Author Services

I provide ebook formatting, POD formatting, cover design, and editorial and writing services for clients who are looking for someone to make their problems “magically all better.”

I am especially dedicated to helping authors get through the hurdles of their first ebooks, and I will remain available to answer client questions as they go through the process of uploading, etc. I also provide free recommendations for how to approach the next step of the learning curve for authors who just have a quick question (although less “magically all better” is provided).

To ask about client services or ask questions, contact me at publisher [at] wonderlandpress [dot] com.

General Policies:

If I introduce a problem, I will fix it.
I provide discounts for repeat customers.
I will often ask to see the project before I commit to a price.
Credentials: BA in English. Freelance writer for 6 years. Four years’ experience as a technical writer/editor for the U.S. Government. I have been publishing ebooks for one full year as of February 2012.
I am a grammar nerd but not a grammar Nazi.
Samples provided on request.
Turnaround times: Generally 5 business days or fewer on formatting; other jobs to be negotiated. Rush jobs 25% extra.
I reserve the right to refuse any job for any reason.
Rates and policies subject to change without warning.
I generally take PayPal, but contact me if you have issues with them.

Publishability Check:

I will check the publishability of your work to see if it’s ready to self-publish, including the following:

Cover: Readability, visibility, general fitness for your genre, any other major issues, general appeal and professionalism.
Formating: Readabililty, consistency, general appeal and professionalism.
Editing: Typos, grammar, punctuation, tense, POV shifts, general professionalism.
General: Links, front matter, cover credits, author information, publisher information (for independent books); query letter, synopsis, author information (for submissions to traditional publishers).
Turnaround within 3 business days.

This is to make sure the general level of editing/formatting/cover is up to a reasonable standard. This service is generally for new writers who want to know whether they’re sending out a professional-looking product.

Rates: Short fiction $10, Novel-length fiction $25.

Formatting:

The following rates are for fiction-type formatting; please contact me to discuss other formatting (non-fiction, poetry, musical scores, etc.).

An additional charge applies if I have to correct errors introduced by a scanning process (typos, extra hard returns, etc.).

I do not provide ISBNs.

The formatting you can do for ebooks is somewhat limited; I will attempt to keep your formatting as close to the original as possible, but I may need to override some choices to prevent issues for your readers.

Ebooks:

Novel-length (up to 75K words): $175, includes .mobi and .epub formatting, cover and author image resizing, and 15 external and 25 internal links.
Short fiction (up to 10K): $50 for .mobi/.epub formatting, cover and author images, and 5 external and 5 internal links.
Additional 1000 words are $2.00 per.
Smashwords/PDF formatting is $30 for either/or (they are handled similarly). Note: This version of PDF formatting is not suitable for POD interiors but for ebooks only.
Additional images are $5 each, except for initial (drop) caps, which are $2 each plus any associated font expenses.
Additional internal/external links are $1 each.

PODs:

Novel-length (up to 75K words) with basic formatting: $205, black and white only, no internal images. Includes headers/footers, widow/orphan control, correct pagination, basic typography, correct page gutters, pages faced as desired, optimum font size for the page, interior title page, chapter pages, etc.
Additional 1000 words, $2.00 per.
Any additional font costs are the client’s responsibility. I design the title page, headers, chapter pages, and scene breaks with freely available fonts unless requested.
I can produce Lightning Source-compliant interior PDFs (PDF/X-1a:2001).

Note: Any changes due to my errors will be fixed free of charge. Any changes not due to my errors will be fixed at a rate of $55/hour. Additional design changes if the initial draft meets client specifications will be made at a rate of $55/hour.

Editing:

It’s your book. Any of my suggestions that you reject will stay rejected.

My rates for editing are $55/hour (although I will bid your job on a per-word basis). Contact me with a sample and a total wordcount (word processor total) for an estimate.

Writing:

I write fiction and non-fiction. My rates for writing are about $55/hour (although I will bid your job on a per-word basis). Other than the types of material that I publish and blog, I also write party games, grants, non-fiction books, technical and instructional documentation, and resumes. I also write query letters, summaries, back cover blurbs, and other promotional materials.

Covers:

I do graphic design and layout, and I will obtain stock art if necessary. Any associated image or font costs are the responsibility of the client; you must have the legal rights to use any images you provide.

Front cover design: $100
Wrap cover design: $150 (or $50 using a previously designed front/ebook cover of 300 dpi).