Ballast Books

What Ballast Books does

Ballast Books is a private, hybrid publishing house founded in 2019 by Andy Symonds and headquartered in Florida, with a distribution warehouse in West Palm Beach. The company operates as a full-service author-publishing platform: it accepts unagented submissions, pairs authors with ghostwriters, and delivers editing, book design, hardcover/softcover/e-book/audiobook production, wholesale and retail distribution, marketing and PR, and royalty management. Ballast retains a 20% share of net royalties while authors keep 80% (and 100% on direct-to-consumer sales), and uses the same printers as the Big Five New York publishers to position output quality against traditional houses. Distribution reaches Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Target, independent bookstores, specialty retailers, and airport stores via Ingram and Baker & Taylor wholesalers. The firm also operates Blue Balloon Books, a wholly-owned children's literature imprint.

The customer base spans five primary segments — Military & Veterans, Business & Entrepreneurship, Faith & Inspiration, Fiction, and Children's Literature — with a sales-led go-to-market built around free consultations and customized proposals rather than fixed packages. Pricing is project-based and ranges from roughly $1,500 (cover design) and $2,500-$5,000+ (manuscript editing) to $50,000-$75,000+ (full ghostwriting), plus separate line items for author coaching, interior layout, print runs, warehousing, and marketing/PR. Notable signed titles include a Fall 2026 Teresa Giudice memoir and an August 2026 Scott Bloom book, alongside a catalog featuring Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher and other military veterans. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding and employs approximately 20 team members across production, editorial, acquisitions, marketing, finance, and design roles, many with publishing-program backgrounds from Belmont University and Emerson College.

Name

Ballast Books

Legal name

Ballast Books

Website

https://ballastbooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ballast Books is a Florida-based hybrid publishing house offering unagented authors full-service ghostwriting, editing, design, distribution, and marketing with an 80% royalty share to authors. It serves military veterans, business leaders, faith authors, fiction writers, and children's book authors via its Blue Balloon imprint.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book Publishing Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing (MPAJAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ghostwriting & Collaborative Writing Services (MPAJAJAI), Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH), Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO), Author Business Tools & Analytics (Royalty Tracking, Pricing, Keyword/Market Research) (MPAJAJAO)

Keywords

• Hybrid publishing services
• Book editing services
• Ghostwriting services
• Book distribution
• Book marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

West Palm Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Publishing Services Fees: Authors pay upfront for publishing services including ghostwriting, editing, book design, marketing, and distribution. Pricing is customized based on project scope, word count, editing requirements, and additional services like audiobook production. Ghostwriting typically costs $50,000-$75,000+, author coaching $100-$300/hour, manuscript editing $2,500-$5,000+, cover design $1,500+, and interior layout $1,500+.
2. Royalty Share: Ballast retains 20% of net royalties from book sales, while authors keep 80%. For direct sales made by authors themselves, authors retain 100% of profits. Royalties are paid quarterly based on wholesale, retail, bulk, and direct orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ballast Books is a full-service hybrid publishing house that pairs authors with ghostwriters, editors, designers, and producers to create and publish hardcover, softcover, e-books, and audiobooks. Authors pay customized project fees upfront for these services and retain 80% of net royalties (100% on direct sales), while Ballast handles production through Big Five-tier printers, trade distribution via Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Target, and independent bookstores, plus in-house marketing, PR, and royalty management.

Product overview

Ballast Books is a full-service hybrid publishing platform offering a comprehensive suite of services including ghostwriting, book development & editing, book design, publishing, distribution & fulfillment, marketing & PR, and royalty management. Authors retain creative control, rights, and the lion's share of royalties (80%). The company utilizes the same printers as Big Five New York publishers and produces hardcover, softcover, e-books, and audiobooks. Distribution is handled through relationships with major wholesalers (Ingram, Baker & Taylor) and retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Target, independent bookstores). The company also operates Blue Balloon Books, a children's book imprint providing specialized services for children's literature including editing, illustration, design, and marketing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Balloon Books: Children's literature imprint of Ballast Books, providing full-service publishing support including editing, illustration, design, and marketing for children's books.

Products and services

• Ballast Books Hybrid Publishing Platform Full-service hybrid publishing platform that pairs individual authors with a dedicated team delivering ghostwriting, developmental editing, cover and interior book design, hardcover/softcover/e-book/audiobook production through Big Five-tier printers, wholesale and retail distribution via Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Target, and independent bookstores, and in-house marketing, PR, and quarterly royalty management. Authors retain rights and 80% of net royalties (100% on direct sales).
• Blue Balloon Books Children's Publishing Imprint Children's literature imprint of Ballast Books offering full-service support including editing, illustration, design, and marketing for children's picture books and early-reader content. Operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary brand serving authors of illustrated children's content.
• Ghostwriting Services Standalone ghostwriting service that pairs authors with writers from a talent pool to flesh out stories and match the author's voice while retaining tone and vision. Pricing typically ranges $50,000-$75,000+ for full ghostwriting projects.
• Book Development & Editing Standalone editorial service including developmental editing, proofreading, and author coaching to transform drafts into polished final manuscripts. Manuscript editing is priced $2,500-$5,000+, upwards of $10,000 for 100,000+ word technical books.
• Book Design Standalone book design service providing collaborative cover and interior design producing professional book designs that stand out on bookshelves and attract readers.
• Book Publishing Standalone publishing service producing high-quality hardcover, softcover, e-books, and audiobooks using the same printers as Big Five New York publishers.
• Distribution & Fulfillment Standalone trade distribution and fulfillment service making titles available everywhere books are sold through relationships with wholesalers (Ingram, Baker & Taylor) and major retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Target, independent bookstores). All orders fulfilled from the West Palm Beach, Florida warehouse.
• Marketing & PR Services Standalone in-house marketing and PR support for published authors including press tours, book signings, speaking engagements, award submissions, graphics, press releases, and press kits, priced $1,500-$10,000+.
• Royalties & Payments Management Standalone royalty management service in which authors retain the majority of royalties (80% of net royalties, 100% on direct sales) with quarterly payments based on wholesale, retail, bulk, and direct orders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Authors retain 80% of net royalties on book sales
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IngramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor book wholesaler distributing Ballast Books titles to bookstores, libraries, and other retail outlets worldwide.
• Baker & TaylorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor book distributor serving independent bookstores and retail chains, expanding Ballast's distribution reach.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary online retail channel for Ballast Books titles, providing global reach and direct consumer access.
• Barnes & NoblecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor brick-and-mortar and online bookseller offering Ballast titles in stores and online.
• CostcominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWarehouse retailer featuring Ballast Books titles in select locations.
• TargetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retail chain offering Ballast Books titles in stores and online.
• Independent BookstorescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of independent bookstores and boutiques carrying Ballast titles, supporting local book retail.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hay House: Hybrid publisher specializing in self-help, wellness, and inspiration — closely comparable vertical mix to Ballast's faith/inspiration/business segments.
• Barnes & Noble Press: Self-publishing imprint of Barnes & Noble offering print-on-demand and e-book distribution, leveraging B&N's retail footprint — comparable retail-distribution-enabled hybrid model.
• BookBaby: Hybrid/self-publishing services company offering editing, design, printing, distribution, and marketing to authors without traditional gatekeeping — directly comparable service stack to Ballast Books.
• Lulu Press: Self-publishing platform providing print-on-demand, distribution, and author services. Closely comparable business model aimed at democratized publishing for independent authors.
• AuthorHouse: Long-standing hybrid/self-publishing services provider covering editing, design, printing, distribution, and marketing. Operates with a similar end-to-end service model targeting unagented authors.
• Reedsy: Marketplace connecting authors to vetted editors, designers, ghostwriters, and marketers — competes with Ballast's curated service offerings and author-acquisition flow.

Others

• IngramSpark: Ingram's self-publishing distribution platform providing print-on-demand and global book distribution. Functions as both a competitor in hybrid services and a critical infrastructure partner used by Ballast.

Broad incumbents

• Wiley: Major publisher with strong business, leadership, and nonfiction lists (Wiley Business) — comparable to Ballast's business/entrepreneurship segment at much larger scale.
• HarperCollins: Global Big Five publisher with deep trade, memoir, and children's imprints (HarperOne, Harper Business). Competes for the same high-profile memoir and business authors.
• TarcherPerigee / Penguin Random House: Big Five publisher operating across trade, memoir, and self-help categories. Represents the dominant traditional publishing model that Ballast positions against with its hybrid, rights-retained alternative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Ballast_Books
• Facebookfacebook.com/BallastBooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ballast-books

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Ballast Books