Read Time: 7.5 minutes One of our jobs here at Blue Pen is helping first-time authors understand the industry. If you're publishing a book for the first time, you don't know what you don't know. And that leaves you open to getting caught in a scam—or just going down the wrong path for your goals. In this post, we'll go over some common terminology and the different types of folks offering self-publishing services. Hopefully this helps you feel more prepared and confident as you take on your self-publishing process. For this post, we're focusing exclusively on self-publishing. If you're trying to decide between self-publishing and traditional publishing, check out this breakdown of the different types of publishing, with pros and cons for each. |
KDP |
IngramSpark |
|
Fees |
Free upload; free changes |
$49 upload fee; additional charge for changes |
Available formats |
Paperback and ebook |
Paperback, hardback, and ebook |
Returns |
No returns |
Can make books returnable |
Distribution |
Better for Amazon and online sales |
Better for bookstores and libraries |
Freelancer |
Blue Pen* |
|
Vetting |
Author's responsibility |
Pre-vetted |
Rates |
Vary |
Industry standard |
Services |
Single field |
Full roster |
Specializations |
One or few |
Many |
Turnaround times |
Vary |
Flexible |
Work style |
One on one |
One on one (with Book Boss) |
Blue Pen is an editor-run, book-loving company dedicated to supporting authors and the writing community as a whole.
Explore our editing and book design services.
Author & Editor
Owner of Blue Pen
February 2022
January 2022
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
December 2020
November 2020
September 2020
July 2020
June 2020
March 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
September 2018
June 2018
May 2018
March 2018
January 2018
October 2017
June 2017
May 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
March 2016
January 2016
December 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
Search the SiteFollow Us |
Get In TouchJoin Our TeamReferral Program |