So, you want to publish your book?
It is an exciting time to be an author. Technology has opened the world of publishing to everyone, and Trust House Publishers is making the advantages of this technology available to every Christian writer…absolutely free!
Before you begin the publishing process, please read these Frequently Asked Questions.
Is it really free?
Yes, it is really free! Our desire at Trust House Publishers is to help writers make disciples of Jesus Christ. We serve a supportive role. You write, we’ll make it look good and get it into print. Unless you order supplemental services, your book will be beautifully prepared and ready to print at absolutely no cost.
Is there a minimum number of books I need to purchase?
Nope! You can order as few as one copy. However, at Trust House Publishers, it is our desire to help you make disciples. If you are writing a book that you do not plan to use for this purpose, we kindly ask you to use another service.
Where can I sell my books?
Anywhere! And we encourage you to do so. You may want to sell your books to and through your local church. Some authors have speaking engagements and they sell books to audience members. You may have a personal or ministry website through which you can sell books. Some writers will want to go to local bookstores and establish relationships to sell through Christian retailers. The harder you work, the more books you will sell. As an optional service, we will create a website for you to use in book sales. Another optional service is for us to make the books available for worldwide distribution (and thus on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc).
How can I sell my books?
You have several options when publishing through Trust House.
- You can manage the total process, simply ordering copies from Trust House and selling them in any manner and at any price that you please.
- You can ask Trust House Publishers to make your book available for sale through online distributors and available for order by any bookstore and Library (See pricing page for more information on this option).
- You can ask Trust House Publishers to set up a website on your behalf and sell your books through this personal website. It’s a great place for you to blog, keep in touch with readers, and offer your book online. (See pricing page for more information on this option).
- You can ask Trust House Publishers to sell the book at www.trusthousepublishers.com. There is no cost for this service, but Trust House will keep a portion of the revenue (see “Do I get royalties?” below)
Do I get royalties?
The answer to this question is: it depends.
First, let’s explain what royalties are. When an author gives a publishing company the rights to publication, that company will publish the author’s work, market and sell that work, and send the author a royalty (typically 5-15% of the net proceeds).
With Trust House Publishing, the royalty system works a bit differently.
- If you sell the books yourself, you retain 100% of the profits, thus no royalties are paid.
- If you ask Trust House Publishers to make your book available for worldwide distribution, you will get a 15% royalty on the net proceeds. The author should understand that the distributor (Amazon, for example) buys the book at a deep discount (at least 40% off cover price), so the royalty is not 15% of the cover price, but 15% of the wholesale price.
- If you ask Trust House Publishers to provide online sales, customer service, and fulfillment of orders, you will receive 15% of the amount the customer paid for the book.
Are you going to try to sell me something?
Nothing at all. We will offer you some services which you might want, but you are always free to buy these services elsewhere or simply not have the advantages of the services. See the Pricing page for information on services available.
Will my book be copyrighted?
Your book will have a copyright page, with all rights reserved, in your name. That is, you own the work. Under U.S. copyright laws, this copyright page reserves the work under your name. However, a registration of copyright is an additional service that you can do yourself. Registration will help in the future if there is ever any dispute of copyright.
Who will own the copyright?
You will. Trust House Publishers will publish the work, but you will always own it. The copyright in your name will be for the written work. Trust House Publishers will own the cover and any interior design.
Am I contracted with Trust House Publishers for any services or length of time?
No. You are simply asking Trust House Publishers to partner with you in order to publish your work. You are not giving publication rights to Trust House, and you can take your work elsewhere at any time. The written work is yours, but the cover and interior design will remain the work of Trust House Publishers.
How long does the process take?
If your book is ready to go, we’re ready to start. It will take us about 15 days to complete interior design and the cover. We will ask for cover suggestions from you (you don’t have to give any), and we will do a layout template of the first chapter before proceeding with the work. Your response and approval time will determine the length of the process. With your timely response, we should have your book available for sales in 6-8 weeks.
Do I create the cover?
No. Trust House Publishers wants a professional and quality cover on all of our books. For this reason, our own graphic arts department will create the cover. You will give suggestions and you will have final approval of the cover design.
What format should the manuscript be in?
You will submit your document to us in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx). We will then format the work into a book format. Before you send the file, please make sure-
- That footnotes or endnotes are in Microsoft Word footnote/endnote format, not simply placed at the end of the page, chapter, or book.
- That Chapter headings and subheadings are created using the design features of Microsoft Word.
- That the document is single spaced.
- That paragraph indentions (if used) are created by Microsoft Word formatting, and NOT by inserting tabs or spaces.
- We have a real person that will help you with all the formating issues, so don’t worry if you do not understand what all this stuff means.
Can I have color pages?
Yes, color pages are available at no extra cost. These will, of course, affect the cover price of your book.
Can I have Illustrations and photographs in my book?
Yes, as long as you own the rights to print. Your pictures need to be in .jpeg format and at least 300 dpi. There is no additional cost to illustrations and pictures, but they will affect the cover price of your book.
Should I create the interior layout?
No. Trust House Publishers will do the interior layout. If you have suggestions for the interior layout design, you will share these with our graphics department at the same time you submit information about the book’s cover.
What sizes and cover options are available?
The options for sizes are almost unlimited.
The options for covers are:
- Paperback with glossy or matte cover
- Hardback with glossy or matte cover (with or without dust jacket)
- Hardback with cloth cover (with or without dust jacket)
How much will my book cost?
This depends on the size, cover, paper used, and whether there is any color in the book. We will give you a recommended cover price when we receive the manuscript and we have discussed your preferred print options.
Are you ready to begin?
If so, click here to submit your book information. A representative will call you and we will begin the process right away.