The difference between a book that finds its readers and builds a career, and a book that languishes in obscurity despite containing genuinely valuable content, is rarely the quality of the ideas inside it. It is almost always the quality of every decision made outside of the writing, the production decisions, the distribution decisions, the marketing decisions.
This checklist is a comprehensive review of every production element that separates professionally published books from amateur ones. It is the standard that every book published through Pyramid Publishing meets, and it is the standard that every serious author should insist upon regardless of their publishing route.
Work through this checklist against your book, whether it is in preparation, recently published, or under consideration. Every item that is not checked is an opportunity to improve your book’s commercial performance and professional credibility, and Pyramid Publishing‘s professional publishing service addresses every item on this list for every book we produce.
Editorial Checklist
☐ Developmental editing completed, The book’s structure, argument, pacing, and content have been reviewed by a professional editor and refined to the highest standard before copy editing begins.
☐ Copy editing completed, Every sentence has been reviewed for grammar, punctuation, style consistency, and clarity. No grammatical errors, style inconsistencies, or unclear passages remain.
☐ Proofreading completed, A final, dedicated proofread has been conducted on the formatted text, catching any errors introduced during the typesetting process.
☐ Fact-checking conducted, All factual claims, statistics, quotations, and attributions have been verified for accuracy.
☐ Permissions secured, All third-party content used in the book, quotations, images, data, has been properly licensed or falls within fair use provisions.
Cover Design Checklist
☐ Category-appropriate design, The cover’s visual language correctly signals the book’s genre to its target reader.
☐ Title legible at thumbnail scale, The title and author name are readable at the one-inch thumbnail size used in Amazon search results.
☐ Professionally designed, The cover was produced by a specialist book cover designer with publishing market knowledge, not a generalist graphic designer or template tool.
☐ Back cover copy professionally written, The back cover text is persuasive, compelling marketing copy, not a summary.
☐ Correct technical specifications, The cover file meets the exact technical specifications, resolution, colour profile, bleed, trim size, of every platform it will be used on.
☐ Spine design correct, The spine is correctly sized for the book’s page count and contains the title, author name, and publisher information in the correct format.
Interior Design and Formatting Checklist
☐ Professional typesetting, The interior was typeset using professional typesetting software to publishing industry standards.
☐ Genre-appropriate typography, The typeface, point size, and leading are appropriate for the book’s genre and optimised for reading comfort.
☐ Widows and orphans corrected, No isolated single lines appear at the top or bottom of any page.
☐ Chapter openings professionally designed, Each chapter opening is visually distinct and consistently executed throughout the book.
☐ Running headers and footers consistent, Running headers or footers appear consistently throughout the book in the correct format.
☐ Correct page count, The final page count is within the specified range for the chosen trim size, ensuring correct spine width calculation.
☐ Print-ready PDF produced, The final interior PDF meets the exact technical requirements of the print production platform.
☐ EPUB file produced and validated, A correctly formatted, validated EPUB file has been produced and tested on all major ebook platforms.
“The checklist is not bureaucracy. Every item represents a publishing decision that affects how your book performs in the market.”
ISBN and Metadata Checklist
☐ Independent ISBN registered, An independently registered ISBN is assigned to each edition of the book, with the correct publisher of record.
☐ BISAC codes correctly selected, The book is assigned the correct BISAC category codes for its content and target audience.
☐ Retail description optimised, The long and short descriptions on retail platforms are keyword-rich, compelling, and correctly formatted.
☐ Pricing correctly set, Retail prices are set appropriately for the book’s category and market, with correct discount terms for wholesale distribution.
☐ Contributor information complete, Author name, biography, and photo are correctly entered across all distribution platforms.
☐ Publication date confirmed, A specific publication date has been registered across all platforms and in all bibliographic databases.
Distribution Checklist
☐ Amazon KDP configured, Print and ebook editions are listed and correctly configured on Amazon UK and Amazon US, with appropriate pricing for each marketplace.
☐ IngramSpark distribution active, The book is listed in the IngramSpark wholesale catalogue, available for ordering by any bookshop or library worldwide.
☐ Digital distribution configured, Ebook distribution is live on Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, Barnes & Noble, and all other major digital platforms.
☐ Library distribution active, The book is available through Baker & Taylor and Ingram for library acquisition.
☐ International territories confirmed, Distribution rights and pricing have been set correctly for all intended international markets.
Launch and Marketing Checklist
☐ Professional best-seller marketing campaign planned, A coordinated, multi-channel marketing campaign has been developed and scheduled for launch.
☐ Amazon advertising campaign configured, Sponsored Products campaigns are set up and ready to activate on publication day.
☐ Review generation campaign active, ARC distribution and early reader outreach has been conducted to ensure review accumulation from day one.
☐ Media outreach scheduled, Pitches to relevant journalists, podcast hosts, and bloggers are prepared and timed for launch week.
☐ Social media content scheduled, Launch week social media content is prepared and scheduled across all relevant author platforms.
☐ Email marketing campaign ready, Launch announcement email campaign is prepared for any existing reader or subscriber list.
Your Next Step
How many items on this checklist can you check right now for your book? Every unchecked item is a gap between where your book is and where it could be. Every gap is a publishing or marketing decision that has not yet been made correctly, and that is costing your book commercial performance every day it remains unchecked.
Pyramid Publishing‘s full-service professional publishing package addresses every item on this checklist for every book we publish. When our team is done, every box is checked. Every standard is met. Every decision has been made correctly by a professional who has made it hundreds of times before.
Order your professional publishing package today. Check every box. Give your book the foundation it needs to find its readers, build your authority, and deliver the career impact it was written to create.
| ✦ Check Every Box With Professional Publishing • Order a complete professional publishing package at PyramidPublishing.co.uk • Buy a publishing service that meets every standard on this checklist • Hire a professional publishing team that handles every production detail • Get a free publishing checklist review and consultation • Get a quote for a comprehensive professional publishing service today |
| Check Every Box. Publish at the Highest Standard. Editorial · Design · Production · Distribution · Marketing, all in one place. → Order Your Complete Publishing Package at PyramidPublishing.co.uk ← |
