Dictate and Forbes Books, Compared
Forbes Books is a selective hybrid publisher. Dictate writes your book from interviews and you publish it yourself. Here are the facts, with sources.
Forbes Books, the Forbes-branded imprint of Advantage Media, is a selective hybrid publisher: the author and the publisher share the work and the investment, ghostwriting is available, and it holds the exclusive right to publish and distribute your book for the term of the agreement. It says bookstore titles take 12 to 18 months and does not publish prices. Dictate writes your book from phone interviews with a goal of a finished manuscript in 4 to 8 weeks at your pace, and you publish in your own accounts.
Side by side
What each company says about itself, as of November 9, 2026.
| Attribute | Forbes Books | Dictate |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Hybrid publisher: author and publisher share the work and the investment. Application required; "Each Author We Work with Is Significantly Vetted." | Interview-based book writing: you talk, and an AI-first writing system turns your words into a book. Nonfiction only. |
| Who does the writing | You, or a ghostwriter you select who drafts from video or phone interviews. | Dictate writes from your phone interviews (up to 15 hours) with Silas, our AI interviewer. You review and approve every chapter. |
| Timeline | Ghostwriting phase "usually about 6 months". Publication: "9-14 months" online, "12-18 months" for bookstore distribution. | Our goal is a finished manuscript in 4 to 8 weeks. Your interview and review pace sets it. |
| Ownership and rights | "You will own your book and all rights to your book." Also: "Forbes Books has the exclusive rights to publish and distribute your book." Royalty terms are not published. | You own 100% of the copyright and keep 100% of the royalties. You publish in your own accounts. |
| Price | Not published. Its FAQ says programs "incur a higher cost"; pricing is shared on a discovery call. | Contact for pricing: a custom quote on a free call. Payment plans available. |
Forbes Books does not publish its prices, so none is shown. Figures elsewhere online are third-party estimates. Sources, read November 9, 2026: Forbes Books FAQ, Forbes Books: who qualifies.
What Forbes Books is
Forbes Books is a business book publisher operated by Advantage Media, which also runs the Advantage Books imprint. It is a hybrid publisher: authors invest in the publication and the publisher brings editing, design, distribution and marketing, along with the Forbes brand. It looks for entrepreneurs, CEOs and professionals who are outstanding in their field, and it vets every author.
Its publishing agreement gives Forbes Books the exclusive right to publish and distribute the book during the term, while the author keeps ownership of the book. Its royalty terms are not public.
When Forbes Books may be the better fit
If the Forbes name on the spine matters for your market, you qualify, and you want a publisher to run distribution and marketing for a year or more, a hybrid publisher like Forbes Books is built for that. Read the publishing term, the exclusivity and the royalty share carefully, and ask for the total cost in writing.
Where Dictate differs
Dictate is built for experts who have more to say than time to write. The whole book comes from conversation, so your part is talking and reviewing, not typing.
- Interview-based: up to 15 hours of phone conversations with Silas, our AI interviewer, who researches you and your field first.
- Fast by design: our goal is your finished manuscript in 4 to 8 weeks, at your pace.
- AI-first, author-led: chapters are written from your transcripts in your voice, and nothing is invented. You approve every chapter.
- You own everything: 100% of the copyright and royalties, with publishing accounts in your name.
- Done remotely: no travel and no office visits. Everything happens by phone and in your author portal.
Questions to ask any book company
Ask every company you are considering, Dictate included, and get the answers in writing.
- Who writes the book: me, a ghostwriter, or a system, and how is my voice captured?
- How many hours of my time will it take, and what is the realistic timeline to a finished manuscript?
- Who owns the copyright, the files and the royalties? Is the publishing right exclusive to you, and for how long?
- Whose imprint and whose accounts is the book published under?
- What is included: editing, cover, formatting, distribution setup, marketing?
- What is the total price, and what happens if I stop partway through?
- Do you accept everyone, or is there an application?
Dictate vs Forbes Books: Questions
How much does Forbes Books cost?
Forbes Books does not publish its prices. Its FAQ says its programs incur a higher cost and that pricing is shared on a discovery call. Dictate also quotes each book on a call.
Who owns my book with Forbes Books?
Its FAQ says you own your book and all rights to it, and also that Forbes Books has the exclusive right to publish and distribute it for the term of the agreement. With Dictate, you own 100% of the copyright and royalties and publish in your own accounts.
Do I have to qualify?
Forbes Books says it is highly selective and vets every author. Dictate starts with a strategy call to confirm the book is a fit; it writes nonfiction only.
Which is faster?
Forbes Books says publication takes 9 to 14 months online and 12 to 18 months for bookstores. Dictate’s goal is a finished manuscript in 4 to 8 weeks at your pace; you then publish on your own schedule.
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