Category Archives: Book Marketing Services

Dream of a Lifetime: Ten Years in the Upper Amazon — Proving Press

Norman Walters brought a wealth of life experiences to Columbus Publishing Lab in Dream of a Lifetime: Ten Years in the Upper Amazon.  Musician, songwriter, artist, and the owner of a tourist destination along the Amazon river in the heart of the Peruvian jungle, Norman Walters had adventures to share, and he trusted Columbus Publishing Lab to produce his memoir.

The Columbus Publishing Lab team edited the manuscript, designed the interior and the cover, proofread it, and distributed Dream of a Lifetime: Ten Years in the Upper Amazon to all major retailers in paperback and e-book editions.  The end result?  Norman’s escapades can now be read by a worldwide audience in an attractive, professionally published book.

“Interspersed with tales of his gloriously misspent youth, one of the hardest-working hippies of his generation recounts the genesis of his remarkable achievement–the creation of an eco-sensitive tourist lodge in Peru’s Amazon jungle.”  — Amazon reviewer

Find Dream of a Lifetime: Ten Years in the Upper Amazon at these retailers or ask for the book at your local bookstore.

The Design and Construction of the Nautilus – Boyle & Dalton

The Nautilus CoverEver since he was a boy, Demetri Capetanopoulos was enthralled with Jules Verne’s Nautilus, drawing his first set of schematics at the age of ten. Fast forward to the present day, and Demetri has years of experience as a nuclear submarine engineer and deep submersible pilot—and he still loves the Nautilus. The Design and Construction of the Nautilus seeks to answer the question, “Could the Nautilus have been real?”

We worked with Boyle & Dalton, the publisher of The Design and Construction of the Nautilus, to provide editing, design and marketing services, so the finished book would reflect the years of passion and research that Demetri Capetanopoulos put into exploring the science behind the Nautilus.

The first step in the publishing process was a developmental edit. After reading the entire manuscript, an experienced developmental editor provided Demetri with a detailed report containing recommendations to improve areas of concern. As a result, Demetri was able to act on the suggestions of our editor to vastly improve The Design and Construction of the Nautilus before the book was released to readers.

Next, a professional copy editor combed through the manuscript correcting spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes, as well as standardizing the manuscript to a style guide. Our editor worked closely with the author to ensure the technical terms used throughout the book were formatted accurately.

After the copy edit was complete, our interior designer set to work creating a custom aesthetic to be both elegant and readable. We also incorporated pictures, graphs, and schematics provided by Demetri to enrich the reader’s experience and illustrate the different systems of the Nautilus, seamlessly building them into the design of the book.

As soon as the interior design was complete our proofreader checked the entire manuscript a final time, searching through the text and the design for any last-minute errors.

Our cover designer worked with Demetri and his publisher to incorporate several schematic drawings, creating a dynamic cover design that commemorates the Nautilus while attracting passing readers to his work.

We distributed The Design and Construction of the Nautilus in paperback and hardcover formats to all major retailers as soon as Demetri was completely happy with his final files. The Design and Construction of the Nautilus is readily available to readers, and Demetri collects a quarterly check for his sales without the need to store, ship or purchase copies of his book up front.

Find The Design and Construction of the Nautilus on Amazon.com here.

Demetri spread the word to his friends and family about the release of The Design and Construction of the Nautilus but wanted to expand the reach of his story. Columbus Publishing Lab provided marketing services to Demetri following the release of his book to help get The Design and Construction of the Nautilus into the hands of more readers.

Throughout the entire publishing process, Demetri had a dedicated point of contact for questions and updates. Calls were answered or returned, emails were read and promptly answered, and a close-knit team who actually cared about his book brought the project to fruition.

If you’re interested in making your book project a reality, we invite you to contact us by clicking here. We’re happy to sit down with you for a free consultation or answer your questions via email/phone.

Welcome to Doxieville – Children’s Book by Darrin Todd Martin

Todd and Trudi Martin came to us with a passion and an idea. They love their dachshunds at home, which they’ve bred for years, and they wrote a children’s book which celebrates the personality of each pup and brings them to the page.

As a first-time author, working with a first-time illustrator they’d met locally, they had a lot of questions—they were committed to publishing a great book. Our team was happy to answer questions, provide good advice, and coach them through the process to make sure that the results exceeded their expectations.

“The hardcover books just arrived, they are BEAUTIFUL! You guys did a great job!” – Trudi Martin, co-creator of Welcome to Doxieville.

The Columbus Publishing Lab team edited the manuscript, worked with the illustrations to lay out the interior of the book, proofread the book, and built a cover with the provided artwork. The resulting book is gorgeous, error-free, and an amazing representation of Todd and Trudi’s passion.

Welcome to Doxieville is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Sony/Kobo in hardcover, paperback and digital formats, as well as available to brick-and-mortar bookstores around the world.

We also built a custom WordPress website at www.DoxievilleBooks.com, and provided guidance and consultation as they set out to market their book.

If you’re thinking about self-publishing, it’s OK that you don’t know how to complete every part of the publishing process. That’s why we’re here.  Our authors bring their passion to the table, and we fill in the gaps to ensure that their books are better than the books coming out of the big, traditional publishing houses.

Todd and Trudi could have taken this book to a traditional publishing house. But by working with Columbus Publishing Lab, they maintained creative control of their work, they produced a better book, and now they’re in a position to make more than 10x the royalties per book sold.

Do you have a passion that you’d like to see on the page? Let’s start a conversation. Contact us today.

Skeeters — Proving Press

Jeffrey Miller was mowing his lawn one day when he came under attack by a scourge of hungry mosquitoes. These skeeters are eaters! he thought as he did the mosquito slap and shuffle. That first rhyming line grew into a complete poem. For years, he held onto his Skeeters story.

When Jeffrey met Brandy he recited Skeeters and she encouraged him to turn this whimsical poem into a children’s book everyone could enjoy (and of course they fell in love!). Brandy and Jeffrey got married, and started the process of growing their family through adoption.

As the Millers discovered how limiting the cost of adoption can be, publishing Skeeters became more than a personal project. With the help of local illustrator Dale Herron and Columbus Publishing Lab, Skeeters would become not only a beautiful children’s book, but the perfect vehicle to help Jeffrey and Brandy raise funds to support their own journey, and other couples seeking adoptions.

“My wife Brandy and I have chosen to grow our family through adoption. Adoption can be an expensive undertaking. Many families have room in their heart for an adopted child, but the financial cost keeps them from fulfilling that desire. A portion of the proceeds from sales of Skeeters will be dedicated to support future adoptive families in their efforts.”

Our first role in publishing the Skeeters book was to help Jeffrey and Brandy get their Kickstarter campaign off the ground and gaining traction. We produced, shot and edited their Kickstarter video, answering questions about crowdfunding promotion along the way. By the time their campaign closed, Brandy and Jeffrey exceeded their goal and raised over $8,000 for their cause!

Check out the Millers’ archived Kickstarter campaign here, and watch them tell their story in their own words. 

After Brandy and Jeffrey’s campaign closed it was go-time. Kickstarter backers were expecting paperback, hardback and e-book versions of Skeeters, and Columbus Publishing Lab was ready to come through.

We worked with Dale, the Millers’ illustrator, to ensure the Skeeters files were up to spec for our printer, checking elements like bleed, spine and formatting. We also provided an ISBN and barcode for each version of the book, and created an e-book version from the provided print files.

As soon as the files were ready, we uploaded Skeeters to our printer. Jeffrey and Brandy were able to print book copies at a significant discount off the list price to fulfill their Kickstarter orders. Through our distribution services, the book is also available to all major online retailers in a seamless process that’s completely hands-off for Brandy and Jeff.

Learn more about printing and distribution through Columbus Publishing Lab here. 

Backyard mosquito champions all over the world can now easily find and purchase Skeeters and enjoy this beautifully-produced tale in their own home.

Check out the paperback, hardback and e-book versions of Skeeters on Amazon here. 

Throughout the entire publishing process Jeffrey and Brandy had a dedicated point of contact at Columbus Publishing Lab. We were there to answer questions, guide their illustrator, and provide them with the information and expertise they needed to stay in the loop about the Skeeters project.

Congratulations to Jeffrey and Brandy on the successful release of Skeeters!

We love supporting authors, especially when their work has a meaningful guiding force behind it. Isn’t it time your book became a reality? Contact us to learn more about publishing by clicking here. 

The Deceived — Proving Press

The Deceived by E. C. Fisher is a work of dark, biblical fantasy. The book opens with the death of God, and then launches readers into an epic good-versus-evil story that pits the Archangel Michael against monsters, demons and Lucifer. Set in the post-apocalyptic landscape of the Rapture, Michael and his ragtag group of followers set off on a desperate journey to save the souls of all humanity.

The Deceived tells a story E. C. Fisher felt compelled to write. He wrote the book quickly, his manuscript taking shape around his own frustrations with the real-world troubles humanity grapples with today. After receiving favorable feedback from his peers, Fisher began the process of finding a publisher who would allow him to retain creative control over his debut novel, and his relationship with Columbus Publishing Lab began.

Fisher chose the Catalyst package–everything he needed for a professionally produced novel, with the extra support of a marketing foundation to help boost his work into the hands of readers. Learn more about publishing packages here. 

We got right to work. Fisher worked with an outside copy editor prior to contracting Columbus Publishing Lab, and so our first step was to take his raw manuscript file and create a custom interior design for The Deceived. Our designer chose an aesthetic to reflect the dark tones of the book, while maintaining a simple, readable layout.

Writers spend a lot of time in the worlds they create for their characters. Fisher wanted The Deceived cover to represent his ideation of Lucifer, and he provided detailed notes describing what he was looking for–down to the facial structure and hairstyle of his antagonist.  These instructions were then provided to one of our professional illustrators, who transformed Fisher’s words into a provocative, illustrative cover.

After the interior design was complete our proofreader combed through the manuscript again, searching for any last-minute errors, while also checking design elements like page numbers, headers and spacing. Our e-book designer then created a digital version of The Deceived that’s readable across all major e-book platforms.

While the book was in production, our web developer created an author website designed to be a tool to reach more readers, and a showcase for current and future work by E. C. Fisher. Built on a simple WordPress platform, Fisher’s website is easy to update, customize, and blog from at any time.

Check out E. C. Fisher’s author site here.

Given the thrilling story line and thought-provoking themes in the book, The Deceived was sure to garner some attention. But with so much self-promotion work needed to make even the most exciting new release stand out, Fisher enlisted the help of Columbus Publishing Lab to boost his marketing efforts in the critical time following his book’s release. We created printed marketing materials he could hand out at readings and conferences, helped with content creation, social media management, and acted as his publicist to help solicit reviews.

Learn more about our marketing services here.

The Deceived is distributed through our Proving Press imprint to all major retailers. E. C. Fisher collects a quarterly check for his sales, without the hassle of running to the post office, storing and warehousing orders, or paying for them upfront. This leaves him time to market his debut novel, and work on his second one.

Find The Deceived on Amazon.com here.

Throughout the entire publishing process Fisher had a dedicated point of contact to answer his questions and provide him with updates. He never had to wonder if his emails were being read, or if his project would be completed on time. This level of service is standard procedure at Columbus Publishing Lab.

Do you have a book that you felt compelled to write? We want to hear about it. Click here to contact us and learn more about the personal publishing experience we create for our authors.

Maman — Boyle & Dalton

Maman weaves the life story of a Jewish-Iranian woman whose identity is fiercely bound to her family, her country and her faith. Married at a very young age, Maman raised seven children in the midst of poverty and the chaos of political upheaval in Iran. Moris Niknam, one of those seven children, tells his mother’s story with a nostalgic love through memories both sweet and heart-wrenching.

We worked with Boyle & Dalton, the publisher of Maman, to provide editing, design and marketing services, so the finished book would reflect the heartfelt effort Moris Niknam put into chronicling his mother’s extraordinary life.

The first step in the publishing process was a developmental edit. After reading the entire manuscript, an experienced developmental editor provided Moris with a detailed report containing recommendations to improve areas of concern. As a result, Moris was able to act on the suggestions of our editor to vastly improve Maman before the book was released to readers.

Next, a professional copy editor combed through the manuscript correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes, as well as standardizing the manuscript to a style guide. Our editor worked closely with the author to ensure the Persian language used throughout the book was formatted accurately.

After the copy edit was complete, our interior designer set to work creating a custom aesthetic to be both elegant and readable. We also incorporated pictures provided by Moris to better illustrate his upbringing in Iran, seamlessly building them into the design.

As soon as the interior design was complete our proofreader checked the entire manuscript a final time, searching through the text and the design for any last-minute errors.

Our cover designer worked with Moris and his publisher to incorporate several family photographs, creating a dynamic cover design that commemorates Maman while attracting passing readers to her story.

We distributed Maman in paperback and e-book formats to all major retailers as soon as Moris was completely happy with his final files. Maman is readily available to readers, and Moris collects a quarterly check for his sales without the need to store, ship or purchase copies of his book up front.

Find Maman on Amazon.com here.

Moris spread the word to his friends and family about the release of Maman, but wanted to expand the reach of his story. Columbus Publishing Lab provided marketing services to Moris following the release of his book to help get Maman into the hands of more readers.

Throughout the entire publishing process Moris had a dedicated point of contact for questions and updates. Calls were answered or returned, emails were read and promptly answered, and a close-knit team who actually cared about his book brought the project to fruition.

If you’re interested in making your book project a reality, we invite you to contact us by clicking here. We’re happy to sit down with you for a free consultation, or answer your questions via email/phone.

The Black Lens — Boyle & Dalton

Christopher Stollar spent over three years gathering research for his novel, The Black Lens9781633370722 (Boyle & Dalton, 2016). He conducted interviews with sex trafficking survivors, social workers and police officers, in addition to volunteering with several non-profit organizations.

Find a copy of The Black Lens here, or ask for it at your favorite bookstore.

With so much care, hard work and passion put into the writing of this book, Christopher knew the production part of the publishing process had to be handled with equal care and attention. We worked with Christopher and Boyle & Dalton (the publisher of the book), to provide editing, design and marketing services for The Black Lens.

Christopher invested a lot of time in his manuscript, but he knew it wasn’t reader-ready yet. The first step in the publishing process was rigorous developmental editing by a professional developmental editor. Our editor provided Christopher with a detailed report of problem areas and suggestions, and worked closely with him to provide the guidance needed for a rewrite. The result? A publication-ready version of The Black Lens.

After the developmental edit was complete, our copy editor combed through the manuscript, correcting grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes, while standardizing the text to a style guide.

After our editors cleaned up the manuscript, our interior designer got to work creating a professional layout for the interior of the book. Not only is the interior design visually appealing, it’s simple enough to maintain readability for all audiences. Our proofreader gave the finished interior a final check, and we moved on to creation of an e-book.

The Black Lens takes an unflinching look at sex trafficking. It was extremely important to the author that the harsh realities of this horrific crime were reflected in the book’s cover, while being mindful of how triggering provocative imagery can be. Our designer ultimately created a cover that respectfully conveys the nature of the issues covered in the book, while keeping the aesthetic starkly modern to jump out at the passing reader.

Using the book’s newly created branding, our web designer created a custom website for Christopher to showcase his work, blog, and connect with new readers. Check it out for yourself here: ChristopherStollar.com

To help get The Black Lens out to as many readers as possible, we worked with Christopher on a marketing plan that would best suit his needs, including getting the book into the hands of the right reviewers. One of our marketing consultants worked closely with Christopher along the way to ensure energy was being expended in the right outlets.

The Black Lens was only released a few months ago, but it has already garnered attention from the press, reviewers and those who have experienced this horrific crime firsthand. To read what’s been said in the press about this new release, click here.

We love working with passionate authors like Christopher. If you’re ready to take your book project to the next level, we invite you to contact us by clicking here. You’ll have a dedicated point of contact throughout every step of the publishing process, and your manuscript will be handled with the same care you’ve invested in it already.

We produce great books. Will yours be next?

Herm’s County — Boyle & Dalton

Since opening our new office in Zanesville, Ohio, we’ve had great experiences meeting Mizel_Proof_FrontCover-186x300and working with authors in Appalachia.

We recently had the pleasure of producing Katherine Mitzel’s second book, Herm’s County. This mystery story takes you through the twists and turns that unravel a small Ohio town when a local boy goes missing.

Find a copy of Herm’s County here, or ask for it at your favorite bookstore.

Katherine had already worked with an editor prior to bringing her manuscript to us, and so we got right to work on the interior design of her book. We created a custom interior for her book that is aesthetically pleasing, as well as easy-to-read.

As soon as the interior of the book was finished, our proofreader read through the book in its entirety, catching any last-minute mistakes before the book headed to print. As soon as the interior was complete, we created an e-book version of the book, readable across all major e-book platforms.

Katherine provided her own artwork for the cover, and our cover designer chose bold, simple typography to complement the painting.

In addition to book design services, Columbus Publishing Lab also created a simple author website for Katherine, where she can showcase both of her books.

Upon completion of the production process, Herm’s County was evaluated for inclusion under our Boyle & Dalton imprint, and ultimately accepted. Learn more about Boyle & Dalton here.

Along every step of the production process, Katherine had a direct contact at Columbus Publishing Lab to answer her questions, provide her with updates, or give publishing support.

If you’re ready to take your book project to the next level, we invite you to contact us by clicking here. We work with authors and small presses at all levels, and we’d love to learn more about your project.

Building Your House — Columbus Press

Shannon Upton is good at organizing. Really good. Whetherperf5.500x8.500.indd you’re dealing with a cluttered home or a cluttered spirit, Shannon’s latest book has tons of tips, tricks and anecdotes to help you straighten up your life.

We worked closely with Shannon and Columbus Press, the publisher of the book, to provide editing and production services for Building Your House.

Find Building Your House here, or ask for it at your favorite bookstore. 

As a speaker and author, Shannon understood how important it was to make sure her words would have a positive impact on her readers. Our developmental editor provided Shannon with the detailed feedback she needed to improve her manuscript, while keeping her message intact.

Following the developmental edit, our copy editor combed through Shannon’s text, correcting spelling and grammar mistakes, and standardizing the manuscript to a style guide. We worked closely with Shannon to ensure any changes made didn’t alter her intended meaning in any way.

Our team of graphic designers and book marketers gave Shannon’s existing branding an overhaul. The result? All of Shannon’s marketing materials, as well as her book design, feature a bright, modern take on her previous aesthetic. Her brand is recognizable to her existing followers, while still grabbing the attention of new readers.

In addition to the re-brand, our designers created marketing materials for Shannon that ranged from printed post cards to read-along guides and planner pages. Each time Shannon hosts an event, she has marketing tools at her disposal to keep her audience engaged, while simultaneously attracting new readers.

While our editors were proofreading Shannon’s book interior, our cover designer was hard at work developing a custom cover to fit the theme of home and family organization.

As soon as Shannon and Columbus Press were completely happy with the final product, Organizing You was distributed as a paperback and an e-book to all major retailers.

If you’re interested in a complete publishing package for your book, we invite you to contact us by clicking here. We work with small presses, professionals and individuals to produce fantastic books.

Mons Graupius — Boyle & Dalton

Mons Graupius mixes eloquent prose, a spitfire snob of a femaleCover protagonist, and harrowing mountaineering adventures–all set in the summits of Scotland.

Find Mons Graupius here or ask for it at your favorite bookstore.

Already a published author, M.G. Anderson was familiar with the importance of working with a professional editor to improve his manuscript. Our developmental editor provided the detailed feedback Anderson needed to improve his work and get it publication-ready.

After the developmental edit was complete, our copy editor read through the manuscript, correcting any grammar and spelling errors, and standardizing the work to a style guide. We worked closely with the author to keep personal touches like his Scottish vernacular intact.

After our copy editor cleaned up the manuscript, our interior designer got to work creating an interior designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and readable. Following the completion of the interior design, our proofreader read through the entire manuscript again, catching any last minute errors. We then went on to create an e-book version of the book, readable on all major e-book platforms.

Anderson worked with his own cover designer to create custom artwork for his book. We worked in tandem with that artist to ensure Anderson’s book cover would be up to the specifications of the printer.

While we were finalizing the book details, our web developer was busy working on an author website that Anderson could use to showcase and market his work. View our handiwork here: www.MGAndersonAuthor.com

As a result of our editing and design services, Mons Graupius is distributed as a Boyle & Dalton book — a symbol of quality within the industry. Learn more about becoming a Boyle & Dalton author by clicking here.

Along every step of the publication process, Anderson had a dedicated point of contact to meet with him, answer his calls and respond to his emails. This level of care comes with every Columbus Publishing Lab package.

We produce great books. If you’re ready to see your book in print, and in the hands of waiting readers, we invite you to contact us today by clicking here.