Why We Give Authors Honest Answers—Even If They Don’t Hire Us

 

Most authors come to Publish Pros knowing a lot about their book. They know the story they want to tell, why they wrote it, and what they hope readers will take from it.

What they often don’t know is how publishing works. That makes sense. You shouldn’t need to understand ISBNs, editing levels, printing options, distribution, royalties, or publishing accounts before writing a book.

That’s where professionals are supposed to help.

At Publish Pros, we believe every conversation with an author should leave them knowing more than they did before. That includes authors who eventually work with us. It also includes authors who don’t.

We Start by Understanding the Author, Not Selling a Package

Before we recommend anything, we need to understand what an author hopes to accomplish. Not every author has the same goal.

One person may want bookstore distribution. Another may want books to sell at speaking events. Someone else may be creating a children’s book for a specific audience, while another author may simply want to preserve an important family story.

Those differences matter. It’s also one reason we don’t offer preset publishing packages.

A package assumes every author needs the same collection of services. They don’t. We would rather talk about the book, understand the author’s goals, and then discuss what makes sense.

Sometimes that means recommending several professional services. Sometimes it means recommending fewer. There may also be things an author can reasonably handle themselves.

The answer should depend on the project, not on which package we’re trying to sell.

Authors Should Understand Why Something Is Being Recommended

We don’t want an author to hear, “You need this,” and simply take our word for it. They should understand why.

If we recommend a certain type of editing, we explain what that editing does. If we discuss different production options, we explain how those choices may affect the finished book. If one approach costs more than another, the author should understand what they’re getting for that difference.

That information helps authors make better decisions. It also gives them something they can take with them.

If they decide to speak with another company, they now know better questions to ask. They can compare recommendations, recognize when someone is suggesting something very different, and make a decision based on understanding instead of pressure.

New Authors Don’t Know What They Don’t Know

Self-publishing can be confusing. There are plenty of good professionals in this industry, but unfortunately, there are also companies willing to take advantage of inexperienced authors.

Some sell expensive services authors may not need. Others make publishing sound more complicated than it really is. And some make enormous promises about bestseller status, publicity, or book sales.

We’ve seen authors presented with publishing plans costing tens of thousands of dollars. That can be especially convincing when someone is publishing for the first time and doesn’t know which claims are reasonable.

They may not know what publishing normally costs, who should own their ISBN or publishing accounts, or where their royalties should go.

We don’t believe an author’s lack of experience should ever be used against them. Our job is to help fill those knowledge gaps.

Self-Publishing Should Keep the Author in Control

There are some things every independent author should understand. Their book should remain their book. Their rights should remain theirs. Their publishing accounts should belong to them, and their book files should be available to them.

Their ISBNs should also be handled properly. Whenever possible, royalties should be paid directly from the publishing platform to the author.

For example, an independently published author using Amazon KDP should receive royalties from Amazon. They shouldn’t need another company to report their Amazon sales before passing along the money.

These aren’t special privileges. They’re part of maintaining control as a self-published author.

We believe authors should understand that before they agree to work with anyone.

Sometimes Good Advice Doesn’t Lead to a Sale

Of course we hope authors choose Publish Pros. We’re proud of the work we do, and we enjoy helping authors bring their books to life.

But that can’t be the only goal of every conversation.

Sometimes an author may discover they need less help than expected. Sometimes their project needs to take a different direction. Sometimes the timing isn’t right. Another company may even be a better fit for what they want to accomplish.

That’s okay.

We would rather an author make an informed decision than choose us simply because we withheld information. Good advice should still be good advice when there isn’t a sale attached to it.

You Can Still Call Us If Something Doesn’t Feel Right

There’s something else we often tell authors who are considering their options: even if you decide to work with someone else, you can still call us.

Maybe another company makes a recommendation that doesn’t sound right. Maybe you’re presented with a contract you don’t understand. Maybe the price suddenly changes, or maybe something simply makes you uncomfortable and you want another professional opinion.

Reach out.

You don’t need to be a Publish Pros client for us to answer a question. We’re more concerned with helping authors avoid potential problems than protecting some imaginary boundary around our advice.

Sometimes a five-minute conversation can prevent a very expensive mistake. We would rather have that conversation.

Every Author Should Leave Better Informed

We have a lot of educational information on the Publish Pros website for the same reason. We want authors to understand the process, know what questions to ask, and recognize the difference between something they genuinely need and something someone is trying to sell.

That education doesn’t stop when someone picks up the phone or walks into our office. It continues throughout every project we work on.

Our authors should understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what choices they have along the way.

And if someone speaks with us but ultimately chooses another path, they should still leave the conversation better prepared than when it started.

Maybe they come back someday. Maybe they don’t.

Either way, we would rather earn someone’s trust by being useful than earn their business by keeping them in the dark.

Authors already have enough uncertainty to navigate. Getting honest answers shouldn’t be one of them.