Frequently Asked Questions

If you do an online search for boutique publishing services, you will find many options.  Most of the options are comprised of companies whose primary purpose is to make money.  They have overhead and salaries they need to cover, and they will sell you the dream of getting your book out.  Peterson Press, as a hybrid publisher, has a  primary goal of the reverse.  We aim to help you reach the dream as affordably as possible without overselling that dream with unrealistic promises.  Most boutique publishers will charge you anywhere from $3,000-$10,000 to publish a single book.  While each project is different - we encourage you to sit down with us to see how the hybrid process can be done with far less expense.

There are four primary options for publishing:

1.  Large Mainstream Publishing - very hard to achieve.  Realistically about a 1% chance of being picked up by one of these publishers.

2.  Boutique Publishing - Publishing houses where the author is usually charged a fee to publish a book.

3.  Hybrid Publishing - an affordable blend of boutique and self-publishing.

4.  Self-Publishing - Not impossible to do, but it requires some work to come up to speed on how to do it well.  This option often lacks the needed editorial and design skills to make your book look professional.

The reverse spelling of Press in the logo is an homage to the early press process.  In the earlier typesetting process, letters and words were in reverse so when they were printed the end result would be shown correctly.

It really doesn't have to cost a lot.  The biggest expense is the time it takes to put the book together.  Even if it never was printed on paper, an eBook version can be had with just a little effort.  Peterson Press will sit down with you to determine the size and scope of your project(s) and develop an affordable option s for you.

Royalty amounts for any book are based primarily on the terms of the publisher and the interest of the consumer.  A good book that isn't marketed well will have poor results.  A poorly produced book marketed well may make a lot of money (initially).  One has to enter the book market with realistic expectations - while still hoping for the best.  Peterson Press would work with you to provide you guidance on how to best maximize your book royalties.

Once all the collateral (images, copy text) is pulled together, the formatting process can be as little as a week.  Editing can take a bit longer.  However, pulling all the collateral can take some time.  It depends on the individual as to how organized they have been over time.  We can provide you guidance to help you pull it all together.  Figure about 2-6 months, depending on each person's circumstances.  But remember, as the artist/author, you will need to set aside time to do your part of the process.

Most books published by Peterson Press will be formatted into three types:  eBook, Paperback, and Hardback.  It is up to the artist/author which versions they choose to put on the marketplace.

Peterson Press primarily focuses on the themes of art, poetry, and humor.  The first two seem self-explanatory.  Humor may come in a variety of forms, and therefore, each project will be evaluated individually.

Because marketing is so valuable to the book sales process, we can also assist with guidance on social media, website development, and on-brand collateral assets.

The short answer is, No.  Each project is evaluated to see if a final product can be produced and whether it fits in with the types of books we publish.

Once we have evaluated your project and you agree to the terms proposed, we will then enter into a contractual agreement to produce your book.  There is no "boilerplate" contract since each person's project is unique.  But everything will be very clear with no hidden fees/expectations.

We take copyright very seriously.  All art and written material must be original to the artist/author.  We will check art and copy for copyright infringement and plagiarism.  All artists/authors must sign an agreement stating everything provided to them is original to the artist/author.  If we see that art is not original to the artist or that they have plagiarized the written material - that will void the contract, we will cease to work with the individual, and any fees up to that point will be forfeited.  If, on the off chance, the material is published that has infringed on another's copyright, the product will be immediately pulled from the marketplace, and Peterson Press will cooperate fully with the infringed. 

Yes!  We know that often times creatives have a large quantity of art or written material that often even families don't know about.  And even if they do know about it, it often sits gathering dust.  We believe a person's art should live on, and we want to help the next of kin make that possible.  There is no reason a person's art should die with them.  This is also why we encourage artists and writers to get their work together and published in book form.  How often have you been to a museum and wondered about the story behind the art?  Why not answer that question for future generations?

No, you don't have to publish your book with the world's largest bookseller.  But that last sentence tells you exactly why you should.  We can show you why Amazon is a great location for you to offer your book for sale - and the benefits to you as an artist/author.  But, if you would like to have your book printed elsewhere - we can help you explore your options.

Click here on the word PROCESS to learn about each step.

Your gift to humanity is your creativity.  There is no reason it should only reside on your computer hard drive, collect dust in the garage, or be only seen in your or your relative's homes.  By creating a book, you can archive your work, tell the story behind it, and know that it will live on for future generations to enjoy.  If you are prolific, you may want to consider a unique book for each series/subject.

Think of Peterson Press as a bit of a co-op.  As artists and writers publish their books, we all have the opportunity to bring attention to one another's work.  It has been said and researched that there are six degrees of separation from the individual to the rest of the world.  If that's the case, our personal networks can play a big role in helping us get the word out.  We will provide you with a plan to maximize your book's exposure to the marketplace.

Yes.  Again, our primary goal is for you to be successful, and we will celebrate with you if that success leads to bigger opportunities.  Everyone has to start somewhere, but they don't always have to stay there.  We hope this will be the case for you.