FRACTIONAL PUBLISHING
Fractional publishing, full support.
Publishing doesn't have to be all or nothing. Get the expertise, structure, and execution you need without giving away revenue, signing a long-term deal, or building a full in-house team.
What is fractional publishing?
Fractional publishing is a model in which an independent game studio accesses experienced publishing specialists (covering marketing, PR, release management, media buying, community management, and more) on a flexible, hourly basis rather than through a traditional publishing deal. Studios retain full creative and commercial control, pay only for the functions they need, and keep their revenue.
Instead of one agreement that covers everything in exchange for a revenue share, fractional publishing works à la carte. Studios engage the specialists they need, for the hours they need. No long-term lock-in. No services bundled in that nobody asked for.
It's publishing support built around how studios actually work – not how publishers prefer to contract.
Not a Shark Company is one of the first fractional publishers
Not every game needs a traditional publisher. Not every studio wants to do everything alone, either. There's a lot of space between those two options. That's where Not a Shark lives. Not A Shark Company is a collective of publishing specialists who provide fractional support to indie, mobile, and AA studios. We plug into your team where it matters most, for as long as it matters.
Fractional publishing vs. traditional publishing
Traditional publishing deals typically involve revenue share agreements, creative approval rights, and multi-year commitments. In exchange, a publisher funds and manages the full scope of publishing activity.
Fractional publishing provides access to the same marketing and distribution expertise without those terms. It’s better suited for studios that want to self-publish but need experienced support in specific areas, or teams that want senior help without giving up control or a percentage of their revenue.
Neither model is universally better. The right fit depends on a studio's funding, goals, and appetite for managing their own publishing process.
Who is fractional marketing for?
Fractional publishing works well for studios that want to self-publish but can't realistically do every part of it well. It works for teams that need senior publishing expertise without hiring full-time staff, publishers managing a temporary capacity gap, developers approaching launch who want to avoid the expensive mistakes they don't yet know to look for, and studios that need help in one area or across several at once.
What Not a Shark company can support
Depending on what your project actually needs, we can cover: marketing strategy, go-to-market planning, store page optimization, media buying, press relations, community management, release management, quality assurance (QA), localization, forecasting, business development, business intelligence, and sales and distribution.
We work with indie, mobile, and AA studios across North America and Europe, with particular depth in free-to-play, live service, and premium titles across PC, console, and mobile.
One specialist or a cross-disciplinary team. We scope it to the real gaps, not a default package.
Why do studios choose a fractional publishing model?
It's lighter, fairer, and more flexible than a traditional deal. No bloated overhead. No long-term lock-in. No revenue share. No paying for services you don't need and didn't ask for. Just experienced people helping good games succeed, scoped to what actually makes sense.
How Not a Shark works
We start with the game, the goals, and an honest look at where the real gaps are. Then we build the right support around that.
Some clients need one expert for a defined stretch. Some need a small team across multiple functions. Some need ongoing support from pre-launch through release and into live service. We work around the game, not the other way around.
FAQ
Q: What does fractional publishing cost?
A: We work on hourly rates with no revenue share and no minimum contract length. What it costs depends on scope, the number of functions involved, and how long the engagement runs. Most studios find it significantly more cost-efficient than a traditional publishing deal or building an equivalent team in-house.
Q: Is fractional publishing right for an early-stage studio?
A: It depends on the stage of your project. Fractional publishing is most useful when there's real momentum – an announcement approaching, a launch window coming into view, or a specific gap creating genuine risk. Very early-stage teams may not yet have enough in place to make the engagement worthwhile. We'll tell you honestly if the timing isn't right.
Q: How is fractional publishing different from hiring a game marketing agency?
A: A marketing agency focuses on marketing. Fractional publishing covers a broader scope from release management, PR, business development, QA, localization, to distribution and functions as a publishing layer, not just a marketing vendor. If you need the full picture, there's a difference.
Q: Do studios lose any control using a fractional publishing model?
A: No. Keeping control is the point. Fractional specialists work at the studio's direction. You own the game, the decisions, and the revenue.
