What it costs, and what you get for it.
Most publishing services hide their prices behind a call. We would rather you knew before you wrote to us. Every price below is in US dollars, excludes taxes, and is the price. If your book needs something we have not listed, we will tell you what it costs before we start.
Step one: the reading report
Before we sell you anything, we read. Send the manuscript and within ten working days you receive a four-to-six-page report: what works, what does not, where the structure bends, how well the claims hold up, who the reader is, and which package we recommend, if any. If you go ahead with us, the $350 comes off the price. If we are not the right press for your book, we say so and you keep the report.
Essential
For a finished manuscript that has been worked and needs professional production.
Includes:
- Full copyedit and proofread
- Interior design for print and ebook
- Cover design for paperback, hardcover and ebook
- Zen Books ISBNs for every format
- Copyright registration with the US Copyright Office
- Publication on Amazon and Ingram, which reaches bookstores and libraries worldwide
- Metadata and category setup
- Your book page on zenbookspress.com
- A written launch guide
Complete
For a manuscript that needs a real editor before it becomes a book.
Everything in Essential, plus:
- Developmental editing in two rounds with a written editorial letter
- A working session on title, subtitle and back-cover copy
- A reader funnel to launch with: a free PDF extracted from the book, a download page, a delivery email and your own mailing list, ready to use
International
For a book already published, with us or elsewhere, that should exist in a second language.
Includes:
- Literary translation by a human translator, reviewed by Zen Books
- Copyedit in the target language
- Cover and interior adapted
- Publication in the new market with its own ISBNs and metadata
English and Spanish are our working languages. German and Italian are quoted per project.
Services on their own
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Reading report | $350 |
| Developmental edit, up to 80,000 words | $2,600 |
| Full copyedit and proofread | $1,400 |
| Cover design, three formats | $790 |
| Interior design, print and ebook | $590 |
| Publication and distribution (ISBNs, copyright, Amazon, Ingram, metadata) | $690 |
| Reader funnel | $890 |
| Translation and publication in a second language | from $5,900 |
| Editorial consultation, 90 minutes | $240 |
What would your book cost?
Answer four questions and see the price with its breakdown. It is the same price list as above, added up for you. Nothing is sent anywhere.
What stays yours
Your copyright. One hundred percent of your royalties, paid to you directly by Amazon and Ingram into accounts in your name. Every final file: the manuscript, the cover, the print and ebook interiors. The right to leave: if you ever want to republish elsewhere, you take the files and go. Our contract is a service agreement under Texas law. It is four pages long and you can read it before you pay anything.
Questions authors ask
Is this self-publishing?
You pay for the work, as in self-publishing, and the book comes out under a publisher's imprint and ISBN, as in traditional publishing. The industry calls this hybrid publishing. The test of a serious hybrid press is simple: it selects, it is transparent about money, and it pays the author more than a traditional house would. We pay you all of it.
Do you publish everything?
No. The reading report is also our way of deciding. We decline books we cannot stand behind: claims that cannot be supported, subjects outside what we know, and anything esoteric. We say no politely and early.
Can I pay in euros?
Prices are set in dollars. If you are in Spain or elsewhere in Europe, we show the equivalent in euros and you pay in your currency by card. Taxes depend on where you are; we tell you the exact figure before you pay.
How long does it take?
Essential, eight to ten weeks from signed contract to book on sale. Complete, three to four months. International depends on length; count on four months.
Will my book be in bookstores?
It will be orderable by any bookstore and library in the world through Ingram, and listed on Amazon in every country. Whether a given shop stocks it is the shop's decision, as it is for every publisher.
Every manuscript starts with a reading report. From $350, deducted from any package.
Send your manuscript