Frequently asked questions
The questions authors ask us before they sign anything.
Grouped by subject and answered without marketing language. If something you need is missing, ask us directly and we will add it here.
Working with us
Before you commit to anything.
How an engagement starts, what it costs to find out, and what you are free to walk away from.
How does a project usually begin?
With a manuscript or a sample and a conversation about the markets you have in mind. We read the material and reply with an assessment, a recommended scope and an indicative schedule before any fee is agreed.
Do you charge for the initial assessment?
A first read and written response are unpaid. Extended assessment work — a full manuscript evaluation report, or a paid translation sample — is quoted separately and clearly.
Can I stop part-way through?
Yes, at the end of any stage. You pay for delivered work, receive the files produced so far, and owe nothing for stages that have not started.
Who will I actually be dealing with?
A named colleague, listed on our team page, for the duration of the project. You are not routed through an anonymous account queue.
What if my book is not a fit for you?
We say so early and explain why. A polite decline is more useful to an author than a scope we cannot deliver well.
Fees & models
How the money works.
Three engagement models, each written down before work begins.
Do authors pay you, or do you pay authors?
Both happen. Production services such as translation and audiobook recording are fee-based. Co-publishing and revenue-share arrangements involve shared investment and a defined split. Which model applies is stated in writing before you commit.
Are fees fixed or hourly?
Fixed per stage wherever the scope allows, so you know the cost before the stage starts. Genuinely open-ended work is quoted as a capped range.
How are revenue shares calculated?
On defined net receipts, with the deductions listed in the agreement rather than netted out silently. Statements show the calculation.
Do you take a commission on rights deals?
Where we act as your rights representative, yes, at a percentage stated in the agreement. We do not take an undisclosed cut from the publisher's side.
Is there a refund policy?
Undelivered stages are refundable. Delivered editorial and production work is not, because it cannot be returned — which is why we scope stage by stage.
Rights & copyright
What you own, and what you grant.
Plain-language answers on the questions authors most often regret not asking.
Do I keep copyright in my book?
Yes. Nothing we do transfers your copyright. We license specific rights on your behalf, or publish under an agreement with a defined term and a reversion date.
Who owns the translation?
Translation copyright is assigned to you under our agreement, with the translator credited according to the conventions of the market.
What is a reversion date and why does it matter?
It is the date rights return to you if defined conditions are not met. Any agreement without one deserves a hard question, including ours.
Can you license rights for a book already published?
Often yes, provided the relevant territory or format rights are free or have reverted. We check the position before quoting.
Do you register copyright for me?
We explain what registration achieves in your jurisdiction and can guide the process, but the registration stands in your name.
Translation
Language, voice and review.
How a translated edition is produced, and where the author stays in control.
Do you use machine translation?
Never as the basis of a literary edition. It is used transparently for internal reference only, such as terminology checks.
How do you choose a translator?
Shortlists are built by genre and market, then tested with a paid sample of the same passage. You see the samples anonymised before we appoint.
Who checks the translation?
A second editor reads the draft line by line against the source. Judgement calls are raised in a query log rather than resolved silently.
What if I disagree with a translation decision?
Your decision governs. The query log records the reasoning so the same question is answered consistently in later volumes.
Can you handle a series consistently?
Yes. Style sheets and glossaries are maintained per series so terminology and register hold across volumes.
Audiobooks
Recording, mastering and delivery.
From casting a voice to a verified live listing.
How is the narrator chosen?
We audition narrators on a passage from your book, not a generic showreel, and you approve the voice before recording is booked.
Can the author narrate?
Yes, with direction and a studio that meets retailer specification. We will tell you honestly whether the result is likely to serve the book.
What technical standard do you deliver to?
Masters are prepared to each channel's published specification and validated before submission, which is why rejections are rare.
Can you distribute audio you did not produce?
Yes, provided the master meets specification and you hold the necessary rights.
Is exclusivity required?
No. We present exclusivity offers with their trade-offs and act only on your written decision.
Distribution & royalties
Availability and reporting.
Where editions appear, and how you find out what they earned.
Which channels will my book be available in?
Channel selection is agreed per title and territory, covering print, digital, audio, library and education routes where each is a fit.
How often do I receive royalty statements?
On a fixed quarterly cycle, with per-channel figures and deductions shown rather than netted out.
What happens if a listing is wrong?
We verify each listing live after ingestion, and corrections are our responsibility to chase, not yours.
Can I sell the book directly myself?
Yes. Direct sales sit alongside channel distribution unless a specific agreement says otherwise.
Do you handle returns and reprints?
For print-on-demand editions, corrections and reprints are managed from the source files, usually within a few working days.
Trust & data
Transparency, security and privacy.
What we will not do, and how your manuscript is handled.
Is my unpublished manuscript safe with you?
Manuscripts are treated as confidential by default, contributors are bound by confidentiality terms, and we sign non-disclosure agreements on request.
Do you publish testimonials without permission?
No. Nothing attributable to an author appears on this site without their written consent, which is why some references are shown as placeholders.
Do you display awards or certifications?
Only ones we actually hold. Where information is still being confirmed, this site says so instead of filling the space.
How is my data handled?
We collect what a project needs and no more. The Legal Center sets out retention, processing and your rights over your data.
Is the site secure?
The site is served over HTTPS, forms are validated server-side and rate-limited, and file uploads in the client portal are scoped to your own project.
At a glance
What this page commits us to.
Every answer above is the same answer you will get from a colleague on the phone.
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Subject areas covered
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Questions answered in full
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Named contact per project
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Guarantees we cannot honour
Still unanswered
Where to look next.
Detail beyond these answers lives on the pages below.
Next step
Ask us something this page does not cover
We answer questions in writing, including the awkward ones about cost, risk and what we cannot do.