Hay House Publishing: An In-Depth Hay House Review

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 Publishing 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!

What is Hay House Publishing?

Hay House Publishing is a publishing company that offers books and courses related to self-help, new thought, and spirituality. 

Founded by Louise Hay in 1984, Hay House Publishing has around 40 years of experience providing books by authors such as the late Dr. Wayne Dyer.

Hay House Publishing is an international company with offices in Australia, the United Kingdom, and India. They also operate a self-publishing service, known as Balboa Press, which is why you likely came across the company when doing your research on self-publishing.

Hay House Products & Prices

Hay House Publishing has a fairly extensive range of products and services, which we’ll focus on later in more detail. For the purpose of this article, we will be taking a closer look at the products that are most relevant to authors and publishers. 

In general, these are the products and programs offered by Hay House: 

• Online courses. Hay House Publishing offers over 200 courses. These are audio and video courses, with prices ranging from $5 through to around $500.
  
• Events. Tickets to over 20 different live events, including writers conferences, are available to purchase. The cheapest events are around $50 while the most expensive can cost as much as $5000. 
  
• Audio. A selection of over 600 audio products. Shorter guided meditations cost only a few dollars, while lengthier and more complex audio courses are as much as $200.
  
• Cards, kits & gifts. Around 60 different products consisting of card kits, calendars, and other physical products. 
  
• Video. Over 150 different video programs, featuring a mix of DVDs and online videos. Prices start at around $15 and go up to several hundred dollars.
  
• Books & eBooks. Almost 3000 different book products, both physical and electronic. Topics range from angels through to writing.
  
• Mobile Apps. 40 mobile apps covering topics such as empowerment and inspirational quotes. All apps are currently free.

There are thousands of products on offer. To save you the time of wading through them all, we've picked out the most relevant books, courses, events, and services for self-publishers.

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

The Hay House Writers' Community is a program offered by Hay House Publishing to support aspiring authors in developing and publishing their books. Participants may receive guidance and support from experienced professionals in the publishing industry, helping them navigate the complexities of writing, editing, and publishing.

Being part of a community of like-minded individuals can provide networking opportunities for writers in the self-help or spiritual space. Authors in the Hay House Writers' Community may also have the chance to submit their work to Hay House for consideration, potentially opening doors to traditional publishing.

That being said, the community isn't cheap, so writers should carefully consider whether the benefits justify the financial investment. Some writers may also feel pressured to conform to the specific themes or styles associated with the Hay House brand, potentially limiting creative expression.

Also, there is a waiting list – so it may be hard to even get in.

How to Submit to Hay House Publishing 

So how do you become a Hay House author yourself?

The only way to submit to Hay House is to either 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. 

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!

I urge you to check out our full Balboa Press review at this end of this blog to discover why, but…

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?

Despite our warning above, maybe you're still curious if Hay House can help you.

Now that you know exactly what Hay House Publishing offers, you can decide if they're right for your book publishing needs. So who and what is Hay House Publishing best for?

In our opinion, Hay House Publishing’s books, courses, and events are most suitable for:

• Older writers. The target audience for Hay House is the middle-aged and older demographic. If you check out photos and footage from the events it's an audience of mostly boomers. This doesn't exclude other age groups, but it's something to keep in mind.

• New-age fans. Do you like reiki, crystal healing, and tarot? Do you believe in past life regression and communicating with spirits? If so, you'll feel at home with Hay House. There are different belief systems on offer, so don't feel like you need to have a particular philosophy to be welcome.

• Fans of Hay House Authors. If you're a big admirer of Deepak Chopra or Dr. Wayne Dyer, this might be a good company for you to get involved with.

It’s a generalization, but we’d describe the ideal Hay House Publishing customer as 50+ years old and with a heavy interest in new-age ideas such as tarot and reiki.

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 Publishing 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
• 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.