Yet only 0.01% of the population are authors. What does this tell you?
That, yes, writing and publishing a quality book is bloody hard work.
"I do not know where to start..."
Our thoughtful book writing partner, The Book Midwife, helps entrepreneurs with the writing process. Ask for an introduction.
If you’re on a lower budget and don’t mind writing your book in a group setting or simply need some pointers as you’re in your head, get in touch with us!
"I'm writing it, okay?"
If your book is nearly done and you are ready to go full-steam-ahead and publish your work of brain-art, it’s time to deep-dive into your publishing options.
Traditional vs Hybrid vs Self-Publishing
Before you do anything, understand the differences of the various publishing options and how your goals and values align with them.
| Aspect | Traditional Publishing | Hybrid Publishing | Self-publishing |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cost |
No cost. The upfront costs are typically borne by the publisher, not the author.
However, it can be highly competitive and challenging to secure a traditional publishing deal. |
Authors share the costs with the publisher, which could mean moderate upfront costs. This is approximately £8,000. |
Authors bear the upfront cost and controls how much is spent on every element of the process. This could be as little as £500. |
|
Learning Curve |
Low, as the entire production and publishing are managed by the publisher. |
Moderate. Typically, this means the author doesn’t have to learn anything about editing, typesetting, cover design, distribution and book marketing copy BUT needs to learn and manage their book publishing campaign aka. the marketing. |
Typically high. The author has to learn about how the industry works, how to find and select the best people, or learn to do the work themselves. |
|
Control |
Low. Publisher controls most aspects. |
Moderate. Some control retained by author, especially on book title, cover and typeset. |
High. The Author retains full control. This is both a good thing and bad – especially on the quality front.
|
|
Online Distribution |
Distribution is typically through the publisher’s established network, which might limit the channels through which the book is sold. Having said that, the network mostly consists of highly-credible outlets. |
Varied. Some publishers focus mainly on Amazon and getting the book stocked online at Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, whilst others offer wider distribution channels compared to traditional publishing, though at additional costs. |
Amazon only, or similar to the Hybrid model, depending on the distribution method. Getting the book to the most popular bookstores may take a little bit longer. |
|
Offline Distribution |
The book is very likely to appear at physical bookstores as the publisher is likely to have great relationships with book buyers. |
In the author’s hands at large. |
In the author’s hands. |
|
Marketing Support |
Marketing support can be minimal, especially for new or lesser-known authors. Often, significant marketing efforts are reserved for established or high-profile authors. |
The level of marketing support varies. Higher-end publishers may offer guidance at the later stage of the publishing process and basic materials such as graphics, bestseller stickers etc. Others will not. |
Due to the lower cost of publishing, authors typically have a bigger budget to spend on marketing. |
|
Royalties |
Royalties can be low as they are shared with the publisher, and the publisher recoups the costs of publication first. Authors typically receive royalties in the range of 5-15% per sale, though this can vary based on the publisher and the individual contract. |
A moderate level of royalties as costs are shared, and there might be a better revenue-sharing agreement in place with the author. Authors might expect to receive a royalty rate in the range of 30-50%. However, this too can vary widely. |
High royalty rates as authors keep a significant portion of the revenues generated from book sales, reflecting the investment they made in the publishing process. Typically around 60% – 100% of the RRP sale. |
|
Book Printing Cost |
Authors often have to purchase their own books at retail price or maybe a slight discount, making this option the most expensive for buying author copies. |
Hybrid publishers may offer authors the ability to purchase copies of their books at a discounted rate, making this option more affordable than traditional publishing for author copies. Be mindful that most make a profit here too. |
The most cost-effective option for buying author copies, as the author pays for just the cost of the print with little or no uplift. |
|
Service |
The service in traditional publishing can be formal and corporate. The interaction between the author and the publisher might be limited and structured, with less room for personalised engagement. The excitement and involvement can be lower as the publisher has control over many aspects of the process. |
Hybrid publishing can offer a more personalised but still structured service. There is a higher level of involvement from the author compared to traditional publishing, and possibly more excitement as the author has a say in various aspects of the publishing process. Communication may be more frequent and collaborative. |
The communication style is tailored to meet the author’s preferences, promoting excitement and involvement throughout the process. For example, Brandspire values open communication and encourages authors to be actively engaged in each stage of the publishing journey, ensuring a fulfilling experience. |
Our warning
Time and time again, we see countless entrepreneurs spend money and time on producing content for marketing, their book and otherwise, only to not have the resources to distribute it.
If you write great content but no-one sees it, what's the point?
Unfortunately, many authors are left in the lurch by publishers or their own lack of knowledge (steep learning curve, anyone?!?) when it comes to marketing, often discovering its importance when it is a little too late and rushing the launch campaign.
Our mission is to bridge this gap by offering a comprehensive publishing service that doesn’t just stop at printing and distribution, but extends to providing robust marketing support.
Through our service, we strive to redefine the publishing landscape, making marketing an integral part of the journey, and not an afterthought.
Launch your book
Whether you're an established author or just beginning your writing journey,
we're here as your self-publishing partner to provide the guidance, expertise, and resources
necessary to bring your book to life without the hefty price tag.
Many believe that publishing a book costs around £10,000.
In reality, it ranges between £15,000 to £20,000 (especially if an entrepreneur is planning a live book launch event) once you account for marketing and PR.
This cost difference primarily accounts for the marketing efforts, which are essential for a successful book launch and to achieve the brand exposure, lead growth and speaking engagements initially promised by whomever convinced you to write a book.
Our pricing is structured to ensure that the marketing aspect is well-covered, which is often overlooked by other publishing services.
We provide tiered marketing packages tailored to your needs, covering aspects like book landing pages, social media campaigns, email marketing, lead growth, book launch videos, launches and more. If desired, we also refer our authors to our PR partners for media exposure.
It can take anywhere from 6 to 12 months with a traditional publisher, around 3-6 months with hybrid publishers and around 2 months when self-publishing.
The timeline can vary depending on several factors including the mode of publishing and also he readiness of the manuscript, the extent of marketing efforts planned, and the author’s preferences.
With us, the whole process from start to finish takes under 3 months, on a really relaxed timeline. This can be faster if we go at it with speed. See our template timeline here.
Only you. We are not a publisher – We a team of ex-publisher subcontractors who help authors self-publish their work, providing all the necessary, high-quality services without the traditional publishing price tag.
Is the publisher Amazon/Lulu/IngramSpark?
Amazon/Lulu/IngramSpark will be the distributor of your book. You are the sole publisher.
You can include a ‘printed in the United Kingdom with the support of Brandspire Digital Limited’ inside the copyright page for credibility, if you think this will help you.
No.
None, other than the proof copy. How many you order from thereon and when is up to you – a book typically costs around £2-3 to print per copy. There are no restrictions as to the amount you order.
You simply will have to log into your Amazon/Lulu/IngramSpark account to do so.
We will know this once the book is typeset, as only then will we have an accurate number of pages and the print requirements. The average price for a black and white book is between 2 to 4 pounds. Last week, a 237-page book printed with Amazon (that has full cover black and white pictures here and there) cost 3.21 pounds.
This depends on where the book is sold. If on Amazon, your paperback will generate 60% royalties, whilst your ebook would generate 70%. On the other distribution platforms, it’s around 50% to 60% too. For a 160 page book sold at £12.99, this can mean a profit of £5.38 per copy sold.
Attached is a contract template and here is the contract appendix specific to our publishing services.
This is largely up to you. If you just want to have your book published, available online and printed, the cost covers editing, proofreading, cover design, typesetting, marketing preparation (market research around your book title and the preparation of your author bio and book description), guidance on distribution and distribution.
The only unpredicted charge is for book illustrations required by your manuscript These are charged at an hourly rate of £45. Our designer can typically do 1-4 illustrations in this timeframe, depending on their complexity.
The rest of the costs are transparent from the very beginning.
Of course, you will have to pay for your own book printing once we know the price. Typically, a single copy costs between £2 – £5.
es, changes can be made to the manuscript in the early stages of the publishing process. However, as we progress, especially post the editing and formatting stages, making changes could delay the publishing timeline and may incur additional costs. It’s advisable to have the manuscript as refined as possible before initiating the publishing process and pay close attention to your manuscript as proofreading is completed and it’s time to approve your book.
When it’s time to typeset your book, we will discuss the available book sizes and cover options (gloss or matte) with you and tell you how much it will cost to print a book.
When it comes to the actual copy printing (and since you’ll be published as if you did it all yourself, you clever thing) you can always log into your distribution platform account and place an order for as many or as little books as you need… or ask us to place an order.
Just make sure you do this around 2 weeks before they are needed as delivery takes this time.
Yes, through platforms like Ingram Spark or Lulu, we help get your book into various bookstores, mostly online. We provide you with coaching and resources to get your book stocked at physical bookstores.
Marketing is the cornerstone of a successful book launch. It’s what propels a book into the spotlight, ensuring it reaches the right audience and achieves the author’s desired goals. All too often, authors are left stranded by publishers when it comes to marketing, finding out about its importance only when it’s too late. Our service emphasises the crucial role of marketing from the outset, ensuring authors are well-prepared and supported throughout this phase.
The process
Items marked with ‘*’ require your choice and/or approval.
Onboarding and manuscript assessment
Editing* and goal setting for your book launch
Typesetting*, Author bio* and book description* drafting
Cover design* and proofreading*
Publishing Date is Set*/ Marketing campaign Starts
Distribution* and Marketing Prep
The book is published!
Our offer
Go!
- Manuscript Assessment
- Book coaching
- Editing
- Book cover design
- Illustrations design [extra charge will apply]
- Typesetting
- Proofreading
- Proof printing
- Distribution
- Author bio, book description, book title research & book description
- Book landing page
- Bestseller Campaign
- 2-Months social media campaign (3 ready-to-wow posts a week)
- Lead magnet development
Our service guarantee
Our ethos is centred around empowering authors to not just publish a book, but to launch it successfully with a significant impact. Having assisted over 100 books, we recognise that a substantial part of what makes a book launch successful is the marketing effort that goes behind it.
We aim to ensure that the price quoted for publishing a book with us is a true reflection of all the vital components involved. This approach guarantees that authors are not just published, but are set on a path of real success with their books, fostering brand exposure and opening doors to clients and speaking engagements as initially envisioned.
