Ekström & Garay quickly became one of Sweden's largest hybrid publishers, with its rapid expansion creating headlines in the trade press. Over the years, the writings about the company have taken on a more negative tone. The publisher has been criticized for organizing unserious short story competitions where winners have to pay for the recording of their works themselves.
In 2024, SVT Kulturnyheterna's investigation into the hybrid publishing industry revealed that Ekström & Garay had a collaboration with the credit company Lendo. The publisher offered aspiring authors risky unsecured loans to finance their own book publishing through Lendo and had a kickback agreement with Lendo, meaning the publisher could earn money on each new borrower they recruited. It is unknown how many authors were affected by these risky loans and kickback agreements.
SVT also spoke with former employees at Ekström & Garay who testified about a cynical business model. Former employees said that all manuscripts submitted to the publisher would be accepted—if they could not create legal problems. The business model was built on authors' investments and not on book sales, according to the employees.
had been rejected a frustrating number of times
In 2024, Ekström & Garay was acquired by the larger hybrid publishing conglomerate Hoi. Since the acquisition, business has gone increasingly worse for both Ekström & Garay and the parent company Hoi. Two other subsidiaries of Hoi have gone bankrupt.
The parent company Hoi, which now calls itself IMHO Intermedia House AB, has been in corporate reconstruction for a month, with its current status unknown. In recent years, Ekström & Garay has had a number of cases with the Swedish Enforcement Authority. The debts involve claims from authors and from the Swedish Tax Agency.
SVT is seeking Hoi's CEO Lars Rambe, but it is unknown if he has responded to inquiries.