Questions & Answers
Flint Group Publishers is a complete publishing house that guides writers every step of the way.
We want to ensure that you feel proud of your published work. Regardless of whether it is a storybook, a guide, a reference book, or an inspirational tale, achieving publication will be a significant accomplishment. While many readers aspire to write a book, few complete one, and even fewer succeed in getting it published.
The Beginning
Self-publishing sounded fun, and early on, all an author had to do was submit their manuscript to Amazon, and they would create a Kindle version including an ISBN code for their use only.
Today, there is a lot of competition in the self-publishing market, and Amazon and other distributors have tons of books, so it is now the responsibility of the author to supply the correct files or pay Amazon to create the files, which will be on Amazon and not on other retailers such as Apple.
The Problem
Finding an agent or publishing house to represent you is a time-consuming task of reading each source’s requirements of what all needs to be uploaded, in what format, and how many words. Then you wait 3-4 weeks for a generic but polite rejection notice. Now authors have an option to self-publish.
However, that does not help the author make the multitude of decisions such as pricing, how to discount for retailers, how to write content for retailers, and how to market books.
The Solution
We will acquire the BISAC ISBN, set up the categories, register the book’s title, and place a unique ISBN code on each file so your book to be sold in more places than just Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Formatting includes creating files for perfect bound, hardbound, epubs, and Amazon Kindle.
Your publication manager will talk you through how much to price your book, discounts for retailers, and marketing options.
The responsibilities of Flint Group publishers:
- Listen to the author’s reason for writing.
- Advise on manuscript preparation for publishing.
- Assist in choosing printing/distributor platforms.
- Obtain ISBN, BISACs, title check.
- Create the cover design for internet retail sales.
- Discuss the complex royalty structures.
- Provide a PDF proof of the format.
To save you time, many of the answers to questions we are asked by new authors are listed below.
Click on the question to see the answer.
How do I see the deadlines and status of my manuscript?
PubTrac™ lets you sign in anytime to view progress and communicate with your publication manager. It shows the schedule and due dates and sends reminders if any information is missing. You will use PubTrac™ to communicate with your publication manager and key personnel. You can sign on 24/7 to the status of your manuscript journey.
What are the costs for self-publishing with a consultant or publisher?
The cost for self-publishing with a consultant or publisher is $2000 – $5000. It depends on the finish status of your manuscript, how many formats you want produced, how much editing you want, how many markets, and your timeframe.
What are the typical author royalties?
Through an agent or publisher the author ‘s royalties are typically 10% of the retail price, with their agent’s commission of 15% taken from that income.
What does formatting my book mean?
Preparing your manuscript for publication involves setting up your manuscript in different types of files for the different end users. Examples of formatting is setting up a file for a perfect bound book, a different file for the hardbound book, a different kind of file for epubs like Apple Books, and a different file for the Amazon Kindle.
How do I get a code for the retailers?
In order to get your manuscript ready for publication, you must first determine the book’s title, establish the BISAC categories, and buy your own ISBN code—not a free one. This way your book can be sold in more areas than just Barnes & Noble or just Amazon.
Is the Flint Group a publisher or a consultant?
It is confusing. An agent or a publisher represents your book to distributors for a percentage of the sales, and a consultant helps you get your manuscript on a self-publishing platform for a fee. We are publishers, but we charge a fee and do not take a commission. The Flint Group is a publisher that will get you set up with distributors, printer, and establish the steps needed to make your book for sale.
Why is Flint Publishing different than a consultant?
We want your book to be successful so you will come to us with your next book. As authors, we have had bad experiences with consultants who take their fee up front and then take months to get our manuscript to the distributor only to find their files were wrong or full of their errors during the formatting. They promised our complete satisfaction, but it became evident they were going through the steps at their pace. The more clients, the more money, so there was no incentive for quality. We do care. Unlike consultants, we will handle the heavy details and make sure those details are set up correctly.
How do I know a self-publishing scam?
Most self-publishing consultants get paid immediately—before starting the process and without any option of refunding your money if you are not satisfied. We use a third party PayPal so you can be assured it is not a scam. PayPal has an option known as Buyer Protection. This feature allows buyers to potentially get a full refund if they did not receive an item, or if the item received was significantly different from what was described in the listing.
How many books need to be printed for sales?
We use a book print-on-demand service since the upfront cost of self-publishing a book is lower. Digitally printed books are produced in the same location rather than being shipped to various locations for assembly with blocks and covers. There is no requirement to maintain an inventory, and you will pay the printer directly.
What is Developmental Editing?
Our editor’s goal is to preserve your unique voice but provide suggestions to enhance the language, readability, and coherence of your manuscript. Choose between light or heavy editing based on your needs, with developmental editing available.