Scribe Media Review (2025): The Rise, Fall, & Recovery

A lot has changed with Scribe Media since I first reviewed them back in 2021.

The company offered premium, professional book services for authors, and let you keep 100% of your royalties. There was a ton to like about it. So much so, I ended my review with:

“If you want to work with some of the best names in the publishing industry, and have a truly premium book of impeccable quality at the end of the process, Scribe Media is well worth your attention.”

But then 2023 happened.

Employees were let go. The bank foreclosed. The CEO resigned. To the world, it looked like the company was going under.

But that’s not where Scribe Media’s story ended.

New ownership came in, picked up the pieces, and started the hard work of rebuilding trust with authors.

And they didn’t just issue a press release saying “we’re back.” They quietly finished projects for authors caught in the collapse, even when it meant doing the work at cost.

I’ve been watching the turnaround closely, and I think it’s well past time to revisit this review.

Let’s walk through what happened, where they are now, and whether they’re still “well worth your attention” in 2025.

Scribe Media: Then vs. Now

When I first met the team behind Scribe Media, the company was still young but already building a solid reputation.

Founded in 2014 by four-time New York Times bestselling author Tucker Max, Scribe started with an unusual premise. Instead of expecting authors to type out a full manuscript, they flipped the process:

• The author would talk through their ideas in a series of guided interviews
• A professional writer (the “scribe”) would shape those ideas into a book
• The author would keep all rights and all royalties

This was a radical shift from traditional publishing, where you give up a chunk of control (and money), and from many hybrid presses, which keep a percentage of your sales.

In its early years, Scribe attracted a client list any PR team would envy:

• David Goggins (Can’t Hurt Me), whose book became a publishing phenomenon
• Eric Jorgenson (The Almanack of Naval Ravikant), now the company’s CEO
• Business leaders, speakers, and entrepreneurs who wanted a book that could be a calling card for their brand

What made Scribe’s books stand out was the entire package:

• Covers that could pass for “Big Five” releases
• Interiors that didn’t scream “self-published”
• A process designed to save the author’s time, while still producing a book in their authentic voice

By the time I reviewed them in 2021, they were one of the most respected names in premium publishing services.

And then came the year that almost ended them.

What Happened to Scribe Media in 2023

You can find Tucker Max’s detailed account of what happened (and it’s worth reading), but here’s the story from the outside looking in.

In May 2023, word broke that Scribe had laid off roughly 90 employees. For a company that size, that was most of the team. Authors with books in progress were suddenly scrambling for answers. Some had paid tens of thousands of dollars and were wondering if they’d ever see a finished manuscript.

The cause? A liquidity crunch that led to the bank foreclosing on the company’s assets. The CEO resigned. Publicly, it looked like the lights had gone out.

For authors in mid-project, it was more than a headline. Imagine being halfway through your book – outline done, interviews complete – and learning the team you’d been working with was gone. The uncertainty had to have been brutal.

Then, a few months later, came the plot twist.

Between June and August 2023, investment firm Enduring Ventures acquired the Scribe brand from the bank. Eric Jorgenson, who had been a Scribe client himself, stepped in as CEO. His first major promise was public and specific: every stranded author would have their book finished at cost.

It was a gutsy move. It didn’t erase the damage, of course, but it gave authors a reason to hope.

Over the late months of 2023 into 2024, the “new” Scribe quietly got to work. They:

• Delivered millions of dollars’ worth of previously contracted work
• Rehired key staff members from the original team
• Rebuilt their processes to avoid the same operational pitfalls
• Focused on smaller, more manageable client loads to ensure quality

By 2024-2025, they had published more than 100 books for both new and returning clients. The flashier PR campaigns would come later… the first order of business was proving they could deliver again.

Jorgenson summed it up nicely in his interview with Forbes:

“Our approach was to not ‘talk the talk’ but get straight to ‘walking the walk.’”

Who Owns and Runs Scribe Media Today

Scribe Media is now owned by Enduring Ventures (founded by Sieva Kozinsky and Xavier Helgesen), a company that specializes in acquiring companies in tough situations and building them for the long term.

Running the day-to-day is Eric Jorgenson, whose The Almanack of Naval Ravikant was a Scribe project before he took over the company.

That experience on the client side comes in handy.

Eric knows how much trust it takes to hand over your book to someone else, and he’s built the new Scribe with that in mind.

In the words of USA Today, they’re a “scrappy team turning a company’s downfall into opportunity.”

How Scribe Media Works in 2025

Scribe’s mission hasn’t changed: help you create a professional, polished book that reflects your voice and leave you with 100% ownership of your rights and royalties.

Every package includes:

• Publication in all major formats (including audiobooks)
• A dedicated publishing manager as your single point of contact
• Access to editors and designers who also work with major traditional publishers
• A defined production process from manuscript to launch

Here’s what that looks like for each service tier:

Scribe Professional – $56,000 (12 months)

This is their flagship “done-for-you” service. It's ideal for busy professionals, thought leaders, or subject-matter experts who want the benefits of a book without having to write it themselves.

The process:

1. Strategy Consultation: Scribe makes sure you’re a good fit before you spend a dime. They’ll talk through your goals, your audience, and whether their process aligns with what you want your book to do.
2. Matchmaking Calls: You meet 2–4 potential scribes. They’re chosen based on topic, style, and experience, so you’re not picking blind.
3. North Star: Together, you define your audience, your purpose, and what “success” will mean for your book.
4. Roadmap: The table of contents and chapter outline are built. This is your book’s blueprint.
5. Interviews: Ten two-hour calls where you share stories, insights, and expertise. The scribe’s job is to guide you and pull out the gold.
6. First Pages: A sample chapter is drafted for you to review. If the voice isn’t right, adjustments happen here.
7. Full Draft & Revisions: The rest of the manuscript is written, then refined with your feedback until it’s exactly what you want.
8. Design & Distribution: Professional cover and interior layout, plus publication in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook formats. You keep all rights and royalties.

What to expect: Around 15-25 hours of calls, plus time reviewing drafts. Being prepared in the early stages makes the rest of the process much smoother.

Scribe Elite – Starting at $135,000

Everything in Professional, plus:

• More in-depth interviews and research
• A senior writing partner for added expertise
• A more aggressive marketing launch plan (potential bestseller campaigns, podcast outreach, targeted media)

Who it’s for: High-profile authors, CEOs, or public figures with large platforms who need their book to launch with maximum visibility.

Scribe Guided Author – $44,000 (15 months)

For authors who want to write their own manuscript but want a coach to guide them.

You get:

• One-on-one coaching
• Chapter-by-chapter feedback
• Access to Scribe’s Guided Author course and community
• Full publishing services once the manuscript is ready

This is for writers who enjoy the writing process but want deadlines, structure, and professional input along the way.

Scribe Publishing – $29,000 (6 months)

For authors with a finished manuscript who need editing, design, and publishing.

Includes:

• A manuscript evaluation and editing plan
• Copyediting and proofreading
• Custom cover and interior design
• Publishing and distribution in all formats, including audiobook

Because Scribe won’t publish a book that doesn’t meet their quality bar, your manuscript may require edits before moving to design.

Frequently Asked Questions

My Up-to-Date Take on Scribe Media

Most companies don’t come back from what Scribe went through in 2023.

They did.

And, in some ways, they’re sharper for it.

What I like:

• You keep every right and royalty (no backend cuts)
• Their books can hold their own next to “Big Five” titles
• One publishing manager from start to finish keeps things organized
• They’re selective, which protects their quality bar

What to keep in mind:

• Prices are premium: $29k to $135k
• Timelines run 6-15 months unless you pay for a rush
• Not every author needs this level of service, but for the right author, it’s a strategic investment

But what I like best is how they “did right” by the authors impacted by the 2023 collapse.

As the Forbes article I mentioned earlier put it, “rebuilding after a crisis demands courage, creativity, and resilience.”

From everything I've seen, that’s exactly what Scribe’s second act shows.

If you’ve got the budget, the vision, and the drive to publish something exceptional, Scribe Media belongs on your shortlist.