Publishing, Book Marketing, Editing | American Heroes Press

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Service Details: Review the description of the professional publishing and marketing services.
(Not all services are included in every American Heroes Press package.) Feel free to contact us if you have additional questions.

Hardcover

Only high-quality paper and materials are used to print our books. Hardcover books are perfect bound, with a full-color dust jacket wrapping the hardcover. The spine has a flat surface where text can be placed. The pages are cut evenly and professionally bound into the spine.

Hardcover books are printed on 55lb., offset*, opaque, 444 PPI**, crème white and acid-free paper. The cover of the book features a full-color, high-gloss jacket made of 100 lb. offset paper. The actual cover under the jacket is a textured patriot blue cover with a gold foil stamped spine.

All hardcover books are 6" x 9" format and must be at least 104 pages and no more than 740 pages. When publishing in hardcover and softcover format, both books will be formatted as the same book size (6" x 9").

*Offset is a type of paper that is suitable for book printing.

**"PPI" stands for "pages per inch." A page in this case means the actual piece of paper, or front and back of a sheet of paper, which technically would be counted as two pages of text in the book.

Softcover

We have arranged for our printer to use only high quality paper and materials in our books. All books are perfect bound, which is the standard for most paperback books. A perfect bound book has a true spine with a flat surface where text can be placed. The pages are cut evenly and professionally bound into the spine.

The 6" x 9" and 5" x 8" books are printed on 55lb., offset*, opaque, 444 PPI**, crème white and acid-free paper. The 8.25" x 11" books are printed with 50lb., offset, opaque, 512 PPI, white and acid-free paper. For all book sizes, the cover is printed on 100lb., offset, white enamel paper and laminated (glossy).

*Offset is a type of paper that is suitable for book printing.

**PPI means "pages per inch." A page in this case means the actual piece of paper, or front and back of a sheet of paper, which technically would be counted as two pages of text in the book.

All books must fall within the minimum and maximum page requirements for the selected book size. The minimum and maximum are as follows:

5 inch by 8 inch book: minimum is 48 pages, maximum is 740 pages
6 inch by 9 inch book: minimum is 48 pages, maximum is 740 pages (note: if you also have a hardcover book, your softcover will be a 6x9, but must meet the page minimum for a hardcover, which is 104 pages)
8.25 inch by 11 inch book: minimum is 48 pages, maximum is 828 pages

E-book

Electronic-books, or E-books, are a fast growing trend in the digital world. We'll format your finished book into an e-book, which can be purchased for a fraction of the price of a printed book, and downloaded almost immediately. This is format is a great way to expand your reach in the book market.

ISBN

An International Standard Book Number, or ISBN, is a 13-digit number specific to your book only. It identifies your title and publisher so that retailers, libraries, universities, distributors and individual consumers can efficiently market and purchase your book.

We'll register your ISBN specifying American Heroes Press as the publisher of your book. The ISBN will be included on the copyright page as well as the back cover, with a globally compatible barcode for modern scanners. Obtaining an ISBN will not delay the publication of your book.

Channel Distribution

Channel Distribution is a critical element to your book's commercial success. Distribution ensures that retailers can order your book directly through their own suppliers.

After your title is released, it will be available for order at more than 25,000 retail outlets worldwide. New titles take about 30 to 60 days to become available through most bookstores, and about 14 to 21 days to become available through most online retailers.

Each package includes two years of retail channel distribution, with the option to renew.

Free Books, hardcover/softcover

Free books are printed upon completion of the publishing process. After receiving the first copy of the book, you can order your additional copies by contacting us directly. You are, however, responsible for paying the shipping and handling fees.

Editing

Even if your book is well-written, poor grammar and typos can reduce the overall professionalism of your book. As we've all experienced, it is difficult to catch your own mistakes. A fresh pair of eyes poring over your manuscript can make all the difference between a good book and a sensational book.

Using Microsoft® Word, your copyeditor will track every change and recommendation. You are able to accept or reject individual changes, so if your work includes special terms, slang or a non-standard style, we won't copyedit-away your creativity.

Three levels of editing are available: Copyediting, Express Copyediting and Content Editing (Content Editing up to 3,400 words is included in Two Stars Package. Additional content is content edited for $0.06 per word).

Copyediting: One of our copyeditors will review your work line-by-line to correct any typos or errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. Copyediting takes approximately 45 to 60 business days to complete and is well worth the time and investment for the assurance that your book is ready for publication.

Express Copyediting: Express Copyediting provides exactly the same service as our standard Copyediting service, but with a much faster turn-around time. Express Copyediting gives your work a pass to the front of the line and can be completed in only five to eight business days for manuscripts 100,000 words or less (longer manuscripts take additional time to edit).

Content Editing: Content Editing includes the basic Copyediting service, plus your editor will evaluate the actual content – or the flow, meaning and story – of your work. This is the most comprehensive review that your book can receive. Your editor will review your work, assisting where needed to reorganize sentences, paragraphs and chapters. Characters, dialogue, facts, storylines and points will all be considered for clarity and development. Best of all, our content editors are committed to preserving your voice, style and intention in the work. It takes approximately 75 business days to complete this thorough examination of your work.

Custom Typesetting Interior Design

Gain the experience and knowledge of our practiced book technicians. This service will ensure that your book has a professionally designed interior that meets and exceeds today's standards, maximizing your readability for your targeted audience.

One of our professional book-layout specialists will work with you to design and create a custom interior for your book. The designer will follow your specific instructions or offer their own expertise on selecting font styles and sizes, chapter-start styles, table of contents design, running headers, page numbers and images. Up to five hours of design time are included with this service. The first proof copy of your galley will be completed within five business days after your layout consultation.

Electronic Proof of Interior

You'll review an electronic proof of the interior of your book before the design is finalized and sent to the printer. You can then make formatting, style or layout adjustments based on these proofs. Text corrections can also be made for an additional fee. Your approval is desired and necessary before we submit your book to the printer.

Graphic Design /Preparation of Cover

It's tough to avoid judging a book by its cover, and most consumers, whether they are conscious of it or not, are strongly influenced by a book's appearance – it truly can make or break a sale. But our graphic designers can give your book the marketing advantage it deserves.

One of our expert cover designers will create a powerful cover that appeals to your readers and meets the technical requirements of our printer. Guided by your ideas, your designer will select images from our huge supply of stock photography and designs to generate your cover. Or, if you prefer, you can submit all or part of your cover design, including images, artwork or photographs, which your designer will incorporate into your cover design. High resolution (300 dpi or higher) jpg, tiff or psd files are preferred.

From the placement of the title and author name to font styles and sizes to colors and overall balance, your designer will take care of all the details concerning your cover. You can supply text about the book, about the author, pictures, quotes or endorsements for your back cover. Typically, it takes approximately 10 to 15 business days to complete the first proof copy. This service also includes one comprehensive round of cover corrections you can submit in the event of desired changes, adjustments or corrections.

Front Cover Custom Illustration Service

This special service not only provides all the basic services included in the Graphic Design/ Cover Preparation service, but it also allows you the freedom to truly dream. Our practiced and skilled illustrators can create a custom illustration for your front cover, bringing scenes and characters from your imagination to life.

After gathering ideas, you will speak with your designer and work out the details of your design. You have the flexibility to choose the style of artwork that's right for your book. With up to five hours of time crafting the illustration, your ideas will be translated into custom artwork. Proofs of the artwork will be sent for your review and final approval. You will receive the first proof sketch of the Cover Illustration within 30 business days, and once approved, you will receive the final artwork and full-cover design within an additional 30 business days.

A front cover featuring a custom illustration will help your book stand out from the rest. Retailers and readers will be proud to display your title on their tables and shelves.

Full-Cover Custom Design, Illustration Service

The Custom Cover Design is our premium package that takes full advantage of our professional design studio. Not only do you receive two hours of consulting time with the designer, but you are also guaranteed up to 14 hours of time invested in the design and creation of your cover. With a wide variety of styles and mediums, you and your designer can find the perfect genre-specific look. This intensive process will give your cover the attention it deserves to create a design as compelling as your book.

By relying on your direction, a graphic designer will create a full cover utilizing graphic design, photography, graphite, ink, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, collage or other digital media. Up to 14 hours of artistic development will be committed to your cover, including a concept proof and final proof for your approval. Additional development time is available on an hourly basis. The first proof of the cover will be ready for your review within 30 business days, and once approved, you will receive the final artwork within an additional 30 business days.

Investing in this complete cover designing package ensures that you'll receive the best cover possible for your book. Since the cover of a book is often seen on promotional materials, Web sites, and used by readers to judge a book's quality, you're sure to reap the benefits of a professional, eye-catching cover in the book market as well.

Cover Copyediting

It's intimidating knowing that what appears on the back cover of your book can make or break a sale. By relying on our copyeditors, you can rest assured knowing your back cover text is clean of embarrassing errors, ready to persuade potential readers that your book is one worth investing their time and money in reading.

You know the importance of clean text on the back cover. Just as the front cover is essential to catch the eye of book buyers, the content is what truly convinces them to buy your book. One of our copyeditors will edit your back cover text line by line to catch any typos or errors. The text you submit for your back cover, whether it's describing your book, telling readers about the author, or both, will be fully edited and cover-ready.

Google and Amazon Search Programs

In today's book market, it's important to have a strong presence online. With this service bundle, you're headed in right direction. Your book will be included in two innovative programs created by leaders in online book sales and Internet searches: Search Inside™ on Amazon.com and Book Search through Google™.

Higher and more accurate search results will help online searchers find your book. That's because Internet users can find your book when searching on keywords found within the pages of your book – not just in the title or book description. Plus, shoppers will be able to see real pages from your book, including the back cover, table of contents and a few other sample pages, much like they would at a physical bookstore flipping through the pages. Each search program has policies in place to ensure the protection of your material.

An electronic copy of your book will be submitted to the book search programs typically within 48 hours after your book becomes available for purchase. Each company will carryout individual processes to analyze the content and common keywords in your book. It takes anywhere from five to 10 weeks before your book is set up and established within these programs.

Title Set Up at Printer

We'll handle all of the details setting up your title with our printer, Lightning Source. We've chosen the leading print-on-demand printer in the United States to print American Heroes Press books. Whenever someone orders a copy of your book from any retailer, the title set up ensures a high-quality book is printed and shipped quickly and efficiently.

Storage of Files at Printer

We've established agreements with our printer to store your book files electronically. Thus, whenever a copy of your book is ordered, a copy can successfully be printed, without the need or cost of warehousing physical printed books.

Customer Support Available

A team of customer support representatives are available to answer questions, explain services included in our packages or help you during the publishing process. Simply contact a representative through Live Chat, e-mail or phone.

Keep Rights to Book

It is a fact that many publishers require that you surrender the rights to your intellectual property when a book is published. However, when you publish with American Heroes Press, you retain the rights to your work even after it's published. So, you're free to publish your book elsewhere in the future, or even sell the rights of your book to another company. It's just one of the advantages of self-publishing with American Heroes Press – it remains your book.

Non-Exclusive Contract

Unlike many other publishing companies, we don't require you to sign a contract of exclusivity. Since our agreements are non-exclusive, you're free to have another version of your book in circulation while publishing with us.

Discounted Author Price

You'll receive an author discount when you order your own book directly through American Heroes Press. Instead of paying the full retail price, you'll only pay a low basic print cost of the book. We know that low book cost is important to an author's success. That's why we strive to keep our books competitively priced with other print on demand companies – in fact, we're often less expensive than the competition.

Volume Discounts for Author Books

On top of the already low, author-discounted price of your book, you'll also receive volume discounts when you order 25 or more of your book. Volume discounts are a fantastic opportunity for you to save when preparing for a book signing, book fair, reading event or handing out promotional copies to media and bookstore managers.

Retail Return Insurance

Retail Return Insurance is one of the most beneficial services you can purchase to encourage retailers to buy your book. Some chains even have a policy against ordering non-returnable titles. So, books with Retail Return Insurance are not only more likely to be stocked in a store, but retailers will definitely be more willing to arrange book signings and speaking engagements that often require ordering books.

When your book is returnable, it tells retailers that they can recover their purchase costs if your book doesn't sell. But don't worry about losing royalties; returned books will not affect your royalty payment in the slightest.

Retail Return Insurance is an exceptional service for any author:

No risk of financial loss for retailer
Does not affect your royalty payments
Yearly insurance is renewable for $300 per year
Overcomes a major barrier to successful book sales in bookstores

Depending on when you purchase the service, your book will be returnable within two to seven weeks. If you buy the insurance before your book is available, your book will be at the faster end of the timeline, but the insurance availability will be slower if purchased after your book is already available. Additionally, it can take about 30 to 60 days for your book's returnable status to circulate through the distribution channel and update within retailers' systems. You will always have the option to renew your insurance before the year of coverage is complete.

ForeWord Magazine Ad

ForeWord Magazine is a bi-monthly publication read by more than 20,000 booksellers, librarians and publishing professionals. This well-established journal has a strong influence on booksellers and librarians across the country as they select which books millions of people have access to read. Agents and editors at larger traditional publishing houses also read the magazine, looking for emerging authors to bring into their publishing fold from the independent press sector.

Full-color ad includes a picture of your book cover
Author ad size 4.375 x 1.5 inches
Multi-book ads make a strong impact for maximum exposure

Book Buyer's Preview

As you approach bookstores and retailers about stocking your book on their shelves, access to your book's content is another key to success. The Book Buyer's Preview is a six to eight page preview that allows book buyers, librarians and researchers across the globe to read a selection from the first chapter of your book. When book buyers access their ordering database, the preview will appear with your book's ordering information to aid buyers in making a purchasing decision.

The Book Buyer's Preview will help promote your book in the following ways:

A preview of your book is available in trade databases, including Ingram Book Group and Baker & Taylor, the two largest book distributors in the world.
Once libraries choose to catalog your book, your book's preview pages will be available to library patrons searching for material.
The Book Buyer's Preview will also post a preview of your book on the Barnes & Noble site BN.com as well as Buy.com.
Your book's preview will also be on EBSCO, the leading service provider of archived print materials and related services for libraries and research organizations.

Library of Congress Number

Increase the overall professionalism, open up more opportunities, and further the registration of your work by including a Library of Congress Control Number in your book. A LCCN makes your book even more attractive to the more than 5,000 libraries located throughout the United States. It's an excellent idea if you're interested in getting your book on library shelves.

The LCCN is a specific number assigned by the Library of Congress. We obtain a specific kind of LCCN called a Pre-assigned Control Number, or PCN. This unique number is used to catalog books in the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world, located in Washington, D.C.

The LCCN will be placed on the copyright page of your book. A printed copy of your book will be sent directly to the Library of Congress as is required.

U.S. Copyright Registration

When your book is officially registered with the copyright office, you'll have the right to seek damages if a party uses your work without your permission. It is your right to gain control and have the full force of protection for your valuable, original material.

Your book will be officially registered with the U.S. copyright office, issued a copyright number and further protected under copyright law. After your book is completed, we'll send two physical copies of your book to the U.S. federal copyright office in Washington, D.C. While the registration number is not printed in the book, you will receive a certificate of registration after the process is completed. The process typically takes six to 12 months to complete.

10,000 Bookmarks distributed nationwide

Bookmarks are a powerful promotional tool to notify readers and retailers about your book. And, because bookmarks have a function, readers will be reminded of your book each time they save or find their place in a book.

Featuring your book's details and ordering information, 10,000 bookmarks will be distributed nationwide at bookstores, book fairs and other promotional events. The connections established by American Heroes Press ensure that representatives throughout the book marketing network know about your book.

Press Release distributed through the American Heroes Press Network

This custom composted press release will be distributed through the vast and ever-growing American Heroes Press Network hosted by police-writers, military-writers and firefighter-writers.com. A press release is a proven-effective means of reaching out to the community and media organizations to announce the publication of you book.

Bookstore Catalog

The Bookstore Catalog is a full-color print piece mailed to approximately 3,500 booksellers across the United States. Arranged in a newsletter style, the catalog will display your book and ordering information to booksellers who can browse through the information while deciding which books to order. By influencing the opinion of booksellers up front, you're increasing your chances of being read by the millions of whom the retailers sell books.

Books for Review

Your book will be included in Books for Review, a newsletter and full-color catalog sent to newspapers, magazines and media book reviewers. The piece features a picture of your book's front cover, as well as ordering information. Alerting the media about your recent publication is the perfect opportunity to spark interest and awareness of your authorship and your book.

Interview on "The Watering Hole," Internet Radio Program

A personal interview will be conducted and aired on the Internet Radio Program "The Watering Hole" at a scheduled time and date. Describe as "sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting," The Watering Hole is a place where police officers and other American Heroes can blow off steam and talk about work and life.

This is an excellent opportunity to reach fellow officers, service members, readers and listeners across the country. Plus, you can use this as a media reference point when arranging additional interviews, reviews and promotional events.

Copy of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books

As an experienced publisher, we understand that many authors don't have the first idea about how to actually market their books to increase sales. American Heroes Press is always by your side to assist with marketing, but if you have aspirations of commercial success, you must be an active participant in the promotional efforts for your book. With this instructional guide, you'll learn 1001 useful ways to spread the word about your book. You'll be a seasoned marketing pro in no time.

Book listed on appropriate Web site

Information about your book and an ordering link will be posted on the most appropriate of these sites: www.police-writers.com, www.military-writers.com or www.firefighter-writers.com. These sites were established to unite service members and help promote books authored by American Heroes. They are frequented by those with similar interests and professional backgrounds.

These sites are growing and improving every day to better serve the American Heroes Press authors as well as the entire community of service men and women. For more information, visit the individual site that interests you.

Access to American Heroes Press Blog as a contributor

Gain access to the American Heroes Press Blog and establish your voice amongst your peers. As an author and heroes member, you have stories and a conviction to tell them. Share your opinions, advice, expertise and humor through the blog and stay connected in this growing network.

Continuing marketing support through extensive peer network

The American Heroes Press associated Web sites www.police-writers.com, www.military-writers.com or www.firefighter-writers.com are just the tip of the iceberg. New marketing opportunities pop up on the site on a regular basis, and site editor Raymond E. Foster keeps member updated monthly with excellent marketing opportunities, available to anyone interested. From participating in a radio program to being promoted at book events to connecting with another interested party through the extensive network, you'll be a step ahead because Foster's already got a foot in the door to the book marketing world.

Free Web site available at AuthorTree

As an American Heroes Press published author, you'll gain access to create your own Web site on AuthorTree.com. Your book will be available for purchase through your customizable Web site within the AuthorTree community.

The seeds of AuthorTree were planted with you, the author, in mind. It provides each individual their freedom of promotional choice. You can feature book reviews, upcoming events and other publications. Or you can manage your own book blog and link to other social networks. However you choose to promote your book, you can utilize this Web site to connect around the globe.

Registration is simple, fast and free. Once you've become a member, you can begin building your personalized author Web site with the user-friendly Administrative Wizard.

Marketing Kit

Word-of-mouth marketing is key to generating high book sales, especially in the close-knit American Heroes community. Every day you meet people who are potential customers and fans of your book. So, make sure you're prepared. Whether it's passing out business cards to acquaintances or mailing company affiliates postcards about your book, our Marketing Kit is a great first step in any marketing campaign.

Our Marketing Kit includes essential collateral material. Each kit contains:

100 custom business cards, 2" x 3.5"
100 postcards, 4"x 6"
100 bookmarks, 2" x 8"

Each component features your book's cover on the front side, printed in full-color with a glossy finish. The back of each is white, matte cardstock with black ink. Ordering information and customizable text, which you supply, is printed on the back of the marketing material. The text you supply should describe your book and meet these word count limits: 25 words for the business cards, 75 words for the bookmarks, and 125 words for the postcards.

Book Signing Kit

This kit supplies you with everything you need to prepare for a book signing or event. Book signings can generate instant sales and increase public awareness and visibility of your book. However, you must realize the importance of publicizing your event to draw a crowd. By sending invitations, displaying beautiful and eye-catching posters at bookstores and distributing flyers, you will increase your chances for a successful event.

This complete package of collateral material perfect for book signings or other events includes:

10 full-color posters, 11"x 17" printed on glossy, high-quality paper
30 single-sheet flyers, 8.5"x11" full-color
100 postcard invitations, 5"x8" glossy on the front, white cardstock on back

The posters, flyers and postcards are custom designed and feature your cover in full-color while providing detailed book ordering information. The postcard invitations are self-customizable to facilitate more than one event or signing. Completion and delivery of the Book Signing Kit is approximately four weeks from date of purchase.

Domain Name Registration

Make it easy for customers to find and remember your Web site without searching to find it. A domain name is a registered Web address that, when entered in a Web browser, takes Internet users directly to your AuthorTree Web site. This excellent marketing tool can help boost sales because it makes your book easier to locate and remember. Add your domain name to business cards, postcards, posters or any other marketing products you purchase for your book.

You submit your most desired domain name choices, and we will register your top choice depending on its availability. A domain name (for example, www.exampleofdomain.com) should be 30 characters or less (not including "www" and "com") and easy to remember, such as your book title, author name, or some combination of both. The domain registration typically takes about two to six days to complete. The registration lasts for one year, and you can opt to renew the registration at that time.