Yes. You can hire professionals to help self-publish your book instead of doing everything yourself.
In fact, an entire segment of the publishing industry exists for authors who want the benefits of self-publishing but do not want to personally manage editing, cover design, formatting, production, distribution, and other technical aspects of publication.
This is often called full-service, assisted, or professional self-publishing.
The author brings the manuscript and vision.
A professional publishing team helps turn that manuscript into a finished book.
Doesn’t “Self-Publishing” Mean I Have to Do It Myself?
No.
The term can be confusing.
Self-publishing generally refers to publishing outside the conventional traditional-publishing model. It does not require you to personally perform every task involved in producing the book.
Think about starting a business.
A business owner does not personally need to design the company website, prepare every legal document, manage every advertisement, and perform every specialized function.
The owner can hire professionals.
Authors can do the same thing.
You can remain the author and maintain control over important decisions while experienced publishing professionals handle specialized work.
Who Can You Hire?
There are two primary approaches.
Hire Individual Freelancers
You can assemble your own publishing team.
That might include an editor, proofreader, cover designer, interior formatter, illustrator, eBook specialist, and marketing professionals.
This provides considerable flexibility.
However, you become responsible for finding, evaluating, hiring, and coordinating everyone.
Hire a Full-Service Self-Publishing Company
The alternative is working with one company that already has the people and processes necessary to publish books professionally.
Depending on the company and package, it may provide editing, design, formatting, production, distribution, author support, and marketing under one roof.
For authors who want a more streamlined experience, this can be attractive.
What Can a Self-Publishing Company Handle?
A professional publishing company can potentially help with nearly every stage after the manuscript is written.
Editing
An editor can review and improve the manuscript according to the level of editing required.
Cover Design
Professional designers can develop a cover appropriate for the book’s genre, subject, audience, and format.
Interior Design
The manuscript can be professionally formatted for print and digital editions.
Publishing Setup
The company can assist with technical requirements such as ISBNs, barcodes, production files, proofs, and other publishing details.
Printing
Print files can be properly prepared so copies can be produced when needed.
Distribution
The book can be set up for availability through appropriate retail and distribution channels.
Marketing
Depending on the company, authors may also have access to professional marketing, publicity, advertising, reviews, and promotional services.
Project Management
Perhaps most importantly, someone other than the author helps coordinate all of these moving pieces.
Explore Full-Service Self-Publishing
If this sounds closer to the publishing experience you want, you can compare the services included in MindStir Media’s professional publishing options.
Explore MindStir Media’s self-publishing packages to see how professional editing, design, publishing, distribution, support, and other services can be combined into one publishing process.
Will I Still Have a Say in My Book?
You should.
Hiring a publishing company should not mean blindly handing over your manuscript and hoping you like the result.
Ask prospective providers how approvals work.
Will you see the cover before it is finalized?
Can you request changes?
Will you review the edited manuscript?
Will you approve the interior?
Who makes decisions about pricing?
How much control do you maintain?
These questions should be answered before you sign an agreement.
Do I Need a Literary Agent?
Not for professional self-publishing.
Literary agents primarily serve authors pursuing traditional publishing deals.
If you are hiring a professional self-publishing company, you generally approach the company directly.
That can eliminate one of the largest barriers associated with traditional publishing.
You do not have to spend months querying agents simply to begin discussing your book with a publishing provider.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Someone?
Costs vary substantially.
The length and complexity of your manuscript matter.
The amount of editing matters.
Your formats matter.
Illustrations or color interiors can affect costs.
Marketing can affect costs significantly.
The level of professional support matters as well.
Instead of looking for one universal self-publishing price, determine which services you need and compare packages on an equivalent basis.
Is This Different From Traditional Publishing?
Yes.
Under traditional publishing, a publisher generally acquires publishing rights and takes on the financial risk of producing and distributing the book. The author typically does not pay the publisher to publish.
In professional self-publishing, the author pays for publishing services.
That difference also changes the relationship.
Depending on the provider, the author may retain considerably more control and ownership than under a traditional arrangement.
Authors should review each company’s specific contract, rights provisions, and royalty terms rather than assuming every model works identically.
Who Is This Best For?
Hiring a company to manage self-publishing can be particularly appealing to:
- First-time authors
- Busy professionals
- Entrepreneurs
- Executives
- Consultants
- Coaches
- Physicians
- Speakers
- Memoirists
- Novelists
- Children’s book authors
- Authors who do not enjoy managing freelancers
The common factor is simple.
They want to publish professionally, but they do not want publishing the book to become their full-time job.
You Don’t Have to Choose Between DIY and Traditional Publishing
Authors sometimes assume there are only two possibilities.
Either persuade a traditional publisher to acquire your manuscript or do everything yourself.
There is a large space between those options.
Professional self-publishing allows authors to hire experienced people to help produce their books while maintaining many of the benefits that attracted them to independent publishing in the first place.
If that is the experience you are looking for, working with a full-service self-publishing company may make considerably more sense than trying to become your own publishing department.
Let MindStir Media Help You Publish Your Book
MindStir Media works with authors who want professional assistance turning their manuscripts into finished books.
You can discuss your manuscript and publishing goals before deciding which approach is appropriate.
Schedule a publishing consultation with MindStir Media to speak with the team about your book and available publishing options.