RIGHT HAND PUBLISHING
Services and Consultation
Print and Digital Book Layout
If your text is already edited and all you need is book layout, RHP specializes in constructing book interior's for print-on-demand platforms and eBook retailer platforms. While I don't specifically offer cover design unless you have your own image for the background, I can easily point you towards several great cover designers.
Take a look at the Projects page to see some of my past work.
Print Layout
Right Hand Publishing specializes in Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and IngramSpark layout requirements, but I can also help with services such as Lulu, Blurb, BookBaby, and any printer that provides specifications.
Since the vast majority of my clients are trying to have their books available on Amazon, the typical suggestion is Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing, as it has virtually no fees, offers the cheapest authors prints, allows for easy adjustments to interior and cover files, and nets the best royalties for Amazon sales. That said, if you're looking for wider distribution options, let's discuss a plan that fits your goals. Often, a combination of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and IngramSpark is an ideal solution for opening up full distribution channels.
The layout is generally produced in Microsoft Word with the intention of allowing the author to make their own adjustments down the road, have easy access to their book content, and keep down the costs of having to overpay someone to completely lay out the book again should you make any significant adjustments. While Microsoft Word isn't the most powerful tool for laying out books, I very often believe it is in the author's best interest to be able to actually open and edit their own source files later. If preferred, Adobe InDesign book files can be created as well. Other software and formats can be discussed.
Regardless of the software used, the final product is a print-ready PDF that has gone through Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Distiller (where appropriate), and through checks to ensure best printing possible specific to the printers and distributors being used.
eBook Formatting and Conversions
For eBooks, Right Hand Publishing specializes in providing ePub files that work with all major eBook retailers. This includes Kindle, Apple, Nook, Kobo, Google Play, and many other eBook retailers.
In an ideal situation, you would have a Word document version for your book, but I can typically work with other formats as well. Some formats may require additional time concerns, particularly PDFs as these need to be put put into an editing-friendly format and cleaned up before actual conversion begins.
In terms of distribution, I strongly suggest Kindle Direct Publishing and Draft2Digital. Amazon's Kindle store is the largest eBook retailer in the world. Draft2Digital is a distribution service that places your book on Apple Books, Barnes and Noble's Nookstore, Kobo, and a long list of smaller eBook retailers and library systems. It is possible to work with many of these services directly to improve royalties slightly.
I use tools like Sigil or InDesign for conversions, but then I manually recode the eBooks in HTML and CSS. I have extensive knowledge of how eBooks play with different types of retailers, and all ePubs will pass epubcheck validation (required for most retailers) and go through testing on multiple apps/devices for compliance checks and overall design.
I can also provide fixed-layout Kindle eBooks!
We can discuss your options to determine the best path for your goals, budget, and preferences.