—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 40 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 the royalties the retailer pays out, and 100% of rights. That is the premise. The rest of this page explains the practices AuthorWings was built against and the lines it refuses to cross.
—THE INDUSTRY PLAYBOOK
Five tactics the publishing market uses to mislead you
The pattern repeats across the market, and it works because first-time authors have nothing to compare against.
1. The hidden price. 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 40 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. Kindle Direct Publishing 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, sponsored 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 sometimes 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 AUTHORS SAY
What Authors Say After Publishing With Us
Every author below hired AuthorWings and kept full rights to the finished book.
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.
The formatting and cover design were far better than I expected. My questions were answered within a day, every time, and nothing was rushed. Holding the printed copy in my hands made the whole process feel worth it.
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.
—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
No discovery call is required to learn what a package costs. The price is published on the service page that sells it. 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 same public benchmark named at the top of this page. The EFA publishes the most widely cited public rate survey for editorial, ghostwriting, design, and publishing work. 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. AuthorWings 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 no honest company should touch.
No Hidden Quotes
No phone-only pricing. No “let us send a custom proposal” stalls designed to land above the published price. 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 30%, 50%, or any share 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. KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books, Kobo, and Draft2Digital accounts stay in the author’s name. Nothing about the book is held by AuthorWings after delivery.
No Fake Approvals
Any company quoting $15,000 to $25,000 for “Amazon approval” is selling access to a gate that does not exist. 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 60 seconds, 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 contract until you decide to move forward.
AuthorWings· Transparent Pricing · 100% Your Rights
Last updated: September 2026