Publishing Your Book

Once your book is accepted you will be assigned a publisher to work with. We will select the best service providers for editing, cover design, proofreading, and formatting.
A schedule of services will be drawn up so you know exactly what happens at each stage of the process, depending on the package / options you have chosen.

Working with good editors is crucial to produce the best novel possible. Your book will normally go through two different types of edit on its journey to publication.

The first of these is a Developmental Edit. This will happen fairly soon after your book is accepted by Winter & Drew, and works on the ‘big picture’ view of your manuscript. The editor will provide a fresh perspective, working with you to enhance the narrative flow, improve character development, close plot holes, and help you maintain your unique voice. They will provide you with a series of recommendations which you can then consider and implement into a new draft, before moving onto the next edit.

This is called a Line Edit. This is where a (usually different) editor works through line by line on the new draft, looking for things like punctuation and spelling errors, making recommended corrections. If there are any remaining plot or pacing issues (usually fairly minor after the Developmental Edit) then the line editor will highlight these for you to consider as well.

Once you have been through both these edits, then your book will hopefully be as good as it can be.

A great book cover serves as the first impression for potential readers. In a crowded marketplace, an eye-catching cover grabs the attention and entices readers to explore further. A well-designed cover communicates the genre and tone of your novel, helping to attract the right audience.
On digital channels where thumbnail images dominate, a compelling cover can make all the difference between a click or a pass.
We use designers who understand how to design a cover for a book with an enticing design to boost visibility and sales. To get the best from them, we will also prepare a comprehensive brief. We give them a selection of competitor covers so they understand the look and feel that readers in your genre will need to see to make that all-important purchase decision. You will be involved in the development of the brief, so you can input your thoughts, ideas, and vision for your book.

The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is the unique identifier for your book, allowing for efficient cataloguing and purchasing in bookstores, libraries, and online platforms. Each ISBN is specific to a particular edition and format.
Having an ISBN is crucial for self-published novels to ensure the book is recognised by distributors and retailers. This creates greater visibility and accessibility in the market.
An ISBN is essential for establishing a book’s legitimacy and allowing it to reach a wider audience.
Your ISBNs can be provided by Winter & Drew, for a small fee.

The formatting process for an ebook and paperback book ensure the text is properly structured and visually appealing across difference devices and print mediums.
For an ebook the formatting involves adjusting fonts, heading, margins, and spacing to ensure compatibility with various e-readers. It includes embedding hyperlinks and creating a clickable table of contents.
For a paperback the formatting focuses on setting correct margins, line spacing, and page numbers, ensuring consistent chapter headings, and choosing appropriate fonts.
We format the front and back matter, such as the copyright information, title page, and author biography.
Proper formatting enhances the reading experience, prevents technical issues, and ensures a professional presentation, crucial for reader satisfaction and market success.

Winter & Drew will have your final book professionally proof-read, to reduce the potential of errors in the text. While it can never be 100% guaranteed that a typo or format error won’t slip through, a professional proof-reader will reduce the risk as close to zero as possible.

Once your book has been edited and formatted we will work with you to get it up on various platforms and ready for printing.
For ebooks this includes creating compatible files like EPUB, and for paperbacks a print-ready PDF is required. The cover design needs to be finalised for both formats.

Once you have approved everything the book is published and available to buy.

For the copies you might want to sell to your friends and family, or at fairs / events, we recommend Print on Demand rather than a print run. The unit cost per copy might be a bit higher, but the quality is on par, and the outlay / risk is minimal because you don’t need to order (and pay for) hundreds of copies in advance.