You mention you’ve reviewed manuscripts and you breakdown books and movies, can you review my manuscript?
I can. It costs of course. For every 100 pages or 30k words. You will get a breakdown of your story with compliments and suggestions for what can be improved.
Do you read the manuscript when your preparing it to be published?
I don’t have time. I do manuscript reviews and feedback but that usually happens long before you get to publishing.
Do you use ideas from manuscripts you review or publish in your own books.
I wish I had time to write the books produced from my own ideas let alone try and make sense of a story originating in someone elses imagination. Like all writers I absorb life and experiences but no, beyond the ethics, it would be harder to put on someone elses imagination than wrangle my own.
It is a great question though. For instance, one of my current projects is about a man who is murdered with his wife and child and bought back to life by the spirit who was living inside his wife, so he can solve why they died and free the spirit. It’s called Once Upon Another Lifetime. If you can get inside my motivations for that premise or the story I would tell, then make hay.
What if you cannot come up with a cover design I like?
That would mean there has been a breakdown in our communication, which would be disappointing. At the point we agree to disagree I’d bundle up all the files and share them out to you. And then we’d move on. We’d also agree an equitable cost for time already invested.
When you’re working on a book cover do you subcontract elements of the design?
Yes, I am not a graphic designer. I have considerable technical skills and a keen eye for symbolic imagery. If I cannot make a cover look how I need it to look or need extra input from someone with design skills, I’ll hire them in. The cost is mine, as part of the agreed cost with you for the cover. The benefit of having someone like me working on the cover is having someone championing your ideas for a cover, rather than a designer mass producing generic cover images.
If you’re to help me through the process of registering for Amazon KDP and publishing the books, will I need to give you control of my PC.
These sessions are at your discretion. You are by far, better off doing it with someone you know. Feel free to ping me with any questions, preferably with screenshots so I have context. If you need one to one help the sessions are standard video calls using Zoom or Teams. You share your screen so I have visibility of what you’re faced with. You can give me control, but I can’t take it from you. I’ll always prefer if we can get it done with me observing.
What happens if I spot a mistake you made in the layout.
I’ll fix it, with sincere apologies.
How long does it take from start to finish?
If I’m producing the book block it takes a matter of days my side. The biggest delay is the time required for you to review the book block twice.
If I’m producing the cover it can take longer, because the work happens in shorter bursts, then we discuss what can bring it closer to something you love. And we go around. There’s usually about five iterations over a number of weeks.
Registering with Amazon KDP and publishing takes a couple of hours.
What if I want to use a print on demand company other than Amazon?
The specifications for producing the book block and cover are largely the same across all print on demand companies. They are likely using the same printers, ink and paper. If you have specification for layout I can do what you need. I just won’t be able to do anything beyond answer general questions when it comes to publishing.
Do I need an ISBN?
ISBNs are unique identifiers required for physical books, they are not required for eBook editions. Amazon will issue you an ISBN for free but it will tie you down to Amazon as a store front. If you want to work as many store fronts as you can, including the high street you need to buy your own ISBN. You buy them from Neilsens.
How much money will I make selling on Amazon?
The answer directly corresponds to how much time you invest in marketing your book and how effective your marketing is. There will be an element of word of mouth if your book sticks in the imaginations of your audience. You’ll have to hustle to make your publishing costs back. Amazon KDP produce a frequent newsletter, which is a great place to start. As this is the information age, there are a ton of information sources. I’d highly recommend you do NOT hire anyone to market your book for you. The cost equation will not add up. As much as you believe in your book.
Why should I hire you?
Because I’m an author too. I know how important this is. Each book I publish isn’t a line in a spreadsheet, or a balance accumulator. It’s the next best thing to the thrill of publishing my own books. It does also cover some of my overheads.