By Carol Tetzlaff, Author of Ezra: Unleashing the Power of Praise

Beware! In any industry there are companies that promise the moon and deliver a book that is only good to line the bottom of your birdcage. (Sorry I know that is harsh, but it is also true!) I see companies all the time with glorious copy on the website about the services they will provide you and yet I am painfully aware that their products are a terrible mark on the author who trusted them.

We have people come to us after such an experience. The product they are holding their hand is edited poorly, the lay-out is not up to industry standards, and the cover looks self-published.

The problem is they didn’t know what they didn’t know and so they had no idea what to watch out for. The result is they wasted thousands of dollars on a product that will not give them credibility as a published author.

Here are five key elements to watch for before you start your publishing journey.

#1 – PACKAGE PRICES: Every manuscript is unique in content, word count, and quality. When you are offered a set price to publish your book – BEWARE! Any company who does not consider your content, word count, and the quality of your writing has no way of producing a product that is done with excellence. It’s impossible to do the same quality of work on a 20,000-word non-fiction manuscript as you would for a 120,000 word novel!

#2 – EDITING SERVICES: Be aware of who is providing the editing your manuscript will receive. We have seen companies use a beefed-up version of Grammarly or even other companies like Author Solutions who have a terrible reputation. Just go online and see for yourself.

#3 – LAYOUT: At a recent conference a woman brought me a copy of her book done by one of the many predatory companies that litter the Christian publishing space. The layout was atrocious, and that’s being generous. The spacing, font size, chapter heading, margins appeared as if it was written by a middle school student. Your layout must be done professionally within industry standards for people to take your work seriously.

#4 – COVER DESIGN: Your cover could be the difference between someone picking up your book or passing it by. There are careful guidelines to follow to assure your self-published book A company who is more concerned with their bottom line than the quality of book produced will allow an author to do whatever is easiest not whatever is best.

#5 – DISTRIBUTION: Recognizing the importance of your reach within the usage of proper distribution channels will make a huge difference in how your book is seen by book buyers. Educating yourself on how this process works is crucial to have your book reach your intended audience and beyond.

Here’s the truth of it all – You get what you pay for. One of our biggest competitors is well known for promising authors whatever they must in order to get them to sign a contract. Because they don’t have a reputation to protect, they don’t care whether they deliver on their promises or not.

When you choose a publishing partner with integrity who has your best interest in mind, your experience will inspire you to get your message out in a way that honors God.

The authors we serve at Redemption Press get the benefit of a team of experts working to make their book the best it can be.

#1 – We customize every proposal for your needs without any hidden fees. We review your manuscript or have a personal conversation about your book idea and give you exactly what you need to see it completed with excellence.

#2 – We provide the highest levels of coaching and editing from a team of Christ followers whom we have thoroughly vetted. These professionals are capable to take your project through every step. You can work one on one with a coach to write and develop your manuscript or go straight to editing which is accomplished in four strategic levels for the best outcome.

#3 – Our interior book layouts are unique for each author. You can choose to the level of layout design that will make your book stand out to the reader. From simple text to full color with illustrations, you will work with your designer to get exactly what you want.

#4 – Your book will be noticed both online and in stores by its professional cover which rivals that of a traditional best seller. Great covers bring readers. Your cover will be uniquely you while speaking to the mainstream reader.

#5 – When your book is ready to launch, we give you the opportunity to join #1 new releases and best sellers with our exclusive Amazon research. You may also be entered for various book awards and have the option of being a part of the only industry retailers trade show in the US. Your book could appear right alongside well-known traditionally published books as they appear in catalogs and are in full distribution, available to retails stores both brick and mortar and online.

Redemption Press has another quality that propels our products to stand above the rest. As one of our authors, you are assigned to your own personal project manager who will guide you every step of the way so you don’t miss a single step. We also offer ongoing training to give you tools to take the investment you made and turn it around for profit.

If it sounds too good to be true, I assure you isn’t. This is how I got my start as an author, and it was the best experience I could have hoped for. So, don’t just click and search for something else. Be brave and take your next step. We can’t wait to hear about your project and how we can help you get your message into print for the world to read.

You can make an appointment with our team and find out how we can assist you with your project or turn in your manuscript and get some feedback so we can put together a publishing plan that will provide an opportunity for your message to reach far and wide.

That is why are we so passionate about getting your book out there with excellence.  Because God has called us to help people just like you to share a message of hope with their world. We do it with excellence and bathe each project in prayer. We can’t wait to meet you! You’re just click away from entering a publishing family that will support you every step of your journey.