FAQs for Writers
What are Print On Demand Books?
Why choose to publish with Bookpal?
How do I know you are not some dodgy Internet operation?
Who owns the copyright to the book after I publish with Bookpal?
Why is it important for you to own your copyright?
Can Bookpal guarantee that your book is a bestseller?
What is the most economical book size to print?
Can Bookpal help with the pagination of my book?
Can Bookpal provide you with a list of all 25,000 bookstores that we make your book available in?
Why do you need an ISBN and barcode when self publishing?
How much money can I make by self publishing?
What is the difference between Bookpal and traditional publishers?
How does the self publishing process work with Bookpal?
How long does it take to publish a book?
How do I order books after it is published?
Is it legal to have a book published if I am under 18.
Do you offer e-book publishing?
Can I supply my own cover design?
Am I required to buy a certain number of my book?
Who determines the retail price of my book?
Can I have photographs and illustrations in my book?
How long does it take before my book is available for sale?
How do I get paid my profits?
What will my finished book look like?
How do sales to your 25,000+ bookstores work?
Do I need to get my book edited?
What format do I need to send you my file in?
Can you scan my photos or pictures for me?
How should I submit my files?
Can I have colour pages in my book?
How do I setup a PayPal Account
What are Print On Demand Books?
Print on Demand Books means that you no longer have to mortgage your house, print thousands of books and hope that they will sell. You can print as little as one book at a time, as and when a customer or bookstore orders your book. Or should you choose to have 50, 100 or 200 books printed for a seminar or book launch, you can do so at a discounted price. Please allow for up to 14 days for delivery of bulk orders of books.
The beauty of print on demand for new book titles is that you get to ‘test’ how well your book will sell, if it sells well, you can always order larger runs of thousands of books. This will enable you to enjoy a lower cost of production per book.
Why choose to publish with Bookpal?
A simple answer would be: Because we have the widest book channel availability in the world. We are an Australian company that has the widest bookstore distribution network in the world of any company serving authors. This means your book is available for order in 25,000+ bookstores and 1,000+ Internet websites in Australia, USA, UK and Canada.
You don’t speak to a sweatshop telemarketing centre in a third world country. You can always call us 9am to 5pm Brisbane time on weekdays and talk to a live person. Your book will also be available in Amazon.com. You can verify this claim by going to Amazon.com and typing in ‘Bookpal’ and many of the books we have published will appear.
When your book is ordered, a single book is printed in the country where it is ordered, and sent to the bookstore or the customer directly. Many others claim to have this but the truth is they simply give you an ISBN number, but to be honest this means nothing. As they are not able to fulfil the orders or they do not have agreements in place with the booksellers.
In 2011, your customers will also be able to purchase your book over the Amazon Kindle and IPad, to give you the widest distribution coverage possible.
How do I know you are not some dodgy Internet operation?
Excellent question! Well, firstly you can always come by and visit us at our office in Coopers Plains in Brisbane. Of course we suggest you call first so we can allocate time for you. We don’t hide behind some PO Box, virtual office or residential address unlike some others.
Secondly, CLICK HERE to check out our testimonials from real people and real customers.
Thirdly, our 100% money-back guarantee means if we do not deliver on what we promise in our product description, we will give you a full refund. None of our competitors dare to guarantee this, so you know you will get what you pay for with Bookpal. No false promises- guaranteed!
Finally Bookpal is a registered Australian company with a registered Australian trademark.
Who owns the copyright to the book after I publish with Bookpal?
You do. Unlike other publishers who make their money by tying you down and owning your intellectual property, we see ourselves empowering authors.We are still your publishers for distribution and logistical purposes, but you hold the intellectual property for your book. Your intellectual property is protected by our publishing agreement.
Why is it important for you to own your copyright?
Owning your copyright means you can use the content in your book however you want without seeking permission from us first. This means you can sell your book on the Internet or negotiate foreign/movie rights without having to pay us anything.
Did you know guys like Elvis, the Beatles and famous authors like Steig Larsson still make money after they die because they own their intellectual property? Make sure you don’t get caught with other publishers tying your intellectual property down!
Can Bookpal guarantee that your book is a bestseller?
Show us a publisher that will guarantee you a bestseller and I’ll show you a liar. At Bookpal we provide all the publisher services you can get at a big publishing house, but like everyone else in the industry who is honest, we cannot guarantee you a bestseller or that you will sell a lot of books. There are ways and means to give your book the best possible chance of success and we are constantly developing new marketing systems for authors. We will be launching these in 2011 so keep in touch!
What is the most economical book size to print?
5” x 8” or 6”x 9” as these sizes will also allow for easy global distribution of your book using our print on demand services
Can Bookpal help with the pagination of my book?
Yes, that is a standard service we offer to our clients in the publishing package deals.
Can Bookpal provide you with a list of all 25,000 bookstores that we make your book available in?
No, simply because we don’t even know all the bookstores that link into our system. But we can supply you with a small sample of a few hundred bookstores.
In addition you can feel free to test out our system by getting your friends in the UK, US or Canada to go to their local bookstore to check if some of our books are available there.
Why do you need an ISBN and barcode when self publishing?
Your ISBN is a unique identifier of your book, and us as your publisher. It also contains vital information as to the pricing of the book and the number of pages of the book. This allows bookstores all around the world to know that your book can be ordered through us.
How much money can I make by self publishing?
To find out exactly how much you can make per book. You’ll have to talk to one of our publishing consultants who can provide you with a pricing calculator.
On a macro level, through proper research of your target market, knowing your outcomes upfront and good marketing, a book has the potential to make you money. It has also the potential to grow your business by positioning you or your business as the expert in that field. Smart authors have also created other related products such as CDs, DVDs and manuals, consultations, seminars to complement or upsell after selling the initial book. Some of our smarter authors have made hundreds of thousands of dollars by using their book as a stepping stone this way. Others have made decent money by simply targeting the right market and just selling their book.
We have no JK Rowlings on our books just yet, but we are hoping that we will one day have one! Maybe you could be that one we are looking for! In reality though, it may not all be about money, sometimes leaving that legacy for your children, your industry or your club may be more important. Sometimes it is the amazing therapeutic and healing effect writing a book has on your soul that is priceless. And other times, writing a book is just one of those things that you have to do in life...a great accomplishment, akin to climbing a high mountain or visiting one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world.
What is the difference between Bookpal and traditional publishers?
Well firstly, traditional publishers make money through paying you a small royalty of 10% of the wholesale price. This is usually about 5% of the retail price.We give you all the profits minus the cost of printing and handling your books, and any bookstore commissions. Traditional publishers are also risk-adverse nowadays and will not be fronting any of their cash upfront for new, unknown authors. So you will have to pay a large sum of money upfront to the traditional publisher, or you will have to purchase the first few thousand books upfront. In many cases that will result in you being charged more than even our most expensive package deals.
The final myth is that “A publisher will help me market my book.” Do you really think a traditional publisher is going to risk tens of thousands of dollars advertising and marketing your book if you are not well known? In fact, in 99% of cases, authors realise that they are the ones who have to end up investing in their own marketing and publicity. At Bookpal we empower you as an author, through education and marketing services, to market you and your book. So you know what you are getting upfront with no smokescreens.
How does the self publishing process work with Bookpal?
These are the steps involved when someone purchases a publishing pack from us once you have purchased and become a customer.
- We will issue you a username and password to login to the website
- Login to the site
- Go to MY ToDo List
- Accept the Publishing Agreement
- Register your book for an ISBN
- Page Layout for your book is done
- Submit your instructions for your book Cover Design
- Submit your instructions for your Press Release
- Check and accept your Typeset file once your Page Layout is completed.
- Check and accept your completed book cover design online.
- A sample unbound/non-laminated book or a mock up will posted to you to check for any final errors. Once you are happy with this you can let us know.
- Submit your Distribution Instructions
- Receive and accept your written press release and request changes if needed
- You will receive your final printed books and your password protected ebook.
- We will complete your book global distribution
- We will blast out your press release to 800+ media journalist in Australia
Don’t worry if any of the language sounds foreign to you. Our publishing consultants will guide you each step of the way if you get stuck.
How long does it take to publish a book?
The time required depends on several factors, including the level of service you choose and the number of changes that take place in the creation process of your book. Generally speaking, the entire publishing process usually takes between 60 to 90 days once we receive your complete submission.
How do I order books after it is published?
Each publishing package will have 30 books provided. After your book is published, we will print as many books as ordered by your customers and bookstores. You will be paid the difference between the sale price and the print cost (minus any bookstore commissions). You can also order books for yourself at any time in the quantities you require.
Is it legal to have a book published if I am under 18.
Yes, most definitely! You can be of any age to publish, in fact, our youngest author to date was only 8 years old! However, if you are a minor, you will need to have a parent or legal guardian to co-sign your Publishing Agreement.
Do you offer e-book publishing?
Yes, Bookpal not only boasts the widest book distribution network in the world, but we also publish your book to multiple formats including the Amazon Kindle, the IPad, and also a pdf ebook that is password protected is also created for you in most of our publishing package deals. Book availability on the Kobo, Nook and Android devices are expected soon.
Can I supply my own cover design?
Yes, if you have already designed a cover for your book, we are more than happy to adopt your design. However we cannot do illustrations for your cover design, unless you can find an illustrator who will supply such a design to us in the appropriate format.
Am I required to buy a certain number of my book?
No. You are under no obligation to purchase any copies of your book.
Who determines the retail price of my book?
With Bookpal you retain all rights to your book, including the right to price your book. So this decision lies with you. You need to determine your costs, your competition and how much you think your target market is willing to pay for your book to come up with a price that is suitable.
Can I have photographs and illustrations in my book?
Yes. Just bear in mind that your photos and illustrations will come out in black and white when printed. Unless of course you opt for our children’s publishing package deals where your books are full colour. Unlike many other providers, we do not limit the number of photographs and illustrations.
How long does it take before my book is available for sale?
Once you have approved your book mock-up, it usually takes 4-8 weeks to have your books available in our network of bookstores and websites.
How do I get paid my profits?
You will need a PayPal account to get paid. This will take you a few minutes to set up at www.paypal.com. After that, Bookpal will automatically pay your profits to your PayPal account.
This is one of the Bookpal differences: you can login to your customer site at any time and you will see ‘live’ statistics on the number of books you have sold and how much will be paid to you. You don’t have to ‘trust’ your publisher blindly. Overseas statistics are updated once every quarter as we do not yet have live feed information yet. In addition we make payments to authors every quarter, unlike most other publishers who will only pay you once every half a year. Please note that PayPal is not associated in any way with BookPal
How do I setup a PayPal account?
What will my finished book look like?
Your book can be published in either trade paperback 5” x 8” or 6”x 9” paperback size and perfect bound. Paperback book covers are printed in full colour on 300gsm cardstock and laminated (celloglazed) on the outside for that extra protection and professional look. 80gsm white paper is used on the insides. Children’s book covers are printed on the same stock but have 120 gsm gloss paper on the insides to give that extra durability and shine to the book.
How do sales to your 25,000+ bookstores work?
Firstly, we make no claim that 25,000 bookstores will stock your book. That is simply impractical and will cost too much to even have 10 books in each store. Bookstores make their own decisions as to what books they will stock based on what they think will sell, and we cannot force them to stock your books.
What we can promise is that your book is available for order over the counter in 25,000+ bookstores and 1000+ internet websites around the world. When your book is ordered, a single book is printed in the country where it is ordered, and sent to the bookstore or the customer directly. This is the unique power of our global print on demand system which now covers Australia, USA, UK, Canada and will expand to more countries shortly. In addition, we send out book catalogues to 218 of the largest bookstores around Australia who may be interested to order your book.
Do I need to get my book edited?
Bookpal does offer a copy-editing service in order to ensure that your published book is of good quality. After all, there is nothing worse than having people pointing out errors in spelling and grammar in your book! Copy editing is not compulsory, but is recommended and we have included this service in our platinum pack. Our editor will check thoroughly for spelling and grammatical errors and highlight these to you.
What format do I need to send you my file in?
This is one of the easy things about dealing with Bookpal, all you have to do is to send your manuscript to us in Microsoft Word, and we will take it and create a book out of it for you.
Can you scan my photos or pictures for me?
No that is not something we do at the moment as we want to keep our prices as low as possible for authors, so we suggest to you to invest in a scanner which will cost less than $100 nowdays and scan the images yourself. The images can then be embedded in your word document. One word of warning here is that you need to scan your images in 200 dpi or less and the scanned output is in black and white. Otherwise your file will end up being too large to send over the internet.
How should I submit my files?
Once you have become a customer, you can login to your own private section of our website. You will be given a step by step, easy to follow procedure. One of the first things you will be asked to do is to upload your Microsoft Word manuscript.
Can I have colour pages in my book?
Unless you are publishing a full colour children’s book we cannot provide you with any colour inserts in your standard books.
Why? Simply because it becomes too costly for you as the author with digital printing. So the simple answer is no. We don’t do colour inserts in standard books. Having said that, if you were doing bulk print runs of 1000 or more books we can definitely get you colour pages in your book at an economical price.