Frequently Asked Questions

If you have been given access to this page, then thank you for being a trusted Ark House author! We know this is a big process and can be quite daunting for a new author, so we have collated some of the most frequently asked questions we get from our authors…

COVER

Q. How many cover variations will I receive?

A. Depending on your agreement but our standard is 3 variations for your cover.

Q. What if I want to supply my own cover?

A. Your cover must be approved by the Ark House team and all design files (including fonts and links) must be supplied to the Art Department.

Q. Do I have a final say in how the cover looks – even if Ark House does not agree?

A. In short, yes. We work with all of our authors to ensure they are happy with the final product.

Q. Why don’t we do the back cover when we do the front cover?

A. We do the back cover and spine as the final step as the typeset will determine the page count and the page count determines the spine width. It saves double handling of your cover file.

Q. What is a trade blast?

A. A trade blast is when we notify our buyers (both mainstream and Christian) of your book coming out. It includes a cover design (as approved by the author, but does not have to be the final version), an ISBN, a description of your books content (blurb) and a short author bio.

 

TYPESET – TEXT

Q. What does the typeset involve?

A. The typeset is when we take your word document and format it in our design program (we use the Adobe Indesign CC) to create your book. 

Q. How long does a typeset take?

A. Depending on the word count it can take up to 3-5 business days and is also dependent on our production schedule.

Q. Will I see the typeset before you print?

A. We do not send anything to the printer unless the author has signed off on the proof.

Q. How will I receive the proof?

A. The proof will be emailed to you as a low resolution PDF unless you pay for a copy to be sent to you. The cost is roughly $50 (please double check with the Art Team if you are requesting this as the price may vary).

Q. How do I tell you if I have changes to make to the typeset?

You can email the changes to the Art Department in one document and mark them as:

Page number, Paragraph number, Line Starting with, Correction to be made
OR
You can mark your Adobe PDF with ‘comments’ on the text you require to change.

Q. How many times can I make changes?

A. You can make up to 50 text changes in your first proof. Excessive amounts of changes incur an additional fee.

 

PHOTOS/PHOTO INSERT

Q. Can I include photos in my book?

A. Yes you can. You can either have them throughout the text in black and white or you can group them together and print them on special paper in the centre and they will be colour (this is called a  ‘Photo Insert’). You may select either an 8 page or 16 page insert. Additional fees are charged are for photo inserts and may increase your buy price. Please check with the Art Department if you would like to know more. Please note that with the global system, all photos are printed in black and white due to limitations on print-on-demand. Feel free to discuss with the Art Department if you are unclear.

 

PRINTING

Q. How long does it take for my book to be printed once I approve the typeset and full cover with spine?

A. The first print run is always the longest as we go through a proofing stage with the printers but you should see your book within about 10 working days.

Q.  Can I change my delivery address for each order?

A. You can order your books and have them sent anywhere in the world to meet you. You must allow at least 10 working days for international orders and payment is required at the time of ordering.

Q. How much will my books cost per unit?

A. Your ‘buy price’ will be determined by your page count. Your Ark House agreement gives you a guideline and based on a ‘standard’ size book it is generally around $7.25-$7.65 per book. Each book has a different buy price so please feel free to confirm your buy price once we have typeset your book and have a page count.

Q. Do I have to pay for freight?

A.  Yes you do and the price varies on your postal address

 

eBOOK

Q. When do I get my ebook?

A. We do not start on your ebook conversion until you receive your printed copies and declare that you have no further changes to make to the text. This is due to the fact that inevitably authors may find a small edit in their book and want to change it before we convert to ebook. We outsource our ebook conversions so we are charged each time.

Q. What do I do with my ebook once I receive it?

A. Ark House does not manage any ebooks on the authors behalf. It is up to the author to take the .mobi/.epub file and upload it to their nominated ebook host. We recommend Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_on_smashwords) or  Amazon Kindle (https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A2VHRJZXET0TWT) as free hosts to upload your ebook too.

Q. What if I want to make changes to my ebook once it’s been sent to me?

A. You can make changes but you will be charged for another conversion.

 

AMAZON/GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION & BOOKSTORES

Q. Will my book be available on Amazon and other stores worldwide?

A. Yes your book will be available on Amazon and the like once we get your approval to upload it. We generally encourage our authors to wait until they receive their printed copies to ensure no further changes need to be made as we are charged (and pass on that charge) for every upload once it has been uploaded.

Q. Will my book be in bookstores?

A. We send out a ‘trade blast’ for every new title. Christian and secular bookstores can choose whether or not to stock your title. This is out of Ark House’s control but we do endeavour to get your title as much exposure in bookstores as possible.

 

PROMOTING YOUR BOOK/MARKETING

Q. Does Ark House do a book launch for me?

A. No we do not handle book launches for our authors. Launches are generally attended by family and friends who are supporting you. We do encourage authors to have a book launch and to invite your wider circle (ie, Church, school, community). Once you build your ‘platform’ you will have more success in your launch.

Q. What other PR is available?

A. Our most common and cost effective PR model is by using Faith-Newswire.com For a small fee we manage a trade blast to media outlets on your behalf plus your custom article is available on Mychristiandaily.com and christianwoman.co  otherwise we also have a more expensive PR model www.initiatepublicity.com that is highly effective. Ask us more.

 

Q. What is a ‘platform’?

A.  A ‘platform’ is a metaphor for a wide network of people who know you and who know that your book is coming out. You can build your ‘platform’ by creating a Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Linked In page and inviting friends to ‘like’ or ‘follow’ you. Once you build a big platform you can start sharing the excitement about your book coming out. Authors should also have a website that they can refer to and be engaging with others daily.

Q. Can Ark House help me get a website?

A. Ark House is part of the My Christian Daily Network (www.mychristiandaily.com) and can assist you in a cost effective web solution. Ask us how.

BOOK PRICE

Q. Who determines my RRP (Recommended Retail Price)?

A. Based on our years of experience we generally select the buy price for you. You are absolutely allowed to have a say in your RRP but please be aware that once you are on the global system, those stores have the right to change your RRP and offer discounts of your product.