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Self-Publishing a Book

Self-Publishing Services

More than just printing — editing, design, ISBNs and everything else your book needs.

What we offer

Everything your book needs, under one roof

Self-publishing is more than printing. As your skilled and experienced publishing partner, we can help with every step on the way to a professional book.

Editing & proofreading

Independent checks catch the little errors of style, grammar, spelling and consistency that are easy to miss when you’re close to your own work.

Typesetting & layout

Many years of experience laying out all kinds of books, so your pages look like those of a professionally published title.

Book cover design

A cover’s imagery and blurb can make all the difference. Our experienced designers give your writing the cover it deserves.

ISBNs

We help you obtain your own registered imprint, or in some cases publish under one of ours — the unique identifier booksellers need.

Print-ready files

We prepare your text and cover as print-ready files, ready for long run, short run or print on demand production.

Marketing advice

Honest guidance on promoting your book online and off — including where the self-publishing world tends to overspend.

Self-publishing services involve more than just printing your fiction or non-fiction book. As your skilled and experienced self-publishing partner, The Choir Press can help you with the following self-publishing services on the way to successful publication:

Covers of Starting Your International School and Eugenio Barba and the Golden Apple
  • Copy editing
  • Proofreading – essential for anyone who is self-publishing
  • Typesetting and page layout
  • Book cover design
  • Preparation of print-ready files
  • Getting an ISBN number
  • Advice about how to do your book marketing
  • Publishing online of your published books

Need Help with Any of These?

If you need help with any of the following when publishing your book, please contact us for advice.

Editing and proofreading

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.

Typesetting and page layout

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.

Designing the cover for your 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.

Getting an International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

Unless a book is intended to be privately published, it will need one of these unique 13-digit numbers. 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(s) if applicable, useful marketing information e.g. reviews and links to book-specific relevant websites, as well as the physical specification and price.

Marketing a book

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.

Tell Us About Your Self-Publishing Requirements

Could our self-publishing services hold the key to your book’s successful publication? Whether you need editorial or graphic support, want to know how to copyright a book, or need to harness the power of online publishing the Choir Press team is here to help you.

Please contact us for more information about any of these self-publishing services.

Covers of Methods of the Madmen and Against the Grain

What Our Customers Think

"They are responsive to any enquiry an author might deliver, whether by e mail or telephone, and always treat their customers with the utmost promptness and courtesy. The quality of their production is superb and totally reliable, and their delivery of newly published books is invariably on schedule or earlier."

Graham Wade, author of The Fibonacci Confessions and other works

Which services does your book need?

Editorial, text and cover design, ISBN, copyright, route to market. Let The Choir Press help you turn your typescript into a finished book.