Move from Manuscript to a Publicly Available Book
Publishing involves more than completing a manuscript. Your content needs to be edited, designed and prepared for the formats (print, digital, audio) and distribution methods (e.g. print-on-demand, wholesale networks, digital aggregators, direct-to-reader sales) you choose. Book Writing Pros provides professional publishing services for authors, businesses and organizations creating books, manuals, workbooks, guides and other substantial publications.
Whether you are preparing to self-publish a book or produce materials for customers, employees or members, we help you identify the work needed and build a practical production plan.
Understand Book Publishing Options
Who pays for publication is only part of the distinction. The publishing arrangement also determines who manages the work, who controls the finished book and how the author is paid.
Conventional (Traditional) Publishing
A conventional publisher selects a manuscript for acquisition and funds its publication. The publishing agreement establishes the rights licensed to the publisher, the author’s royalties and any advance.
Subsidy Publishing
Subsidy publishing, sometimes called "vanity publishing," requires the author to pay a company an upfront fee to produce and distribute or publish the book. The company supplies or coordinates the services in its paid package, and its contract determines the services, approval rights and author compensation.
Self-Publishing
In pure self-publishing, you act as your own publisher, managing every step yourself or directly hiring independent contractors. You retain full ownership and creative control, choose your production and distribution arrangements, and retain all profits after expenses. Hiring an independent editor, designer or other specialist does not change your role as publisher.
The chart below compares the three publishing arrangements. Book Writing Pros supports self-publishers by coordinating professional services while the client remains the publisher.
| Consideration | Traditional Publishing | Subsidy Publishing | Self-Publishing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding | The publisher funds publication of the titles it acquires. | The author pays a company an upfront fee to produce and distribute or publish the book. | The author funds the project and acts as publisher, handling the work or directly hiring independent professionals. |
| Production | The publisher manages its production process. | The company’s contracted package or services determine its responsibilities. | The author manages production or hires help for specific stages. |
| Rights and Decisions | The publishing agreement defines licensed rights and decision-making responsibilities. | Review the agreement for rights, approvals, services and account arrangements. | The author retains ownership and full creative control, publishing under their own imprint. |
| Income | Royalties and any advance are defined by the publishing agreement. | Compensation depends on the agreement and applicable expenses. | The author retains all profits after retailer or distributor deductions, production and other expenses. |
Compare Publishing Services
With Book Writing Pros, self-publishers can get coordinated writing, editing, design and publishing support. Your book is produced under your own imprint, with you retaining ownership and creative control.
| Feature | Conventional Publishing | Subsidy Publishing | Self-Publishing | Book Writing Pros |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing Help | Not indicated | Not indicated | Not indicated | Yes |
| Editing | Yes | Not indicated | Not indicated | Yes |
| Ownership | Not indicated | Not indicated | Yes | Yes |
| Creative Control | Not indicated | Not indicated | Yes | Yes |
| Advance | Yes | Not indicated | Not indicated | Not indicated |
| Design/Layout | Yes | Yes | Not indicated | Yes |
| Printing | Yes | Yes | Not indicated | Yes |
| Marketing | Yes | Yes | Not indicated | Yes |
| Distribution | Yes | Yes | Not indicated | Yes |
| Prestige | Yes | Not indicated | Not indicated | Not indicated |
| Selectivity | Yes | Not indicated | Not indicated | Yes |
| Author Pays | Not indicated | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Author Earnings | 9-12% | 15-25% | 60-70% | 60-70% |
The earnings figures illustrate payout arrangements rather than guaranteed net profits, and actual royalty or retailer payout terms vary. Self-publishers retain the profit remaining after retailer, distributor, printing and other expenses; BWP charges for professional services rather than taking a publisher’s share of book-sale proceeds.
What Book Writing Pros Does
Book Writing Pros works with self-publishers as a coordinated team, bringing writing, editing, design and agreed publishing/distribution assistance together. You do not need to hire and vet a different professional for every stage of producing your book.
We produce your book under your own imprint, not ours. An imprint is the publishing name that appears on your book. You remain the publisher, retain ownership and creative control, and keep your applicable book-sale profits after expenses.
Are You Preparing to Pitch or Self-Publish?
If you plan to pitch a publisher or literary agent, we can help prepare the manuscript and related materials for consideration. Allwrite Publishing has its own separate submissions process; a BWP estimate request does not submit your work or imply acceptance. If you plan to self-publish, we can help scope the production and distribution work you select.
Self-Publishing Assistance and Publication Preparation
With Book Writing Pros, you work with our coordinated production team for the stages you need so you don't have to find and vet multiple contractors. We coordinate publishing preparation with writing services, manuscript editing and cover and interior design, so the content and production requirements are considered together.
- Reviewing your manuscript’s readiness and identifying the next steps
- Preparing edited content for layout and selected publication formats
- Coordinating cover design, interior layout and production files
- Planning publication details, including ISBN registration and title information where needed
- Providing agreed assistance with printing, platform setup or distribution arrangements
If you are still deciding how to publish, our publication planning consultation can help clarify the scope before production begins.
Print, Ebook and Audiobook Support
We can assist with print, ebook, and audiobook editions. Each format has its own preparation requirements, so we scope the work around the editions you want to produce.
Print Publishing
Prepare cover and interior files for your selected printing specifications. We can discuss print-on-demand or other printing arrangements as part of the project plan.
Ebook Production
Prepare content and formatting for the intended ebook edition. Ebook production and assistance with retailer or distribution setup are scoped separately as needed.
Audiobook Editions
Discuss preparation, production and distribution assistance for an audio edition. Narration, recording and platform requirements are considered in the agreed scope.
Preparation or production is distinct from distribution/listing, and services are priced only when selected and scoped. Narration, printing, platform and other third-party charges are not automatically included.
Publishing Support for Businesses and Organizations
A publication does not have to be sold in a bookstore to serve its purpose. We help businesses and organizations prepare manuals, training materials, workbooks, guides, reports, catalogs, lookbooks and newsletters for print or digital use.
A workbook for a training event, an internal reference manual and a guide for customers may each need a different format and approach to sharing the finished material. Our production plan considers your audience, approval process, visual requirements and intended delivery method.
Plan Your Publishing Project
Tell us what you are publishing, who will read it and how you plan to deliver it. Share your manuscript’s current stage, approximate word or page count, preferred formats and target schedule. For organizational publications, include any approval requirements, brand guidelines or production specifications.
We will use those details to define the selected services, deliverables and estimated costs. You can also review our professional service pricing and writing, editing and publishing FAQs.