Belle Isle Books—an imprint of Brandylane
Belle Isle Books is an imprint of Brandylane Publishers, a small, independent publishing house in Richmond, Virginia, that has been publishing fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, and children’s books since 1985. In 2010, Brandylane began narrowing its title list to focus more strictly on its mission: fostering peace, tolerance, global understanding, and a better quality of life for our planet and its inhabitants. This was great news for Brandylane, but it also meant that a lot of good writing would no longer fit the Brandylane imprint. We created Belle Isle Books to provide the open door to submissions that Brandylane once did—giving established and aspiring authors in every subject area the opportunity to have their work discovered and brought to the market by a small, accessible publisher.
Belle Isle offers both self-publishing and cooperative publishing options for the experienced and novice writer and invites submissions in most genres. In addition to publishing our own titles, Belle Isle offers a range of a la carte services to individuals, organizations, businesses, and other publishers, including developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, interior design, cover design, illustration, printing, publishing guidance, coaching, translation, audiobook production, and marketing guidance.
We believe that everyone has a story to tell, and far too many stories go unpublished and unshared. We’re working to help change that. It’s widely known that both large and small publishing houses neglect a wealth of good writing. Many publishing companies publish work without editing, communicate entirely online, and avoid face-to-face interaction with authors. Our mission is to help authors bring their stories to light with professional editing, design, and good exposure to the marketplace. Through Belle Isle Books, we offer personal guidance and accessibility, encourage authors to actively participate in the publishing process, and produce high-quality books that reflect editorial and quality of the highest caliber. We treat the publishing process as a partnership, because when the book comes off the press, we want our authors to be happy and successful.
We invite you to browse our current titles and if you’re interested in submitting work for publication, please visit our Submissions page for guidelines. If you’d rather talk with us, we’re easy to reach, and we love talking about publishing and books. Our number in Richmond is 804.644.3090, or you can write us here. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram.
SELF PUBLISHING SERVICES
We provide self-publishing services to individuals and organizations who wish to sell a book on the market, as well as for authors who want to produce a more personalized book for family, friends, or community, without wide distribution. As you complete the submission process, please tell us your project goals and expectations so we can make appropriate recommendations.
Under our self publishing and publishing guidance option, we guide you through the publishing process and offer a la carte services, including editing, cover and interior design, and printing. When you publish your book with the help of our publishing guidance program, you are the publisher of record. Your book does not carry our imprint logo, we do not sell your book or post it on our website, and you keep 100% of profits from the sale of your book. We provide you with packaging services and publishing and marketing guidance to help bring your book to the marketplace under your own name or company. This option is only available through Belle Isle Books.
Complete Self-Publishing Package
The following package includes all services and makes your book available for sale through a global distributor.
The following services are also available a la carte.
Initial Consultation We will review your manuscript, provide a questionnaire that asks you to provide your vision of the book, and prepare a formal quote.
Editing (Learn more about the different levels of edit here.)
(ADD HIDDEN PAGE TO INCLUDE EDITING INFORMATION BELOW)
One of our professional Chicago Manual of Style-qualified editors will review your manuscript to determine the editorial requirements. They will recommend a developmental edit, line edit, copyedit, or proofread to meet industry standards and requirements and your personal preferences. We will make corrections and recommendations in Microsoft Word Track Changes to bring your book to its full potential. No changes are finalized without your approval. (Pricing is based on editorial needs. Developmental editing–$0.06 – $0.10/word ($400 minimum); Copyediting–$0.03 – $0.05/word; Proofreading–$0.02 – $0.025/word, depending on complexity).
Front Cover Design
Our award-winning design team will design a professional and appealing front cover to meet industry standards and your expectations. We will provide two to three potential cover designs for your review so you can choose the design that most appeals to you. We provide proofs via email incorporate your reasonable alterations and revisions before printing. Visit our bookstore to view our cover designs in a wide range of genres. ($450 — $600)
Back Cover Production
Your back cover is an integral part of your book. We will design your back cover and spine in conjunction with your front cover. We will also edit a promotional summary of your book that captures the essence of your book’s content; edit and place back cover blurbs, your bio, your photo, retail cover price, barcode, ISBN, and your logo. ($250 — $350)
Interior design
We will professionally design the interior pages of your book in an aesthetically pleasing style that meets Chicago Manual of Style standards. Design includes setting up copyright, dedication, and other preliminary pages and back matter, including endnotes, bibliography, epilogue, and index, if required. We choose appealing and appropriate design elements, font(s), set margins, folios, and point size/leading. We also prepare and pre-flight files to meet printer’s requirements and specifications. (pricing is based on page count and design complexity)
Illustrations
Pricing is determined by the illustrator’s rate and complexity of illustrations; we charge a fee to manage the illustration process)
Finding the right illustrator for your children’s book is essential. Not all artists are familiar with the technical demands of book illustration, and not all artistic styles are well-suited to a particular story. We work with a variety of professional illustrators around the world. If you don’t currently have an illustrator, we’ll find a great illustrator for your book, make recommendations for the art, and oversee the illustration process. We can help you locate an illustrator within your budget whose artistic style will help bring your story to life.
ISBN
As a self-publisher, you will be the publisher of record; you will need to purchase your own ISBN directly from ISBN.org or myidentifiers.com with our guidance.
Barcode with Price Extension
We will include and place a barcode at no additional charge.
Library of Congress Catalog Control Number (LCCN)
With our guidance, you will order an LCCN from the Library of Congress (LOC). This number will provide essential information about your book to libraries.
Printing and Ebook Production
We will prepare the final cover and interior files to meet the printer’s and ebook architect’s requirements. This package includes one sample digital copy of your book available through our digital print-on-demand option and ebook setup for Kindle, Nook, Apple, and other devices.
Offset Printing Option (for personal distribution only)
If your book requires special paper or other unique specifications, we also offer traditional hardcover and paperback offset printing in quantities from 500 to 100,000 copies through our printing partners. Please inquire.
Distribution
We will prepare your book’s metadata for global distribution. This includes setting up genre, BISAC codes, keywords, retail cover price, discount structure, and other requirements to catalogue your book for the book industry. Through this system, using digital printing technology, your title will be available through Ingram Book Group, a leader in print and electronic wholesale and distribution serving over 39,000 retailers, libraries, schools, Internet commerce companies, and other channel partners, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo (Canada), and other well-known retailers and wholesalers of books. This distribution system is provided only for digitally printed (print on demand) titles. If your book is printed through an offset printer, we can provide details regarding other distribution options.
Marketing Services
We can write a press release, design bookmarks and other paper goods, produce informational sheets, and more, but we do not provide marketing/promotion for self-published books.
Editing (CREATE HIDDEN PAGE FOR THIS SECTION)
We offer the following editing services for our authors, as well as for self-publishers. Depending on the condition of your manuscript and your preference, we will recommend the level of editing that will bring your manuscript to the highest standard. Whether you are self-publishing or submitting your manuscript to publishers, hiring a professional editor will greatly improve the your book for publication. All of our editing recommendations are made with the goal of giving you a significantly better, stronger, more engaging, and more marketable book.
All of our editors are Chicago Manual of Style qualified.
Turnaround time for an edit is determined by the condition, readability, and length of your manuscript, and our current workload. Once we review your manuscript and discuss your needs, we’ll establish a timeline for the edit.
Developmental Edit
This is the most rigorous form of editing for manuscripts in need of significant revision and reorganization. In a developmental edit, we will make substantive suggestions aimed at sharpening your work as a whole. For works of fiction, we examine plot, pace, tone, dialogue, setting, and character development. For works of nonfiction, we address clarity of purpose and appropriateness for your audience. We make sure all ideas are fully and clearly developed, materials are well-organized, and visual aids are effectively used. In most cases, a developmental edit requires 2-4 rounds of edits. Once your manuscript meets our high standards, the file is passed to one of our copyeditors/proofreaders. If you accept our editors’ suggestions, the result will be a dramatically improved manuscript ready for publication.
Copyedit
This edit includes a rigorous cleanup of grammar, mechanics, and usage, as well as minor syntax problems and redundancy, incorrect words (effect/affect, elicit/illicit, etc.), unclear pronouns, verb tenses, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation. This edit includes one pass by the copy editor. For manuscripts intended to reach a large audience, we highly recommend a copyedit at minimum. We recommend a professional proofread after this stage has been completed.
Proofreading
At this stage, a proofreader will focus on cleaning up typos, including missing spaces and words, and formatting errors. A proofread includes one pass by the proofreader.
Complete Editing Package
Our Complete Editing Package includes two to three rounds of editing to prepare your manuscript for publication. Most manuscripts chosen for publication under Brandylane or Belle Isle Books pass through this complete process. Our complete package includes a professional line edit, copyedit, and proofread to ready your work for publication.
Editorial Evaluation (cost is based on manuscript length and genre)
This is a detailed, written analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your work. We will examine all aspects of your work, from basic grammar, mechanics, and usage to more sophisticated aspects like voice, tone, development, pacing, and organization. We will assess your work’s appropriateness and appeal to your intended audience. Whereas in a full professional edit, an editor works with you to implement these suggestions, the editorial evaluation acts as a guide; it is up to you to carry out the recommended changes.