Our Services

At The Troy Book Makers, we let the author do as much or as little as they would like. Have a nephew who can layout your book? Great! A friend who can design a cover, also great. But if not, we can do these things for you for a modest fee. Browse the services below or contact us for a custom quote.


Formatting / Book Design:

Even a finished manuscript that is ready for printing still needs to be formatted. We can custom design your book from cover to cover, formatting your book to fit the final trim size and margin requirements. Files must be given to us electronically, either uploaded through our website or sent via e-mail, and must be a .doc file or equivalent (such as .rtf, .pages, or google doc). PDFs cannot be accepted for formatting.

Our basic formatting service starts at $200 and includes fitting content to the appropriate margins for a book up to 100 pages and inserting headers, footers, page numbers, chapter and part titles, as well as a table of contents. Additional pages beyond 100 start at 50¢ per page. We are also able to format special features, such as footnotes and appendices, for an extra charge.

Completely custom book design is also available—our specialists here at The Troy Book Makers will work with you to design a completely unique interior. We’ve laid out many books with excerpts, tables, endnotes, footnotes, appendices, bibliographies and indices. These books of course take a bit more time and the fees are based on your needs so please contact us about a custom quote.

Cover Design:

Starting at $250, supply a photo and back cover text, specify color or typeface preferences if you like, then we’ll take care of the rest.

If you need something totally custom (or multiple options) The Troy Book Makers can work with you to design a completely unique cover.

Alternatively, if you have made a front and back cover and a spine as separate pieces and are not sure how to size and combine them, for $80 we can put together an assembled cover for you.

Stock Images:

Don’t have an image for your cover? Don’t worry! We can help you find a royalty free image at a low cost. Starting at $25, we can find an image that suits your cover. Interior illustrations are also available—remember, clip art you find on the web probably isn’t usable!

Premium paper stock:

We have many paper stocks available to suit different project budgets and needs. Different weights of white and cream paper are popular for novels and memoirs, while coated stocks are better for photos and children’s books. Your author liaison can help you select the right paper for your book.

Premium cover stock:

Your book will automatically have a full-color 10 pt. cover, with gloss or matte lamination. Heavier covers or specialty stocks are available.

ISBN/Barcode:

For $100, we can obtain an ISBN for you. This 13-digit identification number—the International Standard Book Number—allows booksellers and libraries to order, stock and sell books. If you get an ISBN from us, The Troy Book Makers will be your publisher of record, and we will also create a barcode at no additional cost. Your book will automatically be listed in Books in Print—the industry directory used by wholesalers, distributors and bookstores to order books—making your book available to thousands of retail stores around the world.

If you do not want us to be listed as your publisher of record, it’s not a problem. You can purchase a single ISBN (or a set), and choose your own press name.

If you already have an ISBN, but need a barcode, we can create one for your book for $40.

Copyright:

For the most secure federal protection from misappropriation of the content of your book, we recommend that you apply for an official copyright for your book. You can apply online using the Electronic Copyright Office, starting from $65 and you can complete the entire process online by uploading your manuscript as a PDF. Please note: It currently takes approximately 24 months to get the certificate from the copyright office. If you need us to file your registration, the cost is $150.

Proofs:

Starting at $25, we will print a single copy of your book for your approval before printing. We do require all authors review a printed proof – as it is an essential opportunity to catch any errors and to make sure the pages are laid out as you envisioned. Once we send you your proof, you can take as much time as you need to make changes or suggestions. If you would like to make any changes to the text, corrections to up to 20 pages of your book are included in the cost of your first printed proof. Additional or more significant changes to the text will incur additional charges (per page) and additional proofs may be needed. Full color proofs start at $50, and digital proofs start at $15 per round.

Distribution:

By printing your book with The Troy Book Makers, you may choose to have your book represented in Market Block Books and The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza in NY for six months, on a consignment basis. We also have two optional venues for online sale: though our website at shopTBMbooks.com, and through our seller account on Amazon.com. A listing on shopTBMbooks.com is free; however, there is a $100 charge to create an Amazon.com listing (waived for print runs of 250+ books). Consignment fees also apply.

Marketing Materials:

Once you’ve printed your book, you will want to tell the world that it is available and how it can be bought. We can help by designing and printing postcards, event posters, business cards, and more, so you can begin promoting your book.

eBooks:

While our focus is printed books we do offer eBook conversion. Get the scoop here.

Editing:

We have a robust list of professional freelance editors, with a wealth of experience editing all kinds of content. Whether you are looking for help with copy editing (for grammar, syntax, typos, etc), line editing (for content and organization), or something more there will be someone on our list who can help. If you’d like to learn more about  our freelance editors please contact us.