You focus on writing. We handle the publishing.
The Blue Crab Books Publishing Partnership for Authors provides professional support for writers who want help bringing a book from manuscript to publication and ongoing distribution.
Publishing a book involves far more than uploading a manuscript.
There is editing, cover design, formatting, EPUB conversion, metadata, pricing, publishing platforms, print distribution, bookstore and library availability, and marketing. For many authors, managing all of those pieces can become a second job.
The Blue Crab Books Publishing Partnership is designed to take that work off your plate.
We work with authors to turn a completed manuscript into a professionally produced paperback and eBook, publish and distribute it across multiple channels, and provide launch and organic marketing support.
You bring the story. We help bring the book to readers.
Download the Publishing Partnership for Authors Application →
What’s Included in the Publishing Parnership for Authors
Light Editing
Every partnership includes light editorial preparation to help make your manuscript polished and publication-ready.
Light editing may include:
- Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization
- Consistency in names, terminology, and basic style
- Minor sentence-level corrections for clarity and readability
- Correction of obvious typographical and formatting issues
Manuscripts should be substantially complete before submission.
Light editing does not include developmental editing, extensive rewriting, fact-checking, research, major restructuring, or extensive copyediting. If your manuscript requires more extensive editorial work, additional editing may be quoted separately.
Professional Cover Design
Your book will receive a professionally designed cover created to reflect its genre, tone, and intended readership.
Cover design includes:
- Front cover design
- Paperback spine and back cover
- eBook cover
- Preparation of publication-ready cover files
Your paperback and eBook covers will be prepared to meet the technical requirements of the publishing and distribution platforms used for your book.
Children’s Picture Books
Children’s picture books are welcome, but custom interior illustrations are not included in the $999 Publishing Partnership.
If your book requires illustrations, illustration services may be added for an additional fee based on the number, complexity, and style of images required.
Blue Crab Books uses AI-assisted image generation as part of the illustration process for selected projects.
Illustration requirements and pricing will be discussed before the project begins.
Paperback & EPUB Formatting
Blue Crab Books prepares your manuscript for both print and digital publication.
This includes:
- Professional paperback interior formatting
- EPUB eBook formatting and conversion
- Front and back matter setup
- Typography and page layout
- Chapter styling
- Preparation of publication-ready files
The goal is a polished, readable book that looks professional in both print and digital formats.
Publishing & Distribution
Blue Crab Books handles the publishing and distribution process for your paperback and eBook.
Depending on the book and its distribution needs, we may use platforms such as IngramSpark and Draft2Digital to make titles available across a broad network of retailers, bookstores, and library channels.
Distribution may include:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Apple Books
- Kobo
- Bookshop.org
- Independent bookstores
- OverDrive
- cloudLibrary
- Hoopla
- Everand
- BorrowBox
- Schools, universities, and library suppliers
Distribution makes a title available for ordering through participating channels. It does not guarantee that a particular bookstore, retailer, or library will purchase or stock the book.
Launch & Organic Marketing Support
Publishing the book is only part of the process. We also help introduce it to readers.
Your partnership includes:
- A dedicated book listing on the Blue Crab Books website
- Book description and retailer/distributor metadata
- Two short promotional book videos, approximately 30–90 seconds each
- Launch announcement and social media copy
- Organic promotion through selected Blue Crab Books social media channels, which may include YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest
Paid advertising is not included in the Publishing Partnership.
Your Publishing Investment
$999
The Publishing Partnership provides one coordinated path from completed manuscript to professionally published book.
Rather than hiring separate editors, designers, formatters, publishing specialists, and marketing support—or learning the entire publishing process yourself—you work with Blue Crab Books throughout the project.
Cost Comparison
Professional self-publishing can cost several thousand dollars when these services are purchased separately. Reedsy’s 2026 analysis estimates typical professional self-publishing costs at approximately $2,940–$5,660, depending on the services required.
Benefits of One Publishing Partner
Working with one publishing partner also helps keep the entire project more cohesive. Editing, cover design, formatting, publishing, distribution, and organic marketing are coordinated through Blue Crab Books, reducing the risk of delays, miscommunication, inconsistent design decisions, and the back-and-forth that can come with managing multiple freelancers and vendors.
Royalty Partnership
Authors receive 60% of net publishing receipts from book sales.
Blue Crab Books receives 40% of net publishing receipts in return for ongoing publication and management of the title.
“Net publishing receipts” means the amount received by Blue Crab Books after retailer, distributor, printing, and other applicable sales-related charges have been deducted.
Full royalty terms, payment schedules, rights, and responsibilities are detailed in the Publishing Partnership agreement.
You Keep Being the Author
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Our goal is simple:
You should not have to become a publisher just because you wrote a book. Instead of spending months learning cover specifications, EPUB requirements, metadata, distribution systems, publishing dashboards, bookstore channels, library distribution, video and social media production, you can stay focused on what you do best—writing. Blue Crab Books handles the publishing work behind the book. |
See the Books We’ve Published
Blue Crab Books has published dozens of titles in print and digital formats. Prospective authors can browse our catalog and Book Store to see examples of our cover design, formatting, presentation, and finished editions.
Browse the Blue Crab Books Store →
View Our Books on Amazon
Frankenstein — Mary Shelley
Illustrated Edition
Showcases illustrated interior design, image placement, typography, and a polished classic-literature presentation.
Dracula — Bram Stoker
Illustrated Edition
Demonstrates atmospheric cover design, coordinated interior styling, and illustrated book production.
Anne of Green Gables — L. M. Montgomery
Highlights traditional literary formatting, chapter design, and the integration of classic illustrations.
Wuthering Heights — Emily Brontë
Shows clean paperback formatting, classic typography, and a professional trade-edition layout.
The Blue Castle — L. M. Montgomery
Demonstrates contemporary presentation of a classic novel, with coordinated cover design and reader-friendly interior formatting.
Browse Our Catalog →
Is the Publishing Partnership for Authors Right for You?
The Publishing Partnership may be a good fit if:
- You have a completed or nearly completed manuscript
- Your manuscript needs light rather than extensive editing
- You want professional cover and interior design
- You want both paperback and eBook editions
- You do not want to manage multiple publishing platforms yourself
- You want broader distribution beyond a single online retailer
- You want your book available through bookstore and library ordering channels
- You would like launch and organic marketing support
- You want a publishing partner rather than having to coordinate multiple freelancers and platforms
How the Process Works
1. Submit Your Book
Tell us about your manuscript, genre, word count, intended audience, and publishing goals.
2. Manuscript Review
Blue Crab Books reviews the project to determine whether it is a good fit for the Publishing Partnership and whether the manuscript is ready for light editing and production.
3. Publishing Agreement
If the project is accepted, we provide a Publishing Partnership agreement outlining services, rights, royalties, responsibilities, and project scope.
4. Editorial & Design
We begin light editing, book formatting, cover design, and production preparation.
5. Review & Approval
You review the cover, formatted book, and proofs before publication.
6. Publication & Distribution
Blue Crab Books publishes the paperback and ebook and sets up appropriate retail, bookstore, and library distribution.
7. Launch
Your book is added to Blue Crab Books and supported with promotional content and organic social media marketing.
Ready to Bring Your Book to Readers?
You’ve already done the hardest part: writing the book.
Let Blue Crab Books help you take it from manuscript to professionally published paperback and eBook—without having to navigate the entire publishing process yourself.
Download the Publishing Partnership Application→
Complete the application and return it with your manuscript or sample chapters for review.