This is self‑publishing. But you’re the “self,” not me.

You will publish your own book. You will choose whether you want to buy your own ISBNs or whether you want them assigned automatically. You can use your own imprint name, or none at all. Most importantly, you will own your copyright, your files, and your rights. Nothing transfers to me, and nothing is held hostage.

My role is to guide, build, and manage the production process so your book looks and reads like a professionally published title—without removing your autonomy or ownership. When the book is finished, you control all of it: the accounts, the metadata, the pricing, the updates, the sales, and the future.

This is self‑publishing with a professional backbone.

You know what’s coming: it depends. The timeline is shaped by two things—how much work your book needs, and how quickly I can fit it into the workflow.

If you simply want a clean, formatted book in the world and it doesn’t require deeper editorial intervention, outside review, or specialized production steps, the process can move quickly. Once I begin, you could have a finished book within a few weeks, especially if you use expedited printing and shipping.

For books that require more attention—editing, refinement, back‑and‑forth revisions, development, artwork, or expert input—the timeline naturally expands. If I’m able to bring the project into the schedule within a couple of months, it can take another three to six months to move through the full production cycle and get it off to the printer.

You may not want to set that date as your public publication date, though. Many authors send out early copies to reviewers, endorsers, advance readers, clinicians, colleagues, or partners before the book is officially released. That extra time can make a meaningful difference in how the book launches.

If your project needs review from subject‑matter experts (SMEs), sensitivity readers, or professional specialists, we will need to build in that time as well. Review cycles can be fast, or they can take several months—it depends on the topic, the depth of information, and how many rounds are required.

The real answer is this:
It depends on what your book is and what you want done before it reaches readers.
I can give you a much more precise timeline once I’ve seen the manuscript and we’ve talked through your goals, scope, and desired path to publication.

You need to be ready for this answer: a fair bit.

When you’re not working with a traditional or hybrid publisher—where the company invests its own money up front—you’re the one doing the investing. And you’re also the one who receives all the returns from your investment.

There are two categories of costs to expect:

1. Publishing services
   Editing, design, layout, cover creation, metadata, proofreading, and POD setup all have labor costs associated with them. My portion is only one part of your overall investment.

2. Marketing and self‑promotion
   Even the most beautiful, meaningful book won’t reach readers unless you tell people it exists. That means some combination of ads, positioning, social media, partnerships, public speaking, or platform‑building.

If someone asked me, “Are we talking $100 or $10,000?” I would say: closer to $10,000.
Not necessarily paid to me—but in total, across everything you’re building.

This is also why I recommend joining the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). It’s a fantastic resource for guidance, industry education, and professional support.

You absolutely can. And in some cases, you absolutely should.

Here’s the landscape in plain language:

Traditional publishing

• You must be one of the “chosen” few for acquisition.

• If you receive an advance, it’s an advance against royalties—meaning you won’t see additional royalties until the advance earns out.

• A $5,000 advance at a 15% royalty rate on net earnings may take a significant number of sales to pay back.

• Once the publisher breaks even, they continue earning their share for as long as they hold your rights.

• For some authors, this is ideal. For others, it’s limiting or slow or creatively constraining.

Hybrid publishing

• You pay for some—or most—of the production costs.

• You receive a higher percentage of net earnings.

• The hybrid publisher has an incentive to help promote the book, but for a limited window.

• This can be a win‑win if you find a good partner with solid distribution and retail access.

Self‑publishing

• You pay for the book to be produced.

• You pay for marketing.

• You keep all royalties and all rights.

• You may not have broad distributor relationships, but there are many pathways to reach libraries, wholesalers, and retailers—and direct‑to‑consumer sales are often the most profitable.

Each path comes with its own risks. None are inherently right or wrong. It depends on your goals, your patience, your tolerance for waiting, and how much control you want over your creative work.

I offer one developmental‑editing option and three publishing‑services packages—and all of them are based on what your specific manuscript needs, not on a predetermined formula.

The developmental editing package is charged by the word and depends entirely on the level of work required: structure, clarity, voice, pacing, reader journey, narrative coherence, and so on. Once I’ve seen your manuscript and we’ve discussed your goals, I’ll tell you exactly what kind of editorial support it needs.

The publishing‑services packages work the same way—they’re shaped around the scope and complexity of what your manuscript requires. Some projects need more refinement, more passes, or more production support; others need less. I won’t ask you to choose a package blindly. We’ll talk through what your project needs, and I’ll recommend the level of support that fits it.

And honestly? If you want to handle most of the development yourself and send me a nearly finalized, fully signed‑off manuscript for production, I’m happy to build a simple, transactional package for that. It will still take work, but it can often be done efficiently and affordably.

Types of books do affect the workload—but they aren’t what the packages are based on.

For example:

• A science‑backed nonfiction book may require subject‑matter review, fact‑checking, specialized copyediting, or professional art direction.

• A memoir or poetry collection may require much less external involvement.

• A cookbook or children’s book may require illustration, photography, or design support from additional specialists.

All of those factors influence time and cost—but the packages themselves are built around needs, not genre labels.

And this connects, again, to the overall investment: if the question is “Are we talking $100 or $10,000?” the honest answer is still closer to $10,000, once you account for editing, design, production, metadata, and at least some marketing or self‑promotion. That’s not all going to me—but it’s the real landscape of publishing a professional‑quality book.

This is a really good question. Let me answer it with lists of what I’ll manage and what you’ll manage.

This example is for a trade book release that replicates how a traditional publishing house would do it, giving plenty of time for advance reviews, etc.

Not everyone will choose this type of approach.

I will manage:

A. Editorial

• Developmental, line, copyedit, proofread

• Style guide & style sheet

• Fact-check & sensitivity read (as needed)

B. Legal, Rights, & Imprint

• Author agreement

• Copyright notice & registration options

• Imprint options

• Image/quote permissions & licenses

• Releases; fair use review

C. Interior Design

• Trim size & paper selection

• Typography, margins, headers/footers

• Front & back matter

• Tables, figures, images (resolution, placement)

• Accessibility considerations

• Print-ready PDF: fonts embedded, correct bleeds, ink color specifications

D. Cover Design

• Concept, comps, category alignment

• Back cover copy & barcode with price

• Export to platform specs (bleed, color profile)

E. Metadata

• ISBNs (print + eBook)

• BISAC/Theme categories + keywords

• Title, subtitle, series, contributors

• Description length & formatting

• Territories & pub date

• Pricing, wholesale discount, returns

F. Platform Setup & Upload

• Account, tax, and payment setup

• Title creation & metadata entry

• File uploads & validation

• Digital proof approval

• Physical proof review if desired

G. Distribution & Retail

• Global POD distribution

• eBook distribution channels

• Library availability (where applicable)

You will manage:

A. Launch & Marketing

• Retailer pages (Amazon, Goodreads)

• Pre-orders, ARCs, early reviews

• Press kit & outreach

• Social + email campaigns

• Landing page & buy links

• Promo graphics & trailers

B. Ongoing Management

• Sales monitoring

• Metadata optimization

• File corrections & updates (I will give you the files to edit yourself or you can contact me for corrections)

• Royalties reconciliation & taxes

• Inventory for events & bulk orders

Most of the time, your book will be published through Print on Demand (POD) services. I’ve spent a lot of time researching the major players, and the one I feel most confident recommending right now is IngramSpark.

IngramSpark distributes to libraries, bookstores, retailers, wholesalers, and online marketplaces. They offer more print formats than other POD options, and they have a strong back‑end metadata system—meaning your book can be properly categorized, searchable, updated, and managed without friction. Their interface is also one I feel comfortable turning over to authors after we launch; you’ll be able to make updates, price changes, or revisions on your own.

Choosing IngramSpark doesn’t prevent you from also publishing through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Many authors do both. You just need to designate your terms as non‑exclusive, which keeps your distribution wide rather than tied to one platform.

If you want a different approach—say, a large initial print run to get a lower per‑unit cost—we can also send your files to offset printers. Offset printing makes sense when you know you’ll need higher quantities right away (for events, conferences, direct sales, or fulfilling orders yourself).

There are options, and each one comes with its own strengths. We’ll figure out what makes the most sense for your book, your goals, your timeline, and your comfort level.

Absolutely. You do not have to make your book publicly available. You do not have to apply for ISBNs. You do not have to create a barcode. You do not have to market it, distribute it, or place it for sale anywhere.

You can work with me simply to have your book made into a book. It can be that simple. And it would be closer to the mid-point between the $100 or $10,000 example project costs.

Many authors want copies for family, for healing work, for clients, for gifts, for ceremonies, for classrooms, for retreats, or simply because holding a completed book feels meaningful and complete. Those are all valid reasons to publish without selling.

Print on Demand makes this even easier: you can keep your project private and just order what you need, when you need it—one copy, ten copies, or a hundred. You can keep your account completely closed off from public visibility.

And if, later on, you decide that you do want to make it available through retailers, libraries, or other outlets, you’re not locked out. You can reach back out to me, and we can do the additional work needed to:

• design a retail‑ready cover

• add your ISBN and barcode (if you want them)

• update or create metadata

• prepare your files for retailers and distributors

You can move from private printing to public distribution whenever you’re ready. There’s no penalty for starting small, starting private, or starting just for yourself.