You can publish like it's 2005.
Or you can publish like it's now.
Greenleaf is the longstanding hybrid publisher with high-quality design and real distribution — but their systems are built for their business, not yours. Scribe delivers equal or better quality, faster, with more author ownership.
Greenleaf Book Group vs. Scribe Media
Both companies are real and have served real authors. Here's how the sales-team's own competitive briefing describes the difference — verbatim — so you can decide which one matches what you actually need.
Longstanding hybrid publisher with a traditional approach. High-quality design and real distribution, but outdated systems.
- Traditional, legacy-style operation
- Outdated production systems
- Built around their business model, not the author's
- Pricing: $40,000–$60,000
- Target client: consultants, leadership authors, traditionally-minded execs
A book that builds brand, credibility, and legacy.
- Equal or better production quality — same global distribution (Amazon, Audible, B&N, Ingram, libraries)
- Faster: 9–12 months for Professional, 12–16 for Elite
- 100% author ownership of IP, royalties, and rights
- Modern, transparent systems with a dedicated Publishing Manager
- Flat fees from $29,000 — no royalty share, no opaque pricing
"We deliver equal or better quality, faster, and with more author ownership. Greenleaf still operates like a legacy house — slow, opaque, and built for their business, not yours."
— From the Scribe Media internal Competitive Comparison briefing for Greenleaf Book Group.
Three reasons people choose Scribe
over Greenleaf Book Group.
Equal or better — faster.
Same world-class production, design, audiobook, and distribution. Just not on a legacy timeline.
100% author ownership.
Greenleaf operates more like a traditional hybrid where the publisher retains rights and revenue share. We don't take royalties.
A modern system built for you.
Dedicated Publishing Manager. Weekly cash flow transparency. CFO-level financial oversight. No black box.
Seven things authors consistently
tell us made the difference.
Author Ownership
You keep 100% of your IP, royalties, and content rights.
World-Class Editorial
Elite team of writers, editors, and publishing pros — many with traditional publishing credits and MFAs.
Strategic Focus
We build your book around your bigger goals — speaking, business, impact.
No Bullshit Pricing
Flat fees, no upsells, no fine print.
Luxury Positioning
High-status content and design that elevates your brand.
Prestige Roster
We've worked with Navy SEALs, billionaires, and Nobel Prize winners.
Speed + Excellence
Faster than traditional houses. Better than everyone else. 9–12 months for Professional.
Three tiers. Flat fees.
No upsells. No fine print.
Pricing pulled directly from our active sales agreements. No surprise add-ons, no discretionary upsells, no royalty share.
For authors who have a completed manuscript and need professional editing, design, audiobook, and full distribution.
- Editing, design, layout, and cover
- Audiobook production
- Global distribution (Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo)
- 100% author ownership
Our flagship — chosen by ~80% of authors. You don't write a word. We pair you with a senior scribe and capture your voice through structured interviews.
- 4 Roadmapping & North Star sessions
- 10 interview sessions × 2 hours each
- Hand-picked scribe (interview 3, choose 1)
- Two voice checks before drafting
- Full publishing + launch support
- 100% author ownership
White-glove, prestige-tier service for legacy-defining books. In-person collaboration option, top scribe circle, $25K discretionary marketing budget.
- 40 hours of interview time (vs. 20 in Professional)
- Elite circle of most tenured scribes (interview 3, choose 1)
- Optional in-person collaboration (3 days)
- 20 hours of research integration
- Kirkus, IndieReader, 5+ book award submissions
- $25,000 discretionary marketing budget
The questions we get most
when authors are comparing.
Answers below are pulled directly from our active sales-team objection-handling reference. Not marketing copy.
Authors come to us when they want the most polished, professional product on the market. If you want a book that you can set next to a traditionally published book and not be able to tell the difference in terms of content, structure, or design — this is where you do it. If your primary focus is speed or cost, there are definitely cheaper ways to publish. But we're not here to help you get a book out fast. We're here to make sure it's the best thing you've ever created.
Our process was built for busy people. If you're using our interview-based method, you'll invest around 50 hours total. Compare that to the 300+ hours it typically takes to write and publish a book solo. If you can carve out 1–2 hours per week, we'll take care of the rest.
That's our entire business model — and we've been perfecting it for over a decade. Capturing your voice isn't a one-and-done task — it's a process. You'll co-create a voice brief, review sample chapters, and give feedback every step of the way. We've done this for bestsellers, Nobel winners, and clients with extremely unique voices. If we couldn't do it, we wouldn't exist.
Our most successful authors don't write books to sell copies. They write books to land better clients, get speaking gigs, build brand authority, and cement legacy. This is about what your book unlocks — not how many you sell on Amazon. If you're looking for long-term ROI through credibility, visibility, and opportunity creation, you're in the right place.
9–12 months for Scribe Professional. 12–16 months for Scribe Elite. We won't lie to you about timelines just to close a deal. Our timeline reflects what it takes to do this right the first time, and our most successful authors will tell you they're grateful they didn't settle for faster.
New ownership and leadership took over in 2023 and made structural improvements across the board — financial oversight (we have a CFO now), governance (board meets weekly), transparency (weekly cash flow reporting), and installment-based payment structures so you see progress before making additional payments. We've now published approximately 120 books for affected authors at cost. Full transparency about what happened — happy to walk through it on a call.
Talk to someone who can help you choose.
15-minute consult. If Greenleaf is the better fit, we'll tell you. We've also seen plenty of authors choose us for exactly the reasons above.
Book a Free Consult