FAQ’S
GENERAL.
Do you provide ghostwriting services?
We do not. If you need help writing your book, we suggest looking on Upwork or another freelancing site to find a great ghostwriter. We also highly recommend using a thorough vetting process to ensure your voice and style wanted for your book won’t get lost in someone else’s words.
Ask lots of questions and do the prep work before hiring. Some examples are:
1) Write out as many ideas and/or sections of the story ahead of time. Get every idea out, even if it doesn’t make sense yet. The more vision you have before starting, the quicker and more effective your ghostwriter can be.
2) What are their fees/revision process/timelines and what will the deliverables (what you get out of the deal) be?
3) Find someone who knows about your topic or has written something within or near your genre or intended audience. Don’t hire a business finance writer for your fantasy romance novel.
Can you publish my book?
While we do publish our own collection of works here and there, for the most part, we believe in the power of the self-publisher (that’s you!). We seek to instill confidence that you can be successful without big-shot publishers. By self-publishing, you have ultimate control over your content and your sales. Our job is to help you get ready and push you out of the nest. Fly little bird, fly!
Can you print my book?
Nope. But you will have all the press-ready files needed to upload to any publisher of your choice for printing. We love Amazon’s KDP platform for printing as they have an “on-demand” function that allows your book to be printed as they sell. That way, you don’t need to have a stockpile of book inventory and they handle all sales/ packing. It’s a pretty sweet deal. There are lots of other printing options. Get in touch and we can chat about it!
Can you upload my book to Amazon/ iBook/ Lulu Press, etc…?
While we can provide live uploading assistance and advice on the publishing procedures with these sites, we cannot do the actual uploading for you as it violates their (and our) terms of service. It would also require you to provide us with personal information such as login and credit card info, and as much as we like you… we don’t need to get that personal.
Why don’t you have set prices?
Each book and project is as unique as you are, and it wouldn’t be fair to set the same fee for a book that’s 12 pages long and one that’s 1,200. We work with you depending on your needs to come up with a fair fee. We will put together a proposal for you after an initial call/consultation that will reflect everything we think we can offer you. You can treat it like a menu, picking and choosing what suits you best. This way, you’ll only ever pay for what you need.
What is metadata and why is it important?
Metadata is the language your book speaks online. It’s made up of keywords that help your book be found by your readers. It can include words like the genre, title, subtitle, price, publication date, ISBN, and other relevant information that readers and booksellers might type in the search engine to find your book. The more descriptive you can be when creating metadata, the better your chances of being found. We can offer a promotional package that can help with this and can get your book onto mainstream reviewing sites to improve its reviews and exposure.
Where are you located?
We are deep in the woods somewhere in New England.
EDITING.
What is the difference between developmental and copy editing?
Not all editing is created equal! That’s why we split the editing elements into two distinct choices, depending on what you want/ need for your book. Remember, you don’t have to take any of our editor’s suggestions. They are merely a way to get a second set of trained eyes on your manuscript.
Developmental Editing: Includes a “big picture” look at the structure, organization, and consistency of your book. This is where we might suggest moving chapters or paragraphs around, re-writing certain sections, or discussing how to improve the tone or mood of the book or characters within it. We always suggest having friends or family members read your book and offer their insights into the big picture at this stage as well. The more eyes you have on your manuscript at this stage, the better.
Copy Editing & Proofreading: You’re happy with the way your book reads. All the hard stuff is done. Now the sometimes tedious, but oh so necessary copy-editing begins. This is where we go line-by-line, looking for grammatical, syntax, and structural mistakes and adding suggestions to improve clarity and make your book look professional and neat.
What does the editing process look like?
That really depends on what services you need and where your manuscript is at when you start working with us. If you need both developmental and copy editing, we will first complete developmental, which, depending on the word count and depth of revisions of your book, can take as little as a week up to four weeks. Afterward, copy editing can be another 1-3 weeks. Before delivering a finished manuscript, we suggest proofreading one more time just to be super sure we haven’t missed anything. Keep in mind, even the best editors in the world are still human, and you can expect your book to be up to 98% free of errors.
How do I accept or reject editing suggestions?
All editing is done using Microsoft Word’s tracking system. All revisions and suggestions will appear in the right-hand column. You have the option to read through and either accept or reject each change by clicking the corresponding button located at the top of the document. You can also add in your own comments for the editor to see and respond to.
Can I purchase just copy editing?
Yes! If you’re happy with your book and don’t need developmental editing, by all means, only order what you need! Click on the button below to… well… get started!
COVER DESIGN.
How many drafts and revisions do I get?
These are dependent on your design needs, budget and timeframe, but generally, we will include 3-5 rough cover ideas and 5-10 revisions per design phase (see below).
What is the cover process like?
The entire cover process averages 2-3 weeks, if not sooner. The process is in three phases:
Phase 1 - Drafts: After an initial discussion, we will provide 3-5 rough samples in varying styles based on our conversation. At this stage, you choose a sample and direction and will have up to three revisions (note: the higher the budget, the higher the revisions).
Phase 2 - Finalists: We implement your revisions in a more finalized format and you will have up to another three revisions.
Phase 3 - Winner: Full cover wrap (which includes the back cover and spine) and press-ready files delivered to you.
What is a cover template and why do I need one?
This template is generally provided by whomever you choose to print/ publish your book. This informs us of the exact size and measurements to make your full cover. Without this, we wouldn’t know what dimension the spine (the middle of the book) needs to be as every printer has their own templates. We can custom-size a cover template for you if your printer of choice doesn’t provide templates at an additional fee.
NOTE: It’s important to get your book completely ready to print before starting the cover template process as adding/deleting pages in your book after this stage can affect spine width.
How do I get an ISBN/ barcode?
There are a couple of ways for the self-publisher.
1) You purchase your own through the national website ISBN.org (more expensive, but gives you the most freedom in where you sell your book).
2) Your printer/ publisher will provide you with your unique ISBN. Depending on who you use (Amazon, IngramSpark, and Lulu Press will generate one for free, however, you’re limited to posting your book for sale through them alone.) you will either have to send us the ISBN to place on your cover manually or it will be automatically generated when you upload your files.
FORMATTING.
What kind of customization can I have inside my book?
Our goal is to make your book look as amazing on the inside as it does on the outside. Should you choose to have us design both your cover and format your book’s interior, we will work to make a seamless design that is cohesive and pleasing to the reader.
The inside of your book can include:
custom fonts
chapter headers
table of contents
page numbers
sections
quotes to name a few.
The sky’s the limit! Let’s have fun with it!
What is a chapter heading and TOC?
If your book contains chapters, a chapter heading is what separates the ending of one chapter from the beginning of the next. Chapter headers are typically linked to your TOC, or, your Table of Contents, and can start on either the left or right side of a page. They are especially important for eBook reading so that your readers can simply click on a chapter on the Table of Contents and be automatically directed to that place in your book.
How and why are print and eBook formatting different?
Print Formatting: made specially to be physically printed. Typically includes extra blank pages, a title page, and more options for fun customizations of the chapter headers, etc…
eBook Formatting: made for reading on Kindle, mobile, and other e-readers, this kind of formatting is specialized to ensure the content can be read easily on any device. Typically eBooks are simpler in design to allow maximum customization for the reader to change fonts, font size, and background colors.
BOOK LAUNCH.
What is a book launch site and why would I need one?
A book launch site is a nice place to land for readers looking for more information about your book. These sites can include where to purchase the book, about the author, inspiration, and newsletters/updates. Our book launch sites include setting up your domain using Squarespace and creating three pages. The pages will be designed to complement your book cover and overall aesthetic. Additional pages can always be added if needed.
Why do I need a social media graphics pack?
This is the single most important way for the self-published author to get the word out about their book. By using custom designed graphics that complement and elevate your book, you’ll be able to reach more readers, attract more booksellers, and create high expectations.
What’s included in the promotional package?
This service seeks to assist you in getting real, honest reviews and exposure for your book. By posting your book onto sites such as Goodreads and NetGalley, your audience grows exponentially, and you’ll begin to receive honest reviews from real readers. While we can’t guarantee good reivews (it is your book after all), we can offer professional and comprehensive descriptions and metadata to widen your net as far as possible.