What Balboa Press does

Balboa Press is an assisted self-publishing company and a licensed division of Hay House, operated by Author Solutions, LLC from its headquarters in Bloomington, Indiana. The company targets individual authors — primarily writing self-help, personal development, spirituality, wellness, and inspirational nonfiction — and sells tiered publishing packages (Accelerator at $1,699, Seeker at $2,599, Embracer at $6,299, Master at $11,499, and Phoenix at $17,699) that bundle ISBN assignment, editorial assessment, cover design, interior formatting, print-on-demand production in softcover, hardcover, and e-book formats, and tiered marketing services. Its core technology is a print-on-demand publishing stack delivered through Ingram Content Group, providing global distribution to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and physical bookstores via the Booksellers Return Program.

Balboa Press monetizes primarily through one-time publishing package fees, supplemented by upsold editorial, design, and marketing services, plus a transactional royalty share on book sales (25% on direct website sales, 10% on distribution channels, 50% on e-books). The company operates three geographic imprints covering the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and positions itself as a credible on-ramp to Hay House's traditional publishing ecosystem, with multiple author case studies demonstrating promotion from Balboa Press to Hay House. Go-to-market is sales-led, anchored by free publishing consultations and Hay House catalog placement, supported by content marketing through a corporate blog, press releases via PR Newswire, and social media. As of early-to-mid 2026, the company maintained an active release cadence with a diverse catalog spanning self-help, memoir, healthcare, and professional nonfiction.

Name

Balboa Press

Legal name

Author Solutions, LLC

Website

https://balboapress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Balboa Press is an assisted self-publishing division of Hay House that sells tiered publishing packages (from $1,699 to $17,699) to individual authors of self-help and inspirational nonfiction, distributing print-on-demand titles globally via Ingram Content Group across the US, Australia, and UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Publishing Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Rights, ISBN & Publishing Administration Services (Identifiers, Metadata, Royalties) (MPAJAJAK)

Keywords

• Self-publishing services
• Assisted publishing
• Book publishing packages
• Print-on-demand publishing
• Editorial and design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Publishing Package Sales: Authors purchase publishing packages (Accelerator at $1,699 to Phoenix at $17,699) which include essential publishing services such as ISBN assignment, cover design, interior formatting, and marketing services depending on package tier.
2. Royalty Revenue Share: Balboa Press generates revenue through book sales, paying authors royalties of 25% for direct website sales, 10% for distribution channel sales, and 50% for e-book sales. Authors must have a US bank account to receive royalties via EFT.
3. Author Services Upsells: Additional editorial, marketing, and production services available for purchase beyond the base publishing package.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Balboa Press is an assisted self-publishing company and division of Hay House that sells tiered publishing packages (Accelerator at $1,699 through Phoenix at $17,699) to individual authors. Packages include ISBN assignment, cover design, interior formatting, editorial assessment, print-on-demand production (softcover, hardcover, e-book), worldwide distribution through Ingram, and marketing services. Authors retain rights and earn royalties on book sales through the company bookstore and retail channels.

Product overview

Balboa Press is a self-publishing company and division of Hay House, offering assisted self-publishing services with five publishing package tiers (Accelerator at $1,699 through Phoenix at $17,699). The platform provides end-to-end publishing services including editorial assessment, cover design, print-on-demand production (softcover, hardcover, e-book), ISBN assignment, Library of Congress registration, and worldwide distribution through Ingram to major retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Marketing offerings vary by tier and include author website setup, press release distribution (100-500 media outlets), social media support, video interviews, and promotional BookStub codes. All packages include Hay House catalog placement opportunities and access to a discovery pathway for potential acquisition by Hay House for expanded distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Balboa Press Publishing Packages Five-tier assisted self-publishing package program (Accelerator at $1,699, Seeker at $2,599, Embracer at $6,299, Master at $11,499, and Phoenix at $17,699) for individual authors. Each tier includes ISBN assignment, cover design, interior formatting, editorial assessment, print-on-demand production (softcover, hardcover, e-book), worldwide distribution via Ingram to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and libraries, plus marketing services scaled by tier (press releases to 100-500 media outlets, author websites with hosting, BookStub promotional codes, and Booksellers Return Program placements). All packages include Hay House catalog placement and potential discovery pathway to Hay House acquisition.
• Balboa Press Bookstore Company-operated online bookstore listing all Balboa Press published titles for direct consumer purchase in softcover, hardcover, and e-book formats. Authors earn 25% royalty on retail sales through this channel. The bookstore lists over 12,339 books across all genres and operates with separate storefronts for the US, Australia, and UK markets.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hay HouseflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBalboa Press is a self-publishing division and licensed trademark of Hay House, Inc. The partnership provides Balboa Press authors with opportunity for discovery and potential acquisition by Hay House, the leading self-help and transformational publishing house. Authors like Shawn Leonard ('Spirit Talker') and Mark Crowley ('Lead from the Heart') have been promoted from Balboa Press to Hay House.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hay House: Parent company and flagship traditional self-help publisher. Directly comparable as the traditional publishing house that Balboa Press authors can be promoted into, sharing the positive-message self-help brand identity.
• Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): Dominant free self-publishing platform for e-books and print-on-demand paperbacks. Competes for the same authors at a much lower price point (free) with global distribution, making it the primary alternative to paid packages.
• Barnes & Noble Press: Free self-publishing platform from a major book retailer offering POD print and e-book distribution. Competes for self-publishing authors at no upfront cost, complementing Barnes & Noble's retail presence.

Direct peers

• Author Solutions (Lulu Inc.): Operating entity that runs Balboa Press under license from Hay House; now owned by Lulu Inc. Directly comparable as a multi-imprint assisted self-publishing platform serving authors across similar service packages and POD distribution model.
• BookBaby: Assisted self-publishing service offering tiered publishing packages, ISBN assignment, cover design, and distribution. Direct competitor in the paid-package self-publishing space targeting independent authors.
• iUniverse: Sister imprint under Author Solutions offering tiered self-publishing packages. Closely comparable business model, package structure, and target author base to Balboa Press.
• Westbow Press: Author Solutions imprint focused on Christian/faith-based self-publishing. Directly comparable platform structure and tiered packages, with overlap in inspirational content category.
• Outskirts Press: Author Solutions imprint offering tiered publishing packages and global distribution. Same operating model, package tiers, and distribution infrastructure as Balboa Press.
• IngramSpark: Self-publishing distribution platform from Ingram Content Group offering ISBN assignment, POD printing, and global retail distribution. Provides the underlying distribution infrastructure Balboa Press uses and competes directly for independent authors seeking professional publishing.
• Draft2Digital: Self-publishing distribution and formatting service offering e-book and POD distribution across major retailers. Comparable target market of independent authors seeking simplified publishing with broad distribution reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/balboapress

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Balboa Press