What do I need to know before I pursue self-publishing with WestBow Press?

Self-publishing is much faster than working with a traditional publisher, which often takes a year or longer. If you follow WestBow Press guidelines and submit in one of our preferred formats, you can essentially print your own book and have it be available for worldwide distribution within four months of the date we receive the manuscript.

You don’t need to know a lot about computers or the Internet to self-publish with us. Because WestBow Press has a robust technological infrastructure, we are able to help authors with all aspects of self-publishing a book. We will take care of all the technical aspects, while you concentrate on doing what you do best—writing! Of course, if you do have computer-related questions, our support staff is on hand to provide any answers you may need.

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You’ll begin the self-publishing process with an in-depth conversation with a publishing consultant to discuss your project, and then choose the services that align with your goals. From copy editing to promotional press releases, you have the flexibility to create a custom project plan for the submission, production, and promotion of your book.

You can submit your completed manuscript to us as an electronic format. Our preferred file formats are Word or Adobe InDesign. Submitting your manuscript in electronic form gives you, the author, more direct control of appearance and content. To ensure that your manuscript is ready for publishing, please review your writing carefully and complete all final revisions before submission. Although you’ll be able to review an interior and cover of your book and make revisions before it is printed, you’ll have the first copy of your book quicker if final editing is done before the publishing process.

Our book publishing company also provides indexing and copy editing services. If your book contains an index, simply send us a list of words you wish to include, and we will auto-create the index for you (there is an additional fee for this service). We cannot enter indexes by hand. You can also choose to use our copy editing services. When you do self-publishing, we recommend having your book edited to avoid embarrassing errors and typos. Our copy editors will not edit your manuscript for content or style changes. You, as the author, have control over how to publish your novel, as well as the exact content of your book.