Dustin S.

Copyediting | Print & eBook Typesetting | Cover Design | KDP Upload

Many great authors let their books go to waste with poor copyediting, unprofessional typesetting, and plain cover design. Don't devalue your ideas by cutting corners in the publishing process. I've spent the past 10 years partnering with authors through the publishing process: copyediting, typesetting, cover design, ebook creation, KDP/IngramSpark upload. I ensure that the final product is as good as the ideas that created it. When you work with me, you can expect clear and consistent communication, prompt work, and a phenomenal ready-to-publish book. 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦 Below is the general process I follow (where we begin depends on your needs): 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: I review each manuscript twice. In addition to spelling, grammar, and punctuation, reviewing style and consistency is an essential step with copyediting. That can't be done well with only one pass through the manuscript. 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: I typeset in InDesign, the industry standard for professional book design. Before I begin, I ask for one to three books whose design you admire. I use these as a reference point to understand your aesthetic preferences, not as templates to copy. The result is a layout that feels intentional and polished, with proper margins, consistent spacing, and typography that serves your content. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: After typesetting, I conduct a final proofread to catch any errors introduced during layout and to verify that page breaks, headers, and formatting are consistent throughout. This is the last check before your book goes to print. 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: I create covers that look professional on both digital thumbnails and physical shelves. I provide initial concepts based on your genre, content, and design references, then refine based on your feedback until we land on something you love. 𝗲𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: I convert your typeset manuscript into properly formatted EPUB and MOBI files. This includes testing on multiple devices to ensure your book displays correctly for readers, regardless of how they choose to read it. 𝗞𝗗𝗣/𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗨𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱: I handle the technical side of getting your book listed. This includes formatting files to meet platform specifications, entering metadata, setting up pricing and distribution options, and troubleshooting any errors that arise during the upload process. 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: $.01 per word 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Standard fiction/non-fiction: $550 (includes proofreading) 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: $150 𝗲𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: $100 𝗞𝗗𝗣/𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗨𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽: $100 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗣𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗞𝗗𝗣 𝘃𝘀. 𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸: My default publisher of choice is Amazon KDP. The upload process is simple, and you benefit from better search visibility and book availability. If you'd like to publish a hardcover version in addition to the paperback and ebook, that's when I would suggest including IngramSpark. They have more flexibility on the hardcover sizes and include the capability to have a dust jacket. In this case, the ebook and paperback would be printed through KDP, and the hardcover would be printed through IngramSpark. 𝗜𝗦𝗕𝗡: If you plan on only printing through Amazon KDP, you can use Amazon's free ASIN. For any book published through IngramSpark, you'll need your own ISBNs (one per book version). You can buy ISBNs through Bowker. You'll create your own publishing imprint, which the ISBNs will be listed under. If you plan on publishing multiple books, you may want to have your own ISBNs/publisher regardless of whether you print solely on Amazon. It may help build brand. 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: If you have any images in your book, they need to have the resolution of 300dpi. If not, they will be pixelated. You'll need to send me the individual image files. If the images are copy and pasted from Word, they'll lose much of their resolution. 𝗜𝗻𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘃𝘀. 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝘃𝗮 𝘃𝘀. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱: You should ensure that whoever is designing your book is using InDesign. Canva can work for children's books. Word should not be used for final publication. 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲: To have room for text on the spine of the book (title, your last name), you'll want the book to be 150 pages or 45,000+ words.