Tell us about your book.

Mill City Press is an independent book publisher. We help authors turn a manuscript into a real, well-made book, from editing and design through printing and getting it out into the world. We publish across a wide range of subjects, from memoir and business to cookbooks, fiction, and family history. One imprint, one standard of craft, no matter the genre.

With a traditional publisher, the house decides which books to take on, owns the rights, and pays the author a small royalty. Independent publishing puts you in the driver's seat. You keep ownership of your book, you make the final calls, and you bring on the professional help you need to do it well. Our job is to give you that help and hold every step to a high standard, so your finished book stands next to anything on the shelf.

Not necessarily. Some authors come to us with a complete manuscript. Others arrive with an outline, a rough draft, or a strong idea and not much more. We can meet you wherever you are, including help with writing, structure, and editing. The first step is simply a conversation about your book.

It begins with a free, no-pressure consultation. We talk through your book, your goals, and the services that fit, and we give you a clear sense of the path and the cost. There is no obligation, and you will never be pushed toward anything your book does not need.

You do. You keep full ownership of your work and your content. We are here to help you publish your book, not to take it from you.

You keep the royalties from sales of your book. During your consultation we walk you through exactly how pricing and earnings work for your title, so you know what to expect before you commit to anything.

Yes. Because you own your book, you are never locked in. Your work is yours to keep, and yours to move if your plans change down the road.

Everything it takes to make a finished book: editing, cover design, interior layout, printing, ebook conversion, distribution setup, and marketing support. You can use as much or as little as your book needs.

Both. We offer packages that carry your book all the way from manuscript to published, and you can also bring on individual services as you need them. We will recommend what your book actually requires, and nothing it does not.

Yes. You work with the same steady, professional team from your first conversation to your finished book. No runaround, no being handed off from desk to desk.

As involved as you want to be, and you have the final say at every important step. Nothing about your book, from the cover to the last edit, is finished until you approve it.

It depends on your book and the services it needs. A short picture book and a 600-page memoir are very different projects. We give you a realistic timeline during your consultation and keep you posted at every stage.

Yes. We offer several levels of editing, from big-picture help with structure and flow to a careful copyedit for grammar, spelling, and consistency. We will recommend the level your manuscript needs, and never sell you more than that.

Professional designers handle your cover and your interior layout, and you are part of the process the whole way. We design it with you, not at you, and nothing is final until you are happy with it.

Yes. Most authors publish in print and ebook so readers can choose how they want to read. We will set up the formats that make the most sense for your book.

Yes. Full-color interiors, illustrations, recipes, photographs, charts, and other detailed layouts are all part of what we do. Every kind of book gets the same standard of craft.

Your book can be made available through major online retailers and ordered by bookstores, so readers can find it wherever they shop. We will walk you through your distribution options during your consultation.

Yes. We handle the details that make your book official, including the ISBN and barcode, and we can help you register your copyright so your ownership is on the record.

Your book is printed as it is ordered, so it never goes out of stock. You can also order author copies for yourself at a reduced cost, whether you need a handful for friends or a larger run for an event.

It can be made available for bookstores and libraries to order. Whether a given store stocks it on the shelf is always their call, as it is for every publisher, but we make sure your book is set up so it can be ordered anywhere.

It depends on the services your book needs, so there is no single price. Your consultation includes a clear, itemized quote with no surprises, so you know exactly what you are paying for before you decide anything.

Yes. We offer payment options to make publishing more manageable, and we will go over them with you so you can choose what works for your budget.

No. We believe in being straight with you. Your quote lays out the cost up front, and we will always tell you before anything changes.

Yes. We offer marketing services to help your book find readers, from the basics every book should have to larger campaigns. We will help you choose what fits your goals and your budget.

Your book is yours, on the shelf and on sale, and we are still here. We can help with reorders, new editions, and next steps whenever you need them.

We publish a wide range of books and hold every one to the same standard of craft. We review each project, and we publish work that is consistent with our editorial standards and values, which means some content falls outside what we take on. You can find the specifics in our submission guidelines.