Writing, Editing, & Design Services
We stand by these two truths: Everybody has at least one book in them, one story to tell. And everybody—everybody—needs an editor. Even an editor needs an editor. There is one exception. When you are writing in your diary, you do not need an editor. But if you someday decide to get that diary printed and privately published, well, then you need an editor. (And yes, most bloggers, we feel, would benefit greatly from having an editor.)
At SMALL BATCH BOOKS we provide a wide range of writing, editing, and design services, all of which are available on an as-needed basis.
First come the words.
If you’ve already written your personal memoir, family history, or other literary work, we provide line editing, copyediting, and proofreading services, going through your manuscript with a sharp pencil, fixing inconsistencies, making sure your story flows logically, and editing for grammar and style. At the final stages of production, we carefully proofread your manuscript several times to ensure that it’s polished to perfection before it is professionally printed and bound.
If you commission us to help you write your personal memoir, family history, or commemorative book, we’ll begin by interviewing you and your primary sources. After transcribing those sessions, we work with you to establish a framework for your book—chapter breaks, subsections, supporting materials like photos and genealogical charts—and structure the narrative accordingly. After getting a rough draft down on paper, we finesse the tone, look for inconsistencies, and note sections that might benefit from more detail. At this point, we may conduct follow-up interviews to fill in the gaps.
Above all, our main goal throughout the editing process is to maintain the original voice of the author or subject, ensuring that the final product reflects the personality and character of the memoir’s narrator. Throughout the process we are in constant contact to make sure your book meets or exceeds your expectations.
Then comes the design.
Whether we have worked from the interview/transcript stage or you’ve provided your own manuscript, our book designers will create a custom look for your book—a book design that reflects your taste, your story, your style. A full range of design options, and printing and binding choices are open to you—black and white or full-color printing, typeface preferences, text and endpaper choices, cover binding materials and colors. And, of course, the number of copies you want printed. The deliciously enjoyable problem will be choosing. We’ll also make sure your precious family photographs and documents are restored to a level of perfection and showcase them in a way that future generations will enjoy for years to come. When we’re finished, you’ll have an heirloom edition that exceeds most commercial publishing standards, as well you should.
Additionally, we will provide you with a digital file of your book, as well as files for all the carefully restored photos, documents, and family ephemera that make up this lasting legacy.
Because every project is unique, we want to take the time to discuss your book with you at length before providing a free estimate. Please contact us to find out more about our editing and proofreading services, design services, and printing and binding, or if you wish to discuss your personal memoir, family history, or commemorative book in detail.