Always wanted to see yourself in print?
Many of us would like to see what we have written in print. It
may be our memoirs, our stories, our poems or our family
history. Maybe it's a children's book with our own
illustrations, or a collection of our favourite recipes
with anecdotes related to the times these meals were eaten.
For the majority of us this will always remain only a dream.
Very few aspirant authors will find a publisher for what they
have written.
The answer to this is to self publish. This is often known as
"vanity publishing", but there is nothing vain about wanting
to see your work nicely bound and on your, your family's and
your friends' bookshelves.
Traditionally, self publishing has been a very costly enterprise.
Now, with advances in technology, you can publish your own book at a very
reasonable price.
Boutique Books can help you make your dream come true
Boutique Books has been in business since 2009, and has facilitated over 2000 books in that time.
Boutique Books offers a range of services, any combination of which
can help you to get your book into print.
Have you already typed everything into a word processing programme?
If so, we can help you with editing, copy editing, format design and
layout - or, if you're quite satisfied that what's there is pretty
perfect, just get it ready for print.
If all you have is a bunch of handwritten pages, we can take this, too,
and make it into a book - although this would obviously not be exactly
cheap as a great deal of work would be needed to achieve this!
We can also arrange for the printing of your book. If you want 10 books or more this
will be done by a printing company. Unfortunately, smaller quantities for books that
require a spine cannot be catered for, but folded and stapled books can be produced
in smaller quantities if necessary.
In addition, we can help you to get your ISBN number and barcode.
Read more about ISBN...
Should you wish to, you can also have your book present on our website for people
to order direct from you, or download, depending on your decisions in this regard.
To clarify, Boutique Books is not a publisher, but facilitates you to be your own publisher.
What this means is that while you pay the costs up front, you also reap the full rewards if the book is successful.
Boutique Books can help with editing and proofreading, layout and cover design, printing and creation of ebook files.
We don't do any marketing, sales or distribution.
Editing and proofreading
Even the very best writers are edited, although book editing is, unfortunately, always rather expensive as each word has to be read and each sentence evaluated.
As it is not possible to pick up everything in a single read, and as you will likely make changes as a result of the editor's comments and suggestions,
if you choose to go with editing your work will also need to go through the proofing phase. In mainstream publishing, a book will be proofed more than once,
but this obviously results in additional costs (and as a result you may have noticed that even award-winning mainstream books contain some small language errors
as publishers reduce the amount of time spent on checking a book). However, a single post-editing proofread should be sufficient to ensure that there are very
few errors left in the book.
Need specialised academic editing?
Academic editing is a bit different from the more general editing that Boutique Books does. Head over to our sister company, Preston-Hall Academic Editors, for information about what they can offer.
What will it cost?
This is not an easy question to answer, because the cost will depend on what needs
to be done, how many pages there are, how you want it printed and on what kind of paper, and how you want
it bound. We can, however, give you some examples:
A 36-page A5 booklet, folded and stapled,
with a heavy, glossy cover
Text supplied in final form (i.e. no editing or proofing required), in a Word
or similar document.
Layout required
Cover design required
ISBN number required
50 final booklets, printed and finished, required
Costs:
Layout - R1 485.00
Cover design - R1 485.00
ISBN facilitation and barcode - no charge
Print facilitation - R780.00
Printing (80gsm bond, black only for inside pages, full colour on 300gsm card, gloss laminated
cover, including delivery in South Africa) R1 300.00
TOTAL COST: R5 050.00
As a matter of interest, the cost of printing 50 copies of the same book, but in full colour would be about R3 400 (as opposed to R1 300 when printing in black only). This shows that printing in full colour is significantly more expensive than printing in black. What one can do, however, is print a group of pages in colour and place these in the book in a bundle, as one often sees with autobiographies.
A 200-page novel, perfect bound
Text supplied in in a word or similar document.
Editing required.
Layout required
Cover design required
ISBN number required
100 printed books required
Costs:
-------------------------
Editing is almost always the most expensive part of the process because the editor
has to read each and every word and make considered decisions about what is
read. We make a point of not fiddling with the "voice" of the author but of
ensuring that the work is grammatically acceptable and that spelling and
punctuation are correct. Suggestions are made regarding the style, content
and story line where appropriate.
To edit a book of this length (about 64 000 words) will cost in the region of R11 385.
While this might seem like a great deal of money, it is often money well spent
because a book filled with errors will not sell and any money spent on printing
it will have been wasted.
-------------------------
Layout - R1 485
Cover design - R1 485.00
ISBN facilitation and barcode - no charge
Print facilitation - R780.00
TOTAL PRINT PREPARATION COST: R3 750.00
-------------------------
Because it is almost impossible to catch everything in a single read, and because
the author will often make changes after the first edit, proof reading after layout
is required. In this case, proof reading would cost R4 950.
-------------------------
Printing of 100 copies, including delivery costs in South Africa: about R50.00 per book
Therefore, total cost of printing 100 copies is R5 000.00
-------------------------
TOTAL PRODUCTION COST OF FIRST 100 BOOKS: R25 085.00
Of course, if your book is fewer words than this, your book will work out cheaper
than this.
-------------------------
As you can see, the setup costs form a great portion of the cost of the first copies. Usually, the more copies that are printed, the less each book will cost. BUT there is no point in printing many books if you are not sure of selling them! Books sitting in boxes under your bed are wasted capital.
Services
Layout and design
Editing and proofreading
ISBN application and barcode: no charge if we are preparing your book for print
Barcode - R100 if we are not preparing your book for print
Print facilitation of books prepared by us: R780
Print facilitation of books prepared by you: R1 525
Commercial Printing and binding per quote
It does not matter where in Southern Africa, or even the world, you may be as we
can simply send you a print-ready file which you can have printed locally. The print
prices indicated in the above examples include delivery costs to all but the most remote places within South Africa.
Bespoke handbound books per quote
e-Books
If Boutique Books does the layout of your book for you, we can also let you have your book
in .mobi (kindle), .epub (xhtml) and clickable PDF formats. In addition, we supply you with files
formatted for Amazon KDP print on demand. Generally this will cost you
R940. Please note that you should have a different ISBN for your
e-book than for your printed book.
For this, we do not help with uploading, but do supply information that should make it possible for you to do this yourself.
If you want us to upload, we charge an additional R990. We believe, however, that it is in your interests to control your own accounts
and do your own uploading, and we have found that most people are able to manage on their own.
Books that are heavy on pictures, or where there are many tables and graphs,
do not translate well into e-books. This is because e-book readers differ vastly, and the user
can dictate the size of the font and page, making control of the display of anything that is not straight,
flowed text more difficult. The R990 charge does not include trying to make such items pretty,
and if that is what is required a separate quote would be necessary.
If you are interested only in an e-book and do not intend to ever print the book, or if you want someone
to help you market your e-book after we have created it for you, then you may like to contact
David through his website at www.myebook.co.za.
What should I do next?
Why not fill in this form or e-mail any questions you might have to enquiry@boutiquebooks.co.za? You could also telephone 033-387-3186, or fax 086-609-1535.
Need English/Afrikaans translation or language workshops?
Then visit http://www.wordguru.co.za.
Need academic editing of your essay, dissertation, thesis, research report, academic paper, concept note or proposal?
Then visit http://www.preston-hall.co.za.
Want your own website to promote your books? Live Mxaku specialises in developing author websites. You can contact him at
https://livemxaku.com.
Looking for something special? To get a one-off handbound version of your book, or a special gift for someone instead of or as well as
commercially prepared books,
visit our sister bespoke bindery here Hoopoe Bindery for books bound by hand.
What our clients say: testimonials
Mahlatse Nchabeleng
Having consulted with a number of individuals and institutions that claimed to be the best in the market and to outsmart their competitors; having paid for my manuscript to be dumped through a tool like Grammarly and returned to me within few days with unrealistic, stupid corrections, I almost believed that I was in the wrong field to unleash my talent.
Then one day, as I was browsing and searching online for a genuine company that would change my perspective regarding this market, I found Boutique Books. I read through their services, charges, and looked at their previous work. After being convinced that this was exactly what I was looking for, I emailed them.
To my surprise, it did not take long for them to respond. I received an email with details that answered all my questions about them and their services. After this, I had no doubt that I was in good hands.
Even though I was not looking for a place that would offer me a discount or lower prices, I was impressed with their packages and the prices linked to these packages. Like everyone, I thought I should test the water, so at first I did not want to go full force. I took limited services to make sure that I left an open door in case it did not work. As I write this, I am one of their clients on a full package for my work. Boutique Books handles my work from editing, layout, proofreading and book cover designing. Amazing work!
Another excellent service is that when they are done with my work and have received my final approval, they arrange with well-known and recommended printing companies for samples. Even though it is up to me to make the final call, Boutique walks me through the process step-by-step. They share their business and personal advice until the right printer shop is selected.
Since I found comfort in their hands, my only worry has been my writing and Boutique Books takes care of the rest.
I could not agree more that Boutique Book is one of the best, most reliable, honest and flexible companies to work with. I would not exchange their services for anything. This is just a summary of what I get from them:
• Respect
• Reasonable schedule
• Support from the beginning to the end of the process.
• Commitment
• Personal editing, not some lousy tools that help no writer to know and avoid the errors in future
• Personal relationship with each of their clients.
Brenda Rembuluwani
groundWork has been working with Boutique Books since 2009. For well over a decade, Boutique Books has handled (and continues to handle) all our newsletters, annual reports and groundWork special reports, as well as numerous other documents and materials, including infographics, pamphlets and posters. Boutique Books is one of our trusted and reliable service providers in delivering exceptional quality.
Tsepang Molefe - Media, Information and Publications Campaign Manager for groundWork
I have had nothing short of exceptionally great service from Boutique Books. I first met them - through my internet search as I was looking for a reputable company to assist in helping me self-publish my first book, Zappy's Memoirs. Oh, what a great experience it was! That book has since gone for a second printing. I then edited another book - Living Positively with Infertility - and requested Boutiques Books to help prepare it for printing as well. The last stated book has also just recently gone into its second printing. I wholeheartedly thank you for tremendous customer service and editorial support, Boutique Books. Thank you:)
Tsepiso Mokaeane
I have produced a number of books through the services of Boutique Books. I have always found their service to be efficient, reliable, courteous and helpful. Jane goes out of her way to accommodate my needs and does an excellent job of proof reading and scrutinising the text for grammar and coherence, resulting in a high quality of final presentation. I highly recommend this service.
Julia Preece
Thank you for your professionalism and prompt responses, actions. I can't believe I took a chance on your business and I had not met you in person, and yet it all worked out better than I imagined.
Truly hoping that one day I can get to meet you. You have been a big part of making my dreams come true and many doors have opened for me (like this second book) as a result of having my first book published.
Tokozile Ngwenya
My name is Tumelo Moleleki and I am a proud self-publishing author.
While looking for editors for my second book, His Joy, I stumbled upon Boutique Books and their services.
I sent through a sample of the manuscript for an editing quote and I fell in love with the way that Jane showed me her edits and explained the reasoning behind any revision or rephrasing.
I have since published more than 5 titles through Boutique Books and I am very happy with the service and the relationship.
The respect I feel I am given, and the attention my emails and requests get, have been unparalleled. I can say this with conviction because I have worked with other people in this space and not worrying about whether someone will do what they say is a huge blessing.
All my books have been found to be of excellent quality and it is partly thanks to their efforts.
They are my first recommendation whenever someone approaches me about needing publishing services.
Tumelo Moleleki
I have been fortunate to partner with Boutique Books. As a self-publisher, I have found their guidance and attention to detail invaluable. Jane has tirelessly guided me step by step through the process. I have been pleasantly surprised with the amazing layout and cover designs. I have found them to be supplementary to the message that I was trying to convey in the books. I further make extensive use of Hebrew and Greek in my books, and their knowledge of typesetting these languages is outstanding. Their approach is professional and speaks of experience.
Marlene Bredenkamp
My name is Lethabo Maleka. Being a first-time publisher, I did not have an idea where to start. I approached several publishing companies with no luck. I was becoming very frustrated because the story I had written about is very close to my heart. I then wrote to 5 self-publishing companies. To my surprise, it did not take long for Boutique Books to respond, and they were the only one who responded.
I received an email from Jane with details that answered all my questions about the company and their services. After this, I had no doubt that I was in good hands.
I have been able to publish my 8-volume book and I would not have been able to achieve this without Jane’s help. She provided me with step-by-step support. I did not have any idea of how to go about self-publishing and Boutique Books helped me with the whole range of activities involved in the publishing process, including aspects that I had no prior experience of as a new author.
Throughout the process, from the time they got the manuscript, we agreed on timelines, and we have always stuck with them.
Jane will always go the extra mile to deliver a quality product on time and I will always appreciate her input; hers is second to none. I thought she was only working on my book because of the extent to which she gave me 100% attention. She tirelessly guided me through the process and one of the things that sets her apart is her attention to detail, especially her ability to accommodate my needs. Boutique Books does an excellent job of editing and proof reading and scrutinising the text for grammar and coherence, resulting in a high quality of the final presentation.
I have been pleasantly surprised by the amazing layout and cover designs.
It is an absolute pleasure to work with Jane. She is highly responsive, accommodating, and takes a proactive approach to ensure that everything is on track.
When my manuscript was ready to go to the printers, Jane did shop around to find the best printing quotes. She not only got quotations for me but she held my hand during the printing process and the final product speaks for itself.
I truly gained from her level of expertise in this field as well. My latest, and second publication with Boutique Books, is proof of this. Jane’s professionalism and unwavering patience have truly made this experience remarkable, and her quality of output has far exceeded my expectations. This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and it is all thanks to her exceptional, amazing high quality of work.
I would like also to express my gratitude to Lindiwe and Sboniso and the rest of the Boutique Books team.
Lethabo Maleka
I am thrilled to share my experience with Boutique Books, a self-publishing facilitator that specialises in layout and design, editing and proofreading. Our interaction with them has been hugely positive, with their team being extremely professional and proficient. We have been working with Boutique Books since the beginning of 2010, and during this time we have collaborated on over 30 titles, including complex layouts in multiple languages, such as Arabic, Yao, Runyankore, and other major African languages.
One of the things that sets Boutique Books apart is their attention to detail. They take the time to understand our needs and work with us to create a finished product that exceeds our expectations. Their team is very responsive, and they are always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that our deadlines are met.
Jane, the team leader, is an absolute pleasure to work with. She is highly responsive, accommodating, and takes a proactive approach to ensure that everything is on track. Her attention to detail is second to none, and she takes the time to make sure that every project is completed to the highest standards.
As a faith-based non-profit organisation, we print various literature, including the Holy Quran. We have always been impressed by the dedication and quality of service from Boutique Books. They understand the importance of accuracy and precision, and they always deliver work that meets our exact specifications and requirements.
In conclusion, I highly recommend Boutique Books for their exceptional services, commitment to excellence, and ability to deliver high-quality work.
Thank you, Boutique Books, for the amazing work you do!
Hassan Noor Mahomed: Director, Islamic Dawah Movement of Southern Africa
One of the most challenging angles to master in business is that of finding perfect balance between excellent service at the right price. In most instances we find ourselves having to sacrifice one at the expense of the other, in which case excellent service become the usual victim.Most of us choose to pay less, even when that means that we will get poor service.
My experience of working with Boutique Books has been the opposite. For the five years I've been in the book business, their service has been the best I could ever ask for, at the price that keeps my business doing well.
Themba Mdletshe - Leka M Creations
Boutique Books…
My life ‘literally’ changed for the better the day I discovered the services offered by Boutique Books. In Jane I have found an editor I respect; who is straight-forward and who, when she is working with you, gives you 100% of her attention. She sets up dates and a work programme, and she sticks to it! No more feeling that someone is doing you a big favour. It is most comforting when you know your manuscript is being handled professionally and you’re not just part of a ‘sausage factory’.
What’s more, Boutique Books’ rates are reasonable without compromising quality of service. Not only is your spelling, punctuation and grammar checked, helpful comments and suggested corrections are mooted.
I can highly recommend Boutique Books to any aspiring writer who wishes to self-publish and be proud of their achievement. It is nigh impossible to accomplish this alone.
Boutique Books do great covers too, and always heed my requirements when designing them. It would irk me, for example, when a book’s heroine was famous for her blonde tresses and the cover picture depicted a girl with black hair!
When your manuscript is ready to go to the printers, they do shop around to find the best printing quotes. You gain from their level of expertise in this field, too. My latest, and fourth publication with Boutique Books, is proof of this.
Emile Shreve
I have used the services of Boutique Books since 2018, and could not be happier. Jane is one of the most professional and efficient people I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with and since 2018 has helped me self-publish 3 books. Self-publishing is an incredible and rewarding journey. I have found it to be one of the best ways to get your work out there and generate income for yourself - and Boutique Books are there to guide you every step of the way! I am now working on my fourth book and will most definitely be using Boutique Books again. Thank you, Jane and everyone at Boutique Books for your fantastic service!
Zoe Wilson at Jalex Counselling Academy
I have been using Boutique Books since the very inception of my publishing house and I have had the best experience working with them, which is why I always keep coming back and have published several books with them over the years.
Jane, Lindi and the team provide a speedy and efficient service - with the most cost-effective fees in town but quality services that rival even the largest of service providers I have come across who charge way more - not to mention the lightening speed turnaround time of response to emails and work done.
I would highly recommend them to anyone.
Naushad Khan, Founder & Director of Multi-Marketing
I am a children’s books author and have used Boutique Books for my illustrations, typesetting, editing and cover design. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and deadline orientation are value for money. I am so happy with Boutique Books and would not consider using any other service provider for my books! My 31 children’s picture books are the talk of the town and this is all thanks to Boutique Books.
Augustine Mulenga
I don’t recall who recommended Boutique Books to me when I was in my early days of looking for help to self-publish, but it was to prove to be the start of a professional relationship that has now stretched over twelve years and eighteen novels. Jane has a real interest in the authors who come to her and in their work, and offers a range of services for those who wish to self-publish - and at affordable prices.
Peter Cleary
My association with Boutique Books started in 2013. I have, to date, had 5 collections of poetry facilitated by them. Throughout this period, I only received the best professional service and advice from them. Jane and the Boutique Books team will always go the extra mile to deliver a quality product on time and I always appreciate their input from cover design to final text layout. I can, without hesitation, recommend Boutique Books to any aspiring or established author.
Clinton V. du Plessis
I have been able to publish 8 books and I would not have been able to achieve this without step-by-step support from Boutique Books. Jane has helped me with the whole range of activities involved in a publishing process, including aspects that I had no prior experience of as a new author. Throughout the process, from the time she gets the manuscript, we agree timelines and they have stuck with them at all times. For their offerings, they come out cheaper than most of her competitors, but the quality of output has far exceeded my expectations. To crown it all, they have held my hand during the printing process and the final product speaks for itself. I have found a home for all my work into the future.
Nomini Rapoo
As a first time publisher, having no idea where to start and with a story extremely close to my heart, I found in Boutique Books exactly what I needed and so much more.
After having approached a few self publishing companies, Boutique Books was the first to reply with a personal email, referring to me by name I was sold instantly. All correspondence from that moment forward was prompt and professional. Any questions I had were answered within a few hours. I felt at ease right away and I was guided through the entire process.
I am thankful for the dedication and superb effort that the team at Boutique Books put into my book in terms of meticulous editing, proof reading and a beautiful cover design - exactly what I had envisioned. I highly recommend Boutique Books, especially as a first time author.
Debbie Deutchmann
Boutique Books has been outstanding in their dedication to making my book great: from aesthetic appearance to the quality of editing and recommendations.
I was pleased by their service and communication throughout the process, as well as constructive criticism given, which is needed when we publish a book or any writing material.
I am confident in saying that, with my last two books being done by them, they have always exceeded my expectations in a cost effective and credible manner.
It is definitely worth putting your money and energy into them.
Muzi Sithole
I’m so glad we chose Boutique Books to typeset our novel. We couldn’t have wished for a more professional partnership, from the beginning to the end of the process and beyond. Their publishing insight, experience and expertise is extensive, and their efficiency, cost effectiveness and quality of work delivered are all exceptional. Our self-published novel stands proudly alongside its commercially published peers on library and retail bookshelves across South Africa. We learnt so much from Jane and will definitely choose Boutique Books as our publishing partners again.
Lucinda Hooley, co-author of Love You Madly
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