TRANSACTIONS
Payment
What is your payment process?
After we have agreed on the scope of work for your self-publishing project, we will send you an invoice with the indicated professional fees. We give a 10% discount for full payment at the beginning of the project. (This invoice does not include the billing for local printing yet.)
Why are there two quotes: one for your work, and one for local printing?
If you have chosen the Classic or Blended Package (with local printing), a separate invoice from the printing company will be sent to you after the book has been formatted. This is because they can only give us a quote based on the number of pages, which is determined after formatting the manuscript. (They can't give a quote if they don't know how many pages the book has.)
What modes of payment do you accept?
We will include the payment methods and details of our accounts when we send the invoice. The following payment methods are available.
- Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)
- Banco de Oro (BDO)
- MetroBank
- UnionBank
- Gcash
- Credit Card via PayPal*
- Bank *
*There may be a small additional fee to cover the PayPal transaction charges.
Will the invoice show exactly the prices in the quotes given on the Quotes page and individual service pages?
Not necessarily. The quotes generated by this website are meant to give our potential customers an idea of what the costs look like. We will be able to give a more accurate quote after we have consulted with the author as there may be nuances that the website cannot pick up.
General
If I avail of a package now and then upgrade to a different package later, will I have to pay for both at full price?
No. For the upgrade, we will just charge for the difference in cost. However, if some work needs to be revised from the earlier package, we will bill for that too based on the scope of work (so not the whole cost.)
I noticed in the Blended packages I will be given two ISBNs. Why is that?
An ISBN includes the code for a publisher in a particular country. Since the Blended
SELF-PUBLISHING PACKAGES
Classic
Package
What are included in the Classic Package?
Included are book formatting, cover design, ISBN registration (Philippines), book proofs, copyright application, classic printing, and delivery to your address. Everything else in the Classic Package "journey" are add-ons.
Can I get more than two book proofs?
In the Classic Printing package, you are allowed two proofs. If you exceed this, the excess is taken from the number of books you will actually have printed. So say you wanted 100 copies of the book and incurred 3 proofs, you will pay for 100 copies but get only 99. That is because the excess of 1 proof is counted against the 100 copies. For On-demand printing, you will spend for the proof by ordering it on Amazon. They bill you at cost.
For On-demand printing, you will spend for the proof by ordering it on Amazon. They bill you at cost.
On-demand
Package
What are included in the On-demand Package?
Included are book formatting, cover design, ISBN registration (Amazon), Amazon setup assistance, and on-demand printing. Everything else in the On-demand Package "journey" are add-ons.
Ebook
Package
What are included in the eBook Package?
Included are book formatting, eBook conversion, cover design, ASIN assignment, eBook Publishing, Amazon setup assistance. Everything else in the Ebook Package "journey" are add-ons.
Why do I have to pay for formatting AND eBook conversion? Why not just the conversion?
Before we convert a manuscript, it still has to be formatted so that chapters, heading, and sentences are marked. Only after the manuscript is properly formatted is it converted into an eBook.
I noticed I won't be getting an ISBN. Why is that?
Since an eBook is not printed and transmitted digitally, it does not have an ISBN. In its place, an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) is assigned to it so it can be identified by this number.
Digital
Package
What are included in the Digital Package?
Included are book formatting, eBook conversion, cover design, ISBN assignment (Amazon), ASIN assignment (for the eBook), on-demand printing, eBook Publishing, Amazon setup assistance. Everything else in the Digital Package "journey" are add-ons.
Blended
Package
What are included in the Blended Package?
Included are book formatting, eBook conversion, cover design, ISBN assignment (Philippines, and Amazon), ASIN assignment (eBook), eBook Publishing, Amazon setup assistance, book proofs (books printed in the Philippines), copyright application, delivery of Philippine-printed books to your address. Everything else in the Blended Package "journey" are add-ons.
I noticed I will be given two ISBNs. Why is that?
An ISBN includes the code for a publisher in a particular country. Since in this package there will be both a Philippine publisher and an American publisher, an ISBN will come from each to identify where the book was printed.
SERVICES
Editing
Can you guarantee to catch all the errors in the manuscript?
No. While that is the target, even the best editors can only catch about 80% of errors. Having said that, we will aspire to do our very best.
Will I be able to approve edits before they are implemented?
Yes. We will use MsWord's Review feature where you can see all the edits made, and you can approve or disapprove each of them. There is also a feature that approves all of them at once.
Proofreading
Can you guarantee to catch all the errors in the proof?
No. While we strive for perfection, the best proofreaders can usually catch only about 80% of errors. However, we will do our very best.
How many proofs am I allowed to get?
In the Classic and Blended package, you are allowed two proofs from the local printer. If you exceed this, the excess is taken from the number of books you will actually have printed. So say you wanted 100 copies of the book and incurred 3 proofs, you will pay for 100 copies but get only 99. That is because the excess of 1 proof is counted against the 100 copies. For On-demand printing, you will spend for the proof by ordering it on Amazon. They bill you at cost.
For On-demand printing, you will spend for the proof by ordering it on Amazon. They bill you at cost.
Formatting
Can I get more than one mockup?
Yes. The price for the formatting service includes one mockup, however, you may request for more mockups at a rate of PHP 900/hr. or a fraction thereof.
Can I get more than one revision before approving the formatted manuscript?
Yes. The price for the formatting service includes only one iteration. However, you may request for more iterations at a rate of PHP 900/hr. or a fraction thereof.
May I get the mockups in JPG format instead of PDFs?
Sorry, no. The basic process is to take screenshots of each page manually or via software, and that takes a lot of time and resources. Furthermore, JPG is a "lossy" format (it loses information when it compresses an image) you might not get a sharp mockup.
Can I still make edits during or after the formatting process?
Yes, you can but we will charge for a new round of formatting. Every time elements are added or removed from the manuscript, it has to be checked again for everything. The extra work will be charged at P900/hr or a fraction thereof.
May I still change the layout and/or typefaces if I have the book printed again? Will there be any issues with copyright and the ISBN?
Yes, the book can be reprinted using a different layout and/or typeface. If this is what you want, we can reformat the book using a rate of P900/hr. There should be no issues with copyright and ISBN for as long as it is the same book &emdash; not a new edition, and not an enhanced version.
Ebook Conversion
Why do I have to pay for formatting AND eBook conversion? Why not just the conversion?
Before we convert a manuscript, it still has to be formatted so that chapters, heading, and sentences are marked. Only after the manuscript is properly formatted is it converted into an eBook.
I noticed I won't be getting an ISBN. Why is that?
Since an eBook is not printed and transmitted digitally, it does not have an ISBN. In its place, an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) is assigned to it so it can be identified by this number.
Cover Design
Can I get more than three mockups?
Yes. The price for the formatting service includes only two mockups. However, you may request for more mockups at a rate of PHP 900/hr. or a fraction thereof.
Can I select / use a particular image I want?
Yes and no. Yes, we can purchase a particular image you want if it is available. We will bill you for the purchase of the image on top of the regular fees. If the image is royalty-free, we will need to follow the attribution requirements of the photographer. That means we may have to include an acknowledgment and a link to the photographer's account. No, we cannot use copyrighted images as this infringes on intellectual property laws.
Will you print the barcode at the back of the book?
For printed books, we will be submitted to the printer (whether the local printer or to Amazon) a design without the barcode. The publisher will then add the barcode automatically on the final product.
Classic Printing
Can I get more than two book proofs?
In the Classic Printing package, you are allowed two proofs. If you exceed this, the excess is taked from the number of books you will actually have printed. So say you wanted 100 copies of the book and incurred 3 proofs, you will pay for 100 copies but get only 99. That is because the excess of 1 proof is counted against the 100 copies. For On-demand printing, you will spend for the proof by ordering it on Amazon. They bill you at cost.
For On-demand printing, you will spend for the proof by ordering it on Amazon. They bill you at cost.
On-demand Printing
Can I get a book proof?
Yes, however, unlike classic printing, Amazon charges for book proofs. You can order it on the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform and you will be charged only for the printing. There will be a "Not for sale" band of text that Amazon will added on the cover.
Ebook Publishing
Can the eBook be copied by others?
The Amazon eBook format is one of the safest as it is proprietary. That means it is not easy to copy and distribute without your acknowledgment.
May I request for a PDF version of the eBook?
Yes, but a warning. The moment the book is in an easily copyable format, there is a risk of it being distributed without your authorization.
Amazon Setup Service
What is included in this service?
We will assist you in setting up a Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) account. Then we will guide you on how to add a book, and what data to input in the different information that KDP requires.
Can I just give you access to my account so you can do everything?
Ideally, that would be great, but Amazon has recently installed a security feature that identifies the location of the person accessing the account. If it feels there is something fishy, it sends a PIN to your mobile that you are required to enter on the website. From experience, it makes it almost impossible to go around this feature.
Website
Will I have my own domain?
Yes. If the domain you want is available, we will get it for you. The website package comes with a domain registration of P2,400/year. If the domain you choose costs more than this, we will bill the difference.
Why do I have to renew the domain annually?
We like to think of a domain as something that we "rent" from a registrar. We pay them to use a domain, so it isn't really yours. If not renewed, someone can opt to "rent" it out.
Social Media Marketing
Will you run ads for me?
if you choose the Consultation & Engagement package, we will create the images and copy, and run the ads. The cost of the package is our professional fee and does not include the cost of running the ads. You can select the budget and we will work with it.
Do I have to give you access to my Facebook Account?
You don't have to share your password with us, in fact, we wouldn't want that. We will guide you on how to make us an administrator of a Facebook Page you "own." You will have control of the page at all times.
Book Launch
Can you help me determine the price of my book?
Yes. That is part of the package. We will compare your book to others in the genre it belongs. Then after understanding your objectives, we will recommend a price.
