Publishing Submissions Process
Flatpage is a hybrid press. This means that, as opposed to self-publishing or a traditional publisher, the author pays for editorial, design, and printing services and, in return, we handle project management, production, and distribution. We are both invested in making your book the best it can be!
Read below to find out more about how we work.
1
Submit Manuscript
The first step is for you to submit a book proposal or manuscript for us to review. Please email us at [email protected]. We are not a vanity press, which means that your manuscript will undergo a review process by our editors to determine if it’s a fit for our mission. If your manuscript is accepted, you will be invited to sign a contract with us.
2
Editorial Process
All manuscripts must undergo an in-house editorial process. Our team will decide what level of editing your manuscript requires. Basic copyediting is required.
3
Design & Typesetting
Your completed manuscript will be sent to a professional book designer, who has been contracted by Flatpage. The designer will design the cover and layout of the book in consultation with the author.
4
Proofreading
All manuscripts must undergo a proofreading process, performed by Flatpage’s proofreaders and the author.
5
Printing & Ebooks
Flatpage will contract the printing and ebook layout with professionals to provide you with the highest quality product.
6
Distribution
Your book will be sent to our distributors, who will place your book in bookstores and online outlets. When your book sells, you’ll receive an even split of the profits.
7
Marketing & Promotion
We will help you market the book so that it reaches your intended audience. We will also collaborate with you to help promote the book through digital and in-person methods.
FAQ
All of our editorial services are performed by our highly trained editorial team. We partner with some of the best designers and other contractors, such as translators, if needed.
We organize everything for you into one package deal. We manage the entire process and guide you through, step by step.
Flatpage is a hybrid publisher, which means that you as the author pay for our services and in exchange we work for you. Although you must pay, we are very transparent about our fee structure and provide you with a clear budget from the start.
You can reference our editing for authors page to find out more about our basic rate structure. Our authors discounted copyediting and proofreading services.
Hybrid publishers like Flatpage charge authors for our own professional-quality freelance editorial services rather than providing them in-house (free of charge) or expecting the author to seek out these services on their own (self-funded at their own peril). At the same time, we do not charge for our time guiding our authors through the publication process, for example by helping them find a quality editor or designer or decide which publication formats will be best suited to their content; the book’s distribution and placement in bookstores; or basic promotion.
Because we are both investing in the publishing process, we also offer our authors a larger share of the royalties once their book is published. This differs from traditional publishers and self-publishing, where authors are often still expected to pay for higher-quality (non-outsourced) editing and where royalties are often little to nonexistent.
This depends on the author’s needs. We don’t pay advances to authors but rather split the royalties with them, so that both of us are invested in the process and outcome.
Yes. Our distributors place your book on the shelves at bookstores.
Marketing and promotion is a collaborative effort. Our distributors will sell and promote your book through their channels. We will also use our professional networks toward this end. However, at the end of the day, the real effort lies with the author, who also needs to be very proactive by engaging with the media and soliciting reviews, organizing events, and sharing about their on social media, etc.
We are seeking book proposals and manuscripts for fiction and nonfiction projects. Please email us at [email protected].