Why Self-Publish with Us?
We thought you’d never ask! There’s a world of difference between going it alone and partnering with a publishing partner.
First off, let us just explain that there are free options out there. You’ve no doubt come across services like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), which allows you to upload a manuscript and DIY on the cheap. For many this is a viable option for getting their words out there – and if you only want to sell your books on Amazon and aren’t fussed about seeing it in your local bookshop, this might well be the option for you.
Some self-publishing partners do not offer demonstrable return on investment, either, essentially charging you for something you could get for free. But with Haywood Books we’ve brought our years of experience in the industry to bear, and offer a model that puts you front and centre.
Here’s a comparison to demonstrate the differences between the free route and partnering with us:
Haywood Books as publishing partner
We assign you a free ISBN
We offer a free editorial report with tips and suggestions for revision
We register your ISBN and send out a bibliographic data feed to retailers
We offer a free cover template that is guaranteed to present your work in an attractive way
We include free professional typesetting that has been praised by authors and readers
We submit your book for Google Previews and Amazon Look Inside for free, and add your title to our monthly booksellers email for free, reaching ~800–1,000 bookshops
We help you to write your blurb and biography, and produce an AI to communicate to booksellers
We set your book up for global distribution, with availability for bookshops to order (and if you opt for ‘Print My Book’ we hold physical stock so that booksellers are able to order quickly and at trade rates)
You have an experienced, award-winning publishing team at the end of an email, eager to help you understand the industry and help you sell books
Using free automated systems
No ISBN provided
Author is encouraged to use an automatic spell-checker
Not provided, and not explained to the author
Author must provide or use very limited design suites to create a DIY option (if tech-savvy)
Author has to provide their text file or use clunky auto-converters that render an unprofessional file
Any marketing is left to the author. If using KDP Amazon Look Inside will be included, but not Google Preview; promotions are chargeable or require exclusivity
The author is expected to provide their own promotional copy; there is no communication with bookshops
N/A (This varies, but most require exclusivity, so minimising your distribution, and have much higher production charges and fees, meaning that booksellers cannot be enticed to stock the book)
Such systems are automated and you’ll find the automated help desks can be just about anything but helpful and there’s no person to talk to
For some people KDP really is the way forward, and if we think this is the case for you we will be honest and say so – but as an experienced, award-winning publishing house we are well positioned to be able to provide you with advice and a route of selling both internationally and into bookshops, rather than limiting your sales to online retailers.
We also work with you to produce a high-quality product, with editorial feedback and free professional typesetting and an attractive cover design.
Our pricing is amongst the cheapest for print-on-demand publishing partners, we have transparent pricing without all those reams of small-print fees, and we take a low commission, netting you more from your sales.
On top of this, we’re proud to be one of the world’s first climate-positive publishers, which means we’re possibly the best choice for both you and the planet!
To talk things through and get the ball rolling, drop us a line via the Publish Your Book page now.