A simple 6-step process that keeps your book moving forward.
Most books stall between writing, editing, formatting and publishing because there is no clear path. This is the path — and you review the work at every step of it.
The six steps
In the order they happen. Each one ends with you seeing the work before the next begins.
Step 01
Discovery
We start by understanding your idea, goals, audience, and the stage you are currently at.
The first conversation is about you and your book, not about us. Where did the idea come from, who is it for, what do you want it to do for you — and what do you already have: notes, a half-finished draft, a complete manuscript, or nothing but the idea itself. This is a free consultation, and it sets the direction for everything after it.
Your partBring whatever you have, in whatever state it is in.
Step 02
Planning
Your book structure, content flow and overall approach are organised so everything has clarity from the beginning.
Before anyone writes or edits a word, the book gets a shape: the argument or story arc, the chapter breakdown, what each part needs to achieve and how it flows into the next. For a draft that already exists, this is where we map what is working and what needs rebuilding.
Your partReview the outline and tell us what feels right and what does not.
Step 03
Strategy
We create a clear direction for your project, including the right service recommendations and a practical roadmap.
With the book planned, we recommend which services it actually needs — ghostwriting or editing, cover design, formatting, publishing, marketing — and lay out the order they happen in. You get this as a written plan to review, so there are no surprises about scope later.
Your partApprove the plan, or ask us to change it, before any work begins.
Step 04
Creation
We begin the writing, development, editing or design work based on your project needs.
The core work happens here: chapters are written or developed, the manuscript is edited, the cover is designed. Work comes to you in stages rather than all at once, so you can see the book taking shape and keep the voice and direction where you want them.
Your partRead each stage as it arrives and give feedback while it is still easy to act on.
Step 05
Refinement
Your content is polished, reviewed and prepared to meet professional publishing standards.
Once the book is complete, it is proofread, formatted for ebook and print, and checked end to end — the stage that turns a finished manuscript into a professional product. Revisions here are the ones agreed for your project, and nothing is called final until you have signed off on it.
Your partGive the manuscript, cover and formatted files your final approval.
Step 06
Publishing & growth
Once your book is ready, we guide you toward publishing, presentation and the next steps for author growth.
We guide the launch on the major platforms and help you think about what comes after: how readers will find the book, how you present yourself as an author, and whether an audiobook, an author website, or articles and blog content should follow. The book being live is the start of that, not the end.
Your partDecide how far you want to take it — and we help you get there.
What you review, and when
Nothing is treated as final until you have seen it. These come to you, in this order.
- Proof
The outline
The shape of the book: chapters, sequence, and what each part needs to do.
Yours to approveStep 02 · Planning - Proof
Chapters, as they are written
Work comes to you in stages, so the voice and direction stay where you want them.
Yours to approveStep 04 · Creation - Proof
The edited manuscript
Each suggested change comes with its reason, so you can accept it, adjust it, or keep what you had.
Yours to approveStep 04 · Creation - Proof
The cover
Reviewed full size and as a small thumbnail on a phone, the way many readers first meet it.
Yours to approveStep 04 · Creation - Proof
The formatted files
Checked again after layout, because layout can introduce errors of its own.
Yours to approveStep 05 · Refinement
- Proof
The outline
The shape of the book: chapters, sequence, and what each part needs to do.
Yours to approveStep 02 · Planning - Proof
Chapters, as they are written
Work comes to you in stages, so the voice and direction stay where you want them.
Yours to approveStep 04 · Creation - Proof
The edited manuscript
Each suggested change comes with its reason, so you can accept it, adjust it, or keep what you had.
Yours to approveStep 04 · Creation - Proof
The cover
Reviewed full size and as a small thumbnail on a phone, the way many readers first meet it.
Yours to approveStep 04 · Creation - Proof
The formatted files
Checked again after layout, because layout can introduce errors of its own.
Yours to approveStep 05 · Refinement
Three things that hold on every project
However the book starts and whichever services it needs, these do not change.
- 01
Clear communication
You always know what stage your book is at, what is happening now, and what comes next. Questions get answered in plain language, not publishing jargon.
- 02
You review before anything is final
Outlines, chapters, edited manuscripts, covers and formatted files all come to you for approval. Nothing moves to the next stage without you seeing it.
- 03
You keep ownership
The manuscript and everything written, edited or designed for it is yours. We help you create and publish the book; we hold no claim on it.
Wherever you are starting from
Discovery and planning look a little different depending on what you bring.
Just an idea
Discovery is a conversation about what you want to say and who it is for. Planning turns it into an outline you approve.
Notes and fragments
We gather what you have and find the thread that holds it together before any chapter is planned.
A partial draft
Planning maps what is working and what needs rebuilding, so finishing it has a clear route.
A finished manuscript
Creation is mostly editing rather than writing, and refinement covers proofreading and formatting for ebook and print.
Questions about the process
The short answers. The full FAQ covers ownership, formats, publishing and more.
Question 01How long does the whole process take?
It depends on scope — the length of the book, the stage it starts at, and which services it needs. We agree a timeline with you at the start rather than quoting one here, and the structured process keeps work moving once it begins.
Question 02How many rounds of revision are included?
Revisions are discussed and agreed per project before work starts, so you know what is included at each stage. You review every stage regardless — the revision count is about how many times we go back and forth, not whether you get to see the work.
Question 03What should I bring to the first call?
Whatever you have. An idea and a few sentences about who the book is for is enough to start. If you have notes, a partial draft or a complete manuscript, send those along and we will read them before the consultation.
Question 04I have never written or published anything. Is this process for me?
Yes. It was designed with first-time authors in mind — each step is explained before it happens, and you are never expected to already know how a chapter breakdown or a publishing platform works.
Step one is a conversation.
Tell us about your book on a free consultation and we will map the rest of the steps for you.