AuthorScope accepts only documents in Microsoft Word format (*.doc or *.docx). Please do not submit documents created in Open Office or other MS Word clone software as these systems may not be 100% compatible with the review features in Word, which all AuthorScope editors use. Delete all material that you do not want AuthorScope to edit. In addition, do your best to conform to the following recommendations:
We are generally opposed to all forms of censorship and will agree to edit most manuscripts, including highly controversial ones. However, we respect the preferences of our editors, and may decline projects if we are unable to find an editor willing to review material that he or she finds distasteful.
Your privacy and security are top priorities at AuthorScope. When you upload your manuscript, it will be accessible only to the editor assigned to your project and a select group of AS employees. All of our editors and staff have signed nondisclosure agreements that protect your intellectual property from being shared or used for any purpose other than what is expressly outlined in our Terms of Service. The truth is, if an author services company was ever involved in pirating a client's creative property, it would go out of business very fast. It's always a good practice to put the phrase "Copyright 2017 John Doe" in your document.
To preserve the objectivity and editorial integrity of August Editions and Calumet imprints (Wisdom Editions and Calumet Editions), AuthorScope operates as a wholly independent department entity. On a practical level, this means we prevent any conflicts of interest by ensuring that manuscripts must be submitted separately to our publishing entities and must go through same evaluation process for all submissions. That said, we like the way our editors and coaches do things, so it is likely that favorable reading will occur. However, our editors will preserve the essence of your writing; as a result, it is the author who is ultimately responsible for the final draft of any kind of submission.
In the near future, yes. But right now AuthorScope is focused on providing quality coaching and editing services..
Most of our editing plans include a set amount of phone consultation. We believe that a verbal consultation can be an important part of developing an understanding of the manuscript and the suggestions made by the editor.
Your AuthorScope editor will focus entirely on the craft of your manuscript. Depending on which level of editing you request, this may involve structural issues and character development, or grammatical and stylistic concerns. Marketability will not be addressed.
We aim for perfection, but it is not guaranteed. We do guarantee that it will be returned to you with great improvements, and that our work adheres to the book industry’s highest standards, including following the Chicago Manual of Style on most matters of grammar and style. But remember that almost every book published has some flaw in it.
Virtually all books published by the major houses go through multiple rounds of editing for a few reasons. First, different editors look at different issues. Collaborative editors are looking at the text as a reader or agent would: Is this a good story? Will it find its intended audience? Does the author have to address any high-level issues with style or voice? Copy editors, on the other hand, are ace grammarians and are looking at the text line by line from a technical standpoint: Is the writing comprehensible and free of typos? Are capitalization and similar style components consistent throughout, so as not to confuse or distract the reader? Though a few can do it all, many editors specialize in one type of editing.
Second, additional editing is essential anytime significant revisions are made, as rewriting will inevitably introduce new errors. Some of the titles you see on the shelves went through multiple rounds of developmental edits, line editing and copyediting before the authors and publishers were satisfied with the finished work. To ensure that your book can compete with the best books published by the major houses, we encourage independent authors to follow the publishers’ lead and put your book through at least two full rounds of editing if your budget and timelines allow. With three full rounds, our Professional Editing Package gives your manuscript the same thorough treatment bestselling and award-winning books receive.
You can request a quote from our editor. It depends on the number of words, and the amount and significance of the changes made during the earlier round of editing. In some cases only a portion of the manuscript may need an additional round. Your editor is in the best position to quote a price for an additional round. But a subsequent round of editing is almost always less expensive than the earlier round.
Editors help develop exposition—the surface of written language: style, the story's episodic flow, rhythm, vocabulary, dialogue orchestration, line editing, copyediting, punctuation et cetera. They are our window-dressers. Their duties often dovetail with coaching insofar as they might also supply further development of ideas and subtext. Writers can learn a great deal by closely examining the textual redlining and comments of their editors.
Author coaches consult with and mentor writers more on craft and business advice. They help make the author a better writer, support and aid with organization toward improving the author's writing (how to make a better story, learning how to help the reader stay focused). They can be invaluable in helping to navigate authors through the various pitfalls of publishing. Most coaches do not claim to be psychologists, but they may supply support for an author’s general and professional well-being in similar ways. Some AuthorScope coaches, however, are also psychologists.
These two types of coaching are very similar. You can think of an author career coach as being a life coach with deeper experience and understanding of the particular business issues, personal problems, artistic pressures and unique opportunities faced by authors.
Some of it, yes. But a coach adds a new dimension—personalizing and customizing the information with relevant experience and the ability to help you think through issues and decisions. The result can be a richer and faster growth experience.
In the past, a few successful authors have retired to the beach to drink mint juleps while their agents handled everything. That doesn't happen much in the real world. There are hundreds of ways you can be taken advantage of, and just as many paths to success, all leading through strange and foreign territory. A career coach specializing in the publishing business can help you keep from getting lost—or worse.
The top author coaches are highly trained, have years of experience and will work hard for you. The demand for excellent author coaches is very high and the number of experienced coaches is not. Also, talented and skilled coaches know how to pack a lot of value into every hour; it doesn’t always take a long time to get your needs met.
Yes, by all means. But a wise coach will help you to broaden your thinking, after which you may change your mind about what you really need. If your interest is in improving your writing craft, we have an Expert Coaching Plan that begins with a collaborative Strategy Session during which you and your coach dig deeply into your needs and establish which ones would most benefit from coaching.
In most cases, it takes less than a half hour for an author to judge whether a coaching relationship is working. AuthorScope provides a FREE session with a coach we believe is a good match for you. No strings attached. So there is really very little risk.
Yes. If for some reason the fit isn't good, your coach will probably be the first to advise a change. Coaches genuinely want what’s best for you.
Yes. During your life as an author you may end up working with several coaches. And if you have need of some knowledge or experience that your current coach does not have, he or she will be happy to refer you to another coach. The new relationship can be short-term or longer, depending on your needs.
Always. Like psychologists, our coaches are committed to your privacy and the exclusivity of your work.
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Yes. The specific location of the individual or business is not an issue. Our lead publicist lives in Germany. AuthorScope clients live in New Zealand, the UK, and all over the US.
It is far more important that your publicist specialize in book and author publicity. We are adept at using Skype, Facetime, GoToMeeting, and regular phone calls and email for communications. In today’s world it is not necessary to have frequent face-to-face meetings. It is important, however, to have regular and ongoing communication.
Yes, but the agreement is tailored for your needs. Some agreements are for publicity services over a period of time with a set list of deliverables or a minimum/maximum time allotment. Other contracts are for a specific publicity tactic for a set price.
If a publicist makes such a guarantee to you, get it in writing. Unless you have one astonishingly newsworthy book, a guarantee is not possible. What we can guarantee is that we will use all our contacts and relationships to get you and your book fair consideration by the best and most relevant media sources.
Disruptive changes in the publishing industry, brought about mainly by digital media, have caused the leading publishers (Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, etc.) as well as many smaller independent publishers to downsize their PR and marketing budgets to a bare minimum. At the same time, the proliferation and ease of Print-On-Demand (POD) and self-publishing has led to a larger number of published books competing for a limited audience.
While the large publishing houses may still assign an in-house publicist to you and your book, you will get an extremely limited amount of time and attention. It is impossible for in-house publicists to explore all media opportunities and assist with your social media, blog tours, book club outreach, and promotional tools such as book trailers, websites, and author videos. Today, all but the top-selling authors are finding it necessary to hire their own publicists.
The ideal starting time for publicity is 4-6 months before the publication date. That allows for ample time to develop a solid online platform and a publicity strategy—and also create media lists and mailings to long lead media (book industry trades, magazines, journals, newspapers, top tier TV and radio shows), which often require a 3-6 month lead time.
An average full campaign is 4-6 months. It usually starts 2-3 months before publication and runs for 2-3 months after publication. The media outreach itself is a painstaking process. The first “media hits” can take up to between 2-3 months to develop, sometimes longer. Publishing and marketing a book is a slow-burning, very long journey. AuthorScope’s goal is to ensure its longevity on both real and virtual bookshelves.
Of course. We recognize that sometimes time, budget, or both, restrict the amount of publicity effort that can be spent on a project. We are happy to discuss any publicity needs you have—even the smallest, such as helping to prepare a media kit, or writing and distributing a press release. In many cases a long and fruitful relationship grows out of such small beginnings.
A basic media kit includes a press release announcing the publication of the book, a brief summary of the book, its ISBN and locations where it may be purchased. A professional head shot of the author and a digital image of the cover should also be available, as well as a sample Q & A about the book to provides journalists, bloggers and broadcast producers a tool that simplifies the interview process.
Because of relationships we have and the unique tools we use, we can guarantee significant social media coverage for your book if that's what you hire us to do. But we cannot guarantee placement in a specific media outlet or coverage within a certain time frame. Much depends on the quality, market appeal, and newsworthiness of your book. In some cases, not even the strongest media connection will make a difference. The job of a publicist is not to “push” books, but rather to connect each book with the perfect reader, which increases your chances of receiving positive coverage for your book.
Our campaigns are tailored to each client, so we don’t have set pricing. Depending on the scope of our services and your specific needs, monthly fees for campaigns range from $1,000 – $6,000, with the average campaign running in the $2,000 – $4,000 range. If we work on a project basis, we usually bill $100 per hour.