Hello Authors
Onley publishing helps authors to bring their manuscripts to the point of publication. Self-publishing had a bad image for many years and was regarded by the book trade as amateurish and second rate but all that has dramatically changed with the services of print-on-demand suppliers like Amazon, Lulu, Ingram Spark and so on. These providers can still prove expensive, however, depending upon the author’s needs. The estimated cost of a professionally produced book either digitally or on paper can often be between £2500 and £5000. Onley Publishing provides affordable design, editing, copywriting and printing services based on and in consideration of the author’s own specification.
We also produce E-books.
Your options for publishing a book
In the “good old days” when I became a bookseller’s apprentice in 1960, the publishing world was very different to today. An aspiring author would submit a manuscript to a publisher of choice, usually via an agent, hoping that not only would the book be accepted but that through editorial, sales and marketing efforts the book would become a bestseller and earn its author a proportionately large sum of royalties. Authors quickly learned however that it wasn’t that easy. Many authors became depressed at a constant stream of rejections (if indeed there was a response at all) even after submission to scores (one at a time) of possible publishers. Sometimes manuscripts would be returned unread with comments like (it doesn’t quite reach our market” or "it doesn’t fit our mould." Increasingly unpublished authors would turn to what we know in the UK as “vanity publishers” who promise to publish a book on payment of a certain sum of money. This, indeed, they will do but there is usually no attempt at promotion or marketing, and no sales are achieved. This was OK if all the author wanted was a dozen copies of a short story book for the grandchildren (at a price!). Christopher Hitchens, literary journalist and critic says, “Everybody does have a book in them, but in most cases, that’s where it should stay,”
Since the success of authors like Joanne Rowling and E. L. James who became multi-millionaires and had Hollywood movie deals too many aspiring authors think that they only have to write a manuscript and fortune will follow. Sadly this is almost always untrue. If you are determined to go ahead with publishing your book there is help available from a proliferation of creative writing courses to help you reach the right standard. And you can ask friends and family to read it with a critical eye too.
Once you believe that your book is worth releasing to the world, the next stage is to explore ways to publish your work which we have said was traditionally through a recognised publishing house like Simon and Schuster or Harper Collins. There is, mercifully, an alternative. Instead, you can publish an e-book – a digital version of your story – which can be read on a tablet, digital device or smartphone. The Publishers Association says the eBook market was worth £538 million in the UK in 2016 (the latest figures available).
One popular option is to use Amazon’s self-publishing platform, Kindle Direct Publishing. Your work will be published as an eBook, with an on-demand print version, and available through Amazon’s Kindle stores within 48 hours.
You can set the price points for your book and you can reach a global audience, as the Kindle store is available in more than 100 countries. Authors can enjoy up to 70% royalties on sales, while there are plenty of options when it comes to what type of book you can produce. Comics and graphic novels can be published through the Kindle Comic Creator, while there is also the Kids’ Book Creator and Kindle Singles for short stories, typically of between 5,000 and 30,000 words.
But Kindle isn’t the only option if you want to publish your work as an e-book: there are other publishers you can use, including Harlequin, iBooks Store, Kobo Books, Lulu and many others. But before picking a publisher, do your homework on what sort of distribution your work will enjoy and the amount of royalties you will be entitled to – while you can set the price of your book and publishing is free, commission rates do vary greatly.
Why choose us?
Onley publishing was founded in order to help authors bring their ideas to the point of publication. Self-publishing had a bad image for many years and was regarded by the book trade as amateurish and second rate but all that has dramatically changed with the services of print-on-demand suppliers like Amazon, Lulu, Ingram Spark, and so on.
These providers can still prove expensive, however, depending upon the author’s needs. The estimated cost of a professionally produced book either digitally or on paper can often be between £2500 and £5000. Onley Publishing provides affordable design, editing, copywriting and printing services based on and in consideration of the author’s own specification.
We are a small team which is why our prices are so competitive. The main team consists of Trevor Boys who is the proprietor, editor and designer. Trevor is aided by his wife Annie, who assists with editorial matters and Mark Dixon who is the senior editor/designer.
Trevor has had over 50 years of experience in the British book trade having started his working life as a bookseller’s apprentice then moving into publishers’ representation for companies like Ward Lock, Cassell and André Deutsch. In later years he runs a business successfully selling a variety of academic, children’s, general, historical, military and religious titles. Since 2011 he has specialised by publishing primarily Christian material for such authors as Anne Haynes, John Knight and Cathy Hemsley.
Annie is a supporting wife to Trevor and is now a retired school teacher. She is creative and loves reading with both hobbies adding value to Onley Publishing.
Mark has worked in the publishing sector for over 23 years, working not only for Onley Publishing but well know publishers Reed International Books, who were had exclusive rights to print Winnie The Poo, Thomas the Tank Engine, to name a few. Mark comes from a technical background and provides much support and help with design, editing and proofing.
Services we offer
Editing is done in house. We currently use Amazon for printing and order fulfilment.
We require manuscripts to be submitted in a text format either in printed or digital form.
Scale of typical charges
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Initial consultation (refundable if no agreement is reached) £25
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Design £50
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Editing £75
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Proofing (Publisher pays for first three proofs, client pays thereafter) £60
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Correcting to print-ready status £25
Typical production of booklets up to 48pp printed in house including cover is £4.50 per copy
NB: Editing and proofing may be shared with the client(s) at a rate agreed with the
publisher.
Following publication, a commission of 20% plus shipping ( typically minimum £2.99 usually £4.95) for each sale will be deducted from the client’s royalties so the costings per copy of a book priced at £8.99 might look something like this:
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List price £8.99
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Author’s royalty £2.61
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Publisher’s commission £0.52
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Delivery £2.78
Proof copies (typically £2.10 plus delivery of £2.78 for a £8.99 book so £4.88 total)
