Comparing book editing services
We’ve had some questions about how we compare with other companies offering full book publishing services, so here’s a quick reply: I’ve been working in publishing for two decades and I cannot recommend any company that offers a full package for one price, because they always outsource the work to low quality providers. You can check this out yourself by looking at their book covers, which will be ugly, and checking out examples of the books they’ve published – which probably have no reviews and are not selling.
When you’re comparing publishing services, it’s not just about price or the alleged service they claim to offer: there’s a HUGE range in the actual quality of the services. We charge a fair price for the value we offer, and pay much more than most other editing companies to ensure we attract the best editors and compensate them enough that they don’t feel the need to rush through and get to the next project.
Nearly all “boutique presses” are actually vanity publishers, even if they mean well: they’ll do the quick work they promised and take as much profit as possible. The truth is, this company makes almost no money for its founders or managers (it’s a small team of only two people, Tammy and Derek, who are just there to make sure things go smoothly).
We also offer a pretty crazy refund guarantee, which no other editor would dare to offer because it hurts our business, but we’re set up to protect both authors and editors and if it means we lose money every once in a while if we can’t satisfy clients – which is rare – we’re OK accepting the loss and giving people their money back.
But more than that, unlike nearly everyone else, we’re actually in this publishing business to help authors create books that sell, which means we’ll be pretty tough with our comments to make sure your book avoids common mistakes and actually satisfies readers.
But we totally understand, editing is expensive, because it takes a lot of time and a lot of expertise – that’s why I don’t even recommend that all authors need to have their books edited. Although it can seem easier to buy a publishing package, especially if someone is promising a bunch of extra stuff that seems good on paper, it’s almost never the better deal.
Watch this video where I review all the services offered by one of the biggest vanity presses if you want to make sure you’re not overpaying for worthless offers. Then download some of the free books I’ve linked to below before deciding.