Book publishing services
Book publishing today
Publishing has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Traditional publishing meant submitting your manuscript to agents and hoping for a contract. If accepted, publishers invested in large print runs, stored books in warehouses and handled distribution. Authors received only a fraction of the royalties and had little control over pricing, timelines or creative direction.
The introduction of print-on-demand changed everything. Copies of a book can be printed to order at the nearest factory in the US, UK or Australia. There is no stock, no storage and no waste from unsold books. It is efficient, low-risk and environmentally sound. But managing it through Amazon, Ingram and other platforms, is not simple.
Why choose Smart Publishing
After helping thousands of authors design their books, we saw the same pattern over and over again: they wanted the benefits of POD without handling the technical setup, metadata, retailer accounts, proof approvals, KDP quirks and Ingram specifications themselves.
So we created Smart Publishing to make self-publishing simple. Your book stays entirely yours with full control of your rights and 100% of the royalties, while we handle everything behind the scenes. And if we have designed an ebook for you, you can now add this to your publishing package so it is released across the major digital retailers at the same time.
Book Publishing
- ISBN provided if needed, or use your own
- Authorzone login for approvals, orders, and sales data
- Files adapted to Amazon-ready specifications
- Printed proof copy
- First year’s distribution to major online retailers via Ingram included
- Annual distribution renewal for only £30
- Author copies at cost price
- Keep 100% of royalties
- Direct Amazon KDP listing for Prime availability within 48 to 72 hours
- No contract to sign, just accept our terms when you proceed
Ebook Publishing
- ISBN provided if needed, or use your own
- Listing with Amazon, Apple, Google and Barnes & Noble
- Set up of all metadata and categories
- First year’s distribution to major online retailers included
- Annual distribution renewal for only £30
- Assistance with any listing issues
- Keep 100% of your royalties
- No contract to sign, just accept our terms when you proceed
We're ready when you are
Publishing is complex. That is why we built this service to handle the whole process for you. Most authors still have questions — about ISBNs, formats, print choices, pricing and timelines — and that's completely expected. Ask us anything, send us what you have. We'll guide you through the next steps.
How Smart Publishing works
Our Smart Publishing packages make self-publishing simple. Once your design files are ready, here is how the process unfolds and roughly when each stage happens. Times are a general guide and can vary with book complexity, express options, and seasonal backlogs.
Week 1 — Design
Work with our designer to lock in the key print choices that shape your book. Pick a trim size that suits the genre and audience, decide whether to print in color or grayscale, choose the binding (paperback, hardback casebound, or dust jacket), and confirm the paper stock. See our print cost calculator and royalties calculator to help guide your choices.
Week 3 — eProof approval
Review eProofs of your interior and cover on screen, check your book data, and set your book price and metadata in the Authorzone. If you want help with titles, descriptions, subject codes, and keywords, see our Author Setup Guide. When you approve the eProofs, the files are submitted to produce your printed proof.
Week 5 — Printed proof
Your proof arrives for a final check in hand. Review color or grayscale tone, paper feel, trim and alignment, spine fit, and cover finish. Because each copy is printed to order, slight variations in tone, trimming, or binding will occur. The tolerances are improving all the time, but print on demand still allows a wider variation than traditional printing, so keep that in mind when checking your proof. See reviewing a printed proof for more guidance.
Week 6 — Final approval
When you are happy, confirm final approval in the Authorzone to clear your title for distribution. Within 24 hours you receive a sales link to your book's page on our site for immediate orders. Your book then begins to appear with other online retailers over the following days. You can also order printed copies for yourself at cost price and ship them anywhere in the world. If you are also ebook publishing, this is when the conversion begins.
Week 8 — Book is live
Your title rolls out across Ingram's worldwide retailer network, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Booktopia, and many more. Please see our marketing your book and get promo book graphics articles for ideas on book promotion or images for websites and social media.
One month later
Your sales data begins appearing in the Authorzone once retailers report their monthly figures, usually around the 15th of the following month. Major retailers are itemized and others are grouped as Ingram sales. Royalties follow an industry-standard 4-month delay as funds move back through the retail chain. Payments are made monthly via PayPal, with small balances carried forward.
We're ready when you are
Publishing is complex. That is why we built this service to handle the whole process for you. Most authors still have questions — about ISBNs, formats, print choices, pricing and timelines — and that's completely expected. Ask us anything, send us what you have. We'll guide you through the next steps.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my own ISBN?
If you plan to sell your book, it needs a 13-digit ISBN for each format. See what is an ISBN? if you are not sure whether you need one. This code identifies your book and is used to generate the barcode on the back cover. The ISBN owner is listed as the publisher of record. You can use a Wordzworth ISBN or your own. Using ours means the book carries our imprint on the copyright page and back cover. If you prefer to publish under your own imprint, register with your national agency (Bowker in the US, Nielsen in the UK) and send us the ISBNs you want to assign to each format. We create the barcodes for you automatically, so you don't need to supply them.
What if I need changes?
Changes are always possible, but they are most cost-effective when submitted together rather than one by one. If you need to update your printed proof, changes start at £60 for design updates and resubmission. Once the book has gone live, post-publication changes follow the same £60 minimum, although if Amazon have already bought stock they must sell through this first. Metadata updates such as price, author bio or keywords are free but retailers may take 3 weeks to refresh listings.
What do I need to know about ordering my book?
Once your printed proof is approved you can order copies at cost price through your Authorzone. Because books are printed to order, they cannot be refunded. However, because each copy is produced individually, small variations in trimming, tone and binding can occur, as well as minor imperfections like light scuffing or a slight trim shift. These fall within normal POD tolerances. Genuine faults and transit damage are handled differently. If you receive a clearly faulty copy, photograph the issue and the back page immediately and we will arrange a replacement. Please see our print-on-demand article for further details.
What do I need to know about selling my book globally?
Before your book can be sold you will complete its metadata and pricing in your Authorzone. Metadata covers your title, author name, ISBN, description, bio, subject codes and keywords. It drives how your book is found online, and our separate metadata guide explains each field clearly.
Next you set your book price. This is a bit of a balance of what is typical for your market, your print costs and your profits at different prices. Use our print cost calculator to show the print cost for each format and our royalties calculator to see what you might receive. Our book pricing guide explains how to choose figures that balance value, comparables and retailer expectations.
Once approved and priced, your book is distributed. This includes Ingram's global network, supplying major online retailers in the US, UK, Europe and Australia. Your book is typically also available on Amazon, along with a dedicated sales page on our site. You can also sell through your own website or local stores using your ISBN, although you may need to manage stock and shipping for those routes. For more detail on how this all works, please see where your book is sold.
Sales data is not instant. Retail sales usually appear in your Authorzone around the 15th of the following month, with major retailers itemized and others grouped as Ingram sales. Royalties are then paid monthly via PayPal with the standard 4-month delay while funds move back through the retail chain, and balances under $20 roll forward to the next month.