Bring the manuscript. Or bring the question.

Your pre-existing manuscript, ideas, research, and other submitted intellectual property remain yours at all times. Under our standard service agreement, rights in commissioned deliverables are assigned to you when the agreed fees for that work are paid. Qalm Media takes no royalty share or continuing ownership stake in the completed book under that agreement.

Yes. All royalties are paid directly to your publishing accounts. We charge fixed fees for our services, not percentages of your earnings. There are no ongoing revenue shares or royalty splits in our standard agreement. Royalties are subject to each platform's standard printing, retailer, tax, and distribution deductions, which we explain clearly at the proposal stage.

Yes. Under our standard service agreement, you retain full control of your work after project completion. You can sell your rights to a traditional publisher, license your book for translation, adapt it into a film or course, create derivative works, or republish it in new editions. Our work ends when the project scope ends.

Only if you want us to. For ghostwriting projects, we are entirely ghost; your name appears as the sole author, and we do not claim credit or disclose our involvement. For editing and publishing services, you may optionally include an acknowledgment if you wish, but it is not required. The decision is entirely yours.

Yes. We work across all major genres: literary fiction, commercial fiction, thrillers, romance, science fiction and fantasy, as well as nonfiction categories including business, leadership, memoir, self-help, health, academic, children's books, and more. Each manuscript is matched with an editor or writer experienced in its specific genre.

Yes. Many of our clients come to us for a single service: editing only, formatting and publishing only, or just marketing. We do not require bundled packages, and we will not pressure you into services you do not need. After the free evaluation, we will make recommendations, but the decision on what to commission is entirely yours.

Yes. Cover design is available as a standalone or add-on service. We work with professional book designers who understand genre conventions and marketplace positioning. Every cover includes both print-ready and ebook formats. All design files are delivered to you upon completion.

Yes. If your book is already published and you want to improve its visibility and sales, we can help with Amazon advertising setup and optimization, metadata improvements, social media content creation, and a targeted marketing strategy. We also offer backlist optimization for authors with multiple published titles. Reach out through the contact form below to discuss your specific situation.

After you submit, our editorial team reviews your manuscript and prepares a detailed Evaluation Report, typically within 24 to 48 business hours. The report covers your manuscript's editorial readiness, competitive positioning, market potential, design and format recommendations, and a suggested publishing roadmap. We will then schedule a discovery call to walk through the report together. There is no obligation to proceed further.

We build approvals into every stage of the process. Nothing advances until you have reviewed and approved the current deliverable. Each stage includes structured revision rounds to address your feedback. If we cannot deliver the agreed standard, our refund terms are clearly outlined in the contract.

Your primary point of contact is your dedicated project lead, who manages specialist communication on your behalf. For ghostwriting projects, you will have direct interview sessions with your writer. For editing, you can request a call with your editor at any review stage. This structure ensures clear accountability and a single person responsible for your project's delivery.

Yes, completely free, with no obligation and no credit card required. You submit your manuscript, outline, or partial draft, and we deliver a written Evaluation Report within 24 to 48 business hours. You can use the report however you choose with no obligation to proceed. We would rather be honest about what your book needs than withhold that information.

All pricing is custom-quoted based on your specific project: word count, manuscript stage, genre, services required, and timeline. We do not publish fixed rate cards because a 50,000-word business book requires very different resources than a 110,000-word literary novel. After the free evaluation and discovery call, we prepare a detailed proposal with transparent, fixed pricing. No surprises, and no scope creep without prior agreement.

No. Our fees are project-based and fixed. There are no ongoing platform fees, no annual retainers, no royalty percentages, and no surprise charges after delivery. You pay for the work we do, and that is the end of the financial relationship unless you choose to commission a new project. Your publishing platforms (Amazon KDP, IngramSpark) may have their own standard distribution fees, which we explain clearly at the proposal stage.

Timelines vary significantly depending on scope. Editing a completed manuscript typically takes 4 to 8 weeks. Full ghostwriting projects range from 3 to 12 months depending on word count and interview availability. Formatting and publishing setup is usually 2 to 4 weeks from an approved manuscript. Your exact timeline is documented in your project proposal and confirmed before any work begins.

Yes. Our standard payment structure is milestone-based: typically a deposit to confirm project commencement, followed by payments tied to specific deliverable approvals. For larger projects, we can discuss a payment plan that aligns with your cash flow. This is addressed in your custom proposal.

Yes. We work with manuscripts at every stage, from a fully completed draft to a partial draft, a detailed outline, or even just a concept or area of expertise you want to turn into a book. The free evaluation will be most useful with at least a partial draft or outline, as it gives us more to work with. If you only have an idea, we will evaluate the concept and advise on whether ghostwriting from scratch is the right path for your project.

We accept DOCX (Microsoft Word), PDF, TXT, and Google Docs links for manuscript submissions. If your manuscript is in a different format (Pages, ODT, etc.), you can usually export it to DOCX within your word processor. If you have trouble, contact us and we will help you find a solution.

Submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential and accessed only by Qalm Media personnel, approved specialists, and service providers who need the material to evaluate or deliver the requested work. We do not publish or use unpublished client material for marketing without written permission. Additional confidentiality terms or an NDA can be included in a paid service agreement.

Yes. Our publishing service covers Amazon KDP (ebook and print) and IngramSpark (distribution availability through supported retail, wholesale, and library channels), and optionally other platforms such as Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press, and Kobo. All accounts are set up in your name, with royalties paid directly to your publishing accounts. We handle the technical setup, file preparation, and metadata. You retain full control of your publishing accounts.