Publishing FAQs

What does self publishing mean to me?

You have complete control over every aspect of the production of your book, including interior design, graphic images, font selection, cover design, book trim size, etc.

What is the difference between Print-on-demand self publishing and traditional self- publishing?

With traditional self publishing you must purchase some minimum number of books, usually in the 5,000 range. With POD publishing you can buy books as you need them in quantities as low as a single book.

What is different about the Cooks Palate self-service publishing system.

The Cook’s Palate authoring system provides the author with a comprehensive process that automates manuscript preparation and submission for per book printing via software and services. This allows authors to concentrate on book content development rather than publishing process details.

Are Print-on-demand printers reliable?

The printers we use include those owned by Amazon, the largest bookseller in the world, and Ingram, the largest book distributor in the world. They are very reliable.

What can I expect in book quality?

High quality paper stock and equipment are used to produce the best printing, binding and trimming available.  Our printers use book binding methods that meet the standards set by the Library Binding Institute. The interior paper stock is acid-free 50# in white or natural and covers are 80# coated (full-color).

What are the differences in book binding styles?

• Perfect binding consists of a number of individual leaves between covers of much heavier paper, glued together at the spine with a strong flexible glue. Perfect binding is commonly used for soft cover books (paperbacks) and with cloth for hard cover books with dust jackets.
• Comb-bound books are made of individual sheets, each with a line of slits punched near the bound edge. A curled plastic "comb" is fed through the slits to hold the sheets together. The book opens flat.
• Spiral binding is commonly used to be able to open the publication flat without breaking the spine. It is made by punching holes along the entire length of the spine of the page and winding a wire 'spiral' (like a spring) through the holes to provide a fully flexible hinge at the spine.
• Case binding are books bound using hard board (case) covers, usually laminated.

What will my book cost to print?

You can use our cookbook printing calculator to obtain a quote for the cost of printing your book.

Do you offer book distribution services?

Author, Inc. offers two book distribution plans.  One is free to all authors publishing their books through Author, Inc. The other includes comprehensive distribution services for a small fee which will allow you to sell your books in stores. For further details visit publishing services to learn more.

How do I set the price for my book?

The two major considerations are the cost to produce the book and the price of similar books.

How long does it take to get a book printed?

It varies by the type of book. A soft cover with black and white text takes a few days while a hard cover color book may take as long as 2 weeks.  You will be provided with an estimate when you place your order.
 

If I sell my book through distribution, how are author royalties paid for books sold?

Author royalties are paid monthly for books sold through distribution.  You set the suggested retail price and the wholesale distribution price.  Author, Inc. handles book distribution transactions for you.  You earn 80% of the profit from those transactions as a royalty payment. Author, Inc. takes a small commission (20%) as an administrative fee to process orders when someone buys your book.

We can provide industry standard guidelines for book pricing upon request. The following formula describes how distribution pricing  and author royalties are calculated.  Remember you control pricing (and set profits) for your book.

Wholesale Book Price - Book Cost = Royalty
 

Can I choose the paper for the book?

In general no, custom paper requires long production runs to be practical. This means the author would have to buy thousands of books and it would take several months to get it scheduled.

If I need help with preparing my book for print, can Author, Inc. help me?

We have professional book design services available to help you with cover designs.

How many POD books has The Cook’s Palate printed?

Our suppliers are the largest print-on-demand printers in the world and have printed millions of copies of POD books.
 

Why do I need the Cooks Palate to enter my recipes?

The Cooks Palate is a database program. That means that after you enter your recipes you can move them around, scale them, analyze the nutrition, organize them into chapters and cookbooks, and try different layout formats. This is not possible with a word processor.

What does the Cooks Palate Publisher do for me?

The Publisher enables you to prepare a cookbook manuscript that is POD print-ready.  You can use and modify printing templates, try different styles, fonts, insert pictures, automatically create an index and insert marketing pages to help promote sales of your book.