BlackBird Publishing

BlackBird Publishing – Book Services
Do you have a story to tell, but don't know how to get it in print? We can help. We provide turn-key solutions for self-publishers, as well as ghostwriting, copy editing, book design, print buying, and fulfillment services for self- and small publishers. We have extensive experience in book design and book manufacturing – two of our officers have over 25 years combined experience managing manufacturing and pricing operations for two of the top 5 book printers in the U.S, and our designers worked for leading printers like R.R. Donnelley and Von Hoffmann.

We don't offer cookie-cutter book design packages: we create custom book and jacket or cover designs so your book will be at home on any bookstore shelf. We can develop a custom website for your book, complete with e-commerce tools, and we'll handle order processing and shipment as well. In short, we'll work with you to create the book you want. You won't have to fit your book into a pre-determined package, or into a limited number of design choices offered by a commodity self-publishing service. Best of all, personal service doesn't have to cost more.

Here's how our process works:

1. After an initial free review, where we determine preliminary specifications like binding style, page count, number of photos or illustrations, etc., we'll send you a quote for agreed-upon services. We'll also send a copy of our contract so you'll know exactly what you're getting.
   
   Want to know the most important part of our contract? It's this: your book is your book. We'll help you design it, get it printed, fulfill orders, create advertising materials, create a website… but we'll never own any rights of any kind to your book. Period.
   
   
2. You'll send us your manuscript, along with any photos, illustrations, or graphics you want included. We'll determine final specifications and finalize our contract terms to incorporate the exact specifications and requirements of your book. Final specifications also include book component elements like paper type, cover or jacket type, binding style… in other words, the manufacturing elements of your book. If you've requested us to produce graphics, illustrations, or photos for your book, we'll finalize those
   

1. arrangements as well. Lastly, we'll provide a production timeline detailing agreed-upon deliverables and critical dates.

3. We'll acquire an ISBN number, Library of Congress data, and a bar code for your book.
   
   
4. We'll send at least two versions of interior book design, with variations in font, margins, paragraph style, etc, for your review and approval. Because we spend a lot of time gathering information about how you want your book to look, in most cases very few changes are requested by our clients. But, rest assured we'll revise your book's design until you're satisfied.
   
   
5. We'll send a cover or jacket design that incorporates any photos, illustrations, or other design elements you've requested for your review and approval. Just as we'll do with the body of your book, we'll revise your cover or jacket design until you're satisfied.
   
   
6. Once all of your book design elements are approved, we'll negotiate with printers to get the best quality and price for your book. (We'll do an excellent job negotiating on your behalf. It's a lot easier to negotiate with a printer when you used to be one.)
   
   
7. We'll create advertising tools like press releases, posters, direct mail pieces, a website (complete with e-commerce capability if you like)… so you can effectively advertise your book.
   
   
8. We'll return all original materials to you – after all, they're yours.
   
   
9. If you'd rather focus on publicizing this book, or on writing your next book, we'll handle book order fulfillment including warehousing, packaging, and shipping.
   

We understand the process rarely flows this smoothly or in this order; clients ask to revise text, or to add a different author photo, or for any number of other changes, all along the way. We understand, so we've geared our processes to accommodate your specific needs – not the needs of a cookie-cutter book design assembly line. After all, your book is a personal extension of yourself... we'll collaborate with you to make sure when you finally hold it in your hands, it's exactly what you want.