Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers on self-publishing, royalties, services, printing and distribution with White Falcon Publishing.
Self-Publishing
What self-publishing is, how it works, and how it compares with traditional publishing.
What is self-publishing?
Self-publishing is the new model for book publishing. In this model, the author is the publisher of their book. The copyright of the book vests with the author. The author can avail the services of various professional service providers for making the manuscript print-ready and available online.
What are the various types of self-publishing models?
- Subsidy based: The author pays for the book’s printing and binding process. The publisher pays for a portion of the cost to edit, distribute and market the book.
- Vanity-based: The author pays for all the services, owns the book and receives all profits directly.
- Self-publishing based: The author pays to produce, market, distribute and stock the book.
- Print-on-Demand: Authors can make their book available online without any minimum purchase guarantee. The author can order even a single book.
What makes self-publishing different and better than traditional publishing?
| Factor | Self-publishing | Traditional publishing |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting Period | Self-publishing helps authors get their books published in a few days to weeks. | Traditional publishers take up to 6 to 12 months to bring a book into the market, if they select the work for publishing. |
| Possibility of Getting Published | In self-publishing, there is no rejection. | Depends on evaluation of the manuscript. |
| Availability | Online across all major book selling platforms globally. | Availability limited to specific markets or bookstores. |
| Copyright | Copyright remains with the author. | Traditional publishers usually keep the copyright of the book. |
| In-Print | The book never goes out of print under the self-publishing, print-on-demand model. | Traditional publishers print books for a maximum of 2 to 4 years based on sales and then discontinue the title. |
| Royalty Payment | Self-publishing offers transparency for sales and royalties. The author can monitor sales and royalties online. Royalties are provided to the author directly without middlemen. | Traditional publishers usually pay some royalty upfront and later only if they choose to. There is rarely clarity or transparency on total books sold. |
| Royalty Rates | Royalty rates in self-publishing are higher than traditional publishing as there are no middlemen involved. | Royalty rates are lower than self-publishing. |
| Print Quality | Print quality is better in print-on-demand self-publishing, which uses digital printing technologies and better quality paper. | Traditional publishing uses offset printing. Quality is usually not as good as books printed with POD technologies. |
| Author’s Investment | The author only pays for the services opted. There is no upfront requirement to purchase a specific number of books. | Most traditional publishers ask authors to purchase a few hundred copies to recover some or all of the printing costs. |
Pricing & Royalty
Profit share, list price, payments and author copies.
What is the royalty percentage offered?
We give 100% profit to the author. Check the royalty calculator for more details.
How is transparency assured in the sales and royalty of the book?
White Falcon Publishing creates an account on behalf of the author on the print-on-demand self-publishing platform. Once the book is available online, we share the account details with the author so that from then on the author can monitor book sales and royalty.
Who fixes the list price of the book?
The author can decide the list price at any value more than the cost price of the book.
How are royalties managed?
The author is provided an account on the print-on-demand self-publishing platform, where they can monitor book sales and royalties accumulated.
How often are the royalty payments done?
We make regular payments of royalty accumulated, either when the royalty balance exceeds Rs 1000 or at the end of each quarter. For authors in India, royalty payments are done through NEFT transfer. For authors based outside India, royalty payments are done through PayPal.
What is the number of copies one needs to purchase upfront while self-publishing?
The author need not purchase any copies upfront. Printing is done as and when an order is placed.
Does the author get a discount while purchasing their books?
Yes. The author is charged only the cost price of the book, while the list price is fixed for the market.
How can I order author copies at a discounted price?
You can order author copies from your WFP Projects/Platform account at: https://projects.whitefalconpublishing.com/author_copies/ or using the WFP Mobile App.
Publishing Services
Plans, free options, timelines, payments and marketing.
What is the cost of self-publishing through White Falcon Publishing?
We offer various publishing plans and add-on services. Authors can create custom plans based on their requirements.
Do you offer any free publishing options?
ScholarGram is an open and free academic publishing platform developed by White Falcon Publishing. With ScholarGram you can publish academic and research works such as thesis, dissertations, research papers, project reports, conference proceedings and journals into print and eBooks, for free.
BooksFundr is India’s first crowd-funding platform for books. With BooksFundr, authors can create campaigns for their books and sell pre-orders. Books that meet pre-order goals are published by White Falcon Publishing, for free.
Why am I being charged for book publishing?
We charge authors for providing professional services that make the manuscript print-ready (such as book interior design, cover design and editing), plus marketing and distribution services. We take responsibility for inventory management and order fulfillment, and the author is not charged for those services.
How does White Falcon Publishing add value to the author's work?
White Falcon Publishing, with its professional services (such as book cover design, interior design, editing and more), helps authors transform raw manuscripts into beautifully enhanced books available online for the global market.
How is White Falcon Publishing different from other service providers in the market?
White Falcon Publishing provides relevant author services at reasonable prices. A variety of plans are provided for ease of choice. It is not mandatory to take a fixed plan if certain services are not required; we also provide custom plans. The author is not mandated to purchase any copy of the book. You pay only for the publishing services. We also provide various marketing services, and a book page with the author’s biography and book details on our website.
Do I get tied up with White Falcon Publishing after getting my book published?
Since the copyright of the book lies with the author, the author is not bound by exclusivity for the published work. Self-publishing is about non-exclusivity, independence and wider reach. Even after self-publishing with us, an author can also publish the same work through another traditional publisher.
How much time does it take to bring the book into the market?
If the script is already edited, it normally takes 2 to 4 weeks to get the book published. If additional work such as copy editing is required, depending on the size of the book, it can take an additional 2 to 3 weeks.
How much time does it take for delivery of books?
For standard shipping, it can take up to 2 weeks. With expedited shipping, delivery can be made within 5 days.
When do I need to pay for services opted?
We request 50% advance payment for the publishing services opted. The balance 50% is requested after the book is published.
What are the payment modes available?
We accept payments through an online payment gateway, where you can pay using your credit card, debit card or net banking. We also accept payments by cheque and NEFT transfer.
What do you do for marketing of books?
We offer various online marketing services (Google ad campaign, Facebook ad campaign, author/book website, email campaigns, marketing kit, online press release, promotional videos). We have engaged a PR firm for specialised marketing services such as press interviews, media coverage and book launch events. If authors wish to avail any of these services, we can guide them accordingly.
Printing
Formats, paper, page counts and print-on-demand versus offset.
What colour options, binding options and book sizes are available for publishing?
We offer the following colour, binding and book size options:
Colour options
- Black & white interior, colour cover
- Colour interior, colour cover
Binding options
- Perfect binding (paperback)
- Case binding (hardcover)
Book sizes
- 4.33 × 7.01 inches
- 5 × 7 inches
- 5 × 8 inches
- 5.5 × 8.5 inches
- 5.83 × 8.27 inches (A5)
- 6 × 9 inches
- 7 × 9 inches
- 8.5 × 11 inches
What type of paper is used for interior and paperback covers?
For black & white interior, we use 70 to 80 GSM white or natural shade paper. For colour interiors we use 130 to 170 GSM art paper. For paperback covers we use 250 to 280 GSM art board. The quality of books published is superior to most traditionally published books.
In what format do we require the book files from the author?
We accept MS Word files, PDFs, and even old books that authors wish to re-publish. The author need not worry about the format or composition of the book. Let our professionals handle that.
What is the minimum number of pages required to form a book?
A minimum of 50 pages is required to get a book published.
How is print-on-demand different from offset printing?
Print-on-demand is a digital printing technology which allows even a single copy to be printed, and the cost of printing is independent of the number of copies being printed.
In contrast, offset printing involves a fixed setup cost for creating plates (usually metal) from which ink is transferred onto a rubber sheet, which is then rolled onto paper. Large sheets of printed paper are then cut and bound to form a book. Offset printing is economical only for bulk printing, and the printing cost per book decreases with the number of copies printed.
What is the benefit of print-on-demand over offset printing?
Since print-on-demand allows even a single copy to be printed, neither the publisher nor the author has to make a significant investment in bulk printing. Revisions can be made because copies are printed on demand as orders come in.
Offset printing, on the other hand, requires a significant investment for bulk printing of copies.
Do you use print-on-demand or offset printing if authors need bulk copies?
If authors require bulk copies for personal use or to distribute to friends and colleagues, these can be provided at printing cost. For orders up to 1000 copies, print-on-demand is economical. For larger quantities, we can arrange offset printing.
Distribution
Online channels, inventory, stores and how long titles stay listed.
On what distribution channels are the books made available?
The list of distribution channels can be viewed on our distribution page.
Do you make books available in physical book stores throughout the country?
Our primary distribution model for print books is through online channels (such as Amazon, Flipkart and WFP Store). However, we can pitch your book to national distributors for physical book stores, and if distributors agree to take the book for distribution, we can supply books under certain conditions.
How many copies are printed by White Falcon Publishing for sales?
We work on a partial print-on-demand model where we maintain inventory of the books for sale on the online distribution channels. Inventories are regularly replenished to ensure books remain available for sale.
Does White Falcon Publishing charge the author for inventory management and order fulfillment?
White Falcon Publishing takes responsibility for inventory management and order fulfillment. The author is not charged for these services.
For how long will my books be available for sale on online distribution channels?
Books remain available for sale on online distribution channels for as long as the author wishes to continue the agreement with us. The author signs an agreement that is subject to yearly auto-renewal without any extra fee.
Are there any annual renewal charges for continued availability on online distribution channels?
No, there are no renewal charges.
Still Have a Question?
Browse our plans, or send us a message and the team will get back to you with exact pricing for your book.