Essentials for Publishing
Self-Publish Your Book with Confidence
Where independent authors become professionals
The Essentials package is the perfect solution for independent authors who are ready to publish and want to produce a professional book at a competitive price.
With Luminare Press you get first-class, professional cover and interior designs for your book, and all the knowledge you need to publish your book: no design skills required, no professional software to learn, no hidden gimmicks.
The Essentials for Independent Publishing
Everything you need to publish your book, including professional design and knowledge.
Essentials Package
$1,599
- Custom book cover design
- Interior formatting and typesetting
- E-book files
- Available for fiction and nonfiction books (standard layout only)
- Self-Publishing Toolkit
- Publishing class with video and written materials
- In-house book designers
- Access to optional services
Recommended for authors who are comfortable online and have a ready-to-publish manuscript.
The Essentials package includes
File evaluation
We assess your manuscript to make sure it fits with this package and look at what it needs before starting the design process.
Eye-catching custom cover design
One of our professional book cover designers will create a beautiful, unique cover for your book.
Professional interior formatting
The interior formatting will ensure that your book looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside. You will get to choose from a variety of our interior design options, each with a distinct font and layout, which will help you coordinate your cover design with your interior to achieve a smooth, cohesive look and feel for your book. The package includes formatting up to 70,000 words.
E-book files
We convert your book into a beautiful e-book. You’ll receive an .epub file ready to upload on KPD.
Instructional material and how-tos
You will have access to our extensive collection of written and video materials, which will allow you to successfully publish this book and others to come. We’ll share all the knowledge we’ve built during more than a decade of publishing.
100% royalties to the author
Luminare Press won’t take a cut of your profits. Remember, we’re helping YOU publish. This means you will retain ALL the rights and the royalties from your book sales.
Optional Services and Available Add-ons
| Hardcover version (dust jacket or laminate) | $300 |
| Images | $30/each |
| Back cover and author bio text review | $150 |
| Text exceeding 70,000 words | $100/each additional 10,000 words |
| Copyediting | 2.5 cents/word |
| Copyediting and proofreading | 3.5 cents/word |
| Line editing, copyediting, and proofreading | 6 cents/word |
What our authors have to say
My experience with Luminare Press was exemplary, far more personal than other publishers I have worked with. The entire staff has been very professional, helpful, and patient. They fulfilled all promises made in the contract, and the result, a book to be proud of, is well worth the cost of their services.
– W. Grey Champion
My book publishing experience with Luminare Press was all too satisfying. I am thrilled with the finished work. Their expertise, patience, feedback, and accurate time-lines from start to finish of my manuscript were phenomenal. Great team to work with. Most important, they were true to their contractual word and with no pressure on the Author. I found them to be resourceful, thorough, and professional. Great experience. Thank you Luminare Press.
– Robert L. Woods, PhD
It took me months to find someone who I trusted to publish my book. I came across Luminare Press by accident and after looking on the website for a while I knew they were the company I wanted to publish my book. Throughout the whole process they have been concise and professional. I am absolutely amazed at the final product they have produced for me in such a short amount of the time. The staff have always been easy to communicate with and deliver fast responses. I loved working with them.
– Anthony Rogan
How it works
Publishing with Luminare Press will save you time and money. We work closely with our authors to create professional books and to make sure you understand the publishing process and avoid costly mistakes.
Over the years we’ve perfected a bulletproof system that allows us to publish books that stand out from the crowd. The Essentials package gives you full control of the publishing process, expert book design, and the knowledge you need to set up your book for optimal distribution and royalties.
- Complete the order and sign the contract
We’ll send you a contract to review before any payment is required so you can make sure you are buying what you need. - Manuscript evaluation and preparation
Before starting, we’ll review your final manuscript to make sure it’s complete and we can proceed with the design aspect. - Cover design
We create a beautiful, custom-design book cover for your print and digital formats. You will have the opportunity to review the cover and ask for edits and changes. - Interior formatting and typesetting
We generate professional, ready-to-upload files for both printed and e-book editions of your book. You’ll be able to choose among different styles and sizes, based on your preference. Our instructional material will guide you on how to choose the perfect interior styling for your book. You will have the opportunity to review your interior and ask for minor edits or make small adjustments. - Optional interior customization
If you don’t see a style that works for you, we offer a design modification service for an additional fee. - Access to instructional videos and materials
You’ll gain access to clear instructions on how to successfully publish your book. This includes checklists, video tutorials, instructional PDFs, and our Self-Publishing Toolkit with all you need to set up your book for success (including everything you need to know about book distribution and how to do it).
Meet the design team
FAQ
- What type of book can I publish with the Essentials package?
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You can use our Essentials package for any book that doesn’t have a complex layout (e.g., art books, photography books, or cookbooks are usually not suitable for this package). Other than that, there are no limitations in terms of genre.
The following sizes are available:- 5″ x 8″
- 5.5″ x 8.5″ (suggested for novels and most fiction books)
- 6″ x 9″
- What if my book has a complex layout?
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The Essentials package is designed for books that are text-based, with no images. This allows us to move fast while preserving stellar quality.
If your book is a business book, workbook, family memoir, yearbook, or image-heavy book, it probably falls under complex formatting. Complex formatting requires us to apply multiple styles to sections of text and/or insert images or graphics among the text.If your interior looks like the following examples, consider choosing our Boutique Publishing Package with the Complex Layout option.
Any book that has consistent text flow, uninterrupted by images, charts, worksheets, lists, subheads, quotes, and/or other unusual text is considered a standard layout. This includes most novels and memoirs. Scene breaks, quotes or datelines at the beginning of chapters, use of italics, and section pages are NOT considered complex formats.
Here’s a great example of a standard layout. You can see that the text flows consistently with little things like scene breaks and beginning chapter quotes, but no unusual formatting.
If your book has a standard layout, this package works for you!
- When do I have to choose the style I want?
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After you sign the contract, you’ll be prompted to submit all the information about your book, your final manuscript, and your preference for the interior and the cover. Our intake questionnaire will guide you through the options and help you choose the best solution for your book. Before starting the design process, one of our designers will confirm your choices to make sure the style matches the cover.
- What happens if I don’t like the cover?
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Fortunately, this is very rare! Our intake process helps you (and us) determine a sense of the style that works best for your book. Once the first proposal is ready, you’ll have the opportunity to review your cover design and ask for any changes. Generally, our authors are very happy with the covers we create and approve the final version of their cover after their first review.
Please note, if you require more than one round of cover revisions, or if you have very extensive cover revisions (like a new design direction or a new background image that is different from the original concept you submitted), you will have the option to enlist our designer’s additional help for an hourly fee.
- How can I pay?
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You can easily and securely pay online, using any of the most common credit/debit cards. If for some reason you’re unable to complete the transaction online, you can mail us a check. The design process will begin once we have processed your full payment.
- Do you help with book marketing and sales?
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We offer author websites, which are often the starting point for your marketing, but we do not assist authors with book marketing and sales activities. If you need help developing your book marketing strategy, we are happy to refer you to our partner Sue Campbell of Pages & Platforms.