This is not the only way to self-publish a poetry book, but I am the only poet and designer who offers cover design, interior design, AND teaching you how to be your own publisher. I also link you with a trusted editor and marketing expert if desired. Instead of having to cobble together all of these things— you can get everything you need here in one place! You will also be the top priority of a fellow poet who truly cares about your words.

I am an independent publisher just like you! I taught myself how to design books through working on my own eleven books as well as designing over thirty books for other authors. This work is truly something I love to do. When self-publishing, you are your own publisher. You retain all rights and royalties. I am here to teach you HOW to be your own publisher while also designing your book and cover.

Visit my packages & pricing page to request a free estimate! Fill out the form at the bottom of the page and send it in to start the process of working with me.

It’s in the name: print on demand. Your book is printed as soon as it’s ordered, and can’t be out of stock. Learn more here.

I’ve personally worked with them for years and I know how to make files perfect for their printers. They have tons of print options, great print quality, and best of all— global distribution.

It’s ultimately your decision and I am here to support you as best I can. For Kindle ebook files, I do charge an additional because they require a completely different ebook format.

I specialize in poetry books. I also format poetry prompt journals, guided journals, self-help encouragement books, cook books, memoirs, short story collections, and more. If you have an idea— email me! I’d love to help bring your project to life.

Yes! I will take great care in making sure your cover and interior are cohesive in design.

That’s great! Your cover art will still need to be put on a cover template specific to your book’s specifications. This is where I add a barcode with your ISBN and make sure the front cover, spine, and back cover are all formatted properly to ensure a flawless print.

You don’t have to worry about sourcing illustrations or images. The only time you send in graphics is if they are from your illustrator or photographer (or if you made them yourself.) It’s a part of my job to source public domain or licensed stock assets to match the vision of your book!

Once your book is finished, you’ll receive all the PDF files you need so we can upload them an online distributor like IngramSpark. You will also receive the source design files for safekeeping. I also archive all design files in my own hard drives

Due to the sensitive nature of bank information, tax information, etc that must be linked to your author account, I cannot log into your personal author dashboard and upload your files for you. However, I will be with you in a video call to walk you through every step of the way when uploading files and creating metadata.

Your readers won’t be able to tell the difference between your book and all the other poetry books on their shelves. I prioritize professional standards and intricate details. One of my main goals is to make sure my designs don’t look anything less than exceptional.

This varies depending on each client’s needs. Visit my packages & pricing page for more info!

IngramSpark Fees (Separate from me)

Title Setup Fee - Approx. $50.00 USD

ISBN Fee(s) - Approx $85.00 - $125.00 USD per ISBN (USA)

Re-upload fee after eproof is approved (if needed) - $25.00 USD

The title setup fee and ISBN fee(s) are to be paid on or around our upload meeting day. I will guide you through exactly when & how to pay.

Extra Fees

EXTRA REVISIONS - 10% of total project cost per extra revision.

EXTRA 1:1 MEETING - $80.00 USD. 90 minute design meeting.

RUSH FEE - 25% of total project cost.

JPEG to PNG/SVG conversion fee (on client provided images) - $15.00 per image.

Yes, I make files to be uploaded to either IngramSpark or KDP. I need to know which service you plan on using in advance because they require different cover templates.

Yes! You receive your design source files for safekeeping. You retain all copyright and ownership to your files.

The main difference is length. A poetry chapbook generally ranges from 20-40 pages. This small collection usually revolves around one specific concept or theme. In contrast, a full length poetry collection is usually 48 pages and up (All the way to 300+ in some cases). A full length collection still revolves around similar themes, but can explore different sides of those themes and concepts through more sections, chapters, and poems themselves.

Origins:

Chapbooks date back to sixteenth century England. A written account from Cambridgeshire in 1553 describes “lytle books” sold by pedlars, likely containing lyrics to sung ballads. The price of these books was low—typically a penny or a halfpenny—and they provided cheap entertainment for the masses, although there’s little evidence that the books themselves were mass produced. The term “chapbook” dates to 1824, and it takes its name from “chapman,” an English word for an itinerant pedlar or tradesman. (The root word “chap” shares its origin with the word “cheap.”)

Chapbooks were not always synonymous with a collection of poetry; some chapbooks contained short stories, lyrics, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, illustrations, fairy tales, and liturgical text from religious tracts. Over time, though, poetry chapbooks have proven to be the most enduring form of the medium. Chapbooks enjoyed high popularity until the mid-nineteenth century, when they were somewhat supplanted by the availability of cheap daily and weekly newspapers.

I will make sure any and all graphics I source have commercial licensing. This means you are legally allowed to use them in a product you intend to sell. If you provide your own graphics, you MUST own the rights to them or have obtained them with a commercial license.

In the USA “Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.” I provide a copyright page template for your book. In most cases, this is enough. However you may learn more here.

An ISBN, or International Standard Book Number, is a series of numbers that is created and assigned to each format of a book, which the publishing industry uses to track sales around the world. If you are producing a print book as well as an eBook, you will need to purchase a separate ISBN for each "format.

Each country has it’s own provider. Bowker is the USA provider. I have worked directly with clients from the USA, UK, Canada, and India in obtaining their ISBN(s). I am happy to assist you with this!

US clients may purchase their ISBNs directly through IngramSpark’s interface prior to our upload day.

If you’re here— I imagine you’re tired of being lost in the sea of conflicting information and endless publishing avenues and ready to get your book out there. By working with me to self-publish your book, you will get the result you’ve been waiting for without the fear of making a wrong turn— because I’m here with you every step of the way! I’m a huge advocate of self publishing for poets— because these books contain pieces of our soul. When publishing this way, you are involved in every decision. You get to call the shots, not some big corporation that just wants to make a buck. With me, you will be my top priority! As a fellow poet who truly cares for your words, I want you to know that your book will be created with the utmost care and devotion, as if it were my own.

Good news! My in-house Editor, Freydis Lova, offers manuscript organization as a part of her editing services. Make sure to choose a package that includes editorial services or add them on when filling out the form at the bottom of my pricing page.

If you hire me, you get to spend your time doing what you love. I will handle the tedious task of formatting, designing, and typesetting. I will also use my years of experience to teach you everything you need to know in the fraction of the time it took for me to teach myself. I’m here to make this process as easy and enjoyable for my authors as possible. Publishing a book should be something that is exciting! While I’m working on your book, you get to spend your precious time writing the next one! ;)

Yes, I do! This is laid out in your individual contract.

In most cases I require a 25% retainer fee (of total cost) to book your spot. The remaining balance is then split into two half payments. One half payment is due halfway through our contracted time working together. The final half payment is due upon completion of the book in order to deliver print-ready files.

If you need a varied payment plan, feel free to mention that in the comments of your request form or email me!

Please visit my pricing page to view the form at the bottom. It lays out all the info I need from you to get a custom quote.

Absolutely! I’ve worked with clients all over the world from Canada, the UK, Australia, Europe, India, & more!

Payments are made through PayPal invoicing. Clients receive personalized invoices to their email inbox can use a simple click-through interface to send immediate payment by a variety of methods (credit card, debit card, PayPal account)

*All packages and contracts include a 3-part payment plan. This is detailed in your specific contract. The first retainer fee must be paid to secure booking.

I will send a personalized freelance contract your way that must be signed to secure your booking.

Depending on the package you choose, the length of your book, and the complexity of the interior— my contracts range from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. MOST contracts are an average of 5-6 weeks of designing. (Editorial services are done BEFORE this. Marketing services are AFTER.)

Page design is everything from margins to page numbers, headers and footers, font type and size, to placing individual graphics, images, and illustrations.

Typesetting is concerning the poem or prose text on the page and putting it into place!

Your line breaks, italics, bolded words, etc will be honored from manuscript to finished book.

I can’t wait to hear all about it! Please include this in the form you may fill out at the bottom of my pricing page to request a free estimate!

I rely mainly on commercially licensed stock images or resources in the public domain for most of my book design projects, unless graphics are provided by the author or thier illustrator. If you have a super specific image in mind for your book cover, you might need to have that created by an illustrator or photographed custom for your book. If you are looking for an image of a giant white owl with it’s wings wrapped around a woman holding a moon on a night sky background over a skyline of London— you probably need a photographer or an illustrator, not a book cover designer.

I would be happy to connect you with some artists I know! Just email me at rcliftpoetry@gmail.com or visit my author resource directory.

Check out my Author Resource Directory. :)

I will alert you of any typos or apparent mistakes in the manuscript, however, I am not a professional editor and I recommend hiring one to look over your manuscript if this is a big concern of yours!

Google Drive is preferable. Through email is also accepted as well as WeTransfer.

Accepted file formats: Google docs is preferred. WORD (.docx) and pages document accepted. Please do not send as a PDF.

No, you do not need to purchase a barcode separately. I will generate this barcode for you with your ISBN number.

To register your book with the Library of Congress, visit loc.gov/publish/prepubbooklink/.

I do store your design files on my hard drives, however, I cannot be held responsible for lost or corrupt files after your project is complete. Source design files will be delivered to you for safe keeping and for future use.

Trust me, it is. Click here if you don’t believe me yet.

There’s no rules when it comes to independent publishing! One of my books only has 21 poems, another only 34. Check out my chapbook tier if you want a small book(under 40 pages), however if your desired page count is higher— let me know! That means you’re wanting a full length poetry collection, so the chapbook tier isn’t for you. I’ve turned a 49 page manuscript into a 175 page book before. Anything is possible!

Yes, you may! Your legal name must be used for my contract and for creating an account with IngramSpark(which is not visible to the public), but we can use your Pen Name for everything else.

That’s why I’m here! We will have a design meeting to flesh out the concept of your book and I will help you find that clear vision. :)

IngramSpark offers this. You may choose never to enable distribution and ONLY print books through your author portal.

Here is IngramSpark’s pricing guide.

In short, we are paid 90 days after the sales period. (For example, in July, I receive a deposit of my book sales from April.)

You purchase your own copies at print cost and from the author dashboard of your IngramSpark profile. I will teach you how! You can even order personalized copies!

Use this calculator to estimate print cost: https://myaccount.ingramspark.com/Portal/Tools/PubCompCalculator

I am not an official tax advisor, so I can’t offer much guidance on this topic. Here are some articles from IngramSpark themselves!

Info on Sales Tax

Info on 1099 Forms

Info on Setting Up an Account w/ IngramSpark

Yes, you can! You are a published author now, after all! Once your book is published, you may join the goodreads author program.

Through IngramSpark, your book is available online only. However, you may go into your local bookstores and ask if and how you could stock your book in their store. Many independent bookstores love working with locals artists! Every bookstore is a bit different with their policies, however, so it’s best to go in and ask!

Yes! IngramSpark doesn’t care what you do with the books you order for yourself at print-cost. Feel free to sell them yourself at events, local stores, to friends & family, etc!

This is not your fault or responsibility. I tell all of my clients to put this boundary in place. You have full right to tell that person to contact the customer support of the website they ordered your book from and then wish them the best. Printing and shipping is out of your control.

You can choose to take your book off shelves if you wish in the future. Email IngramSpark customer support to make this happen.

You may use your source files to make the changes yourself if you have software to open them. OR you may email me and I can make changes for a set fee.

Many of my clients have had the same fear. I’ve had this thought many times before! They way I see it— you can publish a book and in five years time you don’t have to agree with that poetry anymore, but you must always respect it and the version of you that wrote it. When a book is published, it is no longer ONLY yours— it belongs to the world and its readers. As you grow and evolve and change, there will still always be someone out there who is in the same place as you were when you wrote your book. Your book belongs to them now. It would be a tragedy to take that poetry away from them— so be proud of what you create— and know that there will always be someone out there who needs your book— even if it feels like a stranger wrote it.

Many of my clients hire me for a redisgn if they weren’t happy with their first edition publication! Please fill out the form at the bottom of my pricing page as if it is a brand new book and we will get started!

Yes, IF you own your own ISBN. If you published with KDP Amazon and used their free ISBN, you will have to publish with a new ISBN through IngramSpark.

You CAN— but I personally don’t recommend it. There’s many reasons why, but a main one is, it is a bit redundant. When you publish through IngramSpark, your book will still be available on Amazon. In fact, IngramSpark offers paperback preorders on Amazon for their authors whereas KDP Amazon does not.

Keeping up with royalties gets confusing, taxes are twice the headache, and the print quality through IngramSpark is much better. (It only takes one hot summer of KDP Amazon book pages falling out to make me never want to print through them again.)

Ultimately, though, it is YOUR decision. I’m here to support you regardless!

If you have more questions about this, feel free to email me.

Some of the print-on-demand services offer free ISBNs, which sounds easy and appealing if you’re trying to keep costs down. However, when you register your book under a free ISBN, it then puts your book on record as being published by the entity that provided the ISBN.

If your book is a personal project, purely for fun or for family only, then the publisher may not matter to you. But if you want your book to be taken seriously by bookstores, media, and even book buyers, you should register your own ISBNs and assign a publishing company name. This can all be done in IngramSpark’s interface, and I will teach you how. YOU are your own publisher.

You’re not only purchasing customized PDF files— I am an artist just like you! When designing a book, it is a work of art. Sometimes, a 250 page work of art where every single page has a carefully considered composition— down to the centimeter. You are investing in a lifelong printed home for you words. You’re purchasing the years it took me to teach myself how to do all of this, the many hours I’ve spent designing and perfecting my technique, the high-quality standard I hold my own designs at, the time and devotion I will pour into your book as if it were my own. Also, you’re purchasing the knowledge of self publishing that took me countless hours over several years and dozens of books to learn— that you will learn in just a couple of meetings! My goal is for you to walk away as self-sufficient as possible, so you are confident moving forward.

I’m a one-woman business (although lucky to have a few partners to delegate to and support) which means you are directly supporting a single artist’s livelihood and passion— not just throwing money at a corporation. You will be my top priority, and your book will be born of dedication, years of knowledge, and intricate care.

Great news! My in-house marketing specialist, Morgana Fry, offers website design services. Please email her at morgana.fry@gmail.com to inquire about her services.

If you are searching for only ebook files— please email rcliftpoetry@gmail.com with your inquiry and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.

If you are searching for only Self-Publishing Mentoring & advice— please email rcliftpoetry@gmail.com with your inquiry and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.

If you are searching for only a Custom Book Cover Design— please email rcliftpoetry@gmail.com with your inquiry and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.