Free guides
Guides for authors
Plain-English answers to the questions every author asks before they publish.
Publishing your first book raises a lot of questions: what it costs, how ISBNs work, where your book will be sold, and how to do it properly. These guides answer them honestly, whether or not you publish with SoulScriptz.
How to publish a book in the UK
How to publish a book in the UK, step by step: finishing and editing your manuscript, your cover, ISBNs, Amazon, bookshops, legal deposit and launch.
How much it costs to publish a book
What publishing a book in the UK really costs: editing, cover design, formatting, ISBNs and printing, what you can do for free, and what to watch out for.
ISBNs in the UK, explained
What an ISBN is, where to get one in the UK, what it costs, whether you need one for each format, and the difference between your own ISBN and a free one.
Amazon KDP or IngramSpark?
Amazon KDP and IngramSpark compared for UK authors: where each one sells your book, royalties, costs, ISBNs, and why many authors use both.
How to publish your memoir
How to turn your life story into a published memoir: shaping it, writing about real people with care, editing, and publishing it for family or for the world.
How to publish a children's book
How to publish a children's book in the UK: choosing the age group, picture books and chapter books, illustrations, print options, and getting into schools.
A book publisher in Manchester
SoulScriptz is an independent book publisher in Manchester helping authors across Greater Manchester and the UK publish professionally, with worldwide distribution.
Legal deposit, explained
What legal deposit is, why UK publishers must send a copy of every printed book to the British Library within a month, where to send it, and what happens with ebooks.
How to write a book description
How to write the description (blurb) for your book: the hook, what is at stake, the right length, mistakes to avoid, and how it differs for fiction, memoir and non-fiction.
Getting into libraries and bookshops
How independent authors in the UK get their books into public libraries and bookshops: making the book orderable, approaching libraries and shops, Public Lending Right and ALCS.
Planning a book launch
How to plan a book launch in the UK without a big budget: when to start, building early readers, a launch event, reviews, local press and what to do in the weeks after.
Publishing a poetry collection
How to publish a poetry collection in the UK: building towards a collection, pamphlets, ordering the poems, permissions, design, and finding readers through open mics and magazines.
How you earn from your book
How royalties work for paperbacks, ebooks and bookshop sales, with a worked example.
10 things to check before you publish
Ten checks that take an evening and can save you months of fixing things after your book is on sale.
Ready to publish your book?
First-time authors get 50% off their first publication with SoulScriptz. Your manuscript stays yours, and the price is agreed in writing before any work starts.