Do I keep my rights? Yes. You keep 100% of your rights. You keep 100% of your royalties. The book is published under your KDP account and Amazon pays you directly.

Are these service prices competitive?  Consider that editing and formatting by independant gig-workers on platforms like Fivr are charging $800-$4,000 for this one aspect of service. Cover designers charge between $300-$1,500 for cover artwork, design, and file-creation ready for digital upload. Our 3 Tiers of services are more than competitive, and the value of each is upwards of several thousand dollars.

How long does it take? Tier 1 is 14 days. Tier 2 and Tier 3 are 7 days. The clock starts when I have your manuscript and intake form in hand.

Do you edit my manuscript? Tier 1 includes a basic spelling and grammar check. Tier 2 includes a collegiate-level check plus a single-pass copy edit. Tier 3 includes a professional-level check plus a three-pass copy edit. None of the tiers include line editing or developmental editing. Your manuscript should be in finished form when you send it to me.

What if I don't like the cover? I provide multiple cover designs to choose from at every tier (2 in Tier 1, 5 in Tier 2, 10 in Tier 3). You select the one you want.  If you do not like any of the cover design I create and offer to you for your review, that's perfectly fine - we'll discuss your ideas further and I will create 2 new additional covers at no additional cost to you.

Cover design and approval are one of the major components of every new book, and YOUR SATISFACTION IS CRITICAL. Our good discussions prior to any cover design and creation is required so that we can have an excellent understanding of your thoughts and ideas regarding the cover of your book. 

We will not allow you to be dissatisfied with a potential cover and you will never be made to accept something that you're not completely happy with prior to completion of your book. 

If you change your mind after your confirmed selection and complete approval of a cover design, a change order fee of $75 will apply.

Do I have to set up my own KDP account? Yes. Your book is published under your own KDP account, which means royalties go directly to your bank account. I'll coach you through the setup if you don't have one yet. 

Once your KDP account is created and ready, you will give me your login credentials so I can set up the title inside your account. You change your password as soon as the work is done.

What about ISBNs? All tiers use the free ISBN that KDP assigns when you publish. If you want to use your own ISBN from Bowker, you can supply it and I'll use that instead.

Do I have to print a bunch of copies up front? No. Amazon KDP is the company and distribution platform that your book will be listed on and distributed through. It is called print on demand (POD). When a customer orders your book on Amazon, Amazon prints it upon receiving the order for your book, then they package and drop-ship the order to your customer. You never touch inventory if you choose not to. You never pay for printing. You collect royalties on every sale.

Will my book be available worldwide? Yes. Amazon distributes your book to its global marketplaces. Your book will be available to readers worldwide through Amazon.

What if I already have a KDP account? Even better. We skip the account setup step and go straight to setting up your title.

What if I'm not a Christian author? You're still welcome. I specialize in Christian content because that's my background, but I work with authors writing memoirs, fiction, children's books, non-fiction, and other genres.

What's NOT included? I don't do "line editing, developmental editing, ghostwriting, marketing campaigns, or human-narrated audiobooks", as these are all very labor/time intensive, and would require thousands of dollars in additional fees. 

What about an audio book? Once your eBook is created, submitted, and approved, KDP may offer the option for us to have an audio-book of your book created. The Amazon Virtual Voice audiobook in Tier 3 is AI-narrated, not human-narrated. I have done Muscle and a Shovel in this virtual voice audiobook by Amazon and it is good quality - customers have given positive feedback; however, it is important that you know that it is done by Amazon AI and is not "human narration". 

What happens if I back out after work begins? Service fees are paid up front. If you back out mid-project, Shank Publishing retains 50% of the service fee.

Pricing versus donations? We are a non-profit private member assocation (PMA) of Christians who offer donations in exchange for Christian books and publishing services. All amounts shown as prices are, in reality, suggested donation amounts in exchange for books or services.  Our PMA seeks no "commercial" or "retail" activity, but remains a private non-profit ministry effort to glorify the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Can I SAVE MONEY ON SERVICES by paying by Venmo, Cashapp, or Check by Mail?  Yes. We will deduct 5% of your package total when you pay by one of the aforementioned ways. Simply email me at mike@michaelshankministries.com and let me know that you will be paying for your publishing service package by Venmo, Cashapp, or Check by Mail. Here's the payment info for these three ways to pay:

Venmo name:                @michaeljshank

Cashapp name:              $michaeljohnshank

Phone:                              (618) 638-9959

Check by Mail:               Michael Shank Ministries, PO Box 64, Vienna, IL 62995