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The Process

THE PROCESS OF PARTNERSHIP PUBLISHING WITH YNWP


         1.     Think about your market even before you finish writing. Who is your reader? Who might buy your book? Does it relate to a particular consumer? To educational curricula (which is often available online)? If so, make sure you know how your book connects to that market—it’s one of its selling features. Talk to librarians. Talk to booksellers. It’s worth asking those who acquire books for stores and libraries what they think of your book’s potential for sales; they might have advice that will help you tap into the market. They know what’s generating current interest and where potential gaps in the market are—gaps that your book might fill. 

YNWP helps authors with the overall book concept, assessing each proposed manuscript for its marketability. All manuscripts are printable, not all are marketable, and those that have commercial appeal are often printed in differing amounts. Books with a focused audience or regional appeal can do very well in the market for which they are intended. 
 
         2.     Get permission. If the book contains photos, graphics or other images, make sure you have permission from the copyright holder to reproduce them in print and/or ebook. You’ll also need permission to quote any song lyrics or poems, or if you’re quoting more than 10% of the original material. Sometimes permissions are available only for a fee. 
         3.     Source any images. Images must have a resolution of 300 dpi at the size you want them to print. Think about whether you want the images to appear in colour or black and white. Colour costs more to print. 
 
         4.     Polish your text. Before submitting your manuscript check for errors in facts, spelling and grammar. Check for consistent usage of spelling, terminology and capitalization. Read it backwards. Read it aloud. Have others read it. All these things will help ensure your manuscript is the best it can be before an editor begins to work on it, saving time and money. 
         5.     Submit an email inquiry to YNWP when you’re ready. Provide details of the book’s genre, its word count, your understanding of its market potential and any questions you have. Include a sample of your manuscript—usually a Word document—for assessment. If your manuscript has commercial potential, YNWP will respond with further information, including an estimate of cost to produce, and will also get print quotes (usually two) so you can plan a budget. If your manuscript is accepted and you decide to proceed, YNWP will send a publishing contract for your review. 
         6.     Find an illustrator. If your book requires illustrations, YNWP can help find an artist to make your vision a reality. If you already have an illustrator, please submit sample artwork or a link to the artist’s website with your initial inquiry. 
         7.     Editing, layout & design. YNWP provides all the professional expertise required to get your book ready for press: research, substantive editing, copy-editing, proofreading, layout and design (including any necessary work in Photoshop). The author will see the book and approve its progress every step of the way. YNWP makes market appropriate suggestions for the book’s paper and binding, and the author will approve this too. 

YNWP will provide print quotes from the potential printers so you’ll always see exactly what the costs are. You’ll need to decide on the book’s dimensions, number of pages (dictated by the word count and number of images), use of colour, type of cover (hard or soft cover), binding, paperstock and print run (number of books printed). 

YNWP will assign an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to your book and will apply for Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) data for your title. YNWP manages your book’s metadata so retailers and wholesalers can find your book in various databases. 

YNWP uses print industry standard software for the layout of your book. How long it takes to complete the editing, layout and design process is dependent on the manuscript. Every book is a custom project. 
         8.     Cost it out. Add production, printing and any other costs such as permissions or illustrations. Divide this total by the number of books you intend to print (think about how many you expect to sell in a year, two years, three years) and see how costs change for larger print runs. Do the math: if you’re selling through bookstores, they’ll expect a 40%-50% discount off the retail price you set. The retail price and associated profit margins of ebooks are different. YNWP will help determine a reasonable retail price for your book. 
         9.     Print your book or convert the text into ebook formats. YNWP works with professional prairie printers who provide quality products and services. Note that it usually takes between 3-5 weeks from the time electronic files are sent to the printer to when you can expect to hold the printed and bound copy in your hand. 
         10.     Get the word out when your book arrives—books really do sell by word of mouth, whether in person over coffee or through social media, and you are your book’s best promoter, though YNWP can help get things started. YNWP provides distribution services to its authors at a cost of 20% of the book’s retail price, and is a vendor for all major bookstores and wholesalers.