Frequently Asked Questions

Writing

Blank

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

HOW DO I STRUCTURE MY BOOK?

This depends on whether your book is fiction or non-fiction. A book coach can work with you to decide the best way to structure your book, as can an editor. Mind maps are a great way to get started.

WHAT IS GRAMMARLY AND HOW DO I USE IT?

Grammarly is a free writing app that can be downloaded onto your computer. When activated, it will “read” your writing as you type and suggest corrections as well as ways to make the text flow better.

HOW DO I WRITE A SYNOPSIS?

A synopsis is a brief description of up to 800 words about your book. If a fiction book, outline your plot, demonstrating a clear story and mentioning key characters. If non-fiction, briefly outline the key message in your book, mentioning why your book is relevant and how it can help readers.

CAN I TURN MY BLOG INTO A BOOK?

Yes. Some blogs may need to be expanded a little bit and you may need to work with a book coach and/or editor, but it is possible to turn your blog into a book. It is also possible to go further with some of our professional experts and adapt the book to film or TV.

Blank

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON WRITING ERRORS?

Common writing errors include lack of/incorrect punctuation, contractions and confusing there/their/they’re or it’s/its. In non-fiction, remember to address your reader directly by using the second person ‘you’, ask questions etc.

SHOULD I WRITE IN THE FIRST, SECOND OR THIRD PERSON?

This depends on whether your book is fiction or non-fiction. For fiction, it is entirely up to you. For non-fiction, it is best to write in the second person (you) as well as the first person (I) to engage with your readers.

WHAT SHOULD I INCLUDE IN A BLURB?

A blurb is a short description of the book, displayed on the back cover. Readers will read your blurb when trying to decide whether to buy your book, so if a non-fiction book, detail why your book is providing them with the missing answers to the questions they need answering. For a fiction blurb, make it catchy and gripping so they want to open the book and start reading.

WHAT IS A GHOST-WRITER?

A ghost-writer is a professional writer who is paid to write the book. The ghost-writer’s name is not on the cover; the author’s name is.

Publishing

Blank
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EDITOR AND A PROOFREADER?

The editor will work on your book first, suggesting corrections with core sentence structure and language clarity. The proofreader is the last person to look at the book before the author signs off for print, and is there to correct errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, which may have slipped through the net.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO PUBLISH MY BOOK?

If a manuscript is submitted to us in full and is ready to go straight to editing, we aim to publish within 90 days.

WHO HAS THE COPYRIGHT TO MY BOOK?

You retain all copyright for your book. In the UK, a book’s copyright lasts for 70 years until after an author’s death.

WHAT MAKES A BOOK A ‘SECOND EDITION’?

A First Edition is all books printed from the same print file, even if small amends are made between print runs. However, a book described as a Second Edition means substantial changes are made to the original version. A new ISBN may need to be used.

WHAT IS A READER’S REPORT?

A Reader’s Report is an independent, unbiased report written by a reader/editor after they have read your submitted manuscript. They will provide professional feedback so you can get it in the best condition possible before it is handed over to the editor.

HOW DO I REPUBLISH MY BOOK THAT WAS ORIGINALLY SELF-PUBLISHED?

This depends on your book. Our Lead Editor will access your book to see what level of editing is required: this is called a Reader’s Report. They will decide if it needs a full edit, or just a light edit, before typesetting, commences. We will then take you through the full process of publishing your book.

WHAT GENRES DO YOU PUBLISH?

We will look at all genres, but our specialties include books by women, diverse authors, business books, and children’s books.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET MORE COPIES OF MY BOOK?

This is quoted on a job-by-job basis, due to each book being different and the number of books required.

WHAT TYPE OF FILES DO YOU ACCEPT?

Please send your manuscript as a Word document. This will allow us to easily edit and mark-up the document, as well as check the word count to provide an accurate quote. Please also send images as JPEGs, minimum 300 dpi.

DO YOU OFFER HARDBACK AS WELL AS PAPERBACK BOOKS?

We can offer hardbacks. However, note that hardbacks are more expensive to print and therefore the cover price needs to reflect this.

HOW OFTEN ARE ROYALTIES PAID?

These are paid twice a year via bank transfer.

WHAT IS YOUR EDITORIAL POLICY?

For material that needs copyright, such as song lyrics and poetry, the author must check that they have permission to re-use or quote from the original materials. We cannot publish any books that breaches copyright rules. In addition, we cannot publish any books that are of a pornographic nature or likely to incite terrorism, religious or racial hatred.

Blank
WHAT IS TYPESETTING?

Typesetting is the process of setting out, and designing, the interior pages of your book. Among other things, a typesetter will set the margins, chapter headers, as well as font size and style.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO PUBLISH MY BOOK?

Our packages start from £5,999. But please get in touch by emailing admin@bookbrilliancepublishing.com to discuss the details of our packages further, as well as our children’s packages.

CAN I REPUBLISH A PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED BOOK WITH YOU?

Yes, you can. However, the full process of editing, typesetting and proofreading will still need to be completed; we cannot use another publisher’s print files. If you originally published with a publisher, rather than self-published, it’s also best to check your contract first.

WHAT IS PARTNERSHIP PUBLISHING?

Partnership publishing is a step up from self-publishing, but a step down from traditional publishing. In partnership publishing, the author works with an experienced team to produce their book. The author also has more say. As we say at Book Brilliance Publishing, “You Drive, We Navigate”.

WHAT IS AN EBOOK?

An eBook is an electronic version of your book, available to purchase and read on devices such as Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble NOOK.

WHAT IS AN ISBN AND HOW DO I GET ONE?

An ISBN is an International Standard Book Number, made up of 13 digits. Each ISBN is unique to the book and identifies the country of publication as well as the publisher. Therefore, when publishing through Book Brilliance Publishing, you will need to use one of our ISBNs. This will also enable us to distribute your book on your behalf.

WHAT IS A BLEED?

A bleed is the print area that goes beyond the trim edge of your book. If your book contains content images – greyscale or colour – that goes beyond the trim edge of your book, a bleed is required. The typesetter will ensure this happens.

WHAT IS A BARCODE AND HOW DO I GET ONE?

A barcode is a set of black and white stripes which can be scanned to provide data. We will provide this for your book cover.

HOW DO I DECIDE THE PRICE OF MY BOOK?

We will take many factors into account, including print price, which must not make up any more than 20% of the cover price for you to profit from sales.

DO YOU CHARGE VAT ON BOOKS?

No, books and book production are exempt from VAT. As of 1st May 2020, eBooks are also exempt from VAT in the UK.

WHAT DOES FINAL PROOF MEAN?

A Final Proof is the final file before it is sent to print. It is vital you check through this and make sure everything is correct. An error picked up at a later stage can prove costly.

DO YOU ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS?

We do. Please email submissions to admin@bookbrilliancepublishing.com

Design

Blank
WHAT KIND OF IMAGES CAN I USE FOR MY BOOK?

All images must either be your own personal images (high quality, minimum 300dpi JPEG), or royalty-free images, which we can assist you in sourcing.

CAN YOU RECOMMEND AN ILLUSTRATOR?

Yes. We have illustrators who work with us and will be able to match you up with one who is suitable for your book.

WHAT IS GREYSCALE?

Printing in greyscale means the interior of the book is printed in black, white and many shades of grey. It is cheaper to print in greyscale than it is to print in colour.

Blank
HOW DO I CHOOSE A BOOK COVER?

We have a professional Design service. Your book cover is your shop window – we advise you on how to get a design created that elevates sales. There are options but we advise using our professional design department to position your book for marketing, exposure, and sales.

CAN MY BOOK BE FULL COLOUR?

It is costly to print a book in full colour, though not impossible. If there is no additional value-added, and it is not a book of photography, it is often best to print in greyscale.

Printing

Blank
WHAT IS PRINT ON DEMAND?

This is a process where books are not printed until there is an order. It can be far more costly, so it is advisable to commit to a quantity of books to print commercially for the book trade.

WHY IS THE PRINT COST NOT INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE PRICE?

The print cost is unique to each book. Once typesetting has been completed and we know the final amount of page numbers, we will be able to get an accurate print quote for your book.

Book Launch

Blank
WHAT DOES A BOOK LAUNCH ENTAIL?

This will happen on, or around, the official publication date of your book. We have a very professional global level marketing/profile development division who specializes in these areas. One stage of the marketing is around and before, and after the book launch date to build up momentum. Of course, it will also be a reason to celebrate your success too! BBP will launch your book at The Voice & Pen Networking Event. Authors can choose to arrange other types of launch which BBP will be glad to support. We offer a professional event service – launch parties are at the author’s expense. Also, there are specialist packages that can get authors national press, radio, and TV appearances ensuring your book is given great and influential exposure.

Coaching

blank
WHAT IS A BOOK COACH?

A book coach acts as an accountability partner and will support an author at every step of the creative journey, offering guidance and support.

WHAT IS A BUSINESS COACH?

A business coach will assist and guide a new business owner, such as an author who wants to create a business around their book. They will do this by helping them to clarify the vision of their business and use their book to create their signature program and talk.

Website

Blank
HOW DO I GET A WEBSITE?

We will be able to introduce you to website designers, who build fabulous author websites that get you selling! Your website must be branded and set up for business – we have an expert design, brand, and website team in-house.

HOW DO I SELL BOOKS ON MY WEBSITE?

The easiest way is to set up a shop on your website selling your book(s), as well as associated products and link up with PayPal. If you need help with this, we can recommend website designers. It is best to take orders and payments for books yourself, rather than send customers to Amazon: take the order on your own website, and you will get the profits, but if your reader buys from Amazon, you will receive a much smaller profit.

Marketing

Blank
WHAT IS BOOK2LOOK?

This is a great digital marketing material which can allow you to share and promote your book digitally, creating a ‘Look Inside the Book’ document.

HOW SHOULD I PROMOTE MY BOOK?

The best way to promote your book is…constantly and consistently! There are lots of low and no-cost ways to promote your book, including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn as well as networking at events. We also have great packages for all budgets that can get your name and book national or global exposure that really counts in newspapers, magazines, National radio, podcasts, and TV (National & Global – ask for more details).

DO I NEED TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

Yes, it is immensely helpful. Traditional publishers will not take on authors who do not have a following, so it’s helpful to build a following as soon as possible. These are also the people who will buy your book once published. Try to keep your private social media accounts separate from your author social media accounts, and post only relevant posts on your author social media accounts. We have expert services that can work with our authors to teach them media and profile development.

DO I NEED TO BE ON LOCAL RADIO?

Yes! Local radio stations have 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to fill, so get in contact and tell them you are a local author with a story to share!

DO I NEED TO BE IN MAGAZINES?

Yes! Every opportunity should be sought to promote you and your book. Writing interesting articles related to your book to attract new readers is a must to sell your book and grow a business. Also, profile development is crucial, and that PR and marketing are layered. We have a specialist department that can work with our authors.

Blogging is a great way to promote yourself as an author and your book. You can begin blogging as part of your marketing strategy in the lead up to your launch. It is recommended to continue to blog as a writer. Be a guest on other people’s podcasts, summits, and talk shows. Make yourself available. You can also raise your profile by creating working with our professional profile development/marketing experts who will grow you and your book profile in a skilled way through broadcast and publication media putting you on radio, newspapers, podcast, and TV.