Linden House Books
About Us
Linden House Books is a selective hybrid publisher based in Boulder, CO and Chicago, IL. We provide professional editorial and production support, as well a traditional distribution, for authors seeking a third way between traditional and self-publishing.
Why Hybrid?
The publishing landscape is changing rapidly. Authors with fantastic chops and great books are regularly turned down by traditional publishers if they lack a large online platform. Linden House Books doesn’t fit neatly into publishing’s usual boxes, and that’s by design. We’re not a traditional house, and we’re not self-publishing. Instead, we offer a middle path for authors with a powerful voice and idea, who want professional support without giving up control.
As a selective independent press, we partner closely with our writers to shape books that are polished, distinctive, and positioned to find real readers. While conventional publishers often take ownership of a book and leave authors to fend for themselves, Linden House Books brings seasoned editors and production experts to the table while authors keep a greater portion of their earnings. This type of publishing is also described as collaborative, or co-publishing. What matters is that we create inroads for great authors to see their work in print. Linden House Books enjoys traditional distribution through Simon & Schuster.
Linden House Books might be for you if...
- You have a powerful book and believe professional vetting, editing, design, and production truly matter.
- You want your book to meet industry standards without surrendering creative control to a traditional publishing committee.
- You’re not interested in reshaping your voice or message to fit what traditional publishers currently consider “marketable.”
- You don’t want to spend years querying agents, waiting for approval, and competing for limited traditional slots.
- You value transparency in timelines, costs, royalties, and decision-making.
- You like the independence of self-publishing, but you don’t want to manage editors, designers, printers, and distribution on your own.
- You believe in investing in your book and you want higher royalty potential than traditional publishing typically offers in return.
- You care about quality distribution and credibility, without giving up long-term ownership of your rights.
- You want professional guidance, positioning, and strategic support.
- You see your book as part of a larger professional or creative vision and want a publishing partner who understands that.
- You want clarity at every stage, from manuscript to launch, and a team that treats your book like it matters.
Our Mission
Linden House Books partners with thoughtful, culturally engaged authors to bring well-crafted books into the world without sacrificing creative control. As a selective hybrid press, we offer collaborative editorial support and traditional distribution while creating space for diverse voices.
We specialize in memoir; science and tech nonfiction; literary, historical and women's fiction; and spiritual/self-help books. Most importantly, we're interested in compelling ideas and distinctive voices. We work with authors unafraid to push the cultural edges in their work.
Our Publishing Package
What’s included:
Editorial Assessment: A manuscript review with an editorial letter on structure, clarity, and market positioning.
Proofreading: A final polish to correct grammar, punctuation, and mechanical errors before publication.
Strategic Positioning Consultation: Guidance on audience alignment, category placement, and competitive positioning.
Custom Cover Design: Professionally designed, genre-aware cover tailored to your book and market.
Custom Interior Layout & Typesetting: Clean, industry-standard formatting for print and ebook editions.
ISBN Assignment & Publishing Setup: ISBN registration and full publishing infrastructure management.
Print & Ebook Production: Preparation of all files for print-on-demand and digital release.
Wide Retail Distribution: Placement across major online retailers and global distribution channels.
Expanded Distribution Access: Support for bookstore, library, and institutional availability.
Metadata Optimization: Professional setup of categories, keywords, and retail descriptions.
Advance Reader Copy (ARC) Preparation: Digital files prepared for early reviews and endorsements.
Dedicated Project Management: Clear timelines and a single point of contact from manuscript to launch.
Print on demand: POD set up for your book.
Royalties: Author receives up to 70% of royalties payments.
The standard publishing package is $5,000
Add Ons
Developmental editing, copyediting, and publicity is not included in our standard publishing package. For these services we recommend our sister company, Canyon Editorial Studio.
Developmental Editing: $70/hour
Copy Editing: $55/hour
Traditional Print Run: Dependent on sales potential
Publicity Package: $3k-$10k