Our Process
A professional publisher adheres to a set of widely accepted industry standards, regardless of the business model. In today’s market, there are three common publishing models: traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and author publishing, more commonly known as self-publishing.
Traditional Publishing and Hybrid Publishing are virtually the same in their process, with the exception that for hybrid titles, the author invests with the publisher in the production costs and, in turn, earns a significantly higher royalty of 60% to 75% on sales. Torchflame Books is a hybrid publisher.
The following is a brief overview of our hybrid publishing process:
Review
Submissions are carefully reviewed by a Submissions Editor who recommends that the Selections Committee further review or reject a title. Many submissions fail at this point. If accepted for review by the Selections Committee, the title goes to a review editor for an in-depth analysis according to the Torchflame Books evaluation criteria, which includes storyline, writing, character development, dialogue, flow, and potential interest to the target audience. Some of the manuscripts that make it past this point are returned to the author with requested changes, and others are forwarded to the Senior Editor, who makes a final selection for contract offers.
Selected titles are recommended for a Hybrid Publishing contract, and an offer is sent to the author.
The process is rigorous, but as an indie publisher, we only release a few dozen titles each year, so we must be highly selective in the books for which we offer publishing contracts.
Final Manuscript
When a book is accepted for publication, we ask the author to make a final review of their manuscript using the Chicago Manual of Style for accuracy and consistency of names, dates, use of first, second, and third person, verb tense, transitions, and style and submit it to us in MS Word format.
Copy and line editing
A professional editor will review manuscript submissions in detail for copy and line editing. If we determine the book needs further editing, one of our editors will provide a quote and sample edit. The author is responsible for this additional cost. When working with one of our preferred editors, the author must approve changes, and make requested edits and/or discuss them with the editor. This step may go through more than one iteration. It is the last opportunity for content or stylistic changes.
Proofreading
All edited manuscripts will be sent to a proofreader for a final review of the accuracy and correctness of spelling and punctuation. The author must approve those changes.
The author’s approved text will be converted into a professional layout.
Proof
A proof of the initial design will be sent to the author as a PDF file for review and corrections. The author must review all proofs carefully. Suggestions for the layout will be accepted in advance, but content or stylistic changes cannot be made once the text has been laid out.
Digital ARC
After the final PDF proof has been approved, a digital ARC is produced and sent to the author for use in obtaining reviews and endorsements.
Author Copies
A limited number of author copies will be printed and sent to the author before the release date. The author should use these copies to obtain endorsements and professional reviews.
Final Version for Release
The author copies may contain errors, which can be corrected before the release date. We will correct errors found in the pre-release copies and may make discretionary changes requested by the author at the same time. Discretionary changes made after a book is in distribution may incur additional charges.
Appearance and Standards
The appearance or packaging of your book is essential to its success. While appearance can’t compensate for inadequate content, exceptionally well-written books go unnoticed in weak covers. Important reviewers and contest judges look for key elements on both the front and back covers before they ever open a book.
The aesthetics of a book need to be right for the title and the content. The imagery on the cover, the title font, chapter titles, body font, line spacing, and overall page design must be functional to make reading the book easy, attractive, and appropriate to the story. Readers want a book to have the right look and feel for its genre. They will reject a book that is difficult to read.
For all of our titles, we ensure the cover and internal layout create a marketable book that is enticing to readers.
We follow the Chicago Manual of Style and the IBPA Standards for a Professionally Published Book.