Self-Publishing Relief Frequently Asked Questions

We want you to feel comfortable with trusting Self-Publishing Relief to assist you in self-publishing your book. Here are answers to the questions we are commonly asked:

What does Self-Publishing Relief do?

Self-Publishing Relief assists you in navigating the process of getting your book published. You are the publisher—we provide guidance and support, and perform the technical tasks of design and formatting for you.

What makes Self-Publishing Relief stand out from other companies?

At Self-Publishing Relief, we have over twenty years of experience working with authors. We thoroughly understand the unique needs and goals of writers. Together with Writer’s Relief and Web Design Relief, Self-Publishing Relief offers a complete array of services to facilitate every step of an author’s path to publishing: from making targeted submissions, to traditional or independent publishing, to social media and author platform support, to building author websites.

What genres will you assist with publishing?

We will help with publishing novels, memoirs, young or new adult, creative nonfiction, nonfiction self-help and how-to books, poetry and short story collections.

Do you work with writers located outside the United States?

Currently, we can only work with writers who are based in the United States.

Do you work with manuscripts written in foreign languages?

No. We only work with manuscripts that are written in English.

   
Why should I self-publish?

The traditional publishing route of trying to find a literary agent to represent your book and then hoping it will be picked up by a publishing house is a lengthy, time-consuming process that can take many months…if not years. And, let’s face it, many authors may not find success in traditional publishing.

When you self-publish your book, the process is much faster. Your book will be published, and may be available for sale in a matter of weeks. Your percentage of the royalties may also be higher with self-publishing than with traditional publishing.

Self-publishing is no longer considered “second best” or the choice of last resort—it is fast becoming a major force in the publishing industry. As the stigma of self-publishing vanishes, more and more self-published books are making it big and getting picked up by traditional publishing houses. We believe self-publishing will only become more prevalent as time goes on.

Will I still be able to secure agent representation if my book is self-published?

Yes! As long as you hold all the rights, you can submit your book to literary agents for consideration. And if your self-published book has garnered any awards or achieved substantial sales, so much the better for impressing literary agents.

Will Self-Publishing Relief be listed as the publisher?

No. If you choose to purchase your own ISBN, you (or your imprint) will be listed as the publisher. If you choose the free Kindle Direct Publishing ISBN option, KDP will be the publisher of record.

What are “rights”? Will I own the rights to my book?

“Publishing rights” means the right to publish a work—in this case, your book. There are many variations on publishing rights: translation rights, intellectual rights, subsidiary rights, film rights, etc. With Self-Publishing Relief, all rights belong to you, the author. Self-Publishing Relief is solely a provider of services.

Does my manuscript need to be complete?

Yes. We only work with books that are complete.

Do you have  additional services I can purchase separately, even if I’m not doing a package with Self-Publishing Relief?

Yes! We have services available that you can add onto your Self-Publishing package, or purchase separately if you are self-publishing on your own. From book covers and cover art to proofreading to press releases to manuscript formatting and more, we can help! See all of our optional services here. Additional fees apply.

Do you offer manuscript formatting as a separate service if I’m not purchasing a package with Self-Publishing Relief?

Yes! Our formatting experts can handle the many nitpicky details of properly formatting your manuscript so it’s ready for self-publishing. Book formatting is such a key part of a book’s success that we include it in every Self-Publishing Relief package. However, our professional formatters can also polish your book’s manuscript if you are self-publishing on your own. Learn more about our manuscript formatting service here. Additional fees apply.

Do I get all the royalties? How much money will I make?

Yes, all royalty payments go directly to you; Self-Publishing Relief does not take any royalty payment. The royalties are determined by the print and e-book markets, not by Self-Publishing Relief. For print markets, the royalty is determined by trim size and number of pages. E-book royalties are based on the file size/megabytes and the price of the book, and can vary from 35% to 70% of the sales price, depending on which markets and price points you select. You can learn more about royalties here: Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble Press.

How long will the process take?

The time frame varies per individual project. Average time is two to three months.

Do I need to copyright my work first?

In general, you do not need to copyright your work. United States law holds that a work belongs to the book author the moment it’s set down in a fixed medium (i.e., paper or your word-processing program). You wrote it; it’s yours.

   
What is an ISBN? Do I need an ISBN?

An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a number that identifies a book. Each format/edition of the book—e-book, paperback, hardcover—would be assigned a different ISBN number. The ISBN number tracks sales of the book.

All print books need an ISBN. You do not need an ISBN if you are only publishing your book as an e-book, since e-publishers will assign their own tracking number to the book.

However, we recommend that you DO purchase ISBN numbers for both your print and e-book versions. Having an ISBN allows you to list your book in Bowker’s Books in Print, which will make it rank higher in Internet and Google search results. An ISBN also makes tracking all your sales easier and helps guarantee that you receive all your royalty payments.

Why do the colors of the printed version of my book look different from the colors on my computer?

Printers and electronic devices (computer monitors, e-readers, tablets, and smartphones) produce colors in different ways. Printers use CMYK: cyan, magenta, yellow, black. Electronic devices use RGB: red, green, blue. In general, CMYK matches 85-90% of the RGB color scheme. If a color is chosen in the RGB range that CMYK cannot match exactly, the application used will select the closest color match.

Can I buy additional print copies of my book at a later date after it’s been published? Where can I buy my e-book?

Yes, you can order more copies of your print book. You will have to pay the cost per book and quantity limits may apply.

Both books will be available for purchase through Amazon.

Are you a scam? Will you steal my work?

You can rest assured—we are not a scam. Writer’s Relief has been in business since 1994. We are what we say we are: highly specialized teams here to help you achieve your goal of getting your writing published.

Through Writer’s Relief, our submission strategists assist writers with pursuing traditional publishing routes by sending out their work and improving their submission strategies to literary agents and editors. Our tech-savvy Web Design Relief team specializes in building author websites. And the Self-Publishing Relief team helps writers who are ready to navigate the self-publishing process.

I’m so happy with my book! Where can I send feedback about my experience with Self-Publishing Relief?

We’re so happy that you’re happy—that’s why we’re here! You can send your reviews and testimonial to us.

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