Publishing Packages Overview
Review our Rate Card to understand everything included.
Visit this page for an in-depth description of our process.
Our process page will tell you everything you need to know about working with Emerald Books and can answer most of your questions about editing, design, production, and marketing.
Every design & publishing package includes work with a marketing professional and one-on-one consultation to give you the best possible book launch. Marketing services vary according to package.
*We review every manuscript to make sure our services are right for your project. We offer full editing services for every project.
Editing Services
Combine all three editing workflows for .07 cents per word.
Every book needs editing. No author can hold an entire book in their mind. Your book is a cathedral you’ve built from the inside. You need someone on the outside looking at the structure, making sure the flying buttresses are all aligned. Creative development is about connecting inspiration to architecture. Content editing refines language and creates the reader’s experience. Proofreading finalizes the book and makes it perfect.
Can I bring something that has already been edited?
Of course! There are incredible editors roaming the big wide world! We are happy to complete a project another editor has begun. However, we reserve the right to examine every manuscript and determine what it needs. It’s our way of supporting you. If your book really needs a developmental restructure, it isn’t in your interest to skip that process, even if it slows your timeline.
Coaching and Consultation Services
Production Coach
We are happy to help you set up an individual publication imprint. Within this structure, we will be creating professional output-ready files for you and assisting with uploading the files to your own publication account. We are happy to serve as editors and designers working on your imprint. We use the same coaching rates you see below. We work with you to set up all the same services we use to create books. We can’t set up accounts on your behalf since they involve sensitive banking information and two-factor authentication, but we are happy to help you through every detail. You can hire us for any editing or production service as you develop your imprint and you’ll retain 100% of all net revenue from your books. If anything goes wrong with your files or you have any problem during production we can use a coaching session to fix the issue. For the more tech-inclined, we can even offer InDesign training so you can lay out books yourself.
Writing Coach
You can choose among four writing coach packages. Non-refundable monthly fees are due in advance at the beginning of each month. Most clients prefer the convenience of credit card billing, in which you authorize automatic billing each month (no checks to write and no reminders).
Ruby Plan
- Starts at $2,700/month
- Eight—two weekly—60-minute phone coaching sessions (or equivalent)
- Up to ten hours of manuscript reading & assessment, development editing and email exchanges per month
Sapphire Plan
- Starts at $1,400/month
- Eight—two weekly—30-minute phone coaching sessions (or equivalent)
- Up to four hours of manuscript reading & assessment, developmental editing and email exchanges per month
Amethyst Plan
- Starts at $750/month
- Four 30-minute phone coaching sessions per month (or equivalent)
- Up to two hours of manuscript reading & assessment, developmental editing and email exchanges per month
Peridot Plan [available only to those self-directed types who don’t struggle when it comes to getting in writing time]
- Starts at $500/month
- Two 30-minute phone coaching sessions per month (or equivalent)
- Up to one hour of manuscript reading & assessment, developmental editing and email exchanges
Web Design
Big Easy Web Design
Our book marketing expert, Michele Barard, owns an excellent website creation company. Every one of our publication packages include book marketing services with Michele, so you’ll get to know her well during the publication process. One of the most important tools for any author is a website. An author website isn’t just a static page about you, it is a dynamic experience where readers and authors interact. A purpose-built website for authors is Michele’s specialty, and since you’ll be working with her to form your marketing plan already, launching a new site seamlessly fits with your overall marketing strategy. Big Easy Website Creation packages are streamlined so even the most technophobic authors can easily launch a web presence that’s engaging and fun to use. A Big Easy website is just another way to publish, and a key piece of any author’s marketing strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Editing
Everyone needs an editor. Everyone makes mistakes. If you think about it you probably have a few spelling errors that are habits you’ll never correct. For me, one of these is the word “instrument.” I almost always put the u before the r and then delete it. There is an important watershed for every author when they abandon the idea that their writing is perfect. It means turning away from your ego and starting the real work. Flattering yourself feels great and justifies the laziness every author feels when they want to avoid the hard work of writing. Walk away from your ego and you’ll always find the work rewarding. No book ever got good until the second draft.
We use the Chicago Manual of Style. We allow for your own style and voice in our editing process, but the Chicago Manual is a great baseline. It’s something every writer should own. It’s easy to understand and easy to look things up.
You can employ an editor at any point in your writing process. A great rule of thumb is to always completely rewrite your book once you finish the first draft. This sounds like a lot of work at first but it can also feel incredibly freeing. Instead of facing the blank page, you are working with something that already has structure, tone and emotion. In our opinion, it is a waste to hire a professional editor when most of their work is absorbed fixing simple errors that could have been caught with spell check. Rewriting beyond the first draft means you are making your book the best it can be before it leaves your hands, and your editor can take it even further. A rewrite of your entire book is certainly a lengthy endeavor, but it’s a great opportunity to advance the manuscript before you send it to an editor. It can be really exciting to be swept away by your own novel!
We recommend the Double Gem package for editing, becuase it gives you a chance to work with an editor for a sustained period of time, and then polish the writing for publication. However, if you have already edited the book, feel free to just buy a proofread to check for any mistakes.