FAQ & Testimonials
Everything You Need to Know
Honest answers to our most common questions — and honest words from authors who've been through the process. If your question isn't here, reach out directly.
Category 01
Rights & Ownership
Yes — completely and permanently. Qalm Media takes no ownership stake, licensing rights, territorial rights, or reversion clauses over your work. The copyright is yours from the first day we begin working together, and it remains yours indefinitely. We are a service provider. The intellectual property belongs to you, the author.
100%. All royalties, sales revenue, and licensing income go directly to you. We charge fixed fees for our services — not percentages of your earnings. When your book sells on Amazon, IngramSpark, Apple Books, or any other platform, every cent goes to your account. There are no ongoing revenue shares, hidden platform fees, or royalty splits in any agreement we sign.
Absolutely. You can sell your rights to a traditional publisher, license your book for translation, adapt it into a film or course, create derivative works, republish it in new editions, or do anything else you choose. We make no claim on your book whatsoever. Our work ends when the project scope ends, and your freedom over your work is total.
Only if you want us to. For ghostwriting projects, we are entirely ghost — your name appears as the sole author, and we never claim credit or disclose our involvement. For editing and publishing services, you may optionally include an acknowledgment if you wish, but it is never required. The decision is entirely yours.
Category 02
Our Services
Yes. We work across all major genres: literary fiction, commercial fiction, thrillers, romance, science fiction and fantasy, as well as non-fiction categories including business, leadership, memoir, self-help, health, academic, children's books, and more. Each manuscript is matched with an editor or writer who specialises in its specific genre.
Absolutely. Many of our clients come to us for a single service — editing only, formatting and publishing only, or just marketing. We don't require bundled packages, and we won't pressure you into services you don't need. After the free evaluation, we'll make recommendations, but the decision on what to commission is entirely yours.
Yes. Cover design is available as an 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, and we go through a revision process until you're fully satisfied with the final design. 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 optimisation, metadata improvements, social media content creation, and a targeted marketing strategy. We also offer backlist optimisation for authors with multiple published titles. Reach out through the contact page to discuss your specific situation.
Category 03
The Process
After you submit, our editorial team reviews your manuscript and prepares a detailed Evaluation Report. This typically takes 3–5 business days. The report covers your manuscript's editorial readiness, competitive positioning, market potential, design and format recommendations, and a suggested publishing roadmap. We'll then schedule a discovery call to walk through the report together. There's no obligation to proceed further.
We build approvals into every stage of the process — nothing advances until you've reviewed and approved the current deliverable. If you're not satisfied with any output, we revise until you are. Our service agreement includes a milestone-based structure that ensures you're only paying for work you're satisfied with. If we genuinely can't 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'll 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 — you always have one person responsible for your project's delivery.
Yes — completely free, with no obligation and no credit card required. You submit your manuscript (or outline, or partial draft), and we deliver a written Evaluation Report within 3–5 business days. You can take the report, use the recommendations wherever you like, and never speak to us again. Many authors do just that, and we're fine with it. We'd rather be honest about what your book needs than hold the information hostage behind a purchase.
Category 04
Pricing & Timeline
All pricing is custom-quoted based on your specific project — word count, manuscript stage, genre, services required, and timeline. We don't 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, 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's the end of the financial relationship unless you choose to commission a new project. Your publishing platforms (Amazon KDP, IngramSpark) may have their own distribution fees, which we'll explain clearly at the proposal stage.
Timelines vary significantly depending on scope. Editing a completed manuscript typically takes 4–8 weeks. Full ghostwriting projects range from 3 to 12 months depending on word count and interview availability. Formatting and publishing setup is usually 2–4 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, and we're flexible where reasonable.
Category 05
Submissions & Files
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. 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'll evaluate the concept and advise on whether ghostwriting from scratch is the right path for your project.
We accept DOCX (Microsoft Word), PDF, and Google Docs links for manuscript submissions. For images and additional materials, we accept ZIP archives. 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'll help you find a solution.
Absolutely. All submissions are treated as strictly confidential. We do not share, publish, discuss, or reference your manuscript with anyone outside the Qalm Media team, and only the team members working on your project have access. For ghostwriting projects, we sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement before any work begins. Your unpublished manuscript is protected from the moment you submit it.
Yes. Our publishing service covers Amazon KDP (ebook and print), IngramSpark (wide distribution to thousands of retailers and libraries globally), and optionally other platforms such as Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press, and Kobo. All accounts are set up in your name, with all royalties paid directly to you. We handle the technical setup, file preparation, and metadata — you retain full control of your publishing accounts.
Author Testimonials
Honest Words From Authors Who've Been There
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★★★★★
"I kept my rights, I kept every penny of my royalties, and I ended up with a book that looks and reads like something from a major publisher. Exactly what I was promised — and delivered."
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★★★★★
"What I feared most was losing my voice in the editing process. The team here made my writing sharper without making it sound like anyone else. That's harder than it sounds."
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★★★★★
"The process was transparent from start to finish. I knew what was happening at every stage, who was working on my book, and what came next. That clarity was genuinely refreshing."
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★★★★★
"I submitted with no expectations and received a genuinely useful evaluation. It showed me exactly what my book needed. That report alone was worth doing — even if I hadn't continued."
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★★★★★
"I'd had the concept for years but never had the time to write it. Qalm Media took my ideas and experience and turned them into something I'm proud to hand to clients and speak to on stage."
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★★★★★
"I came to Qalm Media after a bad experience with a vanity publisher. Night and day difference. Transparent pricing, genuine expertise, and I actually own my book this time. I'll be back for book two."
Still Have Questions?
We'd Love to Hear
From You Directly
If your question isn't answered above, contact us or book a free discovery call. There are no sales scripts — just an honest conversation about your book.
No Obligation
Strictly Confidential
Free Evaluation
Author Retains Full Rights