How it works
Sixteen stages, in the order that keeps the work from being wasted.
Sequence matters more than speed. Editing before design, structure before sentences, proofreading after layout rather than before it. Here is the whole route.
The route
Every stage has an owner, and most have a point where you sign off.
Not every book uses every stage. After the manuscript review we tell you which of these apply to yours, and which are not worth your money.
Discover
A conversation about the book, the reader you are writing for, and what a finished book looks like to you.
Consultation
We work out which services the manuscript needs. This is also where we say which ones it does not.
Manuscript review
The manuscript is read and assessed for structure, voice, readiness and category fit. You receive it in writing.
Planning
Scope, sequence and schedule are agreed, with your sign-off points marked before any work begins.
Editing
Developmental first if the structure needs it, then line, copy and — later — proofreading on typeset pages.
Cover development
Category study, concepts reviewed at thumbnail size, then one direction developed in full.
Interior design
Trim size, typography and page architecture set, with a sample spread approved before the full setting.
Illustration
For illustrated titles: character sheets, then storyboard, then finished spreads.
Formatting
The full interior typeset for print, and structured for reflowable digital output from the same source.
Author review
You read the laid-out proof. Nothing proceeds to production until you have signed it off.
Publishing preparation
Final files assembled and checked: print PDF, validated EPUB, cover wrap with calculated spine.
ISBN and metadata
Identifiers assigned per format, and the title record built — categories, keywords, description, contributors.
Distribution
Retail, wholesale and library channels configured for your formats and territories, and each listing verified.
Marketing
A dated ninety-day plan covering the month before publication and the two months after.
Launch
Publication date, availability confirmed across channels, and the planned activity executed.
Post-publication support
Metadata corrections, category adjustments, reprints or new formats, and reporting on what actually moved.
Questions
About the process
It depends on which stages your book needs and how quickly review points come back. A finished manuscript needing formatting and distribution moves quickly; a book needing developmental editing and thirty pages of original illustration does not. We give you a schedule after the manuscript review and tell you early if anything slips.
Some, yes. Illustration is irrelevant to most adult non-fiction, and a manuscript that has already been professionally edited may not need another editorial pass. Others are not really optional — nothing should reach print without proofreading on typeset pages.
Work stops until you respond. Sign-off points exist at cover direction, sample spread, full proof and final files. They are there so that expensive rework does not happen after the fact.
You do. Final print PDF, EPUB, cover artwork and the source files are handed over, along with the style sheet. Your engagement letter sets this out explicitly.