7 tips for getting accurate book design estimates.  Design is often the biggest investment you will make in your self-publishing project. To get accurate book design estimates, it is best to have a clean manuscript for your designer to review. As a contractor, your project is important. You want to have a design that serves […]

What editing level does my book need? The different tasks editors perform are called editing levels. There are many different names to the levels, but the editing level indicates the depth and focus that the editor performs their task. Everyone benefits from working with an editor. Not only will professional editing improve the project you […]

Avoid surprises and make sure you and your printer are on the same page. There is nothing more disappointing than to budget the production of your book project and to discover after you are in it up to your neck that it will cost way more than you budgeted.  This is why reviewing your book […]

Writing printing specifications for accurate quotes. Whether you decide to print traditional offset or on-demand, all printers need basic information to get you accurate book printing estimates. Among other details, an accurate printing estimate requires a quantity, a trim size, and a page count. If you are in the predesign, early planning stage of self-publishing, […]

What am I getting myself into? Almost universally, the first question my prospective clients ask is, “How much will it cost to self-publish my book?” Determining the costs of self-publishing your book is one of the most challenging planning steps. Every book is different, and you have to be specific to be accurate. The good […]

Learn your options, and make informed decisions. A note about COVID 19: When I first developed this tool, the bookstore activity was intended to be immersive. On your Fact-finding Mission, you would look for books in your genre as a potential buyer would. While there, you could see how the books that called to you […]

Is formatting my own book right for me? Many writers ask, “Do I have to spend all that money to have my book’s interior pages professionally designed?”  “There aren’t even any photos.” “There can’t be much to formatting a book with only text. Can there?” Well, you may be surprised by how much goes into […]

The top 10 ways to save money on book printing. Apart from having a squeaky clean manuscript, these are the top 10 ways you can save money on book printing when self-publishing your book. 1. Choose the best printing process for your needs. For example, if your book is color and the print run is […]