Author Services
While most of this website is heavily focused on education, I got my start in this industry offering publishing services to newer as well as experienced authors. And I still do!
Choose from the services below to make your book the very best it can be before getting it out into the world. You don’t have to go through this process alone…
Confused and don’t know where to start? Get in touch or schedule a 10 minute call with me to help you figure it out…
Hands-on Guidance
There are a lot of moving parts to consider before you can even think of publishing your book.
You will need to finish your actual book and have it professionally edited and proofread. You’ll also need to obtain a professional looking cover. Finally, you will need to convert your finished manuscript into a file suitable for publication. This applies to both eBook and Print Publishing. And then there’s all the marketing stuff that comes after publication. It can be confusing.
Publishing Consultation
I’ve been offering publishing services for a decade now, while also writing and publishing my own books. This entire website, as well as my How to Self-Publish series was borne from a desire to share everything I’ve learned so far, so that you don’t make all the same mistakes I’ve made with my books over the years. So, if you want to talk things through with an industry veteran, why not reach out?
All paid consultation calls will be recorded, allowing you to refer to what we’ve discussed later on.
FREE 10 minute consultation
This will be the best place to start for most people. Jump on a short no-strings-attached call with me to chat about where you are in the publishing process currently, and where you would like to end up.
Together we’ll figure out some steps for you to take to get started and whether you’d benefit from a longer consultation call.
40 Minute Consultation
Let’s get together and talk about whatever it is you’re struggling with on your writing and publishing journey. I can even walk you through the publication process of your first book, if that’s what you want!
Make sure to email me in advance with any questions or specific topics you want to discuss, so that I can prepare.
What I can help you with:
- Setting up your publishing accounts
- Book production plan and scheduling vendors (cover designers, editors, etc.)
- Switching from KU to wide publishing
- Diversifying into audiobooks or translations
- Mindset and motivation; figuring out a career trajectory; goal setting and more
Don’t know where to start at all? Let’s figure it out during a free call and then take things further from there, or simply send me an email.
A La Carte Publishing Services
I started in this business as a formatter; someone who takes a manuscript and recreates it in a format which eBook readers like the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook can read. So-called reflowable eBooks. Over the years, multiple eBook conversion softwares have come along to make the formatting process easier for the average author. But there are some things those softwares just cannot do. And that’s where I come in. Formatting is only one aspect of the publication process, and you’ll need to sort out much more to get your book ready, and you’ll have a lot more to think about.
However, one person cannot do everything and I would be hugely suspicious if anyone claimed they could! So, if your book still requires editing, proofreading and/or a professional looking book cover, I have some trusted vendors I’d like to refer you to.
Typesetting / Book Design
These services get your book from finished manuscript to book interior, ready for upload.
Please note that before I can start working on your book typesetting, I’ll need to receive your finished (edited and proofread) manuscript, as well as your (eBook) cover, as well as any other material you wish to include in the book, for example: dedication, acknowledgements, bonus material, author bio with photo or logo, website or social media links/handles, etc.
For eBook formatting, you’ll receive: a fully compliant and error-free epub file (one without the cover, for upload to Amazon KDP, and one with the cover embedded inside for upload to other retailers).
For Print books, you’ll receive: a PDF document of your book in your chosen trim size, ready for upload to Amazon KDP or Ingram Spark, as well as a PDF with embedded eBook cover which you can distribute to early reviewers of your book, if you so wish.
Standard Book Formatting
For authors of novels and largely text-based non-fiction books, the Standard Formatting service is the one to go for if you don’t want to attempt the DIY route (see Format Your First eBook to learn how to do it yourself). Let me take this one headache off your plate, so you can focus on writing your next book.
- Hand-coded in HTML and CSS (eBook); no shoddy automated conversions!
- Minimise file-size to avoid hefty delivery fees
- Clean, easy to read, beautiful as well as functional
- Choose from indented paragraphs or line-spacing between paragraphs
- Standard novel length of about 75,000. Special pricing available for novellas, short stories, as well as longer works.
Advanced Book Formatting
It’s easy to format a novel or text-based nonfiction book, you can do it yourself in Microsoft Word or use a formatting tool like Vellum. But some books, especially non-fiction titles, have extremely specialist needs that require in-depth knowledge of HTML, CSS and ePub file standards to make them look good on different devices. Similarly, print formatting of such titles can also prove to be a headache.
If your book contains tables, a lot of images or graphics, footnotes/endnotes
- Hand-coded in HTML and CSS for maximum customisability and control (eBook)
- Perfect for complicated non-fiction books
- Books requiring special design elements, tables, footnotes, etc.
- Minimise file size to avoid hefty delivery fees
- Clean, easy-to-read, beautiful as well as fully functional
- Prices will depend on complexity of the project (more images or other complexities may result in a higher fee)
Omnibus eBook Formatting
If you’re publishing an omnibus edition (or so-called boxed set) made up of existing novels (or text-heavy non-fiction books), and you don’t know where to begin, pick this service.
Omnibuses present some inherent challenges. How best to organise the different novels? How to structure the table of contents? How to make sure the file doesn’t become so huge it either eats into your profits, or prevents you from running a 99c sale, etc…
You can either supply me with the individual novels as epubs (if they’re already formatted and you prefer a consistent look), or Word Documents, and you’ll get back a fully compliant epub ready to upload to Amazon and any other retailers.
If your omnibus edition contains more than 5 novels, or incorporates complex formatting and design elements please reach out to me beforehand for a personalised quote.
Get expert help !
Sometimes it can be a great help just to talk to someone who has been through the same process before. Someone who can help you figure out where to focus your energy (and your budget!), so you don’t end up wasting your hard-earned money…
Who am I to advise you, you ask? I have been involved in the self-publishing industry for over 12 years now, and helped numerous debut as well as experienced authors publish their books.
2012
After 8 years as a freelance web designer, I learned to apply my coding skills to eBooks and started offering eBook formatting as a service to clients.
2013
Got more serious about writing and publishing my own work alongside client work. I was now able to call myself an author!
2015
Entered new genres and started figuring out the marketing side of the publishing industry. Also: Audiobooks, Paperbacks, Translations and multi-author collaborations!
2022
Launched 21stCenturyAuthor.com and began publishing a series of writing and publishing non-fiction books to share more of my knowledge and experience.