Let’s Get Started!

Thank you for your interest in working with MRM for your publishing needs. We are so excited at the possibility of partnering with you!

Below you’ll find lots of information regarding our working together, including:

  • A detailed glimpse at our book design and editing processes
  • What previous clients have said about working with us
  • Pricing and timelines
  • Payment information
  • Frequently asked questions

Once you’ve reviewed the information below, please send us a quick email with any questions you may have or with a list of your current needs. If you’ve already been in touch with us and are ready to begin our publishing process, click below to begin.

Get Started Today! Still Have Questions?

The Step-by-Step Process

Please take a few minutes to review our process and what you can expect, below. We follow the same process and steps with every MRM project and client. Some of the items listed here might not apply to your particular project with us, as is determined by the options you chose on our proposal. However, the process is generally the same. As always, please let us know if you have any questions at all!

Step One: Manuscript Edits & Research

The first step will be sending over the final manuscript so we can begin our in-depth, developmental edits, as well as spend time getting to know your message. Our team of editors will perform one full round of developmental edits – the most detailed, comprehensive editing designed to develop the initial concept, outline chapters, perform necessary research, and aid in the fleshing out of the author’s ideas. 

In addition to the time spent engrossed in your manuscript for editing purposes, our design team will also evaluate the manuscript through a designer’s lens which will aid in the cover design options we provide to you.

Throughout this extensive process for the book design, we will also research keywords and categories necessary to establish and optimize the product listings, as well as maximize your author profiles on Amazon and GoodReads.

Step Two: Cover Design Planning, Creation, and Approval

Once all of the above information is determined, we’ll set to work designing three cover options for you to choose from. Our designer will tell you a bit more about these options when we reach that phase, but your initial input and direction is crucial to achieving the cover design you’ll love so be sure to tell us all you can about your likes and dislikes or what you envision for the front of your book.

We generally provide two cover options based on your design style suggestions and preferences, and then a third option that reflects our interpretation of your book and message. From these three options, you will select one concept that appeals to you the most, and then we’ll proceed with our two rounds of revisions to finalize the design.

We’ll provide a 3D view of the approved cover design as well, so your design team can easily incorporate this into your website design and social media graphics.

Step Three: Interior Design, Formatting, and Approval

When you’ve approved the design for the book’s cover, we’ll progress to formatting and designing the finalized manuscript for the book’s interior design. We will create the layout and different sections of the book, test various formatting options and font usage, and paginate the book. We will also create the requested illustrations or incorporate any properly licensed illustrations provided to us and add those into the page layouts.

After one more quick proofreading and editing round by our design team, we will provide you with a copy of the full book design for a preview. We’ll also ask that only absolutely necessary manuscript revisions or changes be submitted at this time and will allow you one round of minor revisions to complete this phase of the process.

Step Four: Development and Product Creation

Development of the final book product will be our focus during this phase. Once the book edits and design are finalized and you are pleased with the result, we will add your upcoming release to both the KDP and IngramSpark platforms for print and digital distribution. We will implement the keyword and category research we performed during Step One to fully optimize the product listings and increase your visibility in search results.

Next, we will get to work creating and optimizing your Amazon Author page and author profile for GoodReads.

Step Five: Project Add-Ons and Final Payment

Once your incredible new book is complete and optimized for success, we will send your invoice for the final payment. This invoice will also include any additional fees for revisions or project add-ons after our agreement was signed and accepted. When final payment is received, we will send over a detailed ‘Project Wrap-Up’ email, which will include any relevant logins or further recommendations from our team. We do recommend printing or saving this email for future reference. We’ll be available to answer questions or provide further assistance to you for the first 30 days after product launch. Any changes to the final files or product listings requested after the wrap-up email is sent will be billable time at our standard hourly rates.

We perform very thorough checks for issues or errors prior to releasing your final book files to you. However, in the rare event that you do discover an error after release, please report it to us within 14 days and we will promptly fix it for you free of charge. Please note that correcting any problem or error with the product listing or online profiles we create caused by someone other than an MRM team member will be subject to the relevant hourly fees.

Please Note: Some of these steps will not apply to all projects, and are determined by the package options chosen below.

What Our Clients Are Saying

“I have enjoyed working with Market Refined Media and appreciate all they have done to create for me a beautiful new website. I also appreciate their promptness in responding when I contact them with a request or question. The MRM Team has done an outstanding job in providing for all my website and newsletter needs.”
Wanda Brunstetter
Bestselling Author
“I loved having Mandy and her team help me with all aspects of publishing Created for Communion. I feel like she and Mara, especially, really understood the message of my book. Mandy’s overall perspective was so encouraging and helpful. I was proud of the manuscript I sent Mara, but she elevated it to another level. I’m so thankful. I also am so happy with the appearance of the book with the journaling sections and interior design – so pretty & inviting!”
Kristin Hill Taylor
Blogger and Author
“Mandy and the team at Market Refined Media understand content creation and distribution. I love how personal, professional and practical they are. MRM includes individuals with a variety of skills and expertise to develop and strengthen my work as a communicator. And they do it in such a flexible way that’s easy to work with, helpful, and encouraging — not stressful. I know they’ll give me relevant, up-to-date, and reliable advice and coaching about making the most of my message in today’s world.”
Julie Sanders
Author and Blogger
“My experience working with MRM was amazing. Mandy and her entire team brought a level of expertise that greatly enhanced the projects we were working on. I look forward to working with MRM again in the future. I highly recommend their services!”
Denise Hughes
Author
“I am so pleased with my experiences with MRM. You have all been so helpful and patient with me as I’ve stepped into new (and sometimes frightening) territory. I feel both supported and championed on my journey and I rest secure that I am in good hands. I’m so happy to be working with you guys!”
Tammy Gustafson
Coach, Counselor, Speaker, and Author
“MRM could not be easier to work with. The team is very professional yet down to earth. The technical side of my website is the weakest area for me. MRM understands this and has become my teacher. (They) give me valuable advice and have made my little corner of the web beautiful and easy to navigate. Because of MRM, I can now concentrate on my calling and writing.”
Carmen Horne
Blogger and Coach

Every Project Includes:

Initial consultation call between the author and our team to discuss:

  • The premise and purpose of the book;
  • The book’s target reader;
  • Vision for the cover design or significant elements; 
  • Publishing and format preferences;
  • Marketing strategy and recommendations;
  • Timeline until book launch (a minimum of 3 months is best);
  • Copy, files, graphics, photos, and other information required to complete the project, and;
  • Any additional support services you may need.

After the initial consultation you will receive a project proposal which will include a detailed listing of services, timeline from start to completion, projected costs, and payment options.

Market Refined Media: Christian Book Marketing Cover Design, Formatting, and Editing

Please Note: The final project investment will depend on the scope of the project. Any additional rounds of edits, cover design concepts, or added services will increase the project scope and total investment.

Payments

After our discovery call, if we both decide to move forward with the project, we’ll send you an email with a recap of our call and summary of your project. At that point, you’ll need to pay a 30% deposit to secure your place in our queue. The remaining 70% of your project balance will be divided into equal monthly or bi-weekly payments, dependent on the timeline, with the final balance due upon project completion.

All invoices are handled through Freshbooks, and payment can be remitted via debit or credit card or ACH payments.

Frequently Asked Questions

In traditional publishing, an author submits a manuscript to a publishing house for consideration. If the publishing company publishes the book, they buy the author’s rights and pay the author in advance for any further royalties. The publishing house then puts up the money to design and print the book. 

A vanity publisher is a services-based publishing house that publishes a book but does not finance it. The author is responsible for the total financing of the book and rarely retains the copyright to that book. Vanity publishers typically charge much more for their services in exchange for placing their imprint on the book cover. 

Partner publishing is a full-scale service for getting your book to market. Authors pay for the whole publishing process. The publisher typically does not retain rights to any royalties, and they offer more significant support than self-publishing. Partner Publishing provides a new author with the experienced and established team of a publishing house. Books are produced to the highest standard and marketed to readers across the world. As with a professional author, the team will work alongside you through all the stages of publication, from manuscript editing to sales, to ensure the best possible results, BUT you are in charge. 

Self-publishing is straightforward. An author pays for the production of a book and can choose to purchase additional services, including book marketing, paid book signings, book display at industry trade shows, and many others. Thus, self-publishing offers a one-stop solution for authors, and royalties earned stay with them. 

Editing is the next step. We recommend a developmental edit, followed by a copy and line edit, then to polish it off, a proofread. Once the revisions are complete, you can move on to marketing, cover design, interior layout, and finally publishing!

If you haven’t already, please use the contact form to tell us more about your goals and submit a copy of your manuscript. Once we receive the details from you, our team will discuss your book and then schedule a call with you to go over our publishing procedures and walk you through an organized intake and discovery process to ensure we have the “big picture” view of your goals. Then we’ll create a custom proposal just for you and your project needs.

Most projects require a 30% deposit to begin, with the final balance due upon completion. We use Freshbooks to manage all invoices, and payments can be sent via credit card or debit card or bank transfer.

A Developmental Edit is an in-depth analysis of all of the significant components of your manuscript, ensuring that they flow seamlessly and leave no gaps. The developmental editor’s job is to be a focused, objective reader who offers feedback to improve the structure, content, and organization of your manuscript. 

Non-fiction authors can expect feedback, insight, and advice on content, structure, organization, personalization, clarity, focus, mechanics, writing style, fiction storytelling, message delivery, fact-checking, and marketability and suitability for the intended readership. 

Fiction authors can expect feedback, insight, and advice on: structure, plot, characterization, storytelling, dialogue, head-hopping, viewpoint and narration, hooks, tone, scenery, description, pacing and progression, setting, voice, showing not telling, tense, cutting fluff and non-essential events, crafting intriguing openings and endings, creating workarounds for problem spots, and writing mechanics.

A Copy or Line Edit is essential to the success of any book. This is the stage when your book is read aloud and checked for ease of readability and flow. The overall verbiage is assessed for oddities; sentences will be rewritten, suggestions will be offered, and a focus group may be brought in. Minor edits may also be made at this time. 

Proofreading is the final step in the editing process. Manuscripts will be thoroughly checked for spelling, punctuation, grammar, syntax, typographical errors, linguistics, and word usage. This is when your prose becomes polished and ready for its debut into the world!

MRM offers Alpha, Beta, and Critique Reading services. 

Alpha Readers offer a reader’s and an author’s perspective on the initial draft of your manuscript (the not-yet edited version). Their experienced eyes will review your messy first-draft, ideas, notes, and copy to assist you with crafting the best possible version of your work. In addition, they will offer feedback, comments, and a report to assist you in avoiding months or years of struggle in fulfilling your vision for the book.

MRM’s Beta Readers offer a reader’s and an author’s perspective on the edited manuscript that is currently scheduled for publication. We offer comments and feedback and answer the most crucial questions every author should ask of their beta reader. You can use this insider intel to improve the quality of the manuscript and publish a polished book for your loyal readers.

We offer the Critique Reader Service for those looking for the most in-depth feedback to produce the highest quality and caliber of work for your genre. MRM’s critique readers will scour your work, reading it multiple times if necessary, to direct the mechanics of the piece and how well it flows, engages, meets a need, and entertains or educates. They will also note areas that may elicit a negative response (intentionally or not) and offer suggestions for improvement. In addition, a report that reviews the choices of voice, style, form, story messaging, connection, and reader perspective is given upon completion of the read-through. This is an excellent choice if you have already had one full developmental edit or do not have the budget to secure a developmental editor.

All of our publishing projects include professional cover design in print, eBook, and audiobook (if applicable) formats, as well as the full interior layout, formatting, design, and typesetting.

  1. A release date that is a minimum of six months out is required. Building a successful, long-term campaign requires time to evaluate, organize, create a strategy, and implement. 
  2. You must have an established platform: online presence via social media, email list, or SEO analytics based on your book’s topic, OR a substantial following via a physical church or ministry, speaking platform, organization, or multiple published books. If you do not have an established platform, start with our platform-building services before we launch into marketing your book.
  3. Your book must be marketable. If a traditional publisher does not publish the book, it must first be professionally edited and proofread and must have a genre-specific, attractive, and commercial cover. We will evaluate your cover and read your manuscript thoroughly, then test it to determine its viability. If it isn’t marketable, we won’t take on the project. However, if we see great potential with the manuscript, we may recommend starting with our cover design and editing services to upgrade your manuscript to a marketable state.
  4. You must have a reasonable budget in place. We do not charge on the high-end for agencies of our caliber. However, we still require a reasonable budget. Ads, graphic and content creation, click-funnels, lead magnets, and management of all the moving pieces of a book launch require time and money.

Every book is unique, and we customize each service to the author’s content and goals. Because of that, it isn’t easy to give an exact price. Some books require more extensive editing. Some book covers require illustrations or intensive photo manipulation; others only require stock photography. A novella is more effortless to format than a cookbook or a book with multiple interior graphics, charts, footnotes, etc. Books with fewer chapters are more manageable to typeset than books with 30 or more chapters.

The best way to gauge price is to use the contact form to tell us more about your goals and submit a copy of your manuscript. Once we receive the details from you, our team will discuss your book and then schedule a call with you to go over our publishing procedures and walk you through an organized intake and discovery process to ensure we have the “big picture” view of your goals. Then we’ll create a custom proposal just for you and your project needs.

All projects require a 30% deposit to begin, with the final balance divided into equal monthly payments for the term of our work together. We use Freshbooks to manage all invoices, and payments can be sent via credit card or debit card or bank transfer.

Our process for cover design ensures you’ll receive a cover you love. We start with a detailed questionnaire, followed by a discovery call so you can give us your vision for the cover. Then we read the book thoroughly and conduct market research on your genre. The next step is to provide you with a minimum of three concepts for the cover design that incorporate your vision and market-worthy or relevant design styles and elements. From these unique concepts, you will select the one you are most drawn to, and we will hone the selected design through 1-2 revision rounds to be certain you are satisfied with the final product.

In short, no. We own the licenses to the font files used in your project and are prohibited from sharing those files with you due to licensing restrictions. However, we are happy to provide a brand board or style guide relevant to your project, with the font names included. If you’d like to purchase these fonts for future use, we are more than happy to provide the relevant information for you to do so.

The original or “native” design files are not included in any project and we generally maintain copyright ownership for them. If you would like to purchase an extended license and access to these original files, please let us know and we can create a separate agreement invoice for these files. Or we would be happy to create any additional design files needed for promoting your book, including Canva templates (with the flattened artwork) you are more than welcome to repurpose as needed.

You will own copyright to the final, completed product included with your agreement. We will maintain copyright for the individual pieces used to create your final product. If you would like to purchase copyright to the native design or formatting files, please let us know and we can create the necessary documentation and invoice for that.

Let’s Get Started Today!