The City of the Gods: from manuscript to four editions and an Audible release
Jason A. Patterson came to us in June 2025 with a finished first draft of a 122,000-word novel and one goal: a published book in time for the holidays. This is what happened next, stage by stage, with every outcome linked so you can check it yourself.
The facts
| Book | The City of the Gods, a mythology-inspired fantasy novel |
|---|---|
| Author | Jason A. Patterson, first-time author |
| Manuscript | About 122,000 words, 41 chapters |
| ISBN | 979-8-218-83862-1 |
| Editions | eBook, paperback, hardcover, audiobook |
| Agreement signed | June 2025 |
| Kindle edition live | 24 October 2025 |
| Audible edition live | 3 November 2025, narrated by Deedee A. |
| Reviews | 21 on Amazon, 4.7 stars (checked October 2026) |
| Press | NY Weekly, ArtDaily |
How it went, stage by stage
June 2025: first conversation and plan. The first contact was through the chat on this website. After a call, Jason chose our Global Publishing Plan and signed a written agreement that set out the scope, deliverables and confidentiality terms before any work began.
Late June: editorial review. Our editors read the full manuscript and sent an honest assessment, including where the narration wandered or repeated itself. They also flagged that the story's many voices and settings suited audio, which is how the audiobook edition came about.
June to September: chapter-by-chapter editing. Edits came back in batches as tracked changes in Word, with the editors' notes. Jason accepted or rejected each change and the editors explained their reasoning where he asked. The author kept the final say on style: his capitalisation of "the City" and "the Creator" stayed because it carried meaning in the story. See our editing service.
July to October: cover, interior and the audiobook. In parallel, the cover and interior were designed and the audiobook moved into production. Jason heard voice samples from several narrators and chose one. Every chapter was recorded, edited and mastered by people and sent to him for review before release. See our audiobook production.
October to November 2025: release. The eBook went live on Kindle on 24 October and the paperback and hardcover were distributed through Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, in accounts held in the author's name. The Audible edition followed on 3 November.
August 2025 to June 2026: twelve months of marketing. An author website, active Instagram and Facebook pages, book trailers, a blog, and press coverage in NY Weekly and ArtDaily. The plan was scoped for six months; we kept working on the book for twelve. See our book marketing services.
In his words
Quoted from Jason's own emails to our team during and after the project.
“The edits are great and making it read and flow much better! great job to the team!”During line editing, July 2025
“I love the new design! It does match the book and genre great.”On the redesigned author website, April 2026
“It turned out better than I could have imagined when I first started. … You guys have done great and I have zero issues or complaints with anything you all have done. It has been a pleasure every step of the way.”When the project closed, June 2026
What this case study does not claim
We do not publish sales figures for client books, and we do not promise them. Sales depend on genre, timing, the author's own reach and a good deal of luck, and they belong to the author. What a publisher controls is the quality of the book, the honesty of the advice and whether the work is delivered as agreed. Those are the things this page shows, and every one of them can be checked at the links above.
If a publisher shows you projected royalties or "bestseller" guarantees before reading your manuscript, treat that as a warning sign. Our guide to avoiding hybrid publisher scams explains what to look for.
Questions authors ask about this case
How long did it take? About 19 weeks from signed agreement to the Kindle release, and three weeks more for Audible. Editing a manuscript of this length chapter by chapter was the longest stage. Shorter or already-edited manuscripts move faster; see how long publishing takes.
Was the audiobook narrated by AI? No. A human narrator, chosen by the author from voice samples, voiced every character. We do not use AI narration.
Who owns the book? The author. The retail accounts are in his name, and he received the final files.
Can I get the same scope? Yes. Most authors start with a single service and add others as the book develops, as Jason did. Tell us where your manuscript stands and we will recommend what it actually needs, including when it needs less.
Tell us about your book
Where is the manuscript now, and what do you want it to become? A publishing specialist replies within one business day with an honest recommendation.
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