Your story deserves a professionally published book. We make that happen.

Dave Palmer Consulting guides independent authors from editing and cover design to Amazon KDP, Ingram Spark and litho printing.

Get a Quote Browse Our Books

45+ Books already published EXCELLENT 4.9 out of 5

Moon Pearl Kay Arwen

50+ Books published for independent authors and growing every month

5 Dave's own bestselling titles in print thousands of copies sold

1M+ Kindle KDP page reads annually Dave's own author account

6 English-speaking countries served UK, Ireland, US, Canada, AUS, NZ, SA

Dave Palmer smiling in an armchair, holding a stack of books: his own novels and two of his clients' books

Meet Dave Palmer

Advice from an author who has done it himself.

Dave Palmer is an active, bestselling independent author.

He set up this consultancy after learning first-hand how confusing and expensive publishing can be.

He has been through every stage of publishing under his own name.

Read More About Dave

Why consulting

A fairer deal for independent authors

Many authors come to us after a disappointing experience with vanity or hybrid publishers.

  • You keep 100% of your copyright and publishing rights
  • Fixed-price quotes with no hidden fees
  • You choose only the services you need
  • No revenue share: your royalties go entirely to you
  • Sell through any platform or retailer you choose
  • Mentored by a published author
  • Often retains rights or restricts how you sell your book
  • Bundled packages with services you don't need
  • Opaque pricing: costs escalate after you've signed
  • Takes a percentage of your royalties indefinitely
  • Locks distribution to their own channels or catalogue
  • Staff rarely have personal publishing experience
Get a Quote Browse Our Books

Our services

What we can do for your book

  • Developmental Editing

    Structural work on plot, pacing, character and argument, before line editing begins.

    EDITORIAL

  • Copy & Line Editing

    Sentence-level editing for clarity, consistency and style, keeping your voice intact.

    EDITORIAL

  • Proofreading

    A final check for spelling, grammar, punctuation and layout errors before print.

    EDITORIAL

  • Interior Formatting

    Typesetting and layout for print and digital, meeting each platform's exact specifications.

    DESIGN

  • Cover Design

    Bespoke, bookshop-quality covers, sized for paperback, hardback, KDP and Ingram Spark.

    DESIGN

  • Litho Print

    Short or long print runs, ready for retail, at the highest quality available.

    PRINT

  • Amazon KDP Upload

    Full submission with metadata and categories, for paperback, hardback and Kindle.

    PUBLISHING

  • Ingram Spark Upload

    Gives your book access to thousands of retailers and libraries worldwide.

    PUBLISHING

  • Author Website & Marketing

    An author website and marketing to help you reach readers.

    MARKETING

Our portfolio

Books we've helped publish

Each cover is a real author's book.

Under the Mango Tree by Soli Osman
Adventures in the Woods by Peter RJ Moore, book cover Adventures in the Woods by Peter RJ Moore
A Good Scrap I Fear by William Ireland
And She Still Stayed by Chloe Ramsay, book cover And She Still Stayed by Chloe Ramsay
Vixen, Raven and Lamb by Sarah Williams The Cabochon by Matthew Saxton
Get a Quote Browse Our Books

No obligation

Five steps

How we work

You don't need to understand publishing. We'll handle it, with a dedicated point of contact throughout.

  1. Free consultation

    We discuss your manuscript, your goals and which services make sense.

  2. Editing & refinement

    Editing to bring your manuscript up to professional publishing standard.

  3. Design & formatting

    Cover design and interior layout for every format you're publishing in.

  4. Publication & upload

    Submission to Amazon KDP, Ingram Spark or print, with ISBNs and metadata handled.

  5. Your book in the world

    You hold your finished book and see it listed on Amazon.

    Two finished client books, A Good Scrap I Fear and Under the Mango Tree, on a side table

45+ Books already published

EXCELLENT

4.9 out of 5

Your story deserves a professionally

published book. We make that happen.

Dave Palmer Consulting guides independent authors through every stage. From developmental editing and cover design to Amazon KDP, Ingram Spark, and premium litho printing.

50+

Books published for independent authors

and growing every month

5

Dave's own bestselling titles in print

thousands of copies sold

1M+

Kindle KDP page reads
annually

Dave's own author account

6

English-speaking countries served

UK, Ireland, US, Canada, AUS, NZ, SA

Man in glasses and blazer seated against a blue-and-yellow abstract background with a logo in the corner

Meet Dave PALMER

Advice from someone who's already done what you're trying to do.

Dave Palmer isn't a publishing executive who drifted into consultancy. He's an active, bestselling independent author — five published titles, thousands of physical copies sold each year, and over a million Kindle page reads annually.


He built this consultancy because he experienced firsthand how confusing, expensive, and unfair the publishing industry can be for independent authors — and he knew exactly how to fix it.


When you work with Dave Palmer Consulting, you're getting the accumulated knowledge of someone who has navigated every stage of the publishing process under their own name, with real commercial results. Not theory. Not templates. Real experience.

PUBLISHING CONSULTANT VS VANITY PUBLISHER

Why a consulting model is better for independent authors

Many authors approach us after a disappointing experience with vanity or hybrid publishers. Here's why the consulting model is fundamentally different — and fairer.

Dave Palmer Consulting

You retain 100% of your copyright and publishing rights

Transparent, fixed-price quotes with no hidden fees

You choose only the services you actually need

No revenue share — your royalties go entirely to you

Sell through any platform or retailer you choose

Mentored by a published author

Typical vanity / hybrid publisher

Often retains rights or restricts how you sell your book

Bundled packages with services you don't want or need

Opaque pricing — costs escalate after you've signed

Takes a percentage of your royalties indefinitely

Locks distribution to their own channels or catalogue

Staff rarely have personal publishing experience

45+ Books already published

EXCELLENT

4.9 out of 5

SERVICES OVERVIEW

Everything your book needs. Nothing it doesn't.

Every service is available individually or as part of a tailored package — so whether you need a full journey from first draft to printed book, or just a professional cover for a manuscript you've already edited yourself, we'll quote for exactly what you need and nothing more.

Developmental Editing

Big-picture structural work on plot, pacing, character arc, argument and flow — before line-level editing begins.

EDITORIAL

Copy & Line Editing

Sentence-level refinement for clarity, consistency, tone and style, keeping your voice intact throughout.

EDITORIAL

Proofreading

Final-stage precision checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation and layout errors before submission to print.

EDITORIAL

Interior Formatting

Professional typesetting and layout for print and digital formats, meeting the exact technical specifications of each platform.

DESIGN

Cover Design

Bespoke, bookshop-quality cover design sized and formatted for every format — paperback, hardback, KDP and Ingram Spark.

DESIGN

Litho Print

Premium lithographic printing for physical books — the highest quality available for short or long runs, ready for retail.

PRINT

Amazon KDP Upload

Full submission, metadata setup and category selection on Amazon KDP — paperback, hardback and Kindle editions.

PUBLISHING

Ingram Spark Upload

Distribution-ready submission to Ingram Spark, giving your book access to thousands of retailers and libraries worldwide.

PUBLISHING

Author Website & Marketing

Build your author brand with a professional website and targeted marketing support to reach your readership.

MARKETING

PORTFOLIO GALLERY

Books we've brought to life

Every cover is a real author's story. Every case study shows the full journey.

Under The Mango Tree Book Cover Design
Adventures in the Woods Book Cover Design
A Good Scrap I Fear Book Cover Design
And She Still Stayed Book Cover Design
Vixen, Raven and Lamb Book Cover Design
The Cabochon Book Cover Design

No obligation · You keep full copyright · Authors in UK, US, Australia, Ireland & beyond

How IT WORKS

How we work together

The process is designed to be clear, collaborative and free of surprises. You don't need to understand publishing to work with us — you just need to show up with your manuscript and your vision. We'll handle the rest, step by step, with a dedicated point of contact throughout.

Book covers collage with “Rated EXCELLENT” stars and “Trusted by authors around the world” badges

1

Free consultation

We talk through your manuscript, your goals and the services that make sense for your project.

2

Editing & refinement

Developmental, copy and line editing to bring your manuscript to professional publishing standard.

3

Design & formatting

Cover design and interior layout, sized and formatted for every format you're publishing across.

4

Publication & upload

Submission to Amazon KDP, Ingram Spark or print — with metadata, categories and ISBNs handled.

5

Your book in the world

Hold your finished book. See it listed on Amazon. Share it with readers. This is what we work towards.