Price

All prices posted are in Canadian dollars, plus applicable taxes.

Author Support & Record

One-on-One Author Care

Let’s stick together! One of the many benefits of publishing with Word Alive Press is that you’re not alone! Throughout the process, our team will walk alongside you. You’ll be paired up with a Project Manager who will coordinate all of the components of publishing, and a Publishing Consultant who will provide support and advice. This team will provide advice, guidance, insight, and feedback on all aspects of publishing and marketing. Our priority is to make sure you are completely satisfied with the final product and that you enjoy the process from start to finish!

Custom Project Timelines

The publishing process for your children’s story deserves the utmost time and attention. This is not a process we would recommend rushing. However, for some authors a custom timeline is required to meet certain deadlines. When we begin your publishing journey, we provide all authors with an outline of the process and a general timeline. This document includes a few deadlines that you, the author, will need to meet. If you have an upcoming event for which you need your books, or any reason that requires your books be complete by a certain date, we will do everything in our power to accommodate you.

Non-Exclusive Contract

We consider it an honour to publish your work on your behalf and we believe that you should always retain the rights to your work. So, when you sign a publishing agreement with us, you are also free to use your material in other ways simultaneously. This includes posting your material online, publishing your material in another edition or language, and even publishing the same content with another publisher. Ready to review our complete Publishing Agreement? Call 866-967-3782 today to speak with your Publishing Consultant, or request a copy of the contract in the notes section of our publishing information request form.

Author Retains Copyright

We are excited about your work, see its value, and don’t want to take anything away from you. Word Alive Press will place the copyright of your book in your name. At all times, you retain the copyright.

ISBN & Book Barcode

In order for your book to be sold in bookstores, an ISBN and barcode are essential. Word Alive Press will assign a unique ISBN number and barcode for the back of your book.

Cataloguing in Publication Record

Not only do you want to create a beautiful printed copy of your book, you want people to find it too! Library and Archives Canada’s Cataloguing in Publication Record provides the key information for librarians to correctly categorize your book. With this important categorization, your audience can find your book and purchase it!

Legal Deposit

Where will your book be in a hundred years? You still want your book to be preserved, and so do we! A cultural gem, Library and Archives Canada collects copies of all books published in Canada in order to preserve your work for future generations. We will supply the required copies to them on your behalf.

Professional Children's Book Creation

Proofread (maximum 3,000 words)

We want the text to be perfect, so kids can enjoy your story! Our experienced editors will review your children’s story for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. They will also check that the language used is age-appropriate to your target audience, and point out any gaps in logic or flow. If your manuscript is longer than 3,000 words, we can provide you with a free editing quote for your project.

Custom Illustrations

Having dynamic, eye-popping illustrations is a key component to a successful children’s book. Let our team of experienced illustrators work with you to design your characters and setting, bringing the story to life on the page. Please take some time to browse our illustration gallery and let us know which style of illustrations you prefer. The process will begin with a free sample illustration of your main character. Once we have that just right, we would proceed with creating a storyboard for your book, first in black and white and then in colour.

Personalized Cover Design

Based on the illustration of your choice, one of our experienced cover designers will create a unique cover for your book! We want your book to grab the attention of kids and their parents, so there will be a keen focus on creating a marketable cover that stands out. Plus, our design process allows for you to make changes until you are happy with the design.

Interior Layout & Design

Once your text has been edited and your illustrations finalized, one of our talented typesetters will design the interior layout of your book for you. Want a creative layout to help grab kids’ attention? We can accentuate important words with a larger font, or use bright colours to make them stand out. We want the interior of your book to reflect the story and keep kids engaged!

Author Copy

There is something about holding a book in your hands that makes it all so real! After we have finalized both your cover and interior, but before going to press with your book, we’ll mail you an author copy for one final review before the printing starts!

Hard Cover Edition

Would you like a special hardcover copy of your book as a keepsake of your publishing journey? Or perhaps a few limited edition copies for the very special children (or children-at-heart) you love? While softcover books are often the right choice for distribution into the marketplace, for most book we’re also able to produce hardcover copies, including cloth-covered books with a dust jacket. Ask your Publishing Consultant about the option to do a hardcover edition along with a main print run in softcover.

Printed Copies

Flexible Print Quantities

Now that you are publishing your book, you’ll want to make sure you always have a supply on hand, especially after putting so much time into this work of art! For the copies you purchase, you’ll simply pay the printing costs. Concerned about copies of your book filling your basement? We’re able to provide small print run options with some publishing programs. Talk to your Publishing Consultant for further details.

For authors who are part of our Children’s Publishing Program, your minimum requirement is one hundred copies. If you’re part of our Children’s Inclusive Program, your minimum print run is four hundred copies. Word Alive Press will also print one hundred books for our Great Canadian Author Program.

Print on Demand Technology

All authors who publish with Word Alive Press benefit from the use of two different kinds of printers. We make sure to give you the best possible price, and having multiple options allows us to do this! Print on demand technology allows for shorter print runs and provides a lot of flexibility. After your initial print run requirement, you can print in any quantity you need and these books can be shipped anywhere in the world for you. Colour books printed on demand are very economical for authors who want to do smaller print runs, and the resulting books are of high quality!

Offset Printing

We work with an offset press for authors who need more copies and for those who require unique books sizes, special finishes, custom paper options, etc. The sky’s the limit with what you can do through our traditional printer! The quality of books is excellent and the printing costs will be less (per book) for larger print runs.

Personalized Printing Options

Kids know what they like! That’s why when you publish with Word Alive Press, we offer you an endless number of customizable options for your book. You’ll get to choose your book size, bindery, lamination, and cover type. You will work closely with your Publishing Consultant to determine the best presentation for your book! Please ask your Publishing Consultant today for pricing on any of these options!

Book Sales & Distribution

Canadian Distribution Services

So, how do you reach the children who aren’t on your block? For over twenty-five years, our sister company, Word Alive, has brought books into the Canadian Christian marketplace!

Word Alive Press authors receive a service no other publishing company in Canada can provide: distribution services into the Canadian market! This includes Chapters/Indigo and many other stores, including Christian bookstores, churches, and ministries across the country. Word Alive’s resources and relationships will be put to use for you! Our customer care and support team will pick, pack, and ship orders for your book. Our accounts receivable/invoicing team will take care of the billing and collect payment for sales of your book. Not only this, but as a leading force in the professional distribution of quality resources in Canada, Word Alive’s reputation will be an asset to your book!

Word Alive Sales Reps

Once your book is written and in the publishing process, the next step is to get your book into the small, eager hands of children. The ultimate goal for any author is to have as many kids as possible read your book. Our sales reps cover territories spanning the country. They’ll present your book to Christian bookstores, Chapters/Indigo, Superstores, and many others, as well as thousands of churches, ministries, schools, camps, and various events. Let our professional sales reps highlight your title to bookstores!

Word Alive Press Online Bookstore

We know that online shopping is extremely popular, so we feature Word Alive Press authors and their books in our online bookstore. It’s a great place to direct people to buy your book, since you’ll receive a significantly higher royalty—thirty percent of the retail price!

Watch for our new online bookstore which is coming soon!

Anchor Distribution

Word Alive Press titles have always been distributed in Canada by Word Alive distributors. As of June 1, 2016, Word Alive will merge with US-based Anchor Distributors. This new North American strategy will directly benefit our Canadian authors as their books will now be stocked and available to the U.S. market, as well as Canada.

International Book Distribution

Word Alive Press partners with Ingram, the largest distributor of books on the globe! With Ingram distribution, your children’s book becomes available to bookstores everywhere, plus it will be listed online through many retailers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Amazon's Search Inside the Book

Many parents like to get a taste for what they’re buying before they actually commit, and Amazon makes this possible! Potential buyers will be able to see an electronic version of a few pages of your book to help them make the right decision for their kids. This is a great feature and one that will help you sell more books!

Espresso Book Machine

The Espresso Book Machine is quickly becoming an important part of the publishing world! To the wonder of adults and children alike, this remarkable device prints, collates, and binds a book in just a few short minutes. These machines are popping up in stores all around the world and allow retailers to carry many books (including all of our titles) without having to save room on their shelves. That means your book will be available in the database of Espresso Book Machines all over the world.

Print Royalties

When you publish with Word Alive Press, you retain all the rights to your book, and you earn a royalty too! As books sell, Word Alive Press takes care of all the shipping and billing, then quarterly we’ll send you a royalty cheque for your earnings.

eBook Creation & Distribution

There will always be something special about sitting in a big chair with a child on your lap, reading them a book. Despite this, electronic books (eBooks) are an integral part of the market. eBooks are also an important part of making sure your book can reach the widest audience possible. Word Alive Press will convert your manuscript into numerous eBook formats so that readers can discover your book in whichever format they prefer. eBooks are only going to get more popular, so let’s make sure you aren’t missing out on this important opportunity!

Adobe eBook

One of many eBook formats out there, Adobe eBooks are PDF files complete with a live table of contents. This versatile eBook format is not specific to any device, so anyone can download it! Adobe eBooks may also be read on a tablet, computer or smartphone.

Kindle eBook

Amazon’s version of an eBook reader is the Kindle, one of the most popular reading devices available. There are many different models of Kindles and many editions offer a glare-free screen. This means that you can splash in the water, build a sandcastle and then enjoy reading on the sunny beach!

Kobo eBook

Kobo is the eReader affiliated with Rakuten Kobo Inc. This device reads titles in EPUB format and is available for purchase in Chapters and Indigo bookstores across the country. Kobo has also recently purchased Sony, and will provide files compatible with the Sony eReader as well.

Apple eBook for iPad & iPhone

The Apple iPad is a huge player in the market today! Customers can purchase your book through the iBookstore, which automatically connects to any iPhone or iPad for easy download.

Google Play

Google Play is a versatile eBook vendor that offers access to the increasingly popular Android phones, as well as other devices. One benefit is added control over sales events for your readership.

eBook Royalties

Word Alive Press authors also receive a royalty each time someone buys the eBook for your title. As with printed books, royalty cheques are sent out quarterly. Happy earning!

Marketing Services

Author Event Poster

We understand the importance of an author’s involvement in marketing their children’s book; our experienced staff will create a personalized event poster to help you do it. This can be used to advertise book signings, speaking engagements, and any other event you organize to promote your book. This poster will have an author photo, front cover image, and promotional copy advertising your book. This unique advertising piece will be provided to you electronically so that you can customize it for each individual event.

Email Announcement

Word Alive has been engaged with the Canadian bookstore market for over twenty-five years. Let those relationships work for you! Word Alive will email all the bookstores, churches, and ministries across Canada who have an account and let them know about your title and give them an opportunity to order it.

Printed Ad

A full colour 8.5” x 11” glossy flyer will be created to advertise your children’s book, along with a few other new releases. We will print and distribute 4,500 copies of this flyer to churches and ministries across the country.

Media Kits

As you work to promote your book, it’s important to provide quality information in a professional manner. We will help you to do this! Our expert publishing staff will create customized media kits for you. These kits will feature full-colour pages advertising and showcasing you and your book. This includes information on your book, your author bio, a page for endorsements, and a suggested list of interview questions pertaining to your title. Use this helpful marketing piece to create excitement for your book and generate media attention! Both printed copies and digital media kits will be provided to help you spread the word.

We will print twenty copies of your media kit, which we will send to Christian schools across the country, along with a copy of your book.

Promotional Package

Printed postcards, bookmarks and business cards are a great way to spread the news about your book! These pieces are great to hand out to people that you meet, mail out to a list of contacts, or stuff into your church bulletin or attendee bags at a conference. Our marketing bundle contains a perfect collection of must-have advertising pieces:

• Postcards: Let us create a special advertising piece to promote your book. We will design a 4″ × 6″ piece that lets people know a little bit about the book, where they can purchase a copy.
• Bookmarks: Another way of letting people know where to find your book is a bookmark. Not only is this a great marketing tool, but it continues the theme of literature and reading.
• Business Cards: Use these custom cards to improve your credibility and professionalism as an author. This will also be helpful as you network with other authors and individuals. It’s important to promote yourself and your book, so let us work with you to create an effective design.
  
  You will receive 500 copies of each of the above items. All pieces will be printed with full colour on one side and greyscale (black & white) ink on the other side.

Book Trailer

A picture is worth a thousand words… and so is a book trailer! Just like a movie trailer, this video advertisement will share key points about your plot or subject matter and work to generate interest in your book. Use this as an ad on social media and see the impact of video presentation!

Watch a sample book trailer on the Word Alive Press YouTube Channel.

Great Canadian Author Program

Great Canadian Author Auto-Ship Program

Word Alive Press has partnered with bookstores across Canada for a very unique shelf space opportunity that we call our Great Canadian Author Program. Copies of your book will automatically be shipped to participating stores for a one year period. These stores will also be supplied with special signage and colour flyers to advertise your book and the other titles in the program.

This program is reserved for select manuscripts by Canadian citizens or landed immigrants. Please contact your Publishing Consultant for details.

Great Canadian Author Flyer

Along with exposure in bookstores, Word Alive Press will also include your title in our full-colour, glossy, semi-annual flyer. Almost ten thousand copies of this flyer are produced, to advertise your book to two very important audiences! First, 5,000 copies will be mailed to bookstores within Canada for distribution to customers. Plus, an additional 4,500 copies will be sent out in a direct-to-church mailing to reach pastors and ministry leaders!

Plus, for authors that purchase a book trailer, we can include a QR code in the flyer to link people directly to your trailer.

Graf-Martin Communications PR Services

Now that you’re published, you want people to read your book—we can help make that happen!

We’re teaming up with Graf-Martin, a company that has had the opportunity to work with NY Times and Globe & Mail bestselling authors. We believe all authors should have access to that level of PR services!

The Graf-Martin Communications team of publishing industry marketing experts will use their proven experience to help build the integrated marketing and publicity plan you need for your book to succeed.

Additional VIP Services available ‘a la carte’ to authors who purchase any of the Graf-Martin Communications services.

Online Platform Boost

Online Platform Builder:

• Option A: Not online yet? No problem!
  We will connect you with Graf-Martin’s experienced team, to take a close look at your book, your message, and where your time & energy is best spent online. They will provide you with a fully personalized social media plan outlining best practices, where you need to be, and give you tips to get started right away!

OR

• Option B: Need a sharper image?
  Graf-Martin’s social media expert will examine your online platforms (blog, website, social media etc.) to make sure that your readers can easily find you and your book. They will provide a written audit report with measureable changes for immediate action, and help you make a clear plan with achievable steps to grow your platform, online.

You choice of either A or B above, plus:

• Online brand coaching (Ask the Expert):
  * A 1-hour one-on-one, personalized coaching session with Graf-Martin’s in-house social media leader who has developed and implemented social media plans for internationally best-selling authors, brands and organizations. *Session will take place via Skype or phone.
  * An opportunity to review your brand audit. Graf-Martin will answer your pressing questions, give you tips and tricks, and walk you through next steps to make your book stand out online!
  
  
• Blog Booster Kit (eBook) and social media content calendar templates:
  We get you into Graf-Martin’s vault & provide you with the tools they have curated for their top-level clients! These tools will kick-start or fine-tune your blog, ensure your content resonates, and help create a loyal online following of readers.

Traditional Media Outreach

• Custom press release creation (up to 400 words)
  Graf-Martin will take all they’ve learned over a decade of reaching Canadian media outlets, and apply it to creating a highly effective media release! They will review your book, ask you a series of questions to truly understand your book and your story, and craft a release that connects with the media! Our publicists have launched national campaigns for hundreds of authors such as Max Lucado, Dr. Gary Chapman, Dr. Kevin Leman and Karen Kingsbury – and now they’re lending that experience to you!
  
  
• Distribution
  We’ll connect you with Graf-Martin’s market recognition and reputation, distributing your release a carefully cultivated list of over 200 Christian media outlets & journalists across Canada.

VIP Accelerated Growth

This package is specially designed for authors who want it all! For $1099, you receive all of the services in both the Online Platform Boost and Traditional Media Outreach, plus:

• One-on-one PR coaching: Wondering how to handle an interview? You’ll get an exclusive, personalized, one-on-one, “get interview- ready” coaching session with Graf-Martin’s 
publicity expert on how to secure and ace your interviews. *This will be via Skype or phone call.
  
  
• Bonus! You’ll be given Graf-Martin’s exclusive Interview Tips and Tricks eBook, which will allow you to draw on our years of expertise and apply it to your upcoming interviews.
  
  Additional VIP Services available ‘a la carte’ to authors who purchase any of the Graf-Martin Communications services.