Publish
Finishing the manuscript is a huge step. Publishing it properly is a different job.
Quill & Reed helps turn a completed manuscript into a professionally edited, designed, formatted, distributed and launched book while you keep control of what you created.
Direct answer
To professionally self-publish a book, you typically need to prepare the manuscript, complete any necessary editing and proofreading, create a professional cover and interior, prepare metadata and ISBNs, set up distribution platforms such as Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, review proof copies and then launch the finished book. The author can retain copyright, account ownership and royalties throughout.
The Quill & Reed promise
Your book.
Your copyright.
Your royalties.
Your accounts.
Your audience.
Quill & Reed is paid for the work we do.
We do not need to own your copyright, control your publishing accounts or take a percentage of your royalties to help you publish professionally.
Read Our PromiseWhat it involves
A professionally prepared book can involve a lot of separate work. Not every author needs every service. We recommend only what is genuinely relevant to your book.
The complete process
Review the manuscript and publishing goals.
Make sure the manuscript is ready.
Design the book.
Prepare the book for publication.
Publish the finished book.
Give the book a proper launch.
Keep building after launch.
Before production begins, we need to understand what the book is, what stage the manuscript is at, who it is for, which formats you need, where you want it available, and whether you want publishing only or ongoing growth support.
Useful inputs: manuscript, working title, genre, target reader, word count, publishing objectives and any previous publishing experience.
Not sure it is ready? Free Manuscript Health CheckEditing is recommended only where it is genuinely needed. If it is, we explain what kind, why, and what it costs before anything is commissioned.
Structure, story, argument, pacing, character, chapter order and major content issues.
Clarity, grammar, sentence-level consistency, style, wording and continuity.
Final errors, typos, punctuation, formatting inconsistencies and final production mistakes.
Professional editing is not automatically bundled into every package. Where editorial work is genuinely needed, we explain what is recommended and quote separately. AI does not replace human editorial judgement.
Front cover, spine, back cover, interior layout, typography, chapter styling, ebook formatting and illustration where relevant. A cover is not decoration: it signals genre, tone, quality and audience.
We work with specialist designers and illustrators where appropriate, and you approve the direction and the finished work.
We prepare the information retailers and distributors need: ISBN, title and subtitle, author name, description, categories, keywords, pricing, format, trim size, publication date, contributors and imprint details.
Metadata is the information retailers, distributors and search systems use to understand what your book is, who wrote it and where it belongs.
Amazon KDP is Amazon’s publishing platform for Kindle ebooks, paperbacks, and hardbacks where available. We help prepare and set up the book correctly. The account is yours and stays under your control.
IngramSpark can make books available through a wider distribution network used by bookshops, online retailers, libraries and wholesalers.
Availability through distribution does not guarantee that a physical bookshop will stock your book.
KDP and IngramSpark
KDP can be strong for Amazon-focused sales. IngramSpark can support wider trade availability. Many independent authors use both strategically. There is no blanket answer: the right setup depends on your formats, market, goals, pricing and distribution strategy.
Final files approved, metadata checked, proofs reviewed, platform setup completed, publication date confirmed, listings checked, book released. Nothing goes live before your final approval.
Publishing a book and marketing it are different jobs. A launch may include website updates, mailing list, social content, review outreach, ARCs, a launch calendar, retailer checks, author profiles, media materials and Amazon optimisation.
Explore Publish + GrowBooks rarely stop needing attention the day they are published. Ongoing growth can include social content, newsletters, your author website, reader list, reviews, Amazon Ads, seasonal campaigns, new editions and future books.
Explore Managed AuthorPublish
£99/month × 12 = £1,188
Publish + Grow
£199/month × 12 = £2,388
Managed Author
£299/month × 12 = £3,588
Your options
Each route suits different authors. Traditional publishers also vary widely; these are general tendencies, not rules.
Author control
Quill & Reed manages the process. You remain the owner.
Packages and cost
Choose how much support you want. Every package is a 12-month agreement: Publish £99/month (total £1,188), Publish + Grow £199/month (total £2,388), Managed Author £299/month (total £3,588).
12-month package
For authors who are ready to turn a finished manuscript into a professionally published book.
12-month package
For authors who want professional publishing plus a platform, launch support and ongoing content to help build an audience.
Everything in Publish, plus:
12-month package
For authors who want Quill & Reed actively involved in managing their author platform, publishing activity and ongoing audience growth.
Everything in Publish + Grow, plus:
Professional editing, specialist illustration and other bespoke production services are quoted separately where genuinely required.
Transparency
If your manuscript needs professional editing, we will say so.
If it does not, we will not invent an ‘editorial enhancement package’ simply to increase the bill.
If a specialist is required, we explain the work, the reason and the cost before anything is commissioned.
Possibly. Some manuscripts need developmental work, some need copy editing, and some are already structurally strong but need proofreading. We will not sell editorial work simply because it exists.
Cover design must reflect the genre, audience, tone and retail environment, and stay consistent across a series where relevant.
Illustration may be relevant for children’s books, fantasy maps, educational books, diagrams, specialist non-fiction and selected covers. We manage it through selected collaborators.
An author website gives you an owned presence: book pages, mailing list, news, reviews, media kit, events, future releases and a direct relationship with readers.
It depends on manuscript readiness, editing, cover complexity, illustration, proofing rounds, platform setup and launch timing. A publication-ready manuscript with straightforward production may move much faster than a book needing developmental editing, illustration or major revision. Typical timelines are confirmed after initial review.
Yes. Your copyright stays with you. Working with Quill & Reed does not transfer it.
Yes. Royalties are paid by the retailer or distributor into your own account. We do not take a percentage as standard; we are paid a fixed monthly fee for the work.
No. Your KDP and IngramSpark accounts are in your name and under your control. We help set them up and manage the publishing work within them.
Yes, via Amazon KDP, as an ebook and paperback, and hardback where available.
It can be made available to order through trade distribution, such as IngramSpark. Whether a shop stocks it on its shelves is the shop’s decision.
No. Distribution makes a book available to order. It does not guarantee that any physical bookshop will stock it.
Possibly. Some manuscripts need structural work, some need copy editing, some only need proofreading. We will tell you honestly what we think, and editing is quoted separately where it is genuinely needed.
An ISBN identifies a specific format and edition of a book, and different formats usually need their own. ISBN provision is included in the Publish package.
Yes. Tell us at the review stage and we will plan around their work.
Yes. We will work with their files and check they meet print and ebook requirements.
Yes. Retail platforms allow books to be published under a pen name.
Yes. Paperback and ebook formatting are both included in the Publish package.
Yes. We can help with a new, more professional edition or with your next book.
Yes. Series consistency — covers, metadata, and planning future books — is part of how we think about growth.
The terms that apply after the first 12 months will be set out clearly in your agreement before you sign. Your book, files and accounts remain yours either way.
No. Nobody can honestly guarantee sales. We can make sure the book is professionally prepared, properly published and given a well-planned launch.
The next step is deciding how you want to publish it.
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