Publishing standards.
Author ownership.

Choose the work your book needs

Publishing Core is an independent publishing services business. You can discuss a single task, such as editing or cover design, or a coordinated project covering several stages. Our work is paid for through separately agreed service fees. You can also prepare your own book and use a publishing platform directly.

A consultation is a discussion about your manuscript and the help you want. Before paid work begins, the proposal should identify the tasks, files, responsibilities, review stages and fee. A service fee does not purchase special access to a third-party publishing platform or a promise of sales.

Keep your accounts and decisions with you

Your publishing accounts should use your own name or business, contact details and payment information. You retain control of those accounts and receive platform payments directly under the provider's terms. Any assistance or account access must be agreed with you for the relevant task.

The author approves the edited manuscript, cover, interior and publication details within the agreed scope. Sharing a manuscript for an inquiry does not transfer its copyright to Publishing Core. Rights to commissioned work, editable source files and any third-party licenses belong in the project agreement, rather than being assumed from a website example.

Do not send passwords, payment card details, bank information or identity documents through the public contact form or live chat. If a project requires files or access, agree on a suitable method and the limits of that access first.

Separate service fees from book earnings

Publishing Core takes no agency share of your book royalties. Keeping 100% of your author royalties means keeping the author earnings payable under your chosen platform's terms. It does not mean receiving the full retail price of a book. Retailer royalty rates, printing costs and other third-party charges affect the amount a platform pays.

Ask for the service fee and any expected external costs to be identified separately. The proposal should explain included revision rounds, payment milestones and how work outside the agreed scope is handled. Cancellation or refund questions are considered against the written project agreement and the work involved.

Read a design credit for what it means

A cover-design credit identifies work on the visual design of a cover. It does not, by itself, identify the book's publisher, distributor, author, publication status or sales results. Portfolio entries should describe the design work being shown; any separate publication or client claim needs its own accurate attribution.

An unpublished cover can demonstrate design work without being presented as a released book. Items labelled Studio concept are design demonstrations. Other design work should be identified by its actual scope and credit. Author names and book titles on artwork do not imply that the author or a retailer endorses every service on this website.

If you believe an image, design credit or other item needs correction, contact our team with the page URL, the item concerned and the relevant context. Please avoid including confidential files in the initial message. We can discuss the appropriate supporting information privately.

Understand the role of each platform

We can discuss preparation and publishing support for the third-party platforms suited to your book and agreed scope. Platform names and any displayed marks identify those independent services. They do not mean that Publishing Core is owned by, sponsored by, endorsed by or an official partner of those companies.

Each provider sets its own eligibility checks, account rules, accepted formats, fees, royalty rates and distribution options. Requirements can differ by edition and territory. Preparing files or helping with a submission does not guarantee acceptance, physical bookstore placement, sales or a bestseller position. Check the provider's current terms for the edition you intend to release.

Finish with files you can identify and use

Agree on the final-file package before production starts. Depending on your scope, it may include edited text, a print interior, a cover wrap, an ebook file, agreed source files and a metadata sheet. Specify the editions, production requirements, relevant license records and anything that is outside the package.

Review the actual edition before release: the platform preview and a print proof where available. Record corrections and approval of the final version. Keep the agreed files, account details you control and instructions for future updates together. A clear handover makes it easier to maintain the book after the initial project.