A Word from your Publisher
Successfully publishing your book can be life-changing. Getting it right brings you to the attention of like-minded people who are interested in your knowledge, your philosophy and your enthusiasm. However, the journey from manuscript to masterpiece is not a straightforward one.]
In recent years, multinational companies have woken up to the fact that there is money to be made from authors and have played on their egos to seduce them onto their various platforms. However, the people making the least from this relationship are the authors themselves.
Authors are getting increasingly frustrated at the dismally low royalties they get from selling their books via on-line retailers, and the book trade. There is often complete disbelief At how little they receive after all their hard work. The only thing that is stopping them from making a proper profit is a lack of understanding as to how the book trade really works. A little insider knowledge can make all the difference.
In our 26 years of publishing we have watched the multinational publishing platforms, do what big business is best at – making money, but at the expense of authors, publishers, agents, printers, distributors and independent bookshops.
Induction – A Word from your editor! Tessa Glover
The first step in publishing a book that you can be proud of AND which makes you money, is to get the basics right. In the same way that you would never go to the dentist without brushing your teeth, so you should not submit your manuscript before giving it a thorough check.
We suggest that you run your manuscript through a free grammar checker, such as Grammarly, and implement the suggested changes. You’d be surprised at how many little errors can be missed! This means that I won’t waste your time and funds going through simple punctuation fixes that you could do yourself.
However, if you find that you don’t have the time to pick through every little mistake and would prefer me to perform a grammar fix for you, I’d be happy to do so. All my services are priced at £30 per hour.
Every author is scared to let go of their manuscript in case it is not good enough. I am here to put your mind at rest! There comes a time when your eyes see what they expect to see, rather than what is there!
So I offer an ‘Informed Read’ Tier 1
Is my book any good?
It’s so easy to become too familiar with your work. If you opt for an informed read, I will look over your manuscript with a fresh pair of eyes, suggesting changes and picking up on general themes that could be improved upon. I will highlight sections that need reworking (for example, extra attention paid to syntax, flow, etc) and give you access to my list of editing tips.
When reviewing your writing, I will consider, among other aspects, pacing, tone, timeline, character interaction, realism, style of writing, intention and your audience.
For an informed read, I work at approximately 1 hour per 8,000 words x £30
Tier 2 – Full Proofread
If, during my Informed Read, I believe that your manuscript requires more attention, I will recommend a Full Proofread.
During a full proofread, I aim to fix all punctuation and grammatical errors. I will also work to improve sentence flow, tone, voice and clarity.
I make, on average, 5,000 corrections per manuscript. It’s amazing how many mistakes slip through the cracks! If you lead a busy life, this may be a lot of time to spend inserting commas, adding semicolons and correcting spelling. Even grammar checkers can misunderstand context and miss errors, which it’s why it’s best to have a qualified human being look over your work.
For this tier, I will also include a personalised list of larger improvements you might want to make to the text. I will note what I liked and what could be improved upon (for example, pacing, tone, timelines, a character’s realism).
For a full and thorough proofread, I work at approximately 4,000 words per hour x £30
For a small additional fee, I will write a 500-word review of your book. I can also write a blurb or longer summary.
Commercial Evaluation
It is worrying how few authors understand how to make money from their book! If you put yourself in the hands of the global distribution platforms, you will only get paid the pittance that they allow. But there are alternatives! We offer a Commercial Coaching Session with an experienced publisher to identify routes to market and create a strategy to achieve your objectives. There are far more channels than you might realise!
A commercial minute commercial coaching session is £60
Book Design and Embellishments
Meet your book designer, Niamh Craigie.
A talented artist and media manager. Everything about your book is a conscious choice. Nothing happens by default or without your involvement. Choose every aspect of your book layout, your cover design and embellishments. Book style and cover design – £300
Page Layout
Choose your font, paragraph styles, headings, illustrations and advanced layout features. Cost is dependent on the number of pages and the complexity of the layout.
Budget for between £4 and £6 per page
Market Access
Where we weave our best magic is in making your book available to purchase from every territory around the world. For example, in the USA we access some fifteen separate print facilities so that books can be printed as close as possible to the customer.
We issue a unique ISBN and create all of the supporting metadata so the your book can easily be found and purchased by all book retailers. In addition we add a book promote to the main social media channels to further raise your profile.
Global distribution, promotion and project management £1,500
There is no VAT on book production
It costs nothing to ask questions! Call us on +44(0)20 8688 2598
Traditional Publishing
Filament has always offered traditional publishing to the top tier of authors who are making substantial sales through the book trade and can be regularly be found in the media. Where authors have a substantial following on social media and can guarantee significant sales for every new title, we rercognise this by offering traditiional publishing
We define traditional publishing as when the publisher provides a number of specific editorial, production and distribution services which are funded by the income from book sales rather than from a contribution by the author. Financially,
All net income from book sales is split equally between the author and the publisher, once the cost of origination, printing and distribution has been deducted. Neither party receives income till costs are paid.
Corporate Publishing
Filament provides commercial publishing services to organisations who wish to have their own publishing imprint, and require to oursouce the origination, publishing and distribution process
Curated Publishing
Curated Publishing® is a holistic approach which allows authors to control their book and intellectual property. It also recognises that authors need knowledge and support, but not at the cost of losing control and having to share their royalties, to get it.
Curated Publishing® gives authors more choices, complete control of their publishing and the knowledge they need to make it a success. It heralds a new relationship with authors and in this respect is quite different from Self-Publishing, hybrid publishing or traditional publishing. It is the way forward.
We provide a bespoke service to each one of our authors. No two books are the same, and every author is unique. We publish books of all genres and in all manner of sizes, ranging from smart-looking professional nonfiction books in black and white, to glorious full-colour coffee-table books on a range of subjects.
Our unrelenting focus is on helping you to get the very best for your book, in the most cost-effective way possible. We work with you for as much or as little as you want, or your budget dictates.
To enable us to fully understand your aspirations for your book, we offer a free 45-minute consultation with a publisher. Only then can we provide an accurate budget based on our discussions.
However, it can help authors to have an idea of the costs associated with producing their book, based on the services they are looking for, from the minimum, to selecting everything on the menu! We hope this helps you. A quotation based on your needs may well be less.
Subscription Publishing
- Spread the cost of publishing with affordable monthly payments – interest free!
- Agree your budget and then split it into regular payments using Paypal
- Get started right away!
- All costs must be paid prior to date of publication.
In addition, we will also provide a commercial evaluation of your book to provide you with clarity on how to make it a financial success – rather than an expensive hobby!
“People buy people, before they buy books”.
All authors need to build their profiles and engage with followers. You need to build a community of people who know where you add value to their lives. This is not something a publisher can do for you. A publisher can promote and distribute your book, but you have raise your own profile in order to attract people to your author business.
The success of your book will be determined by the amount of ‘momentum’ you are creating for your brand, in the marketplace.
otation in writing
Additional examples
Limited edition books
- In addition to the standard international edition, we can create additional Limited Edition prints of your book for you to sell on your website and at book signings. You can choose from a range of special cover finishes including embossing, foil printing, spot UV varnish and cover flaps. Because you are selling your book direct you benefit from the full profit margin. And a limited edition encourages people to buy from you direct.
AUTHOR WEBSITE
- Sell your books direct with a shopping cart
- Grow a mailing list of fans
- Provide the media with content about you and your book with a Press Area on your site
AUDIO BOOK
Your book converted to an Audio book and published on all the main audio book distributors
AUTHOR BACK STORY INTERVIEW
Conducted by a professional journalist, we would conduct an Author Backstory Interview session in order to capture content which we would then use to create a press release for the book. We would then distribute the press release to our media lists
Some questions to ask yourself
- What does success as an author mean for you?
- What are your expectations from this project?
- Are you publishing primarily to make money? To raise your profile? To educate? To entertain? What are your objectives?
- What skill sets do you have to help raise your profile and build a following?
- Who is your perfect reader? Why will they choose your book? How can you reach them? How will they find you?
- What is your genre and niche? What key words will people be searching for to find your book?
- Describe the main offering of the book
- Nobody owes any of us a living. Are you prepared to invest in achieving your success?
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Publishing is a serious business. That is why we have a proven process and formula for our authors, guiding and valuing their time, effort, and work. Whether you are a creative author, a new business author, or your work is a labour of love – be assured of our attentiveness to your needs throughout our collaborative process and the professional quality work and placement your book deserves.