Self-Publishing Services

Experienced writers know that independent checks are vital before their book goes public. As an author it’s easy to get so close to your work that you miss little errors of style, grammar, spelling, continuity and consistency. That’s where our professional editorial and proofing services can put the perfect finishing touch to your work.

We have many years of experience preparing page layout for all kinds of books. Layout of your book by an expert will ensure your book looks like a professionally published book.

A book cover’s imagery and blurb can make the difference between irresistible appeal and swift relegation of your magnum opus to the remainders bin. Our experienced designers can give your book a cover that will do full justice to your writing.

Unless a book is intended to be privately published, it will need one of these unique 13-digit numbers. As you’d expect, we’ll help you with this, either to obtain your own registered imprint or in some cases we can publish using one of our imprints. PLEASE NOTE that we are unable to supply ISBNs unless we are providing the supporting services to print and publish your book.

An ISBN is important because it is a unique global identifier that enables a book to be located by a bookseller. If your book is a private publication for friends and family only we do not need to give it an ISBN. The master ISBN record for your book contains important information that booksellers need. This includes details about the content, the author(s), other contributor if applicable, useful marketing information e.g. reviews and links to book-specific relevant websites, as well as the physical specification and price.

If you desire commercial success, understanding how to market a book is essential. Whether it’s a novel, a travelogue or an autobiography, it’s hard work with no guarantees of success in the notoriously competitive publishing world. The internet has transformed publishing by giving authors access to self-publishing online and a whole industry of internet marketing specialists has developed. Some of these are undoubtedly skilful and well-connected but as The American magnate John Wanamaker said “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half”. Marketing and advertising are two sides of the same coin, so proceed with caution because it is almost impossible to know what sort of return you may get for the money you spend on promotion.

If this is your first self-publishing venture we suggest you dip your toe in the water first and gradually discover what works for your book and what doesn’t, because there is a point at which every extra pound spent on promotion generates less than a pound of income. That point will vary for many reasons but the self-publishing world is full of overpriced marketing schemes that show little evidence of success. An author who is passionate about their book is often the best person to promote their book, especially for non-fiction titles where the author as an expert often already has reputation and respect.