Frequently Asked Questions
Where would my book be published?
I help my clients publish their books through KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), which distributes your book around the world on Amazon and the Kindle store.
Who would I be working with?
Just me! I have the experience and skills necessary to complete every aspect of the process, which allows me to form strong one-on-one working relationships with my clients and quicker turnarounds since I don’t have to wait on anybody else. :)
What is the difference between independent and traditional publishing?
In traditional publishing, the publisher will pay an advance to the author to publish the book. The publisher takes all creative control and often pushes marketing responsibilities onto the author. The author is only paid royalties once book sales “make back” their advance, but royalties are typically only a very low portion of sales. Traditional publishing often requires an agent, who will also take a further cut of the advance and royalties. Few debut authors ever receive a traditional publishing deal, and the timeline from completed manuscript to the actual release is often a number of years.
Independent publishing is available to anyone, though most authors will need to hire either a service or manage a team of industry professionals to prepare their manuscript for publishing. Authors are responsible for all production and marketing, but they retain all creative control and immediately receive royalties, which are substantially higher than a traditionally-published author as they do not share royalties with a publisher or agent. The timeline from completed manuscript to actual release can be as little as a few weeks.
Could you help me get my book traditionally published?
I am able to help you get started down the path toward traditional publishing. I have worked with authors before to edit and prepare their manuscript for querying, which is the process of finding a literary agent. While I cannot get a literary agent for my clients, I have set them up with a professional query letter and comprehensive contact list of literary agents who already represent similar authors.
Do you take royalties?
Nope!
Would you be willing to accept royalties as payment?
Nope!
Can I have someone else do my cover instead?
Yes, but please let me know early on to keep the project running smoothly. I’ve worked with clients who already had cover art that I needed to format and integrate on the paperback cover, and I’ve worked with clients who had their own graphic designer who also created the final formatted cover design. While I have found the former scenario to be quickest and least complicated, I can work with a client’s graphic designer so long as they are familiar with KDP cover standards and communicative during the process. Please also ensure you obtain proper licensing/IP agreements with any third party for your cover art.
Would you own any rights to my book?
Nope!
Can I get my book into brick-and-mortar stores?
Yes, I’ve helped many clients get into both “big box” retailers and independent bookstores.
Would my book be listed as “self published” on Amazon?
No, your book will be published under an imprint.
Do I have to incorporate all of your edits into the final manuscript?
Nope! You are ultimately in charge and have the final say. The goal of my edits is to make your book realize the full potential of what it is, rather than just what I think would be best. I will give you recommendations and suggestions based on my experience and expertise to help you succeed, but you are never under any obligation to accept them.
What if I just want some copies printed up for my family instead of releasing it to the public?
We can do that! The process would be mostly the same, only I would coordinate with a small printing press to get a limited number of books made rather than publishing through KDP.
Will I have to pay you more than the project price?
Only in very specific circumstances, when something in the project unexpectedly exceeds the agreed-upon work. I really try not to charge my clients any additional fees unless I absolutely have to, and I always communicate with them beforehand. Examples of what can incur fees include changes to the manuscript after the layout is complete, additional edits after the manuscript has been approved, major changes to the cover after approval, etcetera.