POD (PRINT ON DEMAND)

Our state of the art digital book publishing technology allows us to print books "on demand." This means that short runs and reprints can be produced quickly and economically. And beautifully. We are happy to send any interested writer a sample of any book we've published.

Editing

Do you have a story, an essay, a novel, or a poem about which you would like to have a professional critical opinion?

Word Association offers writers several levels of service: we can critique an entire manuscript or as few as two pages of a manuscript. The critique includes grammar, usage, punctuation, style, organization, and development as well as overall effectiveness and impact.

Our fee for creative /critical editing is $9.00 per manuscript page (8 1/2 x 11, double-spaced), with a minimum of 25 pages. But if you would first like to test the quality of our editing service, you can sign on for as few as three pages for $25.00. You will be offered expert professional opinion regarding the quality of your writing as well as suggestions for improvement. If you should decide that you want additional editing on a completed manuscript or even a manuscript in progress, this $25.00 will be credited toward that project.

Note: We estimate that the average manuscript will require about one hour to edit four pages. If after reviewing your manuscript we determine that more or less time will be required than is customary, we will notify you of a fee increase or reduction. Light copy editing will always stay within the $9.00 per page range, while editing that requires actual rewriting and follow-up review will be billed on an hourly basis of $36.00 per hour.

How important is editing? It can make the difference between success and failure. Between a book that sells and one which does not. Even the very best writers are well served by good editors, because most writers are too close to their work to see their weaknesses (and even their strengths). A good editor can show you both, and he or she can also spot mannerisms masked as style. The great American novelist Thomas Wolfe (Look Homeward, Angel) made his editor, Maxwell Perkins, famous. Had it not been for Maxwell Perkins's careful incisions, Thomas Wolfe's novels would probably not occupy the dominant place in literature they do today.

T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land is the most original and influential poem of this century. But he dedicated the poem to his editor, Ezra Pound, whom he called "the better craftsman."

Very few writers are skilled editors; very few editors are talented writers. Which is not to say that such a rare breed doesn't exist. You may be one of them. But probably not.

Proofreading

Our fee for proofreading is $5.00 per manuscript page. Proofreading involves checking the manuscript carefully for errors in spelling, punctuation, and usage--as well as checking for formatting glitches such as improper line or paragraphs breaks. Most writers, even the best ones, need someone else to proof their own work. You don't necessarily need to have one of our editors do it--you could hire someone, or maybe you know a retired English teacher who would be willing to do it for you. But whoever proofreads your book, you--the writer--are finally responsible for the finished product. No one will guarantee perfection. In fact, rare is the published book that doesn't have a single mistake in the first printing. So when you get your manuscript back from the proofreader you will want to review it very carefully.

Page Design and Typesetting

The design of a book has a profound influence on its readability and ultimate success. Our professional page design and typesetting will provide the author with an original design that is both aesthetically pleasing and appropriate to the subject.

If you intend to typeset your own manuscript (or have it done elsewhere for you), make certain that you consult with your publisher first. It's true that you can save yourself some money by bringing camera-ready copy to the table, but preparing a manuscript for book publication isn't as simple as it may seem. What you thought was camera-ready may in fact require hours of reworking and re-formatting. You can save yourself a lot of time, money, and headaches by getting exact specifications beforehand.

Our fee for typesetting is $5.00 per manuscript page (8 1/2 x 11, double-spaced). If you submit your manuscript on disk, we charge $2.00 a page for formatting.

Cover Design

A smart cover design is essential. It can be as simple as stylized typography in one color. Or it can be as intricate as a full-color photograph or an original piece of art. You can spend a lot of money on a terrible cover, and you can spend a lot less money on a terrific cover. At Word Association we will make sure you get your money's worth. Check out our bookstore pages to see samples of the many covers we've designed.

Cover design prices range from $200 to $750, depending upon complexity. You tell us what you want, and we will try to design a cover within your budget. If you already have prepared a cover for your book, we will be happy to use it. If it has been prepared to the exact specifications required, there will be no additional fee. If we have to scan your artwork to prepare the cover, the fee is usually $200 or less.

Our cover design fees also include preparation of the back cover. In many ways, the back cover is as important--some would say even more important--as the front cover. The back cover is the hook; here is where you "sell" the book. We know all of the various ingredients for a successful back cover design.

Marketing & Promotion

Our Marketing and Promotion package is designed to help writers to sell their books to individuals, bookstores and libraries. “Help” is the key word. The success of any book will depend primarily upon how active a part the author plays in the whole selling process. Our efforts will ensure that the book is in the database of the major books industry channels, and the marketing materials we create may help authors to acquire some visibility. But these must be considered important first steps only. At this point the Author must either take it upon himself to create interest in his book, or he may hire a book publicist to do much of the work for him. And it is work! The whole publishing process can be a heady adventure, a pleasant diversion from your everyday world. But if you want to make money on your book, it’s back to the real world, which cares nothing about how much you love to write or about how badly you want to be an author. You will have to become a salesman. And that means hitting the pavement, making the phone calls, sending out the letters, making contacts, and then a lot of follow up activity. It’s grunt work, but at least you’re selling something you created yourself. And that is what should make it all worthwhile.

We know that many writers who self publish their books do so for the sheer pleasure and gratification of putting their words and ideas between covers. The book's the thing. Making money is not their primary motive. We respect that. But there is nothing wrong with wanting to make some money on your book, or at the very least wanting to recoup your investment. We are convinced that if you are willing, with our help, to participate in the marketing and promotion of your book, your chances of enjoying a profit are better than if you had gone with a trade publisher. How many dollars you pocket depends on how hard you, the author, want to hustle. We'll follow your lead and support your efforts in every way we can.

There are many ways we can. Remember, we have our own printing company, so we can write, design, print, and distribute promotional flyers and advance publicity reviews for our writers at a considerable savings. We will help with author interviews and book signings. And our writers will benefit from a many-tentacled World Wide Web exposure. Our authors will be consistently featured on this website, on Amazon.com (we participate in the Amazon Associates program), and on a growing number of links to web pages of interest to writers and readers.

Marketing packages start at $500 and are customized for each author. A typical package includes the following activity:

1. Advanced Book Information: Completion of this ABI form will ensure the listing of your book in Books in Print, which is published each September. It's the most important directory in the book industry.
2. Contemporary Authors: Inclusion in this large reference book containing more than 90,000 biographical sketches.
3. Aquisition of International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
4. Aquisition of Library of Congress Catalog Card Number
5. Preparation of Media Kit, generally consisting of:

a. cover letter addressed to recipient
b. publicity release
c. copies of any reviews of the book or testimonials
d. author bio sheet
e. bookmark
f. poster

If writers supply us with the contact information of their local news media, we will send a news release, on our letterhead, along with a copy of the book. We charge only for the postage.

Book Credentials

Any book which we choose to publish under our imprint will be assigned an ISBN (International Standard Book Number). There is no extra charge for this service. Since many bookstores will not even consider selling any book that has no ISBN, this is an important credential. We will also have an ISBN bar code imprinted on the book cover or dust jacket--again, at no additional cost. Most bookstores now require this bar code for scanning purposes.

Distribution

Word Association has accounts with all of the major book industry channels, including Amazon, Borders, Barnes&Noble, and also with the nation’s two largest book wholesalers: Ingram Books and Baker & Taylor Book Company (almost all independent booksellers buy from these two wholesalers). This means that your book will be listed in the database of these large companies, making it easier for individuals and bookstores to find and order your book. Now, being listed with these outlets is no guarantee of sales or that they will even stock your book., But it is an important first step in the difficult and complicated job of distributing your book and getting it out into the world.

Book Fulfillment

Word Association charges a flat 35 percent of net sales for all of the services that fall under the general category of book fulfillment. (The net sale is the list price less any vendor discount. For example, if amazon.com orders a book with a list price of $20 at 55% discount, the net sale or invoice price to amazon.com is $9.00. Word Association's service charge is 35 % of $9.00, or $3.15.) These services include:

1. order taking: phone, fax or email. 2. picking, packing, shipping. 3. invoicing and credit card processing.