Hello and welcome to my site for publishers, authors, and anyone in need of beautifully designed books or products!
My name is Janice Phelps Williams. Since 1998, I have been working with authors and publishers (more than 200 to date) to produce their books, expertly, quickly, and professionally. I am a designer and an editor and, therefore, can handle all aspects of book production.
Also, I've teamed with my sister, Joan Phelps, to provide clients with various help in making their way through the publishing maze. After many years of working with clients (and running our publishing company, Lucky Press, LLC), Joan and I have identified basic issues that new publishers must address successfully in order to meet their publishing dreams. We compiled these tips and strategies into a helpful book, which is available on Amazon.com: Wham! Bam! Publishing: The Strategic Marketing Plan for Authors and Publishers.
Although I do have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the experience necessary to professionally undertake all the details and technical components of book production, not to mention the ins and outs of pub dates, could only have come from the dozens upon dozens of books I have "brought to life." I prefer that phrase because there really is nothing quite like working at the details sentence by sentence; tweaking the cover from one vibrant hue to another; capturing the names of this bookstore manager who might be interested in ordering, to that CRM who might book a signing— all the delightful tasks involved until that wonderful day when the delivery man brings a plain-looking box to your home or office, you open it with expectation, and there is your book, looking even better than you expected!
I know what is involved in publishing a book. It is not always an easy process. It is not always a trouble-free process. But it can be rewarding financially and psychologically, and I would love to explore the options available to you for your book. If you have a viable manuscript, but do not want to spend the time needed to learn the complex publishing business, hire me to meet the challenges you face, as have many other authors.
Authors such as Chris Davey (author of the Will Turner Flight Logs), Steve Wilson (author of Winter in Kandahar and Ascent from Darkness), Jerry Dusterhoff (author of Bicycle Journeys with Jerry), and David Neil (publisher of The Land of Curiousities featured recently on Good Morning America NOW).
The Ben Franklin Award is a big achievement in the world of publishing, whether large or small publishers are doing the talking, and I am very proud the two projects I was involved in which won awards: When Life Blows You Down by Bill Dyer, published by Quantum Leap Resources (winner of the 2004 Ben Franklin Award for Best New Voice Nonfiction), and Estate Planning Success for Pennsylvania Residents, published by Barron Publishing. Estate Planning won the 2003 Ben Franklin Award (Best Professional / Technical Book). On Bill Dyer's book I handled developmental editing and interior layout. On Estate Planning Success, I handled developmental editing. This year another book I was involved in, Winter in Kandahar by Steven E. Wilson, published by Hailey-Grey Books, was a finalist for Best New Voice Fiction in the 2004 Ben Franklin Awards. I designed the cover and interior of Winter in Kandahar as well as the cover and interior of Steve Wilson's second novel, Ascent from Darkness.
Now, if you've read thus far, you are getting a sense of the clients I've worked with: professional speakers, physicians, attorneys, chiropractors, therapists, business owners, established authors and experts and other excellent writers who may never have had the chance to be published. You can find out the titles of many of the books I have worked on by clicking here.
If you would like to read client comments, click here.
But, there is so much more involved in working together with a client to bring out a new book than one can get a sense of by reading a list of past and current clients, no matter how impressive.
COVER DESIGN: The cover design must be what I like to call "trade-worthy." In other words, it has to be professional, eye-catching, and the electronic files must be set up so the printer can expertly reproduce the designer's vision. I've had many years of experience working on a wide variety of covers. In fact, I am one of the few book editors experienced in cover design as well. And, one of the few cover designers working for independent publishers who is also an illustrator. I can draw or paint the perfect illustration for your book cover, scan or photograph the illustration and convert the files to electronic format, and then incorporate the illustration into a great cover. A one-stop shop!
Now, I don't believe "a book is only as good as its cover." The text must be professionally edited by someone who will glide seamlessly through each word, making a suggestion here, a recommendation there, but all the while leaving the essence and personality of the author. I tell my clients that if after I have edited their book they cannot tell where their work ends and mine begins, then I have done my job as their editor.
EDITING: Editing can be as simple as proofreading book pages before they are printed to the very involved (and rewarding) process of book development, and everything in between. If you would like me to quote on editing your project, simply e-mail a sample chapter to authors@janicephelps.com and let me know the estimated word count of the entire manuscript. I'll get back to you with a recommendation.
INTERIOR BOOK DESIGN: Many authors think they can cut expenses by formatting their book's pages in Microsoft Word. Before you spend one moment of your time doing this, please contact me for advice!.
PRINTING: When the cover has been expertly designed, the text completely edited, and the pages formatted for printing, the all important question is where, and by what method, to have the book printed? Sheetfed? Web? Digital? POD? e-book?
There are many options today, all able to be of benefit to you, but only if you know the pros and cons of each. Since 1998, I have been responsible for over $200,000.00 in printing. A project of 25 galleys is just as important as a project of 5000 casebound four-color books, and I've worked on both and everything in-between. Let me help you get the best possible production quality for your book.
Since I've been in the publishing business for more than a decade and work on a wide variety of projects, clients usually reserve my time in advance, typical when one is dealing with professional services. Working together, we can get your book off to the right start.
Thank you again for visiting my site.
Your friend in publishing,
Janice Phelps Williams
A 15-minute free consultation available by e-mailing an appointment time in advance to queries@janicephelps.com.)