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Our publishing process
A free consultation and quote, a production plan, professional editing, cover design and interior formatting, your approval of a free digital proof, ISBN and platform setup, then global distribution. Each step shows what we do, what we need from you and what you receive, so there are no surprises between your first email and your launch day.
Want to see your own timeline? Send a few details and a specialist replies with a quote and schedule within one business day.
The short answer
Columbia Publication publishes a book in seven steps: a free consultation and quote; kickoff and a production plan; professional editing; cover design and interior formatting, run alongside editing; your review of a free digital proof; ISBN, metadata and setup on Amazon KDP and IngramSpark in your own accounts; and global distribution. Most books go live in 4 to 9 weeks from signed agreement, 4 to 5 weeks on Global Publish and 7 to 9 weeks on Full Production, and the author keeps 100% of rights and royalties.
Prices checked October 27, 2026 · Reviewed by Gia Kahn, Lead Editor · Next review November 2026 · How we check
Is this you?
Most authors sign with a publishing service without knowing what happens next.
Then the questions start. When will I see the cover? Who do I email about the editor’s notes? Why has nothing happened for two weeks? A process you cannot see feels slow even when it is not, and a process that really is disorganized only shows itself once your money is spent.
So here is ours in full: seven steps, the week each one happens, what you do and what you get. Editing, cover and formatting run at the same time, which is why most books publish in weeks rather than months.
The 7 steps
Each step lists our work, your part and what you receive. You approve every stage before the next begins.
| Step and timing | What happens | Your part, and what you receive |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Free consultation and quote (before you commit) | A specialist reviews your manuscript, goals and deadline and sends a quote with the services your book needs, the timeline and the price. | Share your manuscript or idea and target date. You receive a quote and a realistic timeline, with no obligation. |
| 2. Kickoff and production plan (week 1) | One dedicated specialist is assigned, assesses the manuscript and agrees the editing brief with you. The written agreement lists scope, deliverables, revision rounds, price and payment terms. | Approve the brief and plan. You receive your specialist, your schedule and the agreement. |
| 3. Professional editing (weeks 2 to 3) | A genre-matched editor copyedits and proofreads and returns tracked changes. Developmental editing, if needed, adds 2 to 3 weeks and is agreed first. | Review the changes and answer queries. You receive an edited manuscript, with two revision rounds on each pass. |
| 4. Cover and interior (weeks 2 to 4, in parallel) | An original cover for your genre and readers, and print and ebook interiors built to KDP and IngramSpark specifications. | Choose a cover concept and comment on the layout. You receive both, with two revision rounds on each. |
| 5. Your review and free digital proof (week 4) | The complete book as one proof package: edited text, cover and layout. A physical proof copy is available on request. | Approve, or request final corrections. You receive a finished book you have signed off. |
| 6. ISBN, metadata and setup (week 5) | ISBNs assigned, ours or yours, and the book set up on KDP and IngramSpark with researched categories, keywords, description and pricing. | Confirm list prices and the description. You receive correct listings in accounts you own. |
| 7. Global distribution and launch (weeks 5 to 9) | Files go live on Amazon, usually within 24 to 72 hours of upload, and through IngramSpark to Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, bookstores and libraries. | Share your launch plan or add marketing. You receive a published book, all final and source files, and 100% of the royalties. |
Nothing is published until you approve the proof. Every deliverable has two revision rounds.
Timeline
From signed agreement to a live listing, 4 to 9 weeks. The main variable is how much editing the manuscript needs.
| Your situation | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Finished, edited manuscript (Global Publish) | 4 to 5 weeks |
| Proofreading and a dedicated project manager (Full Production) | 7 to 9 weeks |
| Manuscript that needs developmental editing | Add 2 to 3 weeks |
| Children’s book with original illustration | Add 6 to 10 weeks for illustration |
| Self-publishing yourself with freelancers | 3 to 8 months (Reedsy estimate) |
| Traditional publishing through an agent | 2 to 4 years (Reedsy estimate) |
Have a launch date, keynote or event? Tell us at the consultation and the schedule is built backwards from it. Full breakdown: how long it takes to publish a book.
Find out your book’s timeline and price.
Get My Timeline and QuoteWhy it works
The same named person manages your book at every stage and is reachable by email, phone and WhatsApp. No ticket queue.
You pay once for the services you choose. We take no percentage of your sales and hold no rights to your book.
Listed on Amazon worldwide and, through IngramSpark, with Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, bookstores and libraries at launch.
Editors edit, designers design, formatters format. AI is never used to write, edit or design your book.
Packages
The seven steps are the same in every package; the editing depth and support change.
Edited already
$1,499
Steps 1, 2 and 4 to 7: cover, print and ebook interiors, ISBNs and distribution, for a manuscript that needs no editing.
The full process minus editing, with your book live in about five weeks.
Typically 4 to 5 weeks
Get My Timeline and QuoteMost chosen
$2,499
All seven steps, with a professional proofread at step 3, a hardcover edition and a project manager across the whole run.
Every step managed for you, ending in a proofread book in three formats.
Typically 7 to 9 weeks
Get My Timeline and QuoteDeeper edit
$4,999
All seven steps with a full copyedit at step 3, plus Amazon keyword and category research, an author website and a press release at step 7.
The process carried past publication into a launch that helps readers find the book.
Edit plus launch setup
Get My Timeline and QuoteBuilt into every step
Paid in full upfront once you approve the quote; that reserves your editor, designer and production slot from day one so the schedule never stalls.
What you can count on
How it runs
We’ve started with Publishing & distribution. Add anything else your manuscript needs, and a specialist sends an itemized quote within one business day. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Your quote within one business day. Nothing is charged until you approve it. 100% of your rights stay yours.
Questions
Most books are published 4 to 9 weeks after the agreement is signed: about 4 to 5 weeks for an edited manuscript on Global Publish and 7 to 9 weeks on Full Production. Developmental editing adds 2 to 3 weeks, and original children’s illustration adds 6 to 10 weeks.
Packages start from $1,499, and your exact price is confirmed before any work starts. Payment is in full upfront once you approve the quote, which reserves your editor, designer and production slot so work never pauses. We go through every deliverable and your delivery date with you first, and our refund policy is published in full.
No. You can start with a consultation at any stage. If you need help writing the book, ghostwriting starts from $7,500; a partly written draft can be taken the rest of the way with editing. The 4 to 9 week clock starts once the manuscript is complete.
Yes: the editing brief, the edited manuscript, the cover, the interior layout and the final proof. Nothing prints or publishes without your approval, with two revision rounds on every deliverable.
You do. You keep 100% of your rights and royalties, your KDP and IngramSpark accounts are in your name, and you receive the final and source files.
Yes, within the agreed scope. Extra revision rounds or a significant change of scope are quoted before any work starts, so there are no surprise invoices.
You keep full control of your files, accounts and royalties. Your specialist is available for a post-launch review, and marketing can be added at any time.
Yes: fiction, nonfiction, memoir, business, self-help, poetry, children’s books and more, with editors and cover designers matched to your genre wherever possible.
Tell us where the manuscript is and when you need it. A specialist replies within one business day with your schedule and price.
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