Building a dream team in publishing consisting of freelancers is an innovative way of seeing your work published. Let's talk about collaborative publishing.

How Collaborative Publishing Works

Collaborative publishing is different from traditional publishing or hybrid publishing, as you are not partnering with a publisher. So it is a type of self-publishing. However, rather than signing up with a self-publishing service, the author looks to freelancers.

In the collaborative model, the author will build a publishing team of freelancers with different skill sets to get their book produced and published. There are many different components to a dream team in publishing, which we will look at in our guide to publishing success.

Why Collaborative Publishing Is a Good Option

Collaborative publishing works well because, in general, the end product is a book that is as good as it can be. In order for your book to be the hugely successful bestseller you want it to be, it needs to be really well put together. By going down the collaborative route, you can combine the talents of many skilled freelancers to ensure you have the best end product you can get. You'll be able to get experts to contribute every step of the way to give you a real work of art.

One benefit that the collaborative model has over self-publishing or hybrid publishing is that it often works out to be much cheaper. So it may be more practical if you have less of a budget.

Potential Drawbacks of Collaborative Publishing

Publishing, whether done through the traditional model, the hybrid model, or a self-publishing service, is generally streamlined. However, if you are going with collaborative publishing, it can take longer to see a final product. Because you have to deal with different freelancers, the whole process can be much slower.

Another drawback is that some freelancer agencies don't actually guarantee the quality of their freelancers. Here at Dibbly | The Urban Writers, we have high standards and vetted freelancers, but unfortunately, not every company does.

A Guide to Publishing Success

Collaborative publishing is an effective way of getting your masterpiece onto shelves. In order to achieve publishing success, here's what you need to bring to the table:

• A great manuscript (or at least a great outline)
• A clear plan and vision for what you want to achieve
• A willingness to work hard and make connections
• A passion for getting your book published

Publishing is a long road (as is writing a book), so you need to make sure your fire burns brightly, and you are hungry for success.

After that, you can start building a publishing team.

Building a Publishing Team

So, who are you getting on your team? There are a lot of different types of freelancers out there. You may not need every single service going; it depends on your type of project. Let's first look at the roles you absolutely need for building a publishing team. Then, we can get into other roles that can be part of collaborative publishing.

Roles You Must Have

Here are six vital roles everyone will need when building a publishing team.

1. Author (and/or ghostwriter)
2. Editor
3. Cover Designer
4. Proofreaders
5. Accounts
6. Copyright

You yourself may be able to do some of these things, or you could find someone who can do more than one of these jobs.

Author (and/or ghostwriter)

The author is you (or possibly you and other people). It's your name on the book; you are credited with the work.

In some cases, the author doesn't actually write the whole book by themselves. They may get a ghostwriter to do it. When doing this, the author will prepare an outline for the ghostwriter to work on. This is basically the plan for the manuscript, which the author will then write.

Editor

Once the book is written, the editor is the first person you should look to get on your collaborative publishing team. In fact, sometimes an author will get an author to look at their manuscript if they are submitting it to a traditional publisher to boost the chances of it getting accepted.

The editor looks at the structure of the book as a whole and ensures it flows well and follows correctly (which is to say that the order of the content makes sense). It's best to try to get an editor who specializes in the genre you are writing in.

Proofreader

A proofreader is like an editor who focuses on individual words rather than the book as a whole. They will look at the technical specifics of language to ensure it makes sense. It's possible that the same people will do the editing and proofreading.

Cover Designer

The cover is a really important part of your book because it's the first thing potential readers will see. In a way, it's like an advertisement for your book. You may have an idea of what you would like the cover to look like, but you need to get a professional to design it for you.

Accounts

Hiring freelancers and publishing a book cost money. Whether you get a professional account or do this yourself, you'll need somebody who can keep track of what you are spending money on and where, and whether you need to raise more money before proceeding.

Copyright

You basically need someone who can read the appropriate text stating that you legally own the rights to your book.

Other Possible Roles

Here are some other types of freelancers you may want to get on board with when building a publishing team.

Beta Readers

This is similar to a proofreader, except instead of giving you technical notes, they are giving you feedback on the content itself. They will be people who are in the industry you are writing about or people who would be in your target demographic.

Internal Layout Designer and Typesetter

These were previously two separate roles. The typesetter would look at fonts, spacing, and the justification of text, while an internal layout designer would focus on things like graphics and tables and the overall appearance of the page. In modern times, these jobs have become one big role. In fact, it is common for a cover designer to do these things too.

Ebook Designer

It is necessary to meet certain format requirements to publish an eBook on most outlets. Format specifications may vary depending on where you are selling your book. A professional eBook designer will be able to ensure that the eBook is laid out correctly so that it is readable and easy to navigate. Oftentimes, an eBook designer will be the same as the internal layout designer and typesetter.

Illustrator

A talented artist who will illustrate content for your book. This may also be your cover designer.

Marketing

You'll probably do a lot of the marketing for your book by yourself, but you may want to get someone to help you. There are services that put together press releases, and you could hire someone to do some social media promotion.

Printers

If you're producing a physical print book, you will need to pay someone to print copies. This has to be done in a particular way. Before you actually print your book, you will need to ensure it is formatted correctly.

Generally, printing is cheaper when done in bulk, which means it works out cheaper the more copies you get printed.

Distributors

This is where you actually sell your book. Whether it's a physical book store or an online retailer, you will need to find a place to actually hold copies of your book so that people can buy them.

Translators

You may want to have your book translated into other languages to broaden your readership. Avoid using translationsoftware and use an actual, fluent professional translator.

Audiobook Producers

If you want to produce your work as an audiobook, it will need to be scripted, narrated, and edited. Some parts of the manuscript may need to be reworded to make it more suitable for narration. The audio will need to be recorded professionally and edited to industry standards.

Tips for Creating a Dream Team in Publishing

Here are five tips for ensuring you build the right publishing team for you:

1. Prioritize the type of freelancers you really need first. You'll likely end up building a publishing team that contains many different roles (even if some of them are done by the same person). But when you are starting out, get the essential team members first. We mentioned needing an editor, which every author will do; they are the first person you should get on board. If you need illustrations, it is wise to get someone on your team in the early stages. Think about it this way: If you get these people on your team early, they can start working while you research more freelancers for later down the line. We mentioned earlier that collaborative publishing is generally a slower process, so it's beneficial to get started early with what you can.
2. Always look at a freelancer's experience. This is particularly important for ghostwriters, illustrators, and cover designers. The freelancer should be able to provide some kind of sample of their work. At the very least, you should be able to see some positive reviews for your freelance work. At Dibbly | The Urban Writers, we vet our freelancers for quality, but unfortunately, a lot of freelancing companies don't do the same and will be lazier in their approach to hiring people.
3. On top of your freelancer proving to have been a capable writer, it's crucial to look at their area of expertise. Just because someone is a very good creator in one area or genre doesn't mean they will be good in others. Ideally, you want to pick someone with a level of skills and expertise in the type of book you are writing. If you are writing a book on business, it's best if they've contributed to a business book in the past or at least have studied or worked in that area.
4. Before you sign a contract, always establish the cost. At Dibbly | The Urban Writers, we are transparent about our freelancer rates, but not everyone is. You don't want to end up with a freelancer working on your project when, halfway through, they decide it's going to cost more than they anticipated. Everyone should be upfront about money beforehand. You need to know freelancer rates so that you can budget properly for other members of your dream team in publishing going forward.
5. Money is important, but another really valuable part of the job is time. Using the collaborative model will often take longer than a traditional model or self-publishing service, but there is still the expectation that a freelancer should be able to give you a deadline and stick to it. If you don't have a good idea of a time frame for when each step will be complete (the editing, the printing, etc.), then you can't plan ahead. You need to know when your book will be distributed, which means you need to know when it will be finished. This means you need to know when each stage will be completed. Ensure you nail down clear expectations with your freelancers of when the work can realistically be completed.

Follow these tips in our guide to publishing success to ensure you get the right people on your team.

What The Dibbly | Urban Writers Gives You

If you want to build your dream team in publishing, then Dibbly | The Urban Writers should be your first port of call. We don't just see your book as another piece of work to churn out; we know the attachment an author has to their masterpiece. We can match you with the perfect freelancers to help you with collaborative publishing.

All of our freelancers, crucially, are vetted for quality. We offer an array of packages and provide services in ghostwriting, editing, illustration, and cover design, as well as translators and audiobook narrators. We can bring life to your project and help you get on the road to publishing your best seller. We also offer the future of writing software in Dibbly Create, which blends human creativity with AI. Get in touch today to start your journey with Dibbly | The Urban Writers.

Final Words

Collaborative publishing is a worthwhile venture if you can get the right freelancers. To start building your dream team in publishing, you should look to Dibbly | The Urban Writers, who can help guide you to publishing success.