—WHY WE EXIST
Why AuthorWings exists in a market built to mislead authors
Most companies selling publishing services to indie authors will not show you a price. You fill out a form, hand over your word count, and give a sales agent forty minutes of your evening before anyone says a number out loud. By the time the number arrives, it has been anchored high, wrapped in a discount, and timed to expire.
AuthorWings was built against that pattern. Every price sits on the page before any contact form. Every rate is benchmarked to the Editorial Freelancers Association rate chart, the closest thing the industry has to a public standard. Every author keeps 100% of royalties and 100% of rights. That is the premise. The rest of this page explains how the company got built and the lines it refuses to cross.
—THE INDUSTRY PLAYBOOK
Five tactics the publishing market uses to mislead you
The pattern repeats across hundreds of companies, and it works because first-time authors have nothing to compare against.
1. Missing pricing. Competitor sites bury every rate behind a contact form, then route you to a sales agent trained to anchor high. You cannot comparison-shop a number you are never shown, which is the point. The quote arrives only after they have your manuscript, your word count, and forty minutes of your time already invested.
2. The upsell loop. A $10,000 ghostwriting package gets quoted. Then editing appears as a separate $4,000 add-on, even though no professional deliverable should ship without editing built in. You pay twice for one finished manuscript, and the second charge was always part of the plan.
3. The imaginary gatekeeper. Agents describe Amazon as a gated platform with editorial reviewers and approval committees standing between your manuscript and a live listing. None of that exists. KDP is self-service. The approval you are quoted $15,000 to $25,000 to clear is a fiction, and the price climbs the moment you believe the gate is real.
4. The rights grab. Hybrid publishers charge $8,000 to $30,000 to publish your book, then take 30% to 50% of royalties for the life of the title while holding your ISBN, your distribution account, and sometimes the copyright itself. You paid to publish and still do not own what you paid for.
5. The disappearance. Payment clears, your project lead stops answering, and the company rebrands six months later under a new name. Writer Beware, run by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, has tracked operators who target indie authors this way for years and keeps a current archive of them.
The cost is not only financial. Authors who get burned once often stop writing entirely.
AuthorWings was built to run against all five. It is an author services company, not a publisher. A publisher acquires your rights and pays you a cut. An author services company is hired by you, delivers the work, and walks away. You keep the copyright, the ISBN, the distribution accounts, and every dollar the book earns.
—WHAT CLIENTS SAY
What Authors Say After Publishing With Us
Discover what authors say about their experience working with us. Their testimonials reflect the clear communication, professional support, and personal attention they received throughout the publishing process.
I had a great experience working with AuthorWings. The entire team was supportive and professional throughout the publishing journey. I would especially like to thank Michael Ricci for his patience and clear communication. He took the time to address my concerns and made the process much smoother than I anticipated.
Working with AuthorWings was a positive experience from day one. The team delivered exactly what they promised and kept the project moving forward on schedule. I’d also like to recognize Michael Ricci for his professionalism and dedication. His support and expertise were invaluable, and he made me feel like my book truly mattered.
AuthorWings made the publishing process far less intimidating than I expected. The team was professional, responsive, and committed to producing a high-quality book. Every milestone was clearly explained, and I always felt informed about the next steps. I’m very pleased with the final result.
As a first-time author, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but AuthorWings exceeded my expectations. The editing and formatting services were excellent, and the staff was always available to answer my questions. Their guidance helped turn my manuscript into a book I am proud to share.
I had a great experience working with AuthorWings. The entire team was supportive and professional throughout the publishing journey. I would especially like to thank Michael Ricci for his patience and clear communication. He took the time to address my concerns and made the process much smoother than I anticipated.
—WHAT WE STAND ON
The three principles behind every AuthorWings project
Every service line, every contract, every hire gets tested against these three. If a decision fails one of them, it does not ship.
Transparent Pricing
Every service page on this site shows a price before any contact form. No discovery calls required to learn what a package costs. No anchored-high quotes that drop only after objection. The number you see is the number you pay, and the scope behind it is written in plain English.
EFA-Aligned Rates
AuthorWings rates are benchmarked to the Editorial Freelancers Association rate chart, the closest thing the industry has to a public standard. The EFA is one of the leading authorities on professional editorial and ghostwriting compensation. Aligning to that standard is how authors verify they are paying market rate, not a markup.
100% Royalties And Rights
Every author who works with AuthorWings keeps 100% of royalties for the life of the book and 100% of rights, including copyright, ISBN ownership, and full distribution control. The studio is paid for the work delivered, once. After that, the book belongs entirely to the author.
—WHAT WE WON’T DO
Six things AuthorWings will never do to an author
Most publishing services companies tell authors what they will deliver. AuthorWings tells authors what it will never do, because the failures of this industry are not about missing services. They are about practices that cross lines no honest company should cross.
No Hidden Quotes
Every package price lives on the service page that sells it. No phone-only pricing. No “let us send a custom proposal” stalls designed to anchor numbers higher than the website would have shown. If a price is not on the page, the service is not for sale.
No Royalty Splits
The studio is paid once, for the work delivered. Royalties from book sales flow directly from the retailer to the author’s account. AuthorWings does not take 10%, 30%, or 50% of earnings for the life of the title, the way hybrid publishers structure their contracts.
No Rights Grabs
Copyright stays with the author. The ISBN is registered to the author. The KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books, Kobo, and Draft2Digital accounts are owned by the author. Nothing about the book is held by AuthorWings after delivery.
No Fake Approvals
There is no Amazon editorial board. There is no editorial committee that approves indie manuscripts. Any company quoting $15,000 to $25,000 for “Amazon approval” is selling a fiction. AuthorWings will never invent a gatekeeper to justify a price.
No Surprise Upsells
If a package names editing, editing is included. If a package names cover design, the cover is included. The scope written on the service page is the scope delivered. Mid-project add-ons are limited to genuinely new work the author requests, quoted in writing before any work begins.
No Pressure Pitching
No forty-minute discovery calls designed to wear down resistance. No “this rate expires Friday” deadlines. No agent commission structures that reward upselling over fit. Authors decide on their own time, with full pricing visible, without sales psychology applied.
Next Steps
❦Get your book costed in two minutes, before any conversation starts
The cost calculator does what most publishing companies refuse to do. Enter your word count, choose the services you need, and see a real price for your specific book.
Run your numbers first, or talk it through with us — either way, the price stays the same.
Mutual NDA available before the call on request. 100% rights retention guaranteed. No contracts until you decide.
AuthorWings· Transparent Pricing · 100% Your Rights
Last updated: July 2026