You don’t need anyone’s permission to publish.
You just need a great team behind you.
Hi, that’s us 👋✨
Starling Publishing works with independent authors to create exceptional books. Our end-to-end, all-inclusive service takes you from draft through to book in hand.
The traditional gatekeeping model of publishing says only a chosen few get to publish their books, and that it has to take a long time. We’ve proven otherwise.
From professional editing and proofreading to cover design and layout to SEO and beyond, we empower authors at any level of their career to take their work into their own hands.
And best of all, you retain 100% of your rights and royalties.
When you work with Starling Publishing, you’ll get the quality of a traditional publishing workflow with the agility of a small studio and the personal touch of a partner who’s genuinely invested.
The result? An exceptional book you’re proud to put your name on.
The Starling Publishing Process
Everything you need to publish your book,
bundled into one amazing (and convenient!) package.
It’s easier than ever to self-publish a book, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. And making a good book—one that’s properly edited, well designed, and stands shamelessly next to traditionally published titles on the shelf?
Yeah, that’s hard.
We’re here to help.
The Starling Publishing Process is designed for self-publishing authors who want to publish professionally, on their own terms. It includes everything you need to transform your draft manuscript into a published book you’re proud of.
You retain 100% of the rights and royalties.
Let us be your secret weapon!
Pricing
Our package pricing for paperback and ebook starts at US$2495 for 10K words; additional word count is US$0.025 per word.
Complex manuscripts may require additional formatting fees, quoted separately.
Work With Us
Wondering if our publishing services might be for you? We’d love to hear from you! Send us a message with some details, and we’ll get back to you with a quote.
Every package includes the following:
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Publishing a book has a ton of moving parts, and we take care of the entire process, ensuring you enjoy a stress-free publishing experience. We’ll come to you for approvals and feedback while handling all of the details so you can focus on what you do best. Our founder, Robin, oversees every step personally.
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Your book will undergo a meticulous combined copyedit/line edit with developmental feedback, followed by a spot-check for author revisions.
Tailor your package by adding on a round of developmental editing or a round of final proofreading.
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Contrary to popular wisdom, everyone judges a book by its cover. We’ll ensure yours is a professional, sharp, eye-catching custom cover design based on your specifications that attracts readers’ interest.
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We’ll elevate the reading experience with a beautifully designed, bespoke book interior for an optimal reading experience that’s easy on the eyes, both digitally and in print.
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We make sure your book gets found by its target readers, with an optimized book description and back cover copy, Amazon keyword research, categories selection, and pricing recommendations to keep your book competitive.
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We coordinate free Amazon ISBNs or offer guidance for registering your own.
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Expert done-for-you publishing upload to your own account to ensure it’s done right, whether you’re setting up a preorder and launch date or publishing right away.
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Unlimited messaging support throughout the project duration. Our expertise is at your disposal. Ask us anything!
Every publishing package includes professional editing.
Past editorial clients include:
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Absolutely. Many of my clients are first-time authors, and guiding you through the process is part of what I do. I'll explain each step clearly, let you know what to expect, and flag anything you need to be aware of along the way. You don't need any prior publishing knowledge — that's what I'm here for.
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Yes, absolutely. You don't have to commit to everything upfront. Starting with editing is the most logical first step, and once the manuscript is polished we can move to formatting, cover design, and publishing. Many clients build out their package in stages.
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Yes! AI is a great writing partner, and it’s opened up the doors for people who may not have been able to write a book otherwise. I’m happy to work on AI-assisted books.
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Bring it! The questionnaire has space for you to share reference images, describe the mood or aesthetic you want, and explain what you've envisioned. The more detail you give the designer, the closer the first draft will be to what you have in mind. If you have existing branding, logos, or images you want incorporated, just share them and we'll work with them. You can even mock up your design with AI and our designers can recreate it for you!
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Yes! Your publishing project can either be paid in full up front or 50% at the project start and 50% before the delivery of the first print galley, midway through the project.
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Yes! You own the copyright to all the final deliverables produced during this project and retain 100% of the rights and royalties to your book. Since we’ll be self-publishing in your own account, all royalties are paid directly to you.
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Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is Amazon's self-publishing platform. It allows you to publish ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers on Amazon worldwide with no upfront cost. Amazon prints and ships books on demand, handles all transactions, and pays you royalties directly. It's the dominant self-publishing platform because of Amazon's massive customer base and the ease of the process.
Ready to publish your book?
The first step is getting in touch. Send us a message to get the conversation started. We can’t wait to hear from you!