A publishing consultant is a service provider — we do professional work on your behalf and charge a one-time fee for it. A vanity or hybrid publisher presents itself as your publisher, often takes a share of your rights and royalties, bundles services you may not need, and profits from your book's ongoing sales. At DPC, you retain 100% of your copyright and all royalties go directly to you. We have no ongoing stake in your book. We get paid once, for the work we do — just like any other

professional service.

Because Dave has done what he's advising you to do. He's published five books independently, sells thousands of physical copies annually, and generates over a million KDP page reads per year through his own Amazon author account. He built DPC after navigating every stage of the independent publishing process himself —including making expensive mistakes with a bad publisher early in his career. His advice comes from real, current, commercial experience — not theory.

We work with fiction, non-fiction, memoir, biography, poetry, children's books, business books and more. If it's a book, we can publish it. Our portfolio includes everything from literary fiction to military history to self-help. The only thing we assess is whether the manuscript is ready — or can be made ready — to be published to a professional standard.

Yes, absolutely. You retain 100% of your copyright and publishing rights. Dave Palmer Consulting is a service provider — we never take ownership of, or a share in, your work.

Over 50 client books to date, and growing every month. You can browse the full portfolio in Our Books, where each title links to a case study showing the brief, the services involved and the finished result.

No — DPC is a publishing consultancy for independent authors. We don't submit to traditional publishers on your behalf and we don't act as a literary agent. If traditional publishing is your goal, we're happy to discuss whether that route makes sense for your project, but our core work is helping authors publish successfully under their own control.

Book a free consultation. It's a 30–60 minute call — phone or video — where you tell us about your manuscript, your goals and your timeline. There's no charge and no commitment. After the call, we send you a written, itemised quote for the services that make sense for your project. You review it at your own pace and decide whether to proceed.

That's completely fine. Many authors consult us before their manuscript is complete — to understand what the process looks like, what it's likely to cost, and what to think about as they write. There's no obligation to proceed until you're ready, and we'll give you honest guidance on when your manuscript is at the right stage to

begin the publishing process.

You can choose any individual service on its own. Many authors come to us having already edited their manuscript and just need cover design and an upload to KDP. Others just need Ingram Spark set up. There are no minimum spend requirements and no pressure to take services you don't need. Your quote reflects exactly what you ask for.

For a full journey — developmental editing through to KDP publication — typically 8–14 weeks, depending on manuscript length, the editing passes required and how quickly revision rounds move. For a design-and-publish only project, typically 3–5 weeks. Timelines are agreed at the start of each project and we'll flag any changes in good time.

Yes, absolutely. You retain 100% of your copyright and publishing rights. Dave Palmer Consulting is a service provider — we never take ownership of, or a share in, your work.

Over 50 client books to date, and growing every month. You can browse the full portfolio in Our Books, where each title links to a case study showing the brief, the services involved and the finished result.

Yes. Dave Palmer oversees every project personally and is your primary contact from first call to final upload. On specialist stages a trusted collaborator may handle the work, but Dave remains responsible for quality and communication throughout. You'll never be passed between departments or lose track of who to speak to.

Book a free consultation. It's a 30–60 minute call — phone or video — where you tell us about your manuscript, your goals and your timeline. There's no charge and no commitment. After the call, we send you a written, itemised quote for the services that make sense for your project. You review it at your own pace and decide whether to proceed.

You do — directly, in full. Amazon KDP and Ingram Spark pay royalties to the account holder, which is you. DPC charges a one-time fee for the services we deliver. We take no percentage of your sales, no ongoing royalty share and no commission of any kind.

If you purchase your ISBN through DPC, it is registered in your name — you own it. Some authors use free ISBNs assigned by Amazon KDP; in that case Amazon holds the ISBN but you remain the publisher of record. We'll advise on the best approach during the consultation. Owning your own ISBN gives maximum flexibility over

distribution.

Yes. There is no lock-in to any particular platform or distribution channel. Your book can be listed on Amazon, distributed via Ingram Spark to bookshops and libraries,

sold directly from your own website, or stocked locally — in any combination. You decide the territories, the platforms and the pricing.

Working with DPC doesn't prevent you from pursuing traditional publishing later. You retain your rights, so you're free to approach agents or publishers at any point. A self-published book with strong sales and reviews can actually strengthen a submission — it demonstrates a proven readership.

Yes — every project is covered by a written service agreement that sets out the scope of work, the agreed price and the timeline. It is a service agreement, not a publishing contract. It does not give DPC any rights to your work, any share of your earnings, or any ongoing claim over your book.

Book a free consultation. It's a 30–60 minute call — phone or video — where you tell us about your manuscript, your goals and your timeline. There's no charge and no commitment. After the call, we send you a written, itemised quote for the services that make sense for your project. You review it at your own pace and decide whether to proceed.

No. The quote you receive is written, itemised and fixed. Nothing is added to it without your explicit agreement in writing. If something outside the original scope comes up, that is quoted separately before any work on it begins. This is a firm commitment, not a marketing claim.

Payment terms are discussed during the consultation and set out in the project agreement. Typically, a deposit is taken at the start of the project with the balance due on completion — or for longer projects, in agreed stage payments. We're flexible on structure and will find an arrangement that works for both parties.

Bank transfer (BACS) is the standard payment method. Invoices are issued by DPC Print Group Limited, which is the registered trading entity behind Dave Palmer Consulting.

Yes — that's exactly what the free consultation is for. Book a call, discuss your project, receive a written quote. There is no obligation to proceed and no pressure to

decide quickly. We'd rather you take the time to be sure than feel rushed into something.

Book a free consultation. It's a 30–60 minute call — phone or video — where you tell us about your manuscript, your goals and your timeline. There's no charge and no commitment. After the call, we send you a written, itemised quote for the services that make sense for your project. You review it at your own pace and decide whether to proceed.

Not necessarily. During the consultation, we'll assess your manuscript and recommend only what it genuinely needs. A well-structured manuscript from an experienced writer may only need copy and line editing. A first novel with structural issues needs developmental work first. We won't recommend editing passes your manuscript doesn't require.

No — good editing preserves and enhances your voice, not the editor's. All edits are returned as tracked changes in Word, which means you can see, accept or reject every single suggestion. Nothing is applied to your manuscript without your review and approval.

Bank transfer (BACS) is the standard payment method. Invoices are issued by DPC Print Group Limited, which is the registered trading entity behind Dave Palmer Consulting.

No — proofreading is the final stage, after all editing is complete. It checks for spelling errors, punctuation mistakes and grammatical inconsistencies. It is not a substitute for editing. A proofread manuscript that hasn't been edited is just a manuscript with correct spelling and the same structural problems it always had.

Book a free consultation. It's a 30–60 minute call — phone or video — where you tell us about your manuscript, your goals and your timeline. There's no charge and no commitment. After the call, we send you a written, itemised quote for the services that make sense for your project. You review it at your own pace and decide whether to proceed.

Not necessarily. During the consultation, we'll assess your manuscript and recommend only what it genuinely needs. A well-structured manuscript from an experienced writer may only need copy and line editing. A first novel with structural issues needs developmental work first. We won't recommend editing passes your manuscript doesn't require.

We'll have a call to understand what's missing and find a way forward. Three rounds almost always gets there. If there's a genuine creative mismatch, we'll discuss the options openly. We won't deliver a cover you're not proud of.

Bank transfer (BACS) is the standard payment method. Invoices are issued by DPC Print Group Limited, which is the registered trading entity behind Dave Palmer Consulting.

Yes — we can resize and reformat an existing cover design to the correct technical specifications for KDP, Ingram Spark and/or litho print. We'll need the original source files (not a flattened JPEG) and confirmation that you have appropriate licences for any imagery used.

Yes — illustrated chapter headings, custom typography, drop caps, poetry layouts, tables and images are all achievable. Anything beyond a standard prose layout should be discussed at the consultation stage so it's reflected in the quote. Complex interiors take longer to format and cost more than standard prose typesetting.

Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is Amazon's self-publishing platform. It lets you publish paperback, hardback and Kindle editions directly on Amazon, giving you access to the world's largest book retailer and the Kindle Unlimited subscription programme. Dave publishes all his own books through KDP and generates over a

million Kindle page reads per year. For most independent authors, KDP is the starting point for digital and print-on-demand distribution.

Not necessarily. During the consultation, we'll assess your manuscript and recommend only what it genuinely needs. A well-structured manuscript from an experienced writer may only need copy and line editing. A first novel with structural issues needs developmental work first. We won't recommend editing passes your manuscript doesn't require.

It depends on your goals. If your priority is Amazon sales and Kindle Unlimited, KDP alone may be sufficient. If you want your book in bookshops, libraries or international retailers beyond Amazon, Ingram Spark adds significant reach. We'll advise on the best combination during the consultation.

Bank transfer (BACS) is the standard payment method. Invoices are issued by DPC Print Group Limited, which is the registered trading entity behind Dave Palmer Consulting.

Yes — we can resize and reformat an existing cover design to the correct technical specifications for KDP, Ingram Spark and/or litho print. We'll need the original source files (not a flattened JPEG) and confirmation that you have appropriate licences for any imagery used.

Yes — Ingram Spark distribution makes your book available to order through virtually any bookshop using Ingram's catalogue. However, stocking decisions are made by individual buyers and are never guaranteed. A professional cover, correct metadata and a competitive trade discount (typically 55%) are essential prerequisites — we'll set all of this up correctly during the upload process.