What is Guided Publishing?
Essential FAQs for Authors at Professional Guided Publishing
In short, it’s publishing done your way with the industry professionals assisting you through each step. Don’t know what you don’t know? That’s okay—we do. Guided publishing is what your self-published friends—and competition—wish they’d done rather than trying to handle everything themselves.
So, it isn’t self-publishing?
In terms of who receives credit for the polished content and professional cover; who collects the royalties on book sales; and who holds the copyright and ownership of the work? Yeah, in that way, our guided model has the exact same structure as self-publishing. The difference is, with Professional Guided Publishing, you’re not left doing any of the heavy lifting yourself. Our publishing pros will guide you through each phase of the publishing process, providing industry expertise and professional services at each step. Think the audience can’t tell when authors skimp on professional formatting, editing, or cover design? They can. That’s why it makes such a difference to rely on the professionals who know how to best position your book for success.
Why wouldn’t I just piecemeal the services I need using freelancer sites (or my colleagues and neighbors)?
You could do that—spend hours communicating with and vetting editors, proofreaders, designers, layout specialists, and self-publishing “consultants”; draw up your contracts for each one; manage each piece of the puzzle along the way with no one to turn to when you inevitably question whether the person you hired did things correctly. OR you could hire one team of previously vetted industry professionals and let the pros manage the process for you.
My writer’s group says no one should “pay to publish.” Should I wait for a traditional deal instead?
The reality is that traditional publishing deals for unknown authors are next to impossible to attain these days. That’s more a commentary on the (outdated) model those traditional publishing houses employ than the quality of new authors. But hey—their loss is our (and your) gain.
You don’t pay to publish with PGP. You invest in the services needed to publish a high-end, professional book and avoid common self-publishing pitfalls. Working with PGP will set your book apart from the crowd of authors cutting corners—and sacrificing potential sales—for the sake of minimizing the upfront investment. Even if you intend to shop your book to agents and traditional publishers, a professionally edited manuscript (yes, one you paid to have edited) will take you a lot further than one of the thousands of unformatted rough drafts currently sitting in that agent’s slush pile.
If that makes the state of publishing sound bleak, it’s not! If anything, it is now easier than ever to publish a high-quality book with mass distribution. You just need the right partner to make it happen!
My book doesn’t need more editing.
That’s not a question, and sorry to say, yes, it does. Even if your sister-in-law was an English major and proofread it for you, we can tell you that in our fifty-plus combined years of publishing industry experience, we’ve never seen a single manuscript that didn’t need some manner of editing. Not a single one.
When you submit your manuscript to PGP, we’ll recommend the appropriate level of editing needed to make sure your book shines. After receiving a brief explanation of what each type of editing will do for your manuscript, you’ll use our guidance to make an informed decision on your chosen level of editing. Feel free to respectfully disagree. If we recommend a line edit to address grammatical issues and odd sentence structure, but you’d prefer a standard proofread to correct any glaring errors, you make the call.
Wait, so I’m really in charge?
When it comes to creative control, our authors are always in the driver’s seat. Again, it is helpful to think of our team as your publishing guide. We’ll present you with the best options to make sure your book adheres to industry standards and best practices, but every service we provide is at your discretion.
You’ll pick and choose your services, approve (or reject) recommended edits, select your cover from your custom-designed mockups, choose an interior layout that speaks to your tastes, and review every piece of content created and uploaded to your book’s listing. We’re the professionals, but you’re still the boss.
How much will it cost to work with PGP?
That depends. Every project is unique, and every author has different needs. We’re not the cheapest, but we’re not the most expensive. We do provide the best value.
When building your custom selection of services, your publishing pro will help you determine the level of services required for your project. If you have a set budget in mind, we’ll help you prioritize the services you need to fit within your guardrails.
Who owns the rights to my work after I sign a contract for PGP’s services?
You do. Forever. Plain and simple.
If my book does well, will PGP expect a share of the profits?
Never. All work done by PGP is considered “for hire,” and PGP will never take your well-earned royalties—no matter how successful your book becomes. Which, of course, is the goal of both parties.
Can I still accept a publishing contract from another publisher after working with PGP?
Absolutely. In fact, we’d love nothing more than to know our professional services helped give your book a leg up on the competition in the ever-growing rat race to secure agent representation and traditional publishing contracts. Bottom line: you own the rights to every piece of your project from start to finish when working with PGP.
Will working with PGP make my book a bestseller?
No one—editor, agent, or publisher—can make that kind of guarantee when it comes to books. What we can do is set your book up for success by making sure it is ready for your most discerning reader. While there is no silver bullet for achieving bestseller status—despite what other organizations may promise—all efforts and work are done with that lofty goal in mind.
I see you offer a wide range of editing services, but I need help writing my book. Can PGP help with that?
PGP has some of the best ghostwriters and author coaches in the industry. Reach out and let us know your budget as well as what you need, and we’ll come up with a solution to suit your project.
What happens after my book is published?
Assuming you work with our team through the setup of your author publishing account, once the book is published, we’ll turn everything over to you, and you’ll monitor sales and collect royalties through the chosen platform. If you’re looking for launch marketing services to help get the word out about your book, let your publishing pro know, and we’ll make an appropriate and informed referral to one of our trusted book marketing partners.
Essential FAQ's for Authors at Professional Guided Publishing
What is “guided publishing”?
So, it isn’t self-publishing?
Why wouldn’t I just piecemeal the services I need using freelancer sites (or my colleagues and neighbors)?
You could do that—spend hours communicating with and vetting editors, proofreaders, designers, layout specialists, and self-publishing “consultants”; draw up your contracts for each one; manage each piece of the puzzle along the way with no one to turn to when you inevitably question whether the person you hired did things correctly. OR you could hire one team of previously vetted industry professionals and let the pros manage the process for you.
My writer’s group says no one should “pay to publish.” Should I wait for a traditional deal instead?
The reality is that traditional publishing deals for unknown authors are next to impossible to attain these days. That’s more a commentary on the (outdated) model those traditional publishing houses employ than the quality of new authors. But hey—their loss is our (and your) gain.
You don’t pay to publish with PGP. You invest in the services needed to publish a high-end, professional book and avoid common self-publishing pitfalls. Working with PGP will set your book apart from the crowd of authors cutting corners—and sacrificing potential sales—for the sake of minimizing the upfront investment. Even if you intend to shop your book to agents and traditional publishers, a professionally edited manuscript (yes, one you paid to have edited) will take you a lot further than one of the thousands of unformatted rough drafts currently sitting in that agent’s slush pile.
If that makes the state of publishing sound bleak, it’s not! If anything, it is now easier than ever to publish a high-quality book with mass distribution. You just need the right partner to make it happen!
My book doesn’t need more editing.
That’s not a question, and sorry to say, yes, it does. Even if your sister-in-law was an English major and proofread it for you, we can tell you that in our fifty-plus combined years of publishing industry experience, we’ve never seen a single manuscript that didn’t need some manner of editing. Not a single one.
When you submit your manuscript to PGP, we’ll recommend the appropriate level of editing needed to make sure your book shines. After receiving a brief explanation of what each type of editing will do for your manuscript, you’ll use our guidance to make an informed decision on your chosen level of editing. Feel free to respectfully disagree. If we recommend a line edit to address grammatical issues and odd sentence structure, but you’d prefer a standard proofread to correct any glaring errors, you make the call.
Wait, so I’m really in charge?
When it comes to creative control, our authors are always in the driver’s seat. Again, it is helpful to think of our team as your publishing guide. We’ll present you with the best options to make sure your book adheres to industry standards and best practices, but every service we provide is at your discretion.
You’ll pick and choose your services, approve (or reject) recommended edits, select your cover from your custom-designed mockups, choose an interior layout that speaks to your tastes, and review every piece of content created and uploaded to your book’s listing. We’re the professionals, but you’re still the boss.
