Frequently Asked Questions

What is assisted publishing? Assisted publishing helps you get your book printed and published without taking away your rights to your work. It allows you to produce small quantities of books without the need for substantial investment. The books produced are yours and you retain the majority of the profit generated.

How does it differ from Traditional Publishing, Self Publishing or Vanity Publishing? With Traditional Publishing (sometimes called Risk Publishing) you hand over the copyright to a publisher and lose all future rights to what happens to your work. You get a very small percentage of any sales revenue. With Self Publishing you go-it-alone with no help getting the book produced or promoted. With Vanity Publishing you make a substantial investment in a large quantity of books that you hope to sell -if you don’t the loss is all yours. Assisted Publishing minimises your risk and maximises your return.

What paper stock should I chose to print my book on? Fiction is normally printed on bookwove, text books are often printed on bond, illustrations and photo inserts are often printed on coated papers. We will help you chose the best and most economical paper for you needs.

What size of book should I get printed?A5 () is the most economical size to print, but Royal () or Demi () look better on the book shelf. A4 () is often used for technical manuals and training books.

What binding style should I chose?Perfect bound (paperback) is excellent for the majority of books. Cook books and manuals are often Wiro (fold-flat) for convenience of use. Hard-back is expensive and usually reserved for special interest or keep-sake books.

What is copyright? Copyright is important. It is the proof that the original work is yours. It protects you from being copied, from someone else claiming that the work is theirs and benefitting from all your hard effort. With The Author’s Friend you keep the copyright and all rights to your work.

What is an ISBN? International Standard Book Number. It is a unique number that identifies your book. It is essential, along with a scan-able bar-code if you want to get published. We can arrange this for you.

What is legal depositing? All books published in Ireland and the UK must be deposited with The British Library, Trinity College Library and others. The Author’s Friend arranges this for you.