As a Dorrance author, you’ll benefit from our turnkey, time-tested, personal approach which has enabled authors to experience the thrill of publishing for over 100 years.

You’ll work directly with your own full-time, full-service Dorrance Project Coordinator based in the United States. This person is dedicated to ensuring that the final book is the piece you always wanted to publish.

Once the publishing process is complete, you’ll work with an Author Services representative who will guide you through the promotion process, helping you get your book into readers’ hands.

We customize our publishing packages to each book. Binding type, page size and whether illustrations are required are several factors that affect the price. Once we have received your manuscript, we will provide you with a full-service publishing proposal that outlines the fees. We’ll also outline the general production specifications of your book and how long it will take to complete.

Often, we can offer our new authors attractive and flexible, interest-free payment plans. It may be possible for you to get started with as little as the first payment of 24 installments.

At Dorrance, we would like to talk to you no matter where you are in the book development process.

If you have an idea but would like help completing your manuscript, we can work with you to professionally write your book. Learn more about our manuscript writing services.

If you’re in the process of finalizing your manuscript, contact us to begin the conversation about publishing your work when it’s complete.

If your manuscript is complete, submit it to us for review. We can offer publishing contracts only for completed manuscripts.

If you are working on your book, but feel you need a little help and advice our Writing Coach program is for you.

Once you submit your manuscript, our team will review it (see FAQ “Do you take every manuscript?”). If accepted, we’ll send a detailed publishing proposal that outlines how we’ll handle the publication of your book, and what it will cost.

If you accept our proposal, you’ll return the signed contract along with the first payment, and we’ll get to work!

We do not review or evaluate manuscripts for literary merit or market potential. However, there are categories that we do not accept: libelous or racist material, hate literature, or pornography, for example.  We reserve the right to reject any work that we may find to be unsuitable for our company.

No. Upon publication, two copies of your book will be filed in your name with the Register of Copyrights of the Library of Congress to obtain a Certificate of Registration of Copyright. The copyright will be registered in your name, not Dorrance’s.

Manuscripts and unpublished works are protected by common law and statutory law from the point of creation. There is no need to obtain a formal copyright registration before submission to Dorrance.

As a reputable, trusted company, Dorrance will not use any material submitted to us without your written permission. Read our President’s Statement of Confidentiality.

Dorrance authors receive a percentage of the retail price of each book sold. You should proceed with Dorrance because you want to see your work in print, not because of expectation of sales.  Typically, self-published books do not earn enough from sales to recoup the expense of publishing.  Some of our authors have received national attention; however, most self-published books do not sell as well as their authors hope.

We undertake a clearly defined, limited promotional program designed specifically for your book, as outlined in your publishing contract proposal. Below are some highlights of our standard campaign, which may be included in your book’s promotion:

• Press kit
• Digital press room
• Online news releases
• Search engine marketing
• Google Book Search
• Online retailer listing
• Industry trade directories
• Bookstore outreach
• Direct mail

We also offer additional promotional opportunities to help take your book marketing to the next level. Learn more about our offerings, then contact your Publishing Services Consultant to discuss what’s right for you.