A step-by-step guide to self-publishing
From design and proofreading, print and distribution, at Mercer Books we can do it all, taking your manuscript and turning it into a beautifully printed book on the shelves of book shops and online retailers around the world. Self-publishing can be a daunting process, but here is a guide to how we work with you to make the process simple and the end result outstanding.
1. We read through your digital format manuscript and talk to you about sizes and shape for your book, discussing the logistics and cost effectiveness of certain formats. We can also provide a proofreading service at this point as well if desired.
2. We determine how many pages we think the book will be based on the chosen size, including any images or illustrations.
3. We will then give you print quotes based on the format and page count along with the costs for our design work.
4. Once the quote has been agreed we begin work on sample page layouts.
5. We present our initial layouts to you and make any modifications based on your feedback.
6. We continue with the design once the initial layouts have been agreed.
7. We send you PDF proofs of the completed book to carefully proof and make any small changes before we send the artwork to the printer.
8. At this point we add your unique ISBN number to the book, along with a barcode. We then add the details of the book to the Nielsen database. This means the book can then be found by booksellers searching by ISBN, title, author etc. This also feeds the information to the online retailers such as Amazon and Waterstones.
9. The finalized artwork is sent to the printer and we receive proofs back from them. This is the final opportunity to make any small changes before the book gets printed.
10. The final printed version of your book is delivered to you, or we can arrange storage for distribution.
11. The book is sent to Gardners who are one of the largest book distributors in the UK. We have a special relationship with them that allows us instant access for books to be added to their distribution list. They fulfill all orders from bookshops and the online retailers of your book.
12. We send copies of your book to the British Library, which is a legal requirement once a book is published. We will also send to any of the other 5 national libraries if requested to by them.
13. We send books out to suitable people, newspapers or magazines for review. We can work with you to compile a list of reviewers.
14. We can provide you with additional services to launch the book including book signings, promotional material such as posters, flyers, adverts etc. We can also create you a simple website to promote your book, with information about the book, the author, sample pages and reviews.