Services and Pricing

We offer à la carte support for authors who are self-publishing on their own platforms (e.g., Bowker, IngramSpark, KDP). Here’s what we can help with — and what we can’t.

Here's what we can do:

• Copyright submissions - $50 (labor) + $65 (copyright fee): $115
  Includes registration of a standard copyright claim with the U.S. Copyright Office for a single work.
• Book layout/typsetting - $2-$4 per page (depending on complexity)
  Trim size and interior type (fiction, nonfiction, illustrated, or graphics-heavy) may affect the rate. For a standard chapter book with a black-and-white interior, expect around $2/page.
• eBook formatting - $150 - ePub and Amazon MOBI included. *Plain black and white interior, mainly text. Less than 10 interior images or graphic elements. We will quote any additional labor required.
• Pre-press, print-ready PDFs - $75 *We just run pre-flight checks to make sure your PDF is ready for digital and/or offset printing.
• PCIP blocks - $50 + vendor cost ($85–$200). Publisher’s Cataloging-In-Publication are useful for libraries. We can coordinate this for you or recommend vendors like Five Rainbows or Cassidy Cataloguing.
• Metadata optimization - $50 per title. *We give you the data and instruction on how to enter it into your Bowker ISBN account. You can use the same data on your publishing & distribution channels (e.g., IngramSpark, KDP, Bookbaby, D2D)
• Managed editing - $175 + editor fees. *We’ll handle the legwork of vetting and coordinating with a professional editor suited to your genre and budget, but you’ll pay the editor directly. We're happy to help, but we have a guide to help you find and select an editor for your work.

What we can't do, and why:

• ISBNs - ISBNs identify the publisher of record and are legally bound to that entity. Ours are registered to Bruised Fruits Media, LLC, and the Dilettante Press imprint, and cannot be reassigned. If you want to retain your own publishing imprint, we recommend buying ISBNs directly from Bowker.
• LCCN - The Library of Congress Control Number is also tied to the publisher — and Dilettante Press would have to be the publisher of record.
• Creating accounts on your behalf - This would require access to sensitive login credentials — something we will not request or store. In addition, it may violate the terms of service for platforms like IngramSpark, Bowker, or Amazon KDP. For your security and compliance, all accounts must be created and maintained by you.

For more information or to request services, please contact us using our contact page.

All Core Publishing Agreements run for one year and automatically renew unless either party provides written notice (email is fine) at least 60 days before the renewal date.

No. You can terminate the contract at any time. We only ask for 60 days’ notice so we can wind down, set the ISBNs to "out of print," and remove titles from our distribution network — mainly Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. Some distributors require 30 days’ written notice from us before a title comes down. Dilettante Press and its parent company information, name, and logos will be removed from the print files and returned to you. Any remainder of your $250 Returns Reserve is refunded within 90 days of termination.

If you ever choose to move on, we’ll handle the wind-down professionally: books are removed from distribution, ISBNs are marked out of print, and files are returned to you without the imprint attached. Any remainder of your $250 Returns Reserve is refunded within 90 days.

Maybe. Some parts of the Core Service would not be available, particularly ISBNs, since those are tied to Dilettante Press as the publisher of record. Our imprint, print proofs, and author copies would also not be included, since we wouldn’t be handling publishing and distribution. LOC and Copyright Office filing, PCIP, interior book layout and typesetting, and print file preparation may be available separately, subject to availability. Contact Us and we can discuss options and pricing for your individual needs.

You do. Authors keep full copyright. Dilettante Press only holds publishing rights for the duration of the contract.

Shared-upside path: you receive 90% of net royalties, with our 10% share (capped at $1,500 per quarter - you receive 100% of net after that). Payouts are quarterly once royalties reach $100. Any royalties accrued are paid out at the end of the contract term unless renewed.

Yes. If you prefer, we can set up an arrangement where you keep 100% of royalties. In this case, we charge $500 per year for account service and maintenance, beginning with the first year and continuing each year Dilettante Press publishes your book.

In most cases, though, the 10% share capped at $1,500 per quarter serves authors better. Book sales are rarely instant; there’s usually a ramp-up period. During times when there are no sales, Dilettante Press doesn’t earn anything either. Still, if you are confident your sales will exceed $1,250 in quarterly royalties, the 100% royalties option may be the better path.

No publisher can honestly promise that. What we guarantee is professional production and distribution through KDP + Ingram, which makes your book available to bookstores and libraries worldwide.

Bookstores order through Ingram under returnable terms. To protect authors, we maintain a $250 Returns Reserve on every title to cover bookstore returns through Ingram. This fund is part of the Core Agreement. If it’s never used, the balance is refunded within 90 days if you choose not to renew your contract. If a return does occur, the reserve is replenished automatically from future royalties before payouts are made. More information about returns and how they work is available in the Returns section of the FAQ.