Orange Hat Publishing Llc

What Orange Hat Publishing Llc does

Orange Hat Publishing LLC is an independent, hybrid book publisher founded in 2011 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, by Shannon Ishizaki. The company operates a multi-imprint structure—Orange Hat Publishing (core brand), Ten16 Press (memoir/nonfiction focus), and Bubbler Press—publishing across memoirs, fiction, children's books, and essay collections. It accepts 350–400 manuscript submissions annually on a quarterly review cadence (January, April, July, October), historically publishing roughly 15% of submissions, and has built a catalog of 400+ authors over its operating history.

The publisher's underlying technology stack is a WordPress website with a WooCommerce retail storefront, supplemented by a custom royalty calculation tool coded in the R programming language by owner Michael Braun to provide authors transparent visibility into per-book compensation. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce (own WooCommerce site), print-on-demand and global wholesale through Ingram Lightning Source, and partnerships with local independent bookstores such as Blue House Books. Marketing is primarily organic—blog content ('Whoa Writing' series), monthly public and biweekly author email newsletters, organic Facebook presence (Ten16 Press), and in-person author/library events.

Revenue mechanics are a hybrid-publishing licensing/royalty model: authors receive 78.8% of compensation (with hybrid-contract authors earning 50%+ of retail price, materially above traditional publishing's 5-10% royalty norms), while the publisher retains 21.2% plus channel-specific fixed amounts—$0.50 per Ingram order, $1.00 per wholesale order fulfilled in-house, $5.00 per direct retail order, and 25% of compensation on ebook sales. Book prices range $9.99–$39.99 by format. Following a 2024 ownership transfer from founder Ishizaki to Michael Braun (PhD, quantitative social sciences; adjunct at Milwaukee School of Engineering), the company rebuilt its web presence, revamped marketing, and announced a quarterly catalog relaunch in 2025.

Name

Orange Hat Publishing Llc

Legal name

Orange Hat Publishing LLC

Website

https://orangehatpublishing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Orange Hat Publishing LLC is an independent hybrid book publisher based in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, serving independent authors across memoirs, fiction, children's books, and essays via three imprints, multi-channel distribution through Ingram and direct e-commerce, and author-favorable royalty terms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Author Service Marketplaces & Aggregators (Vetting, Bundled Services) (MPAJAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting) (MPAJAJAG), Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH), Author Marketing, PR & Launch Services (Ads, Book Tours, Influencers) (MPAJAJAL)

Keywords

• Hybrid book publishing
• Author publishing services
• Indie book publishing
• Print-on-demand distribution
• Book editing and design

Headquarters

HQ city

Wauwatosa

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Book Sales Revenue: Hybrid publishing model where Orange Hat generates revenue through book sales distribution via Ingram Lightning Source (distributor) and direct website sales. Publisher compensation formula: Sale price minus print cost minus fees. Compensation split: Authors receive 78.8% of compensation, Orange Hat retains 21.2%. For Ingram orders, Orange Hat keeps $0.50 per book; for wholesale orders they fulfill, $1.00 per book; for retail orders through their website, $5.00 per book; and 25% of compensation for ebook sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Orange Hat Publishing LLC is an independent book publisher that partners with authors through hybrid publishing contracts to deliver full-service publishing — editing, cover design, layout, distribution, and marketing support. The company publishes under three imprints (Orange Hat, Ten16 Press, and Bubbler Press) and sells books directly via its website and through Ingram Lightning Source print-on-demand distribution to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers. It accepts 350–400 manuscript submissions annually, reviews them quarterly, and shares compensation with authors at a 78.8% / 21.2% split.

Product overview

Orange Hat Publishing LLC is an independent book publishing company operating under a multi-imprint structure consisting of its core Orange Hat Publishing brand along with Ten16 Press (specializing in memoirs and nonfiction) and Bubbler Press. The company provides hybrid publishing services including editing, cover design, layout, and distribution through Ingram. They accept submissions quarterly (January, April, July, and October) and receive 350-400 submissions annually, publishing approximately 15% of submissions. Their royalty structure pays authors 78.8% of compensation with hybrid contracts offering authors 50%+ of retail price. The company is based in Wauwatosa, WI and was founded by Shannon Ishizaki, with Michael Braun (Braun) currently serving as owner and editor-in-chief following a transition in July 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Orange Hat Publishing (Hybrid Publishing Service) Core hybrid publishing service offering authors editing, cover design, layout, distribution via Ingram Lightning Source, and marketing support from pre-order through launch; authors retain 78.8% of compensation and can earn 50%+ of retail price. Targets writers of memoirs, fiction, children's books, and essay collections.
• Ten16 Press Wholly-owned imprint of Orange Hat Publishing specializing in memoir and nonfiction titles, including works on mental health, personal journeys, and family stories.
• Bubbler Press Publishing imprint of Orange Hat Publishing LLC, noted alongside Ten16 Press in the company's multi-imprint publishing portfolio.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ingram Content Group (Lightning Source)coreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary distribution and print-on-demand partner using Ingram Lightning Source service. Enables Orange Hat to offer global distribution to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers. Ingram charges $0.50 per book order for distributor-fulfilled orders and handles wholesale discount structures (30%, 40%, 55%).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• She Writes Press: She Writes Press is a hybrid imprint (now under SparkPoint Studio) focused on women authors, offering editorial, design, and distribution services with elevated royalty splits — a direct peer in the hybrid publishing category, with genre-focused imprint positioning similar to Orange Hat's Ten16 Press.
• BookBaby: BookBaby is a long-standing hybrid/self-publishing services company offering editing, cover design, formatting, distribution, and marketing packages to independent authors on a fee-for-service basis — directly comparable to Orange Hat's bundled-service hybrid publishing model.
• AuthorHouse: AuthorHouse is a legacy hybrid/subsidy publisher (originally part of Author Solutions, now under Penguin Random House) offering editing, design, printing, and marketing packages to independent authors — a direct peer in the hybrid publishing services category at a significantly larger scale.
• Atmosphere Press: Atmosphere Press is an author-friendly hybrid publisher offering full-service editing, cover design, layout, distribution, and marketing with author-revenue splits comparable to Orange Hat's — a direct peer in mid-sized hybrid publishing with similar curated submission processes.
• Wise Ink Creative Publishing: Wise Ink is a small-to-mid hybrid publisher based in Minneapolis offering editing, design, distribution, and marketing for independent authors with competitive royalty terms — a direct peer in scale, geography (Upper Midwest), and indie author positioning.
• Archway Publishing: Archway Publishing is the hybrid imprint of Simon & Schuster, offering author-paid publishing packages with editing, design, and distribution services via the parent house's infrastructure — a direct peer in hybrid author services, scaled by access to S&S retail relationships.
• iUniverse: iUniverse is one of the original hybrid/subsidy publishers (under Penguin Random House) offering editing, design, printing, and distribution packages to indie authors — a direct peer with comparable service bundles, though at meaningfully larger scale and longer history.
• Greenleaf Book Group: Greenleaf Book Group is a hybrid publisher that partners with authors on editing, design, distribution, and marketing while offering higher-than-traditional royalty splits — the closest direct comparable to Orange Hat in author-friendly hybrid terms and service bundling.

Others

• Ingram Content Group: Ingram Content Group operates Lightning Source, the print-on-demand and distribution platform on which Orange Hat depends for global retail availability. While not a direct competitor, Ingram is the infrastructure layer enabling Orange Hat's distribution economics and represents a critical enabler for the entire hybrid publishing category.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): Amazon KDP is the dominant self-publishing platform enabling authors to publish print and ebooks directly with no service fees and high royalty splits. It is the broad incumbent alternative to hybrid publishers like Orange Hat — offering a DIY path with substantially less editorial and design support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TEN16Press
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orangehatpublishing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Orange Hat Publishing Llc