Dear Authors
I support authors at every stage of their publishing journey—from early manuscript development to design and print. Whether you’re exploring self-publishing or traditional routes, I’m here to help you find the path that best fits your goals. As an author and publishing professional, I understand the challenges of this process and work to make it clearer, more empowering, and far less overwhelming. Every journey is different, and you don’t have to navigate yours alone. Please feel free to reach out anytime for a free consultation. - Rebecca Carrigan
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**Don't forget to check out our annual Writers of the Realm Literary Festival & Serenity Ball coming this Fall 2026!**
What happens during your consultation?
The free consultation is a relaxed, no-pressure conversation where we talk about where you are in your manuscript and what you need most right now. I’ll answer your questions, offer honest guidance, and outline next steps if you decide to move forward—no obligation attached.
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Note: All editing services are done in Microsoft Word, where I can provide track changes to the author. If your manuscript is currently in another format, please adjust it before reaching out.
Publishing Rates:
I offer all publishing services at a straightforward rate of $35 per hour. This approach is often more affordable than per-word pricing and gives indie authors greater flexibility and control over their budget. After our consultation—and a sample edit when needed—I can provide a clearer estimate of the time required, giving you a better understanding of the overall cost. All details are discussed upfront before we decide to work together. Once agreed upon, I provide a simple service contract, with a deposit required before work begins and the final balance due upon completion—ensuring clarity, transparency, and peace of mind for both of us. Below are the services I currently offer....
Editing
There are various stages of editing: A manuscript usually starts with a Developmental Edit, then a Line Edit and then Copy Editing. Some manuscripts need all three, while others require only one or two.
What's the difference, you ask?
1. Developmental Editing (The Big Picture)
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Focus: Big-picture structure, plot, character development, pacing, theme, and overall coherence.
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Goal: Ensure the manuscript is solid at its core; does the story work?
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Actions: Reorganizing chapters, suggesting new scenes, refining character arcs, strengthening arguments, or cutting content.
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2. Line Editing (The Flow & Style)
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Focus: Sentence-level artistry, clarity, voice, and readability.
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Goal: Make the prose engaging, clear, and powerful, line by line.
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Actions: Improving word choice, smoothing sentence structure, enhancing rhythm, ensuring tone consistency, and making writing more vivid.
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3. Copy Editing (The Technical Polish)
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Focus: Correcting errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and adherence to style guides (e.g. Chicago Manual of Style).
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Goal: Ensure technical accuracy and consistency throughout the text.
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Actions: Fixing typos, grammatical mistakes, punctuation issues, and ensuring consistency in names, dates, and formatting
Typesetting
Have you ever picked up a book, and before you’ve even gotten to the second page, you set it down? Not because the content is bad, but just because it gives you a bad feeling? It’s probably because the book had bad typesetting. When humans read, their minds consciously process the book’s content. Readers also subconsciously process visual information. Can you quickly scan the page? Is the chapter title eye-catching? Is the body text too tiny or large? Basically, is the book readable?
Typesetting refers to the arranging of physical and digital type---the letters, symbols and more that make up a book onto a page so it's print-ready. Typesetting is one of those things that people never notice…until it’s wrong. This part of the publishing process comes after the manuscript has been edited, usually alongside the book design stages, and before printing.
Book Design
One of the most intimidating steps of publishing is designing the book that you’ve worked so long and hard to write. Some authors think about the way their finished product might look long before their book is completed, while others will not think about it until it becomes necessary. Whatever your starting point, you need to get your book noticed, bought, and read.
Book design includes not only the design of the front and back cover, but also the layout and typographic design of every page within your book.
It's the responsibility of your book designer to ensure that all these little details lead your future readers to your book, give off a professional impression, and don’t interrupt readers from enjoying your masterpiece
Distribution | Printer Setup
Are you stuck as a self-published author and need help uploading your books to a print on demand service? We can help. It's so important to get this part right so you don't waste your money, and so your book comes out correctly when printed. We'll teach you the entire process so you know how to manage your book and get copies anytime you need. We'll also explain how stores and libraries can see/order your books depending on which route you go.
Reach out to us today to chat about different distribution options.
ISBN Assignment & Canadian Archives
ISBN CANADA: ISBNs are used to sell and distribute publications worldwide. ISBN Canada provides free ISBNs to eligible publishers and publications, so don't get fooled by those publishing companies that tell you that you need to "buy" your ISBN number in Canada! We are lucky to get them free and we'll show you how!
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Canadian Archives: The history of the Legal Deposit dates back over 450 years and is an effective means of collecting and preserving the country’s published heritage. Whether you are a Canadian Publisher, or you are self-published, or you are a non-Canadian Publisher with your publications available in Canada, if it has its own ISBN, it needs to be registered.
Through legal deposit, all materials produced by Canadian publishers become part of Library & Archive Canada's (LAC) collection and are available for public consultation and use. Since 2007, in Canada, the Legal Deposit of Publications Regulations require publishers to deposit copies of most publications with Library & Archives Canada. This law, enacted under the Library & Archives of Canada Act, ensures the preservation of Canada's published heritage. Any publishers who make publications available in Canada are legally obligated to deposit copies with Library and Archives Canada. Many small companies/publishers or authors either don't know this or couldn't be bothered to practice it. The vast majority of Vanity Publishers or Presses, or printers masking as publishers, etc., do not practice this, as it is an expense that they must be burdened with and shouldered. (Submitting your book requires that you send or mail in one or two copies of your book - depending on your initial print run - at your expense).
Marketing | Social Media | Events
Having professional marketing materials and a strong online presence is essential for authors to build credibility, connect with readers, increase visibility, and ultimately boost book sales. We assist authors in finding the right platform, may it be Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or a beautifully presented website. We make it affordable and easy to maintain for authors at any level of publishing.
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Building Credibility and Professionalism
Proper marketing materials—such as author websites, business cards, well-crafted bios, book covers, and promotional content—help establish an author's professionalism and trustworthiness. A polished image reassures readers, publishers, and industry partners that the author is serious about their craft. A dedicated website acts as a central hub showcasing the author’s work, biography, and contact information, which solidifies their brand and makes them easily discoverable online.
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Expanding Reach and Discoverability
In today’s digital world, readers often discover books through online searches, social media, and email. Having an optimized website and presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, GoodReads and Twitter improves visibility and makes it easier for potential readers to find an author’s work. Using SEO (search engine optimization) techniques in websites and blogs increases the chances of appearing in relevant search results, thus broadening the audience.
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Engaging and Building a Loyal Audience
An online presence enables authors to directly connect with readers by sharing updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and exclusive content. Regular engagement through blogs, newsletters, live sessions, and social media interactions fosters a community of loyal fans who are more likely to support new book releases and recommend the author’s work to others. This two-way communication creates a meaningful relationship beyond just selling books.
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Book Release Events
Having a professional book release event in a local bookstore can be super helpful with promoting your book and meeting new readers. Sometimes these can be private with a bookstore or at a literary festival. They can include a reading from the author, signings and even chats with the crowd about your story. We can provide you with options to release your novel when you're ready, and we'll share with you what literary festivals and events are in the area for you to be part of. Creating your community and engaging with potential readers is the fun part of being an author!
Book Trailers
Book trailers are powerful marketing tools that help authors capture attention, emotionally engage readers, and boost book sales by providing a visually captivating preview of their stories. We can create digital trailers, film trailers, motion graphics and more! .They also give....
Visual Appeal and Immediate Engagement
Book trailers offer a quick, dynamic way to introduce a book’s story, tone, and mood, capturing potential readers' attention much faster than text alone. By combining visuals, sound, and narrative elements, trailers create an immersive experience that sparks curiosity and excitement about the book.
Help Books Stand Out in a Crowded Market
With countless books released every day, a well-crafted book trailer differentiates your title by adding professionalism and a unique promotional edge. It can make your book memorable and elevate your author brand, signaling to readers that you are serious about your work.
Create an Emotional Connection with Readers
A book trailer uses music, imagery, and pacing to evoke emotions tied to the story—whether suspense, romance, or mystery—helping readers connect with the characters and plot before even opening the book.
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We'll find the right trailer to fit your story needs, reach out to us today!
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