The self-publishing journey of your picture book.
Self-publishing is an exciting journey with lots of twists and turns.
Whether you feel brave and raring to go, or you're a little bit daunted by some of the logistics, we can help as much (or as little) as you need.
You might have a talented auntie who is amazing at picture book illustration... or a step-mum who is an editing guru - use them! We're here to help you in the areas where you need a hand.
We love love (LOVE) working with aspiring authors so we've put together a low priced Become-An-Author Package to you kick-off your book dreams.
It includes everything you need to turn your story into a book: editing, bespoke illustrations, publishing paperwork and your first print run (yay!). We understand that this is YOUR project and YOUR baby - we want to help your story come to life!
The self-publishing journey of your picture book.
Okay so you have a story stuck in your head. You need to write it down.
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Then you need to re-read it, tweak it and give to some people you trust (friends, family, work colleagues, your neighbour's kids) to get their feedback and input!
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Make sure it flows and that you are 98% happy with it. You don't start anything until you are sure you have it refined (btw you will NEVER be 100% - just accept this!).
Now it's time to get your manuscript perfected ready for the illustrator.
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We can look at your manuscript and help with punctuation, layout, themes and your all-important story structure.
Once your story is perfect it's time to illustrate your book. This is SUCH an exciting part!
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You can illustrate the pictures yourself... or use one of our amazing illustrators to bring your book to life!
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We make the process smooth, fun and ensure you have a professional book where the illustrations and wording work hand in hand.
It's time to print your story!
Your book should be printed professionally, it makes a HUGE difference. People will only buy your book if it looks like the real deal!
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ALWAYS perfect bound - never staple bound.
To become 'published' you need an official ISBN for your book... and have it uploaded onto the Nielsen book database.
Sounds confusing? Well it can be! However don't worry, we've done this loads before and can sort it all our for you!
Hooray it's time to go!
There are so many ways to sell your book... from bookshops from Amazon, to using social media or on your own website. School author visits are a brilliant way to make money and promote your book.
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If you use our 'Become-an-author' package we also get your book listed with Gardners (the UKs largest book distributor).
Polishing your manuscript to picture book perfection!
If you want your book to be taken seriously in the competitive picture book world then you need to make sure that it's written properly. A book that is LOVELY to read makes parents happy (true fact) plus the kids will demand it at bedtime over and over again.
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It is ALWAYS worth having your book edited before your first print run. It is ridiculously easy to overlook mistakes in your own book, even if you've checked the story a hundred times. You don't want to be kicking yourself later when your readers point out those tiny errors you managed to miss.
At Fi and Books we:
- Proofread your manuscript and check your spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Carefully check your story structure, making sure that it flows properly with a clear start, middle and end.
- Review the themes in your book and keep them consistent throughout the story.
- Make sure your wording is child-friendly, engaging and reads well from beginning to end.
- Provide tips, suggestions and ideas!
Need some gorgeous illustrations to go with your book?
Once you've sorted the wording for your story it's time for a very exciting part to begin... the illustration process! It is absolutely crucial that you pick the perfect illustrations for your book - these are the pictures that will bring your story to life, make it jump off the shelf and capture the imaginations of your readers.
You may have illustrated your story yourself, great job! Just make sure that your wording and drawings work well together and the words don't just looked 'plonked' on the page.
If you do need some help we have chosen for their talents (and the gorgeousness of their work!), we've found a real mixture of emerging and established illustrators who offer a variety of styles and illustration approaches.
From watercolour paintings to pencil drawings, sketches and computer graphics - you can pick the style that suits the essence of your story!
Professionally printed for extra shelf-appeal!
You can choose to start with 10 or 1000 books depending on how brave you feel!
If already have your book artwork ready to go, you can always choose our 'Book Only Packages'
Our book specifications.
Front Cover: Glossy
Inner pages: Silk
Perfect bound
All the inner pages are full colour printed printed on silk paper. Your book will looks (and is!) a professional and 'proper' book.
If you have a different idea in mind, your book can be a different size and can printed on different paper stock, just ask!
Sorting out that all-important ISBN number.
We generate your ISBN number, take care of the small-print and upload your book onto the Nielsen Book Database to make it all REAL! We will NEVER act like a traditional publisher or take any royalties from your book sales so it all stays totally in your control... FOREVER!
Without an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) booksellers, libraries, internet retailers and other supply chains cannot order, list or track your book for stock control - it's a very important thing! It also means you can sell into Gardners who supply Waterstones and WHSmiths.
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We love helping authors who are just starting off or who need a little extra oomph to get their books looking slick and professional. So, we have tried to keep our pricing as simple as possible. We frown when we hear about sneaky businesses who rip off aspiring authors (grrr). Our Become-An-Author Package starts from just £1,100 and includes all of your picture illustrations, manuscript editing, publishing management and printing.
