Four ways to publish with TEACH
As you compare the four publishing levels—Family & Friends, Professional, Advanced, and Premium—you’ll notice that each one builds on the last, adding progressively more time and expertise from our editing, design, graphic arts, and marketing professionals. The right level for you depends on how far you want your book to reach and the level of perfection you want to achieve. The prices below are estimates for a book between 25,000 and 40,000 words (about 120–144 pages with a 6” x 9” trim size), black and white (no-color) interior, with a full-color glossy cover.
Included at every level
- ✓Basic copy edit (spelling, grammar, punctuation)
- ✓Up to four customized 4-color cover designs
- ✓ISBN, LOCCN, BISAC codes
- ✓>40,000 global outlets distribution network
- ✓40% discount on author-purchased copies
- ✓Royalties on SRP (suggested retail price)
Family & Friends
From $4,999
A clean, professional book to share with family and church.
- Basic copy edit only
- Basic interior layout
- Up to four cover designs
- Paperback format only
- 5 free copies
Professional
From $6,999
Full editing, marketing, and e-book.
- Copy edit, narrative hooks, fact verification 10% sample
- Full layout & design with pull quotes
- Paperback & e-book formats
- Competitive metadata marketing package
More
See “More” link under Online distribution and SEO below for full details. Professional package receives four hours marketing team optimization.
- SDA marketing, book trailer, social-media, email, convention promo
- 10 free copies
Advanced
From $9,899
Developmental review and 100% citation checking.
- Everything in Professional
- Developmental review & edit arc structure
- 100% fact-check and citation verification
- Hardcover format
- Video trailer; 1000 bookmarks
- Advanced competitive metadata marketing package
More
See “More” link under Online distribution and SEO below for full details. Advanced package receives eight hours marketing team optimization.
- 25 free copies
Premium
From $11,799
The complete package, including audiobook and 100 copies.
- Everything in Advanced
- Full developmental edit (arc structure, humor, profundity, additional research quotes & citations, argument rigor)
- Audiobook included
- Premium video trailer; 1,000 bookmarks
- Premium competitive metadata marketing package
More
See “More” link under Online distribution and SEO below for full details. Premium package receives twelve hours marketing team optimization.
- 100 free copies
How it works
- EvaluationFree review of your complete manuscript and a written cost estimate.
- Agreement & first paymentSign the Publishing Agreement and make the first installment.
- EditingBasic copy edit, then main editor assigned who works through the manuscript; you receive 1st draft in about 9 weeks.
- Cover designChoose from up to four customized cover designs.
- Interior designYour text is laid out and prepared for press.
- Final proofYou approve an electronic proof before anything goes to press.
- Print & distributeYour book is published for print on demand (copies are printed as they are ordered) and listed with wholesale, retail, and libraries worldwide.
- MarketingWe promote your book and guide you, because author promotion makes the difference.
Full comparison
Prices are estimates for a 25,000 to 40,000-word book; see the editing section below for details on each level. On a phone, each feature shows its four levels beneath the description.
| Family & FriendsFrom $4,999 | ProfessionalFrom $6,999 | AdvancedFrom $9,899 | PremiumFrom $11,799 | |
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| Production | ||||
| Format and binding
Paperback (PB), hardcover (HB), e-book (EB), and audiobook (AB). |
PB | PB, EB Optional HB, AB |
PB, EB, HB Optional AB |
PB, EB, HB, AB |
| Free author copies
Complimentary paperback copies when your book is complete. Additional copies are available at your author discount. |
5 | 10 | 25 | 100 |
| Author discounts
Buy copies of your own book at a discount off the suggested retail price, sell them at full price, and keep 100% of the profit; we never restrict how you sell them. MoreOne of our authors raised $20,000 through her book sales and used the proceeds to build a church in India. Serving authors—and God—in this way is one of the great joys of our work. Bulk discounts of up to 80% (depending on quantity) are available at the Professional, Advanced, and Premium levels. |
40% | 40% Bulk discounts up to 80% |
40% Bulk discounts up to 80% |
40% Bulk discounts up to 80% |
| ISBN, LOC number & BISAC code
We obtain your ISBN and register it with R.R. Bowker, obtain a Library of Congress catalog number, and assign a BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) subject code. |
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| Book cover design
At every level our designers create up to four customized 4-color cover designs for you to choose from, including back-cover copy, your photograph and short biography, BISAC codes, and the ISBN barcode. Special art or illustrations can be supplied at additional cost. MoreA few of the questions we ask while building your cover: How is the impact at thumbnail size? At poster size? Is the title readable when small? Does the font suit the genre? Glance at the book: what does it tell you? Will the testimonials and quotes create sales? |
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| Royalties
We pay you royalties on the suggested retail price (SRP) of each copy sold. Actual retail price (ARP) is set by the retailer and is often higher than the SRP.
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| Rights management
We handle requests for foreign translations, magazine syndication, radio interviews, audiobook creation, quotes and reprints, and more. There is no fee to you; costs are paid by the organization requesting the rights. |
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| Online distribution and SEO
Your title is available on major online bookstores (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others). The Professional, Advanced, and Premium levels also receive marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) on Amazon.com, where most online book purchases are made. MoreHow We Help Readers Find Your BookMost publishers today either guess at search terms or ask AI to guess which ones might make a book appear in search results. Because 50% to 80% of your book’s sales will come from Amazon, we use specialized research tools that analyze Amazon’s own search and sales data. These tools show us which search terms are relevant to your book and which ones shoppers are actually typing. We don’t stop there. If you use the same search terms everyone else uses, your book may be competing with hundreds of others every time someone searches. We look for search terms that people use and that your book can realistically win. 70% of all books sold online appear in the first page of search results. 90% of all books sold online appear in the first three pages, so getting your book into those first three pages is our goal. Measuring the CompetitionEvery search term we consider gets a difficulty score from 0 to 100. The score reflects how strong the books already on the first page of results are. The lower the score, the easier it is for a new title to break through:
We also check whether people searching a phrase actually buy books or only browse. A term with heavy traffic but few sales does little for you. A Balanced Set of Search TermsAmazon gives each book seven keyword slots. We don’t fill them with the seven most popular phrases. Instead, we build a balanced set:
Those less-used terms often matter most. Fewer people search for them, but far fewer books compete for them, so your book can show up on page one instead of page twelve. Shoppers who type a specific phrase usually know what they want, so they’re more likely to buy. Several small, winnable searches can bring in more readers than one popular search where your book is never seen. Each of those sales also helps Amazon recognize your book, which can help it rise in broader searches over time. We don’t spend keyword slots on words already in your title, subtitle, or author name, because Amazon already searches those. We never use a term your book can’t honestly claim. A longer list of validated terms also goes to our distributor, Ingram, so your book is easier to find with other retailers too. More Than KeywordsThe same research shapes your book’s categories, back cover copy, author bio, and short descriptions, so all of your book’s metadata works together. Professional packages include four hours marketing team optimization, Advanced packages eight hours, and Premium packages twelve hours. |
no SEO | |||
| Domestic distribution
Your title is listed in a distribution network of over 40,000 book retailers, librarians, wholesale outlets, and international accounts. |
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| International distribution
Our printing and distribution network reaches almost all countries and territories. We print in or near the country where your book is ordered. For example, we print in Sydney, Australia, so orders shipping to Australia or New Zealand pay reasonable shipping charges. The same is true for the UK, Germany, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and others. Russia is currently suspended because of the war in Ukraine. We also work with SDA publishing directors at the conference, union, or division level for bulk print runs. |
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| E-books
Your e-book is distributed through most major options, including Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Google Play, Kobo, Apple Books, and eBooks.com, in full color on devices that support it. |
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| Layout and design
Our design team lays out your text and cover and prepares them for press to professional printing standards. MoreAll common trim sizes (custom sizes available); paper selections (50# white, 55# cream, 70# white); fonts (limited at the Family & Friends level) and leading; page margins; pull quotes (not at Family & Friends); chapter head elements and starts; plot breaks; photo placements; block quotes; sidebars (not at Family & Friends); and more. |
BasicNo filigree, drop caps, ornamental flourishes, decorative borders, decorative chapter openers, ornamental scene breaks, pull quotes, sidebars, custom headers and footers, image or photo placement, or custom illustrations | |||
| Electronic proof
Nothing goes to press without your approval. You receive an electronic proof to review before printing. |
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| Creative back cover
Our Marketing and Design Departments work together to create back-cover copy with one goal: turning browsers into buyers. (Design also adds the ISBN, barcode, and BISAC code.) |
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| Editing | ||||
| Editing at every level
Every manuscript goes through five editing stages: Evaluation, Oversight, Copy Editing, Developmental Editing, and Final Proofread. Family & Friends stops after Copy Editing; Professional, Advanced, and Premium receive increasing levels of developmental editing. See what editing looks like at each level. |
Copy edit (basic proofreading) | Copy edit, narrative hooks, pull quotes, sample fact verification | Professional plus developmental review and 100% citation verification | Full developmental edit plus 100% citation verification |
| Marketing | ||||
| Specialty marketing to the Adventist community
We know your readers because we are part of the same community. We market your book to Adventist ministries, Adventist Book Centers, and the special events we attend. |
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| Video book trailer
Our book trailer team creates a video trailer for every title at the Professional level and above, linked to our online store and used to build awareness on Facebook and the web. The creative time invested grows with your level. |
– | Professional trailer | Advanced trailer | Premium trailer, including a UGC (user-generated content) video |
| Promotion at conventions
All new titles at the Professional level and above are displayed at the conventions we attend during their first year. Featured placement (at additional charge) puts your title prominently in our booth with special offers and discounts of up to 50% off the SRP. |
– | Displayed at all conventions attended during the first year, at no charge | Displayed at conventions, promoted on social media, and included in direct mailings to ABCs and SDA ministries | Displayed at conventions, promoted on social media, and included in direct mailings to ABCs and SDA ministries |
| Social media advertising
We promote your book on our company’s social media pages. |
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| Wholesale email promotion
We promote your book by email to the Adventist Book Centers and our other wholesale customers, the buyers who stock the shelves. |
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| Retail email promotion
We feature your book in our monthly email newsletter to thousands of opt-in retail customers who have asked to hear about our new releases. |
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| News release
We write and distribute a news release about your book (when email addresses are supplied) to places such as your local newspaper, alma mater, workplace, or Union Conference papers. |
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| Bookmarks
1,000 full-color bookmarks to share with your church, family, and friends; we also include them at the conventions we attend. |
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What editing looks like at each level
Family & Friends
- Whole book: copy edit for spelling, grammar, and punctuation (basic proofreading). Does not include developmental or substantive editing, line editing, restructuring or rewriting, style and tone refinement, or internal logical-consistency checks.
- Verification check on selected samples of quotations, facts, and citations.
Professional
- Whole book: copy edit for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
- Narrative hooks at the beginning and end of chapters to draw readers in.
- Difficult paragraphs enhanced for readability, clarity, and flow.
- Pull quotes.
- Verification check on selected samples of quotations, facts, and citations.
Advanced
- Everything in Professional, with all paragraphs enhanced for readability, clarity, and flow.
- Creative developmental editorial review for areas of story or topic improvement, enhancement, or reorganization, with consultation on implementing the findings.
- 100% source and citation verification, with additional-citation suggestions.
Premium
- Everything in Advanced.
- Full and complete developmental editorial review: structure and organization, voice and tone, content clarity and rigor, audience, and focus, with consultation on implementing the findings.
- 100% source and citation verification, with additional-citation suggestions.
Every manuscript deserves a careful, caring editor. Our Editing Department brings a fresh perspective to your book, editing your manuscript while retaining your style and voice and ensuring it follows publishing-industry styles and standards. A professional editor corrects grammar, spelling, and punctuation and adds proper transitions; deletes repetitions that detract from the message; removes unnecessary words and weak phrases; and checks for improper documentation and suggests how to obtain permissions. While professional editing cannot guarantee that your book will sell, it is essential to putting your best foot forward.
TEACH Services handles editing and copyediting during the initial editing phase; the author is responsible for final proofreading approval. Professional editing ensures that your writing follows The Chicago Manual of Style* and publishing-industry styles and standards. Our editors make certain the writing and organization of your book are cohesive and consistent throughout, enhancing it where necessary. See our Style Guidelines (PDF) and additional editing standards.
Editing prices assume a complete, final manuscript submitted in Microsoft Word. Other editing approaches, if approved, cost significantly more because of the added time and labor. All editing projects ask the author to fact-check Bible texts, Spirit of Prophecy references, and other facts. During evaluation, we spot check 10%–20% of your quotations, facts, and citations to give you the total additional cost to fact check your manuscript for publication. After editing, you receive a PDF of your manuscript to review the changes and work with your editor on any further corrections before layout and design.
*The Chicago Manual of Style does not capitalize pronouns such as He, Him, and His when referring to God, but TEACH Services does. Chicago capitalizes major religious events such as the crucifixion, the ascension, and the incarnation, but TEACH Services lowercases these. See our Style Guidelines (PDF) for details.
Who we publish
To qualify as a TEACH Services, Inc. (TSI) author, your manuscript must align with Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Christian beliefs and serve a specific segment of readers. Biographies and memoirs should share a conversion-to-Jesus story or an inspirational account of Christian service in fields such as business, government, the healing sciences, education, ministry, or missions. When a manuscript needs doctrinal or medical review, TSI arranges for at least two qualified reviewers (SDA ministers, medical doctors, or dietitians). We don’t accept every manuscript—so when we say yes to yours, you’ll know your book carries a message we believe in and a team ready to stand behind it.
From our authors
“TEACH Services, Inc. has been an active partner in my missionary efforts to lift up the power of Jesus to set people free from demonic possession and harassment. TEACH Services financed my publishing costs, and they licensed rights for me to print the book in Cambodia while foregoing their own publishing percentage, and guided my marketing efforts globally. My book reached ‘#1 New Release’ on Amazon.au (Australia) and #9 on Amazon.com (USA) in the ‘Christian Missions and Missionary Work’ book category. In the first year since publication, I’ve sold several hundred copies myself at my speaking seminars and TEACH Services, Inc. has sold over 1200 copies through their retail distribution network. Teach Services have been superb to work with, making the publishing of my two books a pleasure and joy.”
Tim Maddocks, author of Fallen Angels: One Man’s True Encounters with Evil and When Sacrifice is Gain
“TEACH Services, Inc. facilitated finding my co-author, Dr. Roger Seheult. Their editing team added new research and citations that made the book even stronger. Their marketing efforts during editing and design prepared my book to compete on Amazon.com, and The Creator’s Code hit ‘#1 New Release’ in Amazon.com’s ‘Naturopathy’ book category the first month after publication. Teach publishing was an answer to prayer. Their professionalism, team approach and comprehensive publishing and marketing support brought an idea to reality.”
Dr. James L. Marcum, author of The Creator’s CodeNot sure which level fits your book?
Submit your manuscript for a FREE evaluation Schedule a call with an Author Advisor
Payment, royalties, and changes
- Payment schedule
- One-third down in advance, one-third when your book has finished editing, and one-third after you approve the final text proof. No book is published until 30 days after final payment is processed.
- Payment plans
- 6, 9, 12, 18, or 24 monthly payments.
- Accepted payments
- Check, money order, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, and PayPal. We do not accept checks drawn on non-USA banks. Other arrangements (Zelle, Venmo, CashApp, Google Wallet, Wise, Apple Cash, and others) may be available on request.
- Add-on services
- Additional editing levels, color photographs, and artwork cost extra; we quote a price when we receive your manuscript.
- Before work begins
- We need your final manuscript, the signed Publishing Agreement, and the first installment payment; later steps require timely receipt of the remaining installments.
- Delays
- Author delays of more than 90 days place the work in STOP/ARCHIVE status. The minimum restart fee is $170.00; additional charges may apply based on time in archive, market conditions, and pricing changes.
- Royalty payments
- Paid annually before August 31 when royalties owed exceed $25.00, or quarterly when royalties owed for a quarter exceed $500.00.
- Changes after submission
- Corrections and small changes are part of the editing process and are built in. Additions and major revisions after submission incur additional charges and must be re-evaluated. Layout changes (margins, fonts, highlighting, underscoring, bolding, italics, headers or footers, and line, word, or letter spacing) requested during the text-galley stage are free; layout changes after that stage incur a minimum $340 charge. Changes after your book goes to press are charged according to the time required to correct and resubmit to our distributors. We do not guarantee any sales volume.
Extra proofs and late changes
| Proof | Minimum charge | Delay | Charge for changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text galley, draft, or proof | $0 | – | $85 per hour |
| 1st additional proof | $340 | + 4 weeks | |
| 2nd additional proof or more | $340 | + 4 weeks |