Introduction to our Publishing Service

Our current focus is on publishing New Zealand books of worship and other resources by New Zealand authors that support customers’ ministries.

We publish print books and eBooks which we list for sale on major online stores around the world.

We typically produce 5 editions of each book we publish:

1. A New Zealand print edition for local direct and wholesale sales.
   
   
2. A print-on-demand edition at Amazon for consumers – available on their UK, US, Australian and other stores worldwide. Usually soft cover perfect bound, but Amazon can also produce hard cover books.
   
   
3. A print-on-demand edition at IngramSpark for the book trade internationally, e.g. bookshops, library suppliers and wholesalers.
   
   
4. A PDF eBook edition available to buy on our website.
   
   
5. An ePub / Kindle edition available on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo etc. and on our website.

How our Publishing Service works

The author provides the content and we work with the author to create saleable products (books) from their content.

We currently create 3 print editions and 2 eBook editions of each book that we publish.

1. The author creates the book contents and emails us the manuscript to assess.
2. We agree costs with the author and sign a publishing contract with them.
3. We then work with the author to produce a saleable book (in print and eBook formats) and to list, promote and sell it.
   
4. The author pays us a fee to get the book ready to release – payable when the author approves the book for printing/release.
5. The author can buy print copies from us to sell. This how our authors make the most money from their books.
6. We pay the author 25% of net sales proceeds of books we sell.
   

Preparing your manuscript

We expect authors to present us with well-worked text, i.e. please do not send us your first draft.

• We suggest that you print out your manuscript and read it aloud to yourself, marking up edits by hand as you go. Issues that you don’t see when reading on screen often become apparent when reading a printout.
• Think about sentence construction – keep it simple and logical. Break long complicated sentences into shorter sentences.
• Get at least one other person, whose opinion you value, to read your manuscript and give you honest feedback. Make any changes that arise from this process.
• Spell check all your text. We prefer you to use New Zealand English as the language in your spell checker.

Starting from this solid base, we can then work with you to copy edit and polish your text ready for publication.

Submitting your book idea to us

Send us your manuscript in Microsoft Word format by email to books@pgpl.co.nz with details of your book including:

• A one or two paragraph summary of the content
• Your expertise in the subject area covered by the book
• Target markets – Who do you think will want to buy your book?
• Selling points – Why people will want to buy your book?
• How you will be able to help us to promote your book – Your professional and personal contacts, your social media presence etc.

We are also happy to discuss re-releasing as eBooks, books previously published in print.

NB: Please allow 2 to 3 months for us to assess your manuscript.

More about our fees

If we accept your book for publication, we will charge a fee of NZ$1,500 (minimum) up to about $2,500 for getting your book ready to publish. A higher publishing fee may apply for longer or more complex books.

The fee covers:

• Editing your text
• Cover and book interior design
• Formatting as an eBook
• Formatting as a print book
• Listing your book online on our website, at Amazon.com, Kobo.com, Smashwords.com, Wheelers NZ ePlatform and other places.

We will share the sales proceeds (net of GST and other taxes, printing costs, retailer margins, and freight/postage) with the author. Authors get 25% of net sales proceeds of books we sell.

More about our Publishing Service Process

Publishing and marketing activity that we do for each book:

• Advise details of the book to the New Zealand library suppliers to which the Publisher regularly supplies print and eBooks.

• Advise details of the book to the National Library of New Zealand and lodge two copies of the print book and one copy of the ePub eBook edition with them for Legal Deposit.

• Advise details of the book to New Zealand Christian bookshops.

• List the print editions with Neilsen Bookdata’s international online catalogue, so that New Zealand and overseas bookstores who use Neilsen Bookdata will be alerted to the book.

• Email the editors of the following New Zealand church periodicals, offering them a PDF review copy of the book and a free print copy for their reviewer if requested: Tui Motu Inter-islands (Independent Catholic) & Touchstone (Methodist).

• List the New Zealand Print edition on the Publisher’s website for customers in New Zealand and overseas to purchase.

• List the US Print-on-demand edition with Amazon.com, who will in turn list the book with Amazon stores in other countries.

• List the International Print-on-demand edition at Ingram Spark, who will in turn list the book with stores, distributors, libraries and library suppliers around the world.

• List the PDF, ePub and Kindle eBook editions on the Publisher’s website for customers in New Zealand and overseas to purchase.

• List the Kindle eBook edition for sale on Amazon.com, who will in turn list the book with Amazon stores in other countries.

• List the ePub edition with Smashwords and Kobo, both of whom will also list the ePub eBook with stores and libraries around the world.

• List the book with Wheelers NZ who will make the book available on their ePlatform system for public and school libraries in New Zealand.

• Promote the print and eBook editions to the Publisher’s customers by including them in the Publisher’s regular email newsletters.

• Create for the Author at no charge, an A4 one page flier/order form for book, for the Author to email or print and post to their contacts. Note that the Publisher will handle sales of the eBook editions.

Print Books Process

1. Author provides text ready to be formatted.
2. .PGPL designs an effective cover and formats the text
3. PGPL supplies a draft design in PDF format to the author for comment and approval.
4. PGPL and the author then work through edits and changes needed until the author is satisfied with the cover and the text, and approves the book for printing.
5. PGPL assigns a NZ ISBN and sends the book to Printing.com in Wellington to print.
6. PGPL uploads the design to Amazon.com who will also list it with other Amazon stores around the world.
7. PGPL uploads the design to IngramSpark, who supply the print book to wholesalers, retailers and library suppliers overseas.
8. PGPL orders the first batch of print copies, from Printing.com in NZ. (Allow three weeks.)
9. In consultation with the author PGPL will decide pricing for the book.
10. The author works with PGPL to market and promote the book to library suppliers, shops and other contacts.
11. PGPL receives books for sale and processes orders.
12. The author may buy an initial batch of copies at a lower than usual cost, either so they can hold a launch function or sell the book direct to friends and contacts themselves.
13. PGPL sends a catalogue entry and 2 copies to Legal Deposit at National Library.
14. PGPL lists the finished for sale book on www.philipgarsidebooks.com, Amazon.com, Ingram Spark and tells NZ library suppliers, libraries, selected shops and customers about the book.
15. PGPL will provide the author with 3 free copies of the New Zealand print editions.
16. After buying an initial batch of books at an agreed price, the author may buy extra copies from PGPL at any time at the wholesale price, i.e. the price charged to bookshops and library suppliers.
17. PGPL pays the author 25% of net cash sales proceeds received for books we sell. In calculating the net proceeds, PGPL will deduct:
    • the unit cost of printing copies of the book
    • the re-seller’s margin
    • US withholding tax at 5% of royalties due from the re-seller
    • postage/freight costs
    • NZ GST on sales in New Zealand

eBooks process

1. Author provides text ready to be formatted. PGPL formats the text as a print book, and then creates eBook editions when the print book layout and text is finalised.
2. PGPL supplies separate ISBNs for each eBook format required (ePub, Kindle and PDF)
3. PGPL designs an effective cover and formats the text into an eBook.
4. PGPL lists the finished book for sale on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Wheelers NZ, and www.philipgarsidebooks.com
5. PGPL sends a catalogue entry and sample ePub copy to Legal Deposit at National Library.
6. The author works with PGPL to market and promote the book.
   NB: Authors do not sell eBooks directly themselves.
7. In consultation with the author, PGPL will decide pricing for the eBook. Pricing should be equivalent across markets, e.g. if selling for US$5.99 on Amazon and Smashwords, sell for about $8.99 in New Zealand.
8. PGPL pays the author 25% of net cash sales proceeds received for books we sell. In calculating the net proceeds, PGPL will deduct:
   • the re-seller’s margin (e.g. 30-65% for Amazon, 20-30% for Smashwords)
   • US withholding tax at 5% of royalties due from the re-seller
   • NZ GST on sales in New Zealand
   • Freight/postage