Frequently asked questions

How does this whole thing work?
For the long version, please see: “How the sign-up and book submission works” and “How the production process works.”

The short version: You sign up your book on our website, pay online by credit card, and upload your book files. We check that it’s all prepared according to our submission guidelines, format the book and cover according to the package and options you selected, and send you a PDF file for proofreading and approval. The final version is uploaded to our printer, and about 15 business days later, you’ll be able to order your book online.
What are your submission guidelines?
We have a whole package of information that will help you prepare your book so it will move smoothly through the production process. It includes full guidelines for your manuscript, illustrations and cover graphics, plus an overview of the production process and the publishing agreement. Please download our Author Guide [at right] or email info@threemoonsmedia.com to request a copy. You can read the guidelines online in our Preparing your book section.
Can I have my whole book in color? Can you do illustrations for me? Can I get my book in hard cover?
Several custom options are available: color printing on some or all inside pages, custom page sizes, illustration and editorial services, and more. All books are soft-cover, perfect-bound. Perfect-binding is the familiar binding you see on most paperback books. Hard covers are not available. Please see our Details page and our Packages page for more information.
Who owns the copyright?
You retain the copyright to your book. You wrote it, you own it — not us! Our agreement authorizes Three Moons Media to publish and market your book, and gives us the option to defend you against copyright infringment. (In other words, if someone steals your words, we can both sue the crook.) The rest of the rights are yours. Full information about copyright is available from http://www.copyright.gov/ We suggest you register your copyright: it’s good legal protection and we do not do that for you.
Do I need an ISBN?
Yes, if you plan to sell your book to the public through our Amazon.com distribution. The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a unique identifier that is used throughout the publishing industry for cataloging and ordering books. Your ISBN is included in the price of your publishing package. If you don’t plan to sell your book to the public, you don’t need an ISBN.
Why wouldn’t I want to sell my book to the public?
You may want to limit the distribution of your book, or do all the selling yourself. For example, a consultant might choose to make her book available only to those who attend her seminars. Other kinds of books for limited audiences: class reunion memory books, internal corporate manuals, family histories, confidential or proprietary documentation, handbooks for membership organizations. If you don’t plan to sell your book to the public, you just make that selection in your author panel. You can still benefit by the low set-up costs and quick turnaround time of print-on-demand technology.
Can I use my own publishing company name?
Three Moons Media does not provide this service. If you’d like to do this, you will need to purchase your own ISBN and to register as a publisher with R.R. Bowker, which is the agency that issues ISBNs and maintains the Books in Print database. You’ll also need to establish your own account with an on-demand publishing service, such as CreateSpace, which is the one we use.

However, if you want to publish under your own imprint, but need assistance with book layout, cover design and preparation of press-ready PDFs, we can do that for you. We’ll handle all the prepress, behind-the-scenes work, and upload your book to your publisher account. Only your own publisher name will appear on your book, or anywhere else.
How much will my book cost?
Our package prices cover the prepress services necessary to get your book on the presses. Once your book is print-ready, you or any buyer can order it on-demand, a copy at a time, or 10 copies, or 10,000.

There is a minimum cover price (what a retail buyer will pay for your book) which depends on the trim size and page count. You can set a higher price if you like, and you can change the price through your author panel at any time.

You can order copies for yourself at a special author price that is based on printing cost. It’s not possible to quote an exact price per copy until we know your book’s trim size and page count, but the author’s cost is substantially lower than the cover price.
How will I get paid for my sales?
Royalties are your profit on your book. Royalty checks are mailed about 60 days after the end of any quarter in which you had any sales. For example, for books sold in January, February or March, you’ll get a check at the beginning of June. Royalties are paid on all sales except the copies you order for yourself. Your royalty will be 20 percent of the cover price of your book.
How is my book marketed?
If your book is for sale to the public, it will be listed on ThreeMoonsMedia.com and Amazon.com as soon as it’s ready to print. You book will also be listed automatically (at no charge) with Books in Print.

Most of your book promotion will be do-it-yourself. Don't be surprised — that’s true for the “mid-list” authors at traditional publishers too. Developing sales for your book is going to take work. We can help with some parts of that: we are developing some packages of marketing materials and services you can order to help you promote your book. Please email info@threemoonsmedia.com if you’d like to know more.
Will you accept a book on...[pick a subject]?
Yes, almost always. Our business is self-publishing. We think you should be able to get your book in print without a publisher passing judgment on whether it will sell enough copies for them to be bothered. Online print-on-demand technology means that even if you only want to print 10 copies, ever, to give to your relatives, you can! And you can do it for a reasonable cost.

We are not a traditional publishing house. Self-publishing means service for fees. We don’t critique your content (unless you ask us to by ordering editing services) or censor your subject matter. However, we do reserve the right to reject material that is illegal or grossly offensive, at the owner’s sole discretion. We haven’t run into anything like that yet, but we expect we’ll know it if we see it.
Have more questions?
If you have a question that isn’t answered here, just ask. Email us at info@threemoonsmedia.com.