Forbes Books alternative
Forbes Books is one of the publishing brands of The Authority Company, alongside Advantage Books. Its site says the Forbes name is used under license from Forbes Media LLC.
15 minutes · A real person · No sales pressure · Packages from $4,833 a month
Or call (512) 325-0249Sources: theauthoritycompany.com and books.forbes.com (site footer), listed below
CEOs, doctors, athletes, entrepreneurs. Every project is custom.
Our position
We believe a book should earn its standing on the strength of the work, under your own name. Our view is that the ideas, the voice and the rights should all stay with the author.
We will not shorten a timeline to win a deal. We would rather protect the quality of the book than hit an arbitrary date.
“Everything in your book comes out of your mouth and your ideas.”
From the Scribe Professional and Elite agreementsWhy authors choose Scribe
A licensed logo on a cover is recognizable to the people you most want to impress: board chairs, conference bookers, and sophisticated clients. In our view, a book that is genuinely good speaks for itself in every room, for decades, whatever logo is on the spine.
With Scribe Elite, you speak with 2 to 3 Scribes and choose your match. Every package includes a dedicated Publishing Manager, your single point of contact from start to finish. Continuity is how a book ends up sounding like you.
Every Scribe package has its price on our pricing page. There is no brand license fee. Our Master Terms say: “There are all kinds of additional work you might want to add, but we will NEVER do any additional work that would cost you money without first getting your explicit approval, both to do the work and for the amount.” Read section 18 of our Master Terms.
The comparison
You have probably seen a Forbes Books proposal, or you are about to. This is the side-by-side we walk through with authors who ask us about it.
| What matters | Forbes Books | Scribe Media |
|---|---|---|
| What you are buying | Forbes BooksA publishing program under the Forbes Books imprint. Its site says authors apply and are chosen from the applications it receives each year.Source: books.forbes.com/faq | Scribe MediaA book written in your voice by your Scribe, professionally published, with launch marketing included. In our view, the credibility comes from the book itself. |
| Investment | Forbes BooksForbes Books does not publish prices. Its site says it shares pricing on a discovery call, and that Forbes Books programs cost more than its Advantage Books programs. Ask for a written quote that lists every service.Source: books.forbes.com/publishing-programs/ghostwritingSource: books.forbes.com/faq | Scribe MediaPublished on our pricing page: Scribe Publishing $4,833 a month for 6 months ($29,000 total), Scribe Professional $4,667 a month for 12 months ($56,000 total), Scribe Elite $9,000 a month for 15 months ($135,000 total). No brand license fee. |
| Ownership and royalties | Forbes BooksIts FAQ says you own your book and its rights, and that Forbes Books holds the exclusive right to publish and distribute it. Ask what royalty you get per copy, and what happens to your listing, reviews and files if you leave.Source: books.forbes.com/faq | Scribe Media“100% of All Rights and Royalties. All book profits and rights are yours. All accounts are yours.” From our pricing page. |
| Who writes | Forbes BooksIts site describes a ghostwriter, an Editorial Manager and a Brand & Media Leader. Ask how many people will work on your manuscript and what happens if one leaves.Source: books.forbes.com/publishing-programs/book-creation-publishing | Scribe MediaWith Scribe Elite, you speak with 2 to 3 Scribes and choose your match. Every package includes a dedicated Publishing Manager, your single point of contact from start to finish. |
| The Forbes connection | Forbes BooksForbes Books lists AuthorVoice articles on Forbes.com and an author portfolio page on Forbes.com among its program features. Ask who writes those articles, how Forbes.com labels them, and how they differ from Forbes editorial coverage.Source: books.forbes.com/publishing-programs | Scribe MediaIn our view, lasting attention comes from a good book and a real launch: Amazon positioning, podcast pitching ($3,000 a month, three-month minimum), speaking, and the audience you already have. |
| Who it fits | Forbes BooksAuthors who specifically want the Forbes association and are comfortable paying for it. | Scribe MediaLeaders who want a book that stands on its own, at a price published on our pricing page. |
Details about Forbes Books come from books.forbes.com and theauthoritycompany.com, read on October 20, 2026, and linked above. Confirm anything that matters to you with them directly. Scribe prices are from scribemedia.com/pricing.
Honest fit
If the single most important outcome for you is the Forbes association on the cover, and the price is comfortable, they are the only place to get it.
We would rather tell you that than win a client who wanted something we do not sell.
Before you sign
Bring these to every publisher you are considering, including us. We believe the answers belong in writing, in the agreement you sign.
Ask us every one of these, too.
Every project is custom. Every result below is documented on our site.
“Would I be taken seriously with these books given that I was going with Scribe over a big New York publisher?”
Cameron Herold
$30,000speaking fee, doubled from $15,000
Read Cameron's story →
Michael Mogill
$5Min new business over two years
With Scribe's help, Michael wrote a book that brought him $5 million in new business.
Read Michael's story →
Robert Glazer
$1M+in economic value added
“A book is almost a prerequisite for the top tier of media and conferences.”
Read Robert's story →
Bryan Miles
$1.1Mnew top-line revenue in year one
A book allowed Bryan Miles to share how organizations could be transformed through remote work.
Read Bryan's story →A focused conversation about your book idea, your audience, and your goals. We tell you honestly whether Scribe is the right fit.
We pair you with a professional Scribe who captures your voice. “Everything in your book comes out of your mouth and your ideas.” (our agreement)
You get on the phone and talk about what you already know, then give feedback. Your Scribe turns your interviews into the manuscript.
Editing, cover design, Amazon, audiobook, and launch support. “100% of All Rights and Royalties. All book profits and rights are yours. All accounts are yours.” (pricing page)
Pricing
Every price, out in the open, on our pricing page. “Your total investment is split into equal monthly payments.”
Scribe Publishing
$4,833
a month for 6 months ($29,000 total)
For authors with a finished manuscript who want professional editing, design, audiobook, and full distribution.
Scribe Professional
$4,667
a month for 12 months ($56,000 total)
We interview you and write your book. What you say in your 10 content interviews becomes your manuscript.
Scribe Elite
$9,000
a month for 15 months ($135,000 total)
The premier ghostwriting experience. White-glove, start to finish.
We cannot say, because Forbes Books does not publish its prices. Scribe Elite, our most comprehensive package, is $9,000 a month for 15 months ($135,000 total). Ask Forbes Books for a written quote and compare it line by line with ours. The main difference in the models: with Forbes Books, part of what you pay for is publication under a licensed brand.
Yes. In our experience, the press that moves a business comes from a strong book, a real launch plan, and your own network. Every package includes launch marketing (Amazon strategy, social graphics, email templates, a Goodreads giveaway). Scribe Podcast Pitching is $3,000 a month, with a three-month minimum. We will not promise coverage we cannot control.
Please do. Bring the proposal. Our author strategist will walk through it with you line by line and tell you honestly where each option is stronger.
Authors come to us when they want a book as polished as any traditionally published title. If you want a book that you can set next to a traditionally published book and not be able to tell the difference in content, structure, or design, this is where you do it. If your primary focus is cost, there are cheaper ways to publish. We are here to make sure it is the best thing you have ever created.
Our process was built for busy people. With Scribe Professional you do 10 content interviews of about two hours each, plus two planning conversations and your reviews of the draft.
That is our entire business model, and we have been refining it for over a decade. You review the manuscript and give notes at each stage. Scribe Elite includes 10 revision calls.
In our experience, most of our authors do not write books to sell copies. They write books to land better clients, get speaking invitations, build authority, and leave something lasting. This is about what your book unlocks, not how many copies move on Amazon.
It can be. If you want a print run for bookstores or events, ask us for a written quote. We will also be honest about what those dollars buy. We usually recommend spending on the channels that reach your readers.
Tell us about your book and your goals, and we will show you exactly how Scribe would approach it.