Publish your reality with HB Ink, LLC

Our goal is to polish your writing without compromising your authorial voice. 

Only you could write your work. We want to preserve the essence of “you” in your storytelling while weeding out the things that might detract from your readers’ enjoyment of your tale.

But it’s not an overnight thing. Preparing for publication is a process. You deserve an objective set of eyes to help you see what you missed during the passionate and consuming creative process, and your readers deserve a finished product so polished, they can see their faces in it.

…Or something like that.

We want to help you with the final touches that make your work a professional, error-free, cohesive piece that readers can simply enjoy without proofreading, nitpicking, and questioning the little things that can easily be overlooked during the writing process. 

We get it.

It’s like putting new windows in your house, right? It doesn’t seem to add to the resale value… until a prospective buyer walks through your drafty bungalow and demands a reduction in price to cover their eventual replacement cost.

Readers don’t think about editors either—until they begin noticing errors or experiencing confusion in your work. Nothing is more distracting. We want your books to be so immersive that your readers can’t put them down. But errors in writing and storytelling will relegate a novel to a dusty coffee table faster than the new release of a favorite show on one of your readers’ many streaming channels.

Competition for reader attention is fierce, and because they don’t think about editors, readers associate errors with the author. Your reputation for good writing is what will set you apart from other authors and entice your readers to pick up your book… instead of the remote control. 

Reading your work aloud to yourself and using programs that read your work to you can go a long way to help you find mistakes. Beta readers are also essential to ensuring your content makes cohesive sense. We strongly recommend utilizing all these incredible resources because they will unquestionably make your writing better. (Seriously. We’ve seen it both ways.)

Yet, even after all that, there remains a gap in the polishing process that only an editor can fill. An objective, professionally trained set of eyes can achieve what none of these other important steps in the process can because that’s not their function. They have other work to do. But that is precisely where the editors at HB Ink, LLC, fit in. We can take care of the last steps in the process to ensure your finished product is exactly the way you want it.

Let us uncover bugaboos like:
Wordiness • Misused words • Grammatical errors • Point-of-view shifts • Ineffective descriptive language • Lack of cohesion in plotlines, character motivation, writing style, and generic themes • Inconsistent formatting 

HB Ink, LLC, is now partnering with Pages Promotions, LLC, to deliver a higher level of editorial expertise to our authors’ works and help them publish more books!

We can leverage our partnership to provide a second set of editors’ eyes on every project—at no additional cost to our authors! Not only does this improve our objectivity and your final product, but it also allows us to assist more writers in realizing their publication dreams.

We understand the importance of maintaining momentum. 

You will receive a projected completion date during our Discovery Call to better facilitate your ability to plan your launch and marketing programs.

Books

The average turn-around time to complete a book project is approximately three to four months (depending on word counts, complexity, editor availability, and author’s correction turn-around). 

Special Projects

The average turn-around time to complete a special (non-book) project is approximately two to four weeks (depending on word counts, complexity, editor availability, and writer’s correction turn-around).

Step One.

The Discovery Call.

Your editor will sit with you for an hour—in person, via phone call, or on a web conference—to discuss your story and the way you want to tell it. We’ll review your overall vision regarding tone, genre, audience, point-of-view, and a potential schedule for publication.

Once your reservation for a Discovery Call has been received, you will be contacted by email with confirmation details and provided instructions for manuscript submission.

(The Discovery Call is free with no obligation.)

Step Two.

First-Round Edits.

You submit a digital copy of your manuscript to us, and we go through it with a fine-toothed comb. We track our changes, redlining any in-line recommendations we see fit, and utilize margin comments to go into greater detail where we feel additional explanation of our suggestions is necessary.

Once we’re done, we return this edited version of the manuscript to you, and you go through it, change by change, to clean it up the way you want it, based on our edits and suggestions.

Step Three.

Second-Round Edits.

You submit a clean (unmarked) digital copy of your updated manuscript to us, and we refine it for a second time, taking into consideration the changes you made and polishing it even further.

Once we’re done, we return this edited version of the manuscript to you, and you go through it again, change by change, to clean it up the way you want, based on our edits.

Additional Editing.

Please Note:

For manuscripts that require substantial changes during the Second-Round Edit stage, we may suggest an additional round of editing to reach the level of polish we strive to achieve in every project.

The decision of whether to embark on this additional round of editing will be jointly made by the author and editor prior to progressing to Step Four.

If you already believe your manuscript may require this level of extra attention, consider adding a Beta Read Package or Strategy Meeting Package to your services before we begin editing.

Step Four.

Formatting.

You submit a final, clean (unmarked) digital copy of your manuscript to us, and we do a final editing sweep while we format it for the trim size (cover size) you’ve selected for publication.

Step Five.

Cover Art.

We discuss your desires and plans for exterior cover art and coordinate accordingly, providing you with the files necessary to upload a wraparound cover to your independent publishing platform of choice (if desired).

The Finished Product.

Deliverables.

When we’re done, we’ll give you:

• The digital file manuscript formats you need for print (paperback or hardcover) and e-book, ready for uploading to an independent publishing platform’s website (an additional print edition—either paperback or hardcover, whichever is not selected with the package—is billed at an additional $150)
• ISBNs under the HB Ink, LLC, imprint for print (paperback or hardcover) and e-book to allow you to sell your book anywhere (no need to purchase your own or use a freebie that only applies to the publisher providing it)
• An exterior cover design (front, back, and spine) using art provided by the author or derived from royalty-free/license-free stock images and delivered in PNG, JPG, and PDF format
• Two (2) 3D renderings of your books for promotional use (additional 3D renderings billed at $25 USD per image)

We either offer them or partner with specialists who do.

Additional Edits.

If your manuscript requires a massive overhaul during the first round of edits, and you feel you need another pass to get it right, we can perform an additional round of editing before our final formatting round.

Beta Reads.

Not sure your friends represent the right audience for your novel? But you want to ensure its cohesion before an editor tells you it needs a rewrite, and you have to start the editing process from scratch? Smart. We not only offer beta reading services, but if you hire us to edit your novel after we beta read it, we’ll discount 50% of your paid beta reading costs from your editing costs because we know you’re serious about getting this right, and you should be rewarded for that.

Strategy Meetings.

You don’t have to be publication-ready to chat with one of our veteran authors and receive the help you need to make your story work the way you want. Need guidance on plot holes, character motivations, storytelling cohesion, or canon concerns in series publication? We got you, and we’ll set aside the time you need to discuss the nitty-gritty details specific to your work to get you unstuck and writing with confidence again.

Special Projects.

Need an article, paper, or presentation cleaned up? We can edit more than books. Let us know what you’re working on, and we’ll figure out how to help you polish it until it gleams.

Cover art.

While our editorial packages for books include exterior cover design, either using art provided by the author or using royalty-free/license-free stock images, we also know artists who can create the cover of your dreams. We’ll help you find the one that’s right for you, and we’ll hook you up—with no finder’s fee.

  Interior Formatting (Only).

Our book editing packages (1 & 2) already include interior formatting, 

but if you have a complete, fully edited manuscript and only require the formatting necessary to publish it in print and e-book formats, we can help with that, too. We’ll format your interior to your printer's desired specifications for print (paperback or hardcover) and e-book formats.

  Please note that we are not responsible for the repair or consequences of editorial errors found within manuscripts not edited by HB Ink, LLC.   

 What’s included:

• Discovery Call to discuss your desired specifications for publication
• A genre-specific “All Rights Reserved” legal disclaimer
• Front matter pages (title, copyright page, interior title, dedication and/or acknowledgements, table of contents (when applicable)
• Back matter pages (author and illustrator bio, "other works by this author", Internet links directory (website, social media, buy now, QR code), index and/or glossary (when applicable)
• Your choice of Trim Size (as permitted by printer)
• Your choice of either white or cream paper interior
• Your choice of either black & white or full color interior pages
• Two formats included: e-book and your choice of paperback or hardcover (an additional print edition—either paperback or hardcover, whichever is not selected with the package—is billed at an additional $150)
• Your choice of font (open-source fonts only; if you have a specific font in mind that requires purchase of a license, you will be invoiced for that license fee before the layout process begins.)
• Unlimited illustration and/or chapter head insertions (provided by the author)
• Files delivered in MS Word for PC and PDF formats
• Your choice of “flowable” or “non-flowable” e-book reproduction of the print format of your book (see above).
• Embedded table of contents and Internet links in e-book
• Standard e-book files are provided in EPUB and PDF formats

What’s excluded:

• ISBNs, Copyright, Library of Congress registrations, and bar codes are not included with this service
• Services are not prorated for smaller manuscripts or for authors who want only print or e-book formatting; both interior layout designs are included in this package
• Interior formatting for children's books or special projects
• Cover art creation or formatting

Custom Author Websites.

Need a personalized author website for author and book promotion, email list building, blog writing, and career growth? Not only can we build it for you, but you can either maintain it yourself when we’re done, or we can maintain it for you. Our author websites, built on the WordPress platform, are mobile responsive, meaning the website will be fully functional on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.

Author websites can be maintained in two ways after the initial build:

1. Authors can maintain their website themselves. If desired, ​a two-hour tutorial (either in-person, via web conference, or by telephone) is included in this package to instruct authors in maintaining their website on their own. Additional tutorial time is invoiced at $50 USD per hour (with a minimum of one hour per additional session).
2. Authors can purchase a monthly website maintenance and development subscription through HB Ink, LLC. The subscription includes posting of blog articles, graphics, calendar updates, minor content changes, and additional pages, all for a monthly fee of $50. All content must be provided to HB Ink, LLC, by the author. The subscription is invoiced monthly, whether changes to the website are requested or not.

What’s included in the initial build:

• Homepage
• About page
• Contact page with email list sign up form
• Books page with cover art, synopsis, and reviews (provided by the author)
• Blog page (all future posts provided by the author after design)
• PayPal and/or Square payment integration

What’s excluded:

• Fees include design services only. The hosting account, domain name, and monthly/annual service fees must be ordered and maintained separately. For authors performing self-maintenance, these services must be paid for and directly held by the author in the author’s name. For subscription packages, these services (with the possible exception of the domain name, if desired) will be held in HB Ink, LLC’s name and invoiced to the author monthly/annually.
• HB Ink, LLC, does not provide blog writing or ghostwriting services.

A note to start...  

Payments for books and special projects will be invoiced in installments via PayPal, as determined by the size and scope of the work (detailed below). Payment must be received by the deadline to maintain project momentum and completion. Packages are listed below, but please note the following, which applies to all packages:

1. All packages are subject to a nonrefundable deposit to reserve your space in our production calendar for editorial services. This deposit is due after the Discovery Call and before we can begin work on submitted manuscripts or projects.
2. The value and deadline for subsequent payments are outlined by package below.
3. Manuscripts exceeding 75,000 words (2,999 words for Package 1) will be charged an additional cost of $0.04 USD per word, as counted within the original submitted manuscript.
4. All prices are in USD.
   
    

Package 1:

Children’s Books or Shorter Poetry (up to 2,999 words)

Editing one book of up to 2,999 words in these genres costs $1,000, payable in three (3) installments:

• Nonrefundable deposit (due at time of manuscript submission): $350 USD
• Second installment (due after delivery of First-Round Edits stage): $300 USD
• Final installment (due after Formatting/Cover Art stages and before delivery of final manuscript files): $300 USD

Package 2:

Fiction, Non-Fiction, or Longer Poetry (3,000 – 75,000 words)

Editing one book of 3,000-75,000 words costs $2,500, payable in four (4) installments:

• Nonrefundable deposit (due at time of manuscript submission): $625 USD
• Second installment (due after delivery of First-Round Edits stage): $625 USD
• Third installment (due after Second-Round Edits stage): $625 USD
• Final installment (due after Formatting/Cover Art stages and before delivery of final manuscript files): $625 USD

Package 3 (A-E):

Special Projects (sizes outlined below)

Non-book projects (like presentations, speeches, articles, white papers, etc.) follow pricing by project size, as outlined below, and are only subject to First- and Second-Round Edits. To this end, Special Projects will be edited for verbiage content only and will not be reformatted for presentation value (like restructuring or building slideshows, adding pictures to reports, etc.). Interest in special project formatting services like these may be discussed during the Discovery Call and may be considered and priced on a case-by-case basis.

Special Projects will not include ISBNs, exterior cover art, or 3D renderings among deliverables.

Special projects are subject to a nonrefundable deposit of 50%, with the second and final installment due before the return of the final, edited deliverables:

• A: 1 to 999 words - $250 USD
• B: 1,000 words to 2,999 words - $450 USD
• C: 3,000 words to 4,999 words - $650 USD
• D: 5,000 words to 9,999 words - $1000 USD
• E: 10,000 words to 30,000 words - $2,000 USD

For special projects greater than 30,000 words, please schedule a Discovery Call to discuss special pricing.

Package 4 (A-F):

Additional Edits

An additional round of edits aside from those outlined in a package above are priced by project size.

• A: Package 1 Additional Edits cost is $300 USD
• B: Package 2 Additional Edits cost is $625 USD
• Package 3 Additional Edits costs are:

C: 1 to 999 words - $175 USD

D: 1,000 words to 2,999 words - $225 USD

E: 3,000 words to 4,999 words - $325 USD

F: 5,000 words to 75,000 words - $625 USD

Package 5 (A and B):

Beta Reads

(for books only; not available for special projects)

If you want an objective reader to review your manuscript for content cohesiveness and clarity before embarking on the editorial process, we can read the novel and provide such feedback. This is a pivotal part of the publication process and may save in additional edit costs down the line if major changes must be made to the manuscript in later edit stages.

Beta reads are priced by project size.

• A: Beta reading one manuscript of 1 to 2,999 words costs $300 USD
• B: Beta reading one manuscript of 3,000 to 75,000 words costs $625 USD

Package Deal: If HB Ink, LLC, is also hired for editorial services (via the purchase of Package 1 or 2 above), 50% of the cost of the paid beta read performed by HB Ink, LLC, will be discounted from the final installment payment of the editorial package price.

Package 6:

Strategy Meetings

These are more fun than you may expect! HB Ink, LLC, specializes in more than manuscript editing and publication. If you are still mired in the creative process and need guidance on filling plot holes, believably motivating characters, cohesive storytelling, or handling canon when a series will be published while still being written, we will schedule time—in person, via phone call, or on a web conference—to discuss your concerns and strategize, down to the minutest detail, how to get you back on track.

Strategy Meetings are billed at $50/hour with a two-hour minimum, for a minimum cost of $100.

Once your reservation for a Strategy Meeting has been received, you will be contacted by email to confirm the details of how and when you wish to conduct the meeting.

Package 7:

 Interior Manuscript Formatting Only

(for books only; not available for special projects or children’s books)

This service is designed for authors who have already completed the editorial process, either with us or another professional editor, and only require the interior formatting necessary to publish their book in print (paperback or hardcover) and e-book formats.

Please note that we are not responsible for the repair or consequences of editorial errors found within manuscripts not edited by HB Ink, LLC.

Formatting one book of any genre (excluding children’s books) with up to 75,000 words costs $400, payable in two (2) installments:

• Nonrefundable deposit (due at time of manuscript submission): $200 USD
• Final installment (due after Formatting is complete and before delivery of final manuscript files): $200 USD

Manuscripts submitted exclusively for interior formatting that exceed 75,000 words will be charged an additional cost of $1 USD per 1,000 words, rounded up to the nearest 1,000.

Package 8:

Custom Author Websites

We’ll schedule a Discovery Call with you to discuss your preferred color and design elements before we build an author website that allows for author and book promotion, email list building, blog writing, and career growth.

Our author websites, built on the WordPress platform, are mobile responsive, meaning the website will be fully functional on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, and can be maintained by you or by us via subscription package (invoiced monthly, whether changes to the website are requested or not, at $50 USD per month).

One author website costs $500, payable in two (2) installments:

• Nonrefundable deposit (due at time of request): $250 USD
• Final installment (due at delivery of final site): $250 USD

Additional design changes, information updates, calendars, and other requested elements are invoiced at $50 USD per hour after the initial build. 

Please note the following... 

• All manuscripts must be submitted in MS Word for PC environments. We use Track Changes for editorial notes and suggestions. Code compliance issues may arise when crossing over from MS Word to other writing program environments (like Google) or from PC to Apple or Linux environments. HB Ink, LLC, is not responsible for the creation of crossover issues or the repair of those issues.
• Services are not prorated for authors who have previously secured ISBN or Copyright registrations.
• Authors are responsible for all Copyright and Library of Congress Registrations, including deposit copies and fees. HB Ink, LLC, will provide instructions for the completion of these registrations.
• Erotica manuscripts are not accepted.
• Content of an excessively violent or disturbing nature may be decommissioned and returned with prorated deposit for editor’s time (billed at $50/hour) at editor’s discretion.
• HB Ink, LLC, does not format for children's board books.
• HB Ink, LLC, does not provide distribution services.
• Authors who delay the projected timeline in excess of a year (from date of nonrefundable deposit’s submission), due to negligent return of editorial corrections, will be charged a $250 USD fee to insert the project back into our production calendar. In this instance, no guarantees are made to adhere to the original project timeline, as other projects may have been added to the calendar and may take precedence, depending on editor availability. A new projected timeline will be assigned to the project.

Who we are...

​Our independent authors and editors hold degrees in English and journalism and can accommodate a wide range of projects, from journalistic endeavors (AP) to long- and short-form creative and academic (MLA) projects.

What we've done...

Since 2012, we have written, formatted, and/or edited various projects for print or publication.

Novels

• An Heir of Realms: Book One of the Realm Riders Series. Heather Ashle, 2022.
• A Transfer of Realms: Book Two of the Realm Riders Series. Heather Ashle, 2024.

Poetry

• “The Guitar.”  Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans. Heather Bonner, 2000.

Articles

• 16 Theatrical reviews – TheDetroiter.com, Heather Bonner, 2008-2009.
• “Friday Night Live: Interviews with Dave Landau and Michael Costa.” Heather Bonner, The Oakland Post (Oakland University), 2007.
• “A Tale of Two Coil Coaters… Five Years Later!” Eric Slind and Michael Bonner, 2013.
• “Minimizing Cleaning Costs in Modern Coil Coating Operations.” Michael Bonner, 2012.
• “Eliminating Condensation in Pneumatic Drive Systems in Modern Paint Operations.” W. Cline & M. Bonner, 2012.
• “Adjusting Coating Viscosity.” Michael Bonner; Coil World, May/June 2012.

Business Proposals

• “Greater Gratiot Development, Inc.: An Organizational Assessment and Benchmarking Study.” James Hettinger, 2013.
• “The Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce Strategic Achievement Plan.” James Hettinger, 2012.

Academic Submissions

• “The Historical Significance of Sodium: Michigan’s Early Salt Industry and Everyday Life.” Jordan Wilson, June 2010.
• English/MLA grade-school lesson plans and companion teacher guides for A Pass Educational Group, LLC. Heather Bonner, 2013-2014.

Newsletters

• The Realm Riders Newsletter. Heather Ashle, 2022 to present.
• Financial Focus Newsletter. Stoney Creek Advisors, LLC (RIA). Various authors, 2022-2024.