Self-Publishing Services

Writing and Editing

Any successful book starts with the right editing plan. Wherever you are with your manuscript, we’ll meet you there, from offering detailed recommendations for your revisions to putting the final polish on a well-developed draft.

With a full publishing plan, our editorial services include:

• Complete editing plan tailored to your manuscript’s needs
• Robust, proven editing from our trusted team of editors 
• Custom back cover copy to inspire readers to buy your book
• Guidance on positioning your book to stand out in a crowded marketplace
• Help creating an effective introduction and conclusion
• Suggestions for a call to action that will drive reviews and reader engagement

“Someone in the industry mentioned that Sarah Kolb-Williams of Spoonbridge Press had a reputation as a meticulous copyeditor. Wow were they right! Sarah researches everything, from corrected episode titles to Spanish accents to place names. She is capable, supportive, and kind, and I am grateful for this collaborative process and its outstanding results.”

—Leah Fisher, My Marriage Sabbatical: A Memoir of Solo Travel and Lasting Love

Developmental Editing

A developmental edit is an intensive, “big picture” look at the structure and flow of your manuscript. This includes detailed recommendations and other organizational feedback to help ensure that your vision for your book is successfully executed.

Developmental editing includes:

• Editorial memo with overview of notes, structural recommendations, and ideas for connecting with your audience
• Prompts for adjustments, clarification, and additional information as margin comments and tracked changes throughout your manuscript 
• Help shaping your manuscript, including front and back matter, so that it engages your intended readers

“Sarah’s hard work turned my raw manuscript into a polished gem. She took time to understand the subject matter of the book and my goals and was then able to weave distinct topics into a connected story. Her technical expertise is exemplary, but envisioning the best way to reach my audience through storytelling is her skill that impressed me the most. If you want an editor who is a great collaborator and leaves no detail behind, then you need Sarah.”

—Jeff Eckert, MBA, CFM, CMA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, author of #Sportsmanship: Go Viral With It!

Substantive Editing

After the structure and focus of your manuscript are fully developed, substantive editing helps take everything to the next level. With substantive editing, your manuscript will be comprehensively edited to enhance voice, language, and flow, all while retaining your own natural voice.

Substantive editing includes:

• Help smoothing out manuscript development after a developmental edit
• Sentence- and paragraph-level edits for reader comprehension and enjoyment, clarity of information, and engagement
• Edits and suggestions as tracked changes within the manuscript, plus extra notes, questions, and prompts for further explanation or alternative phrasing as margin comments

“As a first-time novelist, working with Spoonbridge Press—and Sarah in particular—was a fantastic experience! Always professional and encouraging, even when providing direction for stylistic choices and grammar selection, along with the why for the what. I will certainly be coming back!”

—Brad (a.k.a. Beej the Monk)

Copyediting

Copyediting is the crucial last step before a manuscript is ready for book design. It focuses on spelling, punctuation, language, syntax, internal consistency, and style so you can be sure your book meets the publishing standards readers expect. Our copyeditors are experts in the Chicago Manual of Style—the gold standard for the majority of the US publishing industry—and will transform your draft into a publish-ready manuscript.

Our copyediting services include:

•  Tracked changes and margin comments with a micro-level focus on spelling, grammar, punctuation, and publishing standards
•  Edits for comprehension, clarity, concision, and voice
•  Style sheet containing standardized spellings, key terms, and other editorial decisions

“Sarah Kolb-Williams is a fantastic copyeditor with an incredible eye for detail. Sarah’s skillfulness and ability to make the concepts and language in our book totally clear and to the point were uncanny. Her sensitivity and ability to listen to our ideas made her the perfect editor. Working with Sarah was an absolute pleasure and I give her my highest recommendations.” 

—Hans Jørgen Jensen, author of PracticeMind and professor at Northwestern Bienen School of Music

Editorial Assessment

If you aren’t quite ready to commit to an editing plan, an editorial assessment will help identify potential story or structural issues so you can address them yourself before you assemble a full editing plan. Think of it like a “light developmental edit.”

Editorial assessments include:

• An editorial memo containing notes on presentation, structure, and ideas for connecting with your target readers
• Explanations and examples from your manuscript as needed
• Recommendations for next editing steps

“I asked for Sarah’s help on my first novel and never looked back. Her editorial assessments are not only excellent but extensive—providing encouragement as well as clear and detailed suggestions on how to improve the narrative impact and breathe life into the storyline. If you are an aspiring or first-time author, I highly recommend getting Sarah on your team. You won’t regret it.”

—C. R. Wahl, author of Waking Iceman, Anti-Paradox, and The Echo

Book Design

In today’s competitive market, striking cover design and thoughtful interior layout are crucial to the success of your book. Our team of talented, experienced book designers will listen to your ideas and bring your vision to life. We’ll recommend trim sizes and price points that are appropriate for your distribution plan and commensurate with your market.

Our book design services include:

• Rigorous sample design process that keeps you in the driver’s seat
• A design team that will work with fully licensed images or your own custom artwork
• Source files available on request

Interior Layout

We don’t just shove your manuscript through design software and call it a day. We work with experienced typesetters who understand the design principles behind polished, professional interiors.

• Stunning interior layouts comparable to traditionally published books
• Essential proofreading by industry-respected proofreaders, plus meticulous in-house review, text updates, and quality control checks
• All necessary design updates and troubleshooting

Smart Book Positioning

• A distribution plan that supports your plans and goals for your book
• Rigorous metadata research to help your book rank highly in categories that best target your ideal readers (US market only)
• Optimized book descriptions to enhance your book’s discoverability 
• Live book and ebook listings on major online retailer websites throughout the world
• Availability for bookstores, libraries, and gift shops to order your book through traditional channels

Total Project Management

• Purchasing and managing ISBNs on your behalf
• Copyright application submission
• Library of Congress control number acquired
• Full management of book designer and editor relationships
• Comprehensive quality control measures throughout the process
• All necessary troubleshooting, file adjustments, and uploading

Peerless Guidance and Support

• Help choosing a competitive and appropriate list price for your genre
• Regular updates, guidance, and recommendations
• Direct correspondence with our lead editor and project manager—no flaky customer service reps 
• Post-publishing guide containing information, resources, and next steps
• Instructions for setting up your Author Central page following publication
• Suggestions for fundamental steps for tracking sales and marketing your book
• Live tutorial demonstrating how to order your own author copies, access your sales reports, and take other important actions in your publisher accounts

“Through it all, Sarah and Britt were kind, timely, and transparent. I was able to maintain the creative desires I imagined for my book, and I found the process with Spoonbridge was collaborative, all the while propelling my individuality. They were proactive in revering my art as an important piece of work that deserved the best. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”

—Kalie Debelak, author of Pearl Collector