PRE-PUBLICATION

COPY EDITING

If you’ve just finished your book and you’re looking for someone to check spelling, grammar, and maybe a little syntax (the order of words in a sentence, etc.), then this is the service you need. No one should ever edit their own work. Your mind is just too used to what’s coming to be completely removed from what is actually being said… and how it’s being said.

In many cases –especially if this isn’t your first book—this is the only editing you’ll need.

Cost:

We don’t charge per word as most editorial services do, we charge per typewritten page, double spaced, using Times Roman or similar font set at 11 points. That’s about 220 words on average. We charge $3.50 per page. So if your book is 150 typewritten pages, then the cost would be $525. We know this is well below industry standard but that doesn’t mean you’re getting lower quality editing. It’s just that we want authors to complete the publishing process with us so we want the first part to be a bit of a loss leader for us, and an enticement to you to jump on board with us for the whole journey.

Our editorial team consists of bestselling, self-published, multi-book authors, former journalists and copy editors, corporate communications editors, and qualified freelance traditional editors.

 

LINE EDITING

Sometimes your work is missing something. The idea is great, the writing good, but it’s not quite perfect. Maybe this is your first book; maybe you just can’t get a handle on appropriate plot strategies for your chosen genre. Whatever the concern, our editors are here to help you develop a better structure, one that will publish and sell well.

Cost:

This is at least twice as time consuming as line editing, so we simply charge twice the price. But for that price, you have a one-on-one relationship with your editor and most of the changes are made by you, once we’ve shown you what to do. Our “coaching” approach results in a better quality book that is still written by you. We’re just in the background showing you where and how to improve it so it will be the best book you can produce. Once completed, a full line edit is performed by your editor.

That same 150 page typewritten manuscript would cost $900 ($6 per page).

If you start out using our Line Editing service and decide to switch to the Development Editing service—or vice versa–whatever money you’ve spent thus far will be applied to the new fee. You’ll never pay for services you don’t need.

 

PROOFREADING

 

In our minds, this is the most important aspect of publishing. It is also the one that many self-published authors miss. They finish their book, leave it alone for a couple of days, then proofread. Maybe they get their spouse to read it in their spare time. They’re anxious and want to see it printed. When they’re confident they’ve caught all the mistakes, they publish.

And then the emails and phone calls come in from friends and family. “You have a typo on page 16”, or “That’s not what that word means,” or my favourite: “That paragraph just doesn’t make sense.”

Our proofreaders have never seen your book before they are tasked to go over it with a fine-tooth combed. They are looking at spelling, grammar, syntax, plot lines, structure, and genre-required scenes and elements.

Cost:

Manuscript Stage: Our fee is $1.50 per typewritten page. At this point, we are looking for blatant mistakes. And it is performed fairly quickly.

Proof Stage: If you’re using the proofreading service after your book has been formatted and you are holding a printed proof version in your hand—then it’s $2.00 per printed page. And this is the last time someone will look at it before it’s published.

 

PUBLICATION

FORMATTING FOR PRINT

 

This is where we take your completed, edited manuscript and format it for print. We initially format for Createspace®, the Amazon-owned print-on-demand service that is ideally suited to self-publishers in that you only pay for one book at a time. You receive an actual printed version of your book—a proof—that you can show your friends, etc. This is also the last time you get to make any changes prior to publication. It is also the version our proofreader uses if you are utilizing that service at this time. (Keep in mind that with print-on-demand, you can always make changes to text, covers, description, etc. at any time. Any books printed from that point on will reflect your changes).

Once approved by you (and/or our proofreader), we publish 25 trade paperback copies of the book and prepare for your official book launch. You can order as many copies as you like at that point, at Amazon cost (usually around $3.50-$5.00 per book, depending on size). We add no markup for books you order personally.

If you wish to print hardcover copies, this is more time consuming and is accomplished through another printer. Costs are also higher ($8-$15 per book in best cases), so most authors settle for trade paperbacks. They are widely accepted by consumers and are the same size and shape as hardcover. Selling a hardcover as a self-published author is very difficult simply due to the price you must charge to recover manufacturing costs. No reader is going to spend $20-$30 on an unknown author when there are so many other books in the $9.99-$18.99 range. We highly recommend you spend additional funds on creating an audio version, rather than a hardcover one.

Cost:

Taking any sized book from final, edited manuscript to format level is a one-time fee of $499. This includes formatting for trade paperback (and ebook if you choose to do both simultaneously). Hardcover formatting is more intricate and an additional $100 is charged.

 

FORMATING FOR E-BOOK

 

This is where we take your completed, edited manuscript and format it for ebook. Initially, the formatting is for uploading to Amazon Kindle and printing with Createspace simultaneously (see Formatting for Print above). However, we also include formats for other reader sites such as: Kobo, Smashwords, Draft2Digital, Nook, Barnes&Noble, and others. The book will also be available to subscription services such as Kindle Unlimited, Kindle Select, Scribd, Koboplus, Playster, and others.  Many of these sites have their own formatting requirements. You will receive all the links to the sites where your books are being sold, as well as a single universal link that will allow readers to download your book in the format of their choice, including simple PDF for reading on a computer.

Cost:

Formatting an ebook for various online reader sites is time consuming but not particularly difficult. If you are only publishing an ebook, the one-time formatting cost is $199. If you are publishing a print version simultaneously, the formatting for ebook is included. Ebook formatting includes formatting for the top five reader sites for ebooks: Draft2Digital, BookBub, Goodreads, Kobo, and of course, Kindle (Amazon). Remember, when your book is uploaded to Draft2Digital, it is automatically available to Barnes&Noble, Nook, Playster, Sribd, and many more. Go to Draft2Digital.com to see the list.

Subscription services are sites where a reader can sample some pages of any book for a set monthly fee. Similar to a lending card at a library, the reader pays a monthly fee to access any book registered to the site. If they read some of your book but don’t purchase it, you get paid for the number of pages read. It’s a great way to increase your income and add another profit stream.

 

FORMATTING FOR AUDIOBOOK

 

Audiobooks aren’t new. They’ve been around since the days of cassette players. However, when Amazon purchased Audible.com, the entire format took off. Although not the only player in town, Audible sales of books are quickly matching print sales and may even threaten ebook sales in the future. A whole new generation of “readers” are listening to one or two books a week, and they have never purchased a “real” book in their lives. They listen at school, in the car, while working, anywhere they can be alone In the magical world you’ve created, while multitasking at something else. Just like screenplays that are written for movies and never become books, audiobooks are quickly becoming a self-contained, self-sustaining creative industry. And you want to be a part of it, though maybe not initially. Most authors consider audiobooks after they have at least two or three books in a series.

Cost:

Fees for audiobooks include manuscript preparation, casting, studio time, reworking covers, production, and uploading. A 150-page book would cost apx. $2499 currently. (Exact pricing depends upon studio hours required and cost of specific voice talent). That price will likely come down in time.

Be careful when researching audiobook production, however. There are many sites offering computer-based recording. Don’t do it. Professional audiobooks are done in a studio with professional voice talent. Sales of your audiobook are directly related to the quality of the production.

 

COVER DESIGN

When you go to any reader site (like Amazon, Kindle, Kobo, Goodreads, etc.), you see a very small thumbnail version of the book cover. You make your decision to look more closely at the description only when that cover has snagged your interest. Readers used to see 6X9” books on a shelf at a store. Now they look at a 1” thumbnail on a webpage, whether they’re ordering a print or electronic book.

That’s why covers are so vital to your sales. Our designers are freelance specialists in various genres. Some have designed covers for well-established traditional authors, but all have proven themselves by working well with authors and our editors to design a winning cover for your book.

Cost:

Print and ebook covers, including back material, bar code, and author photo: $350

You will have a chance to make changes to a cover, request a redo or complete new artwork, and add any elements you wish to your cover. If you have a bio, we’ll have it placed on the back cover, along with an author photo. If you have neither of these, we can arrange for both for an additional $50.

Keep in mind that your book is never de-llsted, so as styles and trends change, you may wish to change your cover. Every book printed or downloaded after you have created your new cover will reflect that change. Traditional publishers do it all the time to rejuvenate backlist books. (I’ve seen at least eight different covers for the James Bond series, or any of Hemingway’s books). If you wish to change your cover, you simply pay for a new one at the same price. We look after incorporating it into your uploaded listings at no additional charge.

BOOK LAUNCH

Very shortly after you have published your book, we get together with our publicist experts and come up with a book launch for you. Usually set in your city or town, at a place conducive to the subject matter of your book (a restaurant if a cook book for example), the book launch consists of you, the author, sitting at a table signing 25 books that customers purchase for $10. (If you want to sign and sell more, you can order directly from the printer with no markup from us). The first few customers will also receive a FREE Sunao book from another or our authors, as a gift. (Your book will be used In future giveaways too,  at our cost. as part of your ongoing promotional activity.)

If there is no venue suitable for your book (a fiction thriller for example), then we do it at a bookstore in your city or town. All proceeds from the sales of books at this event are yours. And although we are selling at a discounted price, you can often recover some of your publishing costs in that one afternoon!

If you are also simultaneously publishing an ebook version, we will integrate a FREE promotion to any reader who downloads your book during a five-day period which includes your launch date. At the launch, you will have business cards with the cover of your book on one side and the link to access the FREE download on the other. These 250 cards of part of the launch package.

The launch package includes poster signage, desktop signage, a mailing list sign-up sheet, 250 business cards, two t-shirts (complete with your cover emblazoned upon them) to wear at the launch if you wish, and a cover-emblazoned coffee mug to put your pens in (or coffee if you’re nervous).

It is imperative you understand that a book launch is performed by YOU, the author. We supply all the materials you need, and setup the venue time and date, but you are the only person physically present (bring friendly supporters).

Cost:

All signage, cards, t-shirts, 25 printed books, coffee mug, and arrangement of event: $300

 

GETTING TO THE TOP

One of our immediate goals upon publication is to get your book to #1 in any given category of sales. This is usually accomplished via Kindle as we are able to manipulate FREE promotions,, Social Media ads, and the physical book launch. Within a week or two, your book is usually in the top 10, if not hitting #1 or #2 for at least one day. We do this so you can legally (and honourably) claim your book as a bestseller. We can also then alter the cover to add “from bestselling author…” (at no additional cost unless we redo the whole cover).

Cost: $0

This is covered in our book launch package but is done separately to the physical launch itself. If you are managing the book launch personally, then we are performing the #1 strategy simultaneously. Once your book hits #1 –even briefly—we alter all advertising, promotion, and even the cover if you wish, to incorporate the fact that you are now a bestselling author. The link for the FREE download is active for 2 days prior to your book launch, and 2 days afterwards.

Although we can’t guarantee your book will hit #1, every book we have promoted in this manner thus far has hit the Top 10 within a week. It is in our best interest to do everything we can to ensure all our authors become bestsellers, so you can be sure we promote as much as possible during your launch “week”.

AUTHOR PAGES

Author pages are initially set up on Amazon. The author page is an introduction to you and it is also a way for you to monitor and manipulate your own book sales. Initially, you are published on the Sunao Publishing site (usually under the publisher’s name), but shortly thereafter, your own author page is created and you can begin tracking and manipulating sales yourself if you so desire. We, of course, continue to do the same through our links if you choose to utilize our ongoing promotional service.

Cost: $99 for the initial Amazon Author Page. This includes links for you to access the page and see reports, change categories, change price, description, etc.

If you choose to utilize the ongoing promotional service, we will create author pages on several sites over a three month periods. These include Goodreads, Draft2Digital, and more. We add others as deemed necessary for the duration of your tenure with us, and as new reader websites emerge. The Amazon author page is the most important and is accomplished first. When you have more than one book out there, your Amazon author page is vital to ensuring readers see all your books in one place, and can order them immediately.

If you utilize our ongoing promotional service, then development of other author pages on other sites is part of that fee. Many authors are happy with the Amazon Author Page, however.

 

ONGOING MARKETING & PROMOTION

This service is essentially marketing. Our staff utilize SEO on websites, social media, reader sites like Goodreads, Bookbaby, BookBub, Draft2Digital, etc., to promote and advertise your book on an ongoing basis. We purchase ads on some of these sites, and simply change categories regularly on others.

Long-term success is not just measured by book sales, but also by ranking on bestseller lists, number of reader reviews, and number of physical events your book participates in.

Our service is personalized to you and your book in each case so costs are hard to determine from month to month. However, we understand that everyone wants to know what the budget is. No one likes invoice surprises.

So, we developed a plan whereby we charge one monthly fee that is ongoing, allowing us to establish both short and long term strategies for selling your book. Some months, we’ll spend more than others, but your fees won’t change. Some months, you’ll see a lot of ads and social media attention that would normally cost hundreds of dollars, but your monthly fee won’t change. We will simply spread the budget over the lifetime of the contract, which is six months.

You can renew after the first six months for another six months, or you can elect to switch to a month-to-month program after the first six month term. It’s up to you.

We wlll discuss specifics of your marketing plan once your book is published and launched. You can ask any questions at that time. And we will provide reports showing you where your book is being promoted.

Cost: $499 per month.

This will include a minimum of 3 full size ads (during the six month contract)  on a currently recognized reader site (such as Amazon, BookBub, The Big Thrill, etc.), as well as ongoing manipulation of rankings on various reader lists. It will also include FREE giveaway promotions (costs of books given away included) on a regular basis, to ensure your book is boosted up in rank regularly.

It will also include research into local-to-you venues where you can attend and sell or promote your books. Any costs incurred at these events would be paid for directly by you to the vendor. We would provide 25 copies per event, at no additional cost. Additional copies can be purchased through us or the printer directly with no markup. If you’re up for it, this can include additional book signings, seminars, speaking engagements, etc.

Sunao Publishing also budgets annually to promote our own business. This often includes selling or promoting your book at other author book launches, book shows, festivals, etc. Any books we give away are purchased at our expense, though they don’t count as sales to you since either you or we can purchase books at cost at any time.

We also promote our business online extensively and readers have access to your book(s) through us at any time. Click through from our site to author pages is common.

 

A note on taxes
As a Canadian-based company, we must charge 13% HST on our services. If you are an international customer and can provide us with a form stating that you are exempt, will will accommodate that. Ask about the forms required when you are ready to move forward with your book. 

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