to $1200 depending on specifics
Editorial Coaching – $800 to $1700 depending on number of meetings
Written Manuscript Review – $500
Back of Book Strategy Meeting – $300
Query Letter Assistance – $400
Merchandise Bundle – $500
Custom Author Website Build Packages – $500 to $3000 depending on specifics
Audiobook Production and Distribution – $1500 to $5000 depending on number of words
Book Boost Publicity and Promotion Packages – $1000 to $5000 depending on specifics
Illustration for Children’s Picture Books – $4000
Further Information about Atmosphere Press
Here is some further information about Atmosphere Press that authors will likely find useful.
Book Publication Timeline – 4 to 8 months on average
Author Submissions – Authors interested in working with Atmosphere Press can either contact them directly via email, post or telephone as per the information found on their website. Alternatively, authors can send in their manuscript without a prior conversation via their online form.
Is Atmosphere Press a ‘Vanity Press’ – No. Atmosphere does offer bespoke services for individual aspects of book publishing as we have outlined above, but for their full publication service or anything they are going to attach their name to, they have editorial oversight and will not publish anything submitted.
Atmosphere Press Reviews
The Atmosphere Press website has various testimonials from authors who have used their services which seem nothing short of genuine and are all glowing.
However, when a company only shows this type of hand pick review, as opposed to an open rating system like a google review that updates independently of the websites control, one is left to wonder if there are any alternative viewpoints.
An internet search shows there are and the results are definitively mixed. Some have stated that they are in fact a vanity press and will publish anything submitted whilst others have claimed that their published work had major typos in it and that the editorial advice was nothing more than OK.
These mixed signals showcase why it is important for authors to always do their own independent research as opposed to taking what the company says about itself as gospel.
What are the alternatives to Atmosphere Press
Broadly speaking, there would be three main alternatives to using Atmosphere Press.
Firstly, a writer could use a different hybrid publishing company, if they were a fan of the model, but unsure about some of the specifics that Atmosphere Press offer, such as price, location or anything else.
As stated before there are no shortage of these companies offering their services, so whatever specific a writer was unsure of with regards to Atmosphere Press, they would almost certainly be able to find elsewhere.
The second option would be for a writer to make a conventional submission to a traditional publisher.
The potential for financial reward and industry prestige are immense when considering this route, but the stiff competition one must face alongside the strict requirements around which genres can be submitted at specific times of year mean it can be a difficult process to endure.
On top of this there is naturally no guarantee that any book will be selected for publication which can leave the author in a state of limbo.
The final option would be for the writer to consider self publishing.
Once considered a last resort for writers, self publishing has become an increasingly popular option and is now one of the most viable methods for writers to ensure their book is published whilst also minimizing costs and maximizing the chances for the potential of financial return.
Of course each writer must carefully weigh up their own personal circumstances alongside their ambitions to select the right path, but there is certainly no shortage of options.
Atmosphere Press Review – Final Thoughts
In short, being less than 10 years old, Atmosphere Press is still a relatively young company finding its feet in the publishing world.
There will naturally be growing pains and not everything will be perfect but there are enough things to give writers pause and perhaps consider other options when seeking for the best way for their book to be published.
Whether that is the lack of transparency around cost for their full publication package, the mixed online reviews or the model of hybrid publishing itself which puts a financial strain on aspiring authors, Atmosphere Press should likely be considered an option but not a first choice.
Authors may well find a better pathway in self publishing, which retains all of the upside of hybrid publishing such as creative control and higher royalties, whilst also being significantly cheaper.
Like this review? Here are some other self-publishing companies we have reviews on:
