D Publishing

FAQ

About D Publishing
Producing your book
Printing your book
Sales and distribution
Interpreting the Publishing Agreement
After you've received your book
Contact Us

About D Publishing

What is D Publishing?

D Publishing is a new service from Dymocks that allows author-driven book production and publishing using our web-based tools and templates. Authors can now create, print, publish, and commercially distribute their books and ebooks with D Publishing and Dymocks. It's not mandatory, however, to publish with D Publishing once you've created your book – you can choose to produce it, and even print it, only for private use if you'd prefer.

Create

Upload your manuscript to D Publishing and use our tools and templates to create your professionally typeset book. We offer templates in four industry-standard print book sizes and you can choose from two paper types. Bring your own cover or use one of our four design templates. You can create your ebook as a PDF or an EPub for optimal viewing on ereader devices.

Print

Once you're happy with your book, select how many you want printed. D Publishing’s high quality digital print on demand system means you need only print as many books as are required at any given time.

Publish

Publish your book and eBook as a professional, commercial product with an ISBN, barcode and imprint so it is easily identifiable in book catalogues in Australia and around the world. It's not mandatory, however, to publish with D Publishing once you've created your book – you can choose to produce it, and even print it, only for private use if you'd prefer.

Distribute

Distribute and sell your book and eBook via the Dymocks distribution channels. Your book is now available to the biggest Australian audience of readers, Booklovers and other authors. D Publishing will manage book sales via these channels and any author royalties will be paid to you in six monthly instalments.

Is D Publishing a publisher or a distributor?

We are both. Generally a book has one publisher and many distribution channels. It's not uncommon for a publisher to claim the licence to distribute an author's work. D Publishing acts both as the publisher and the aggregator across distribution channels – we simplify the process. If you want a print book and an EBook (readable on a wide range of devices), and you don't have the time or skills to take care of typesetting, formatting and fulfilment, our service is perfect for you.

How does it work?

You take your book as a Word document, complete with headings, pictures, diagrams, pull-out quotes, 'about the author' or whatever else you've written, and upload it into our MyBook web application. You'll also be able to choose the size of the book you'd like to publish and, for printed books, the type of paper it's printed on. You'll be able to opt for a printed book, an Ebook or EPub (electronic book formats), or both.

We'll then show you the manuscript broken up into a series of sections based on your Word document. This is where you review the book, move parts around or add more in if you want to. You can move or re-style existing text or pictures, or generate more text by typing directly into the tool. Forgot to add a Prologue? You can do it here. Decided that the last paragraph of Chapter One should actually be a callout box? No problem.

Once you're done, we'll adjust the book design to keep it looking beautiful, logical and satisfying for your readers. Each different element of your book, from the dedication at the front to the afterward at the back, will be styled to fit.

One you're happy with your layout you can purchase the option for us to convert it using our own software into a finished, professionally designed PDF that can be printed as a book that would not be embarrassed to take its place on the shelf of any serious bookshop. You can upload your own cover design, or create one with our help using the design templates in our MyCover web app. And if you change your mind, you can go back in an edit your manuscript up to five times.

Is D Publishing a vanity publishing company?

Vanity press is an old-fashioned term for publishers who published books on behalf of authors for a fee. We prefer to call our system author-driven publishing – you as the author can make all the decisions about your book's content, cover, distribution, price and printing via our website, for a far lower cost than a traditional custom or vanity publishing house would charge.

How much will it cost?

The book

The production fees are set out in the table below. For the production fee, you will get a professionally typeset book and/or eBook using our D Publishing Pro book design, which gives you access to 25 section types and over 10 major text and image styles through our MyBook application.
All prices quoted below include GST.

Book Type	Production Fee D Publishing Pro book design All section types All text and image styles
Print book (all trim sizes; includes a PDF eBook)	$499.00
EPub eBook (EPub only)	$399.00
Print book and EPub eBook	$699.00

Note: you will only need to use one file to turn your manuscript into both a printed book and eBook. You can also turn your printed book into an EPub after you have created your printed book – you don't have to commit to both up front.
Authors can also buy the full Adobe InDesign files of the books they have produced with D Publishing for an additional $699.00.

The cover

Cover prices are set out in the table below. When creating the cover for your book, you can upload your own cover (once you choose this option, you'll be shown a diagram with the correct dimensions for the cover), or use one of our D Publishing house styles.

D Publishing house styles can be customised with your preferred images / colours palettes. To keep the design looking professional, we've limited the palette of colours available for each house cover style. You can download examples of each of our house cover styles here.
All prices quoted below include GST.

Cover Type	Fee
Custom cover	No Charge
Dymocks House Style Cover	$99.00

Publish my book

Our publishing setup fees are set out in the table below. All books and eBooks published with D Publishing are assigned an ISBN, registered as published works, and made available for commercial sale through Dymocks' distribution channels.
All prices quoted below include GST.

Format	Publishing Setup Fee
Publish Printed Book Available via Dymocks and partner commercial channels	$199.00
Publish eBook Available via Dymocks and partner commercial channels	$99.00

Print my book

The cost of printing is based on volume (no. of copies), pagination (no. of pages) and the number of black and white versus coloured pages. Printing is calculated via our print calculator.

Ship my book

Australia Post manages all shipping and delivery for D Publishing orders. The rate structure for shipping via Australia Post within Australia is as follows:
All prices quoted below include GST.

$6.50 for the first book
$0.50 for each book thereafter

How much money can I make on my book sales?

D Publishing monitors and fulfils your sales, reporting back to you the sales you've made and royalties you've earned so that you don't have to do it all yourself. The detailed terms of publishing with D Publishing can be found here: (D Publishing Agreement)
The detailed rates for publishing and distributing with D Publishing are found on our Rate Card.

Do I need special software to use D Publishing?

No, D Publishing is an online service using our specially developed internet tools, so you won't have to download anything to your computer to use it. The only extra software you need is Microsoft Silverlight, a free plug-in from Microsoft that's compatible with all browsers. At the point in our process when you need to install Silverlight, you'll be prompted to do so and given a link. If you're using a PC, you'll then be taken back to where you were before within the D Publishing system. If you're on a Mac, you might have to click back to your Dashboard to get going again.

Do I need to know typesetting or book production?

You don't need any prior knowledge of typesetting or book production to use the D Publishing service, but it helps to familiarise yourself with the usual components of the type of book you've written. For help, see our sample book blueprints and our sample D Publishing book styles.

How do I get started?

Start by preparing your manuscript for upload using Microsoft Word (see our tips on preparing your manuscript for help with this). Once you're done, click on 'start creating my book' to upload it into our MyBook app and then review and edit it if required.

What size and format can I use?

We offer templates in four industry-standard print book sizes. Different sizes are recommended for different types of books. All templates are in portrait orientation. Click here to download a printable guide to the book sizes.

B Format is one of the most popular sizes of paperback book. It measures 128mm W x 198mm H. We recommend you use this template for fiction.

C Format is popular for both paperback and hardback books. It measures 153mm W x 234mm H. This is sometimes called "trade paperback" size. We recommend you use this template for non-fiction.

B5 Format is a wider book format that we recommend for non-fiction and how-to books. It measures 176mm W x 250mm H. It's also good for fiction with simple illustrations as it allows more room on the pages than B Format.

Sub-A4 Format is the largest size format we offer. It measures 205mm W x 290mm H. We recommend this format for illustrated non-fiction and how-to books. The Sub-A4 format size comes in two layouts, a single-column text layout and a two-column text layout.

To get a sense of the look and feel of a format in your hand we suggest you compare books you might have on the shelf at home. With these things in mind, you should choose your format carefully based on the content you want to publish.

PDF eBook

PDF (printable document format) is a closed file format that is widely used for ebooks. PDF ebook files are compatible with most operating systems, including PCs and Macs. However, some ereaders will only work with EPUB ebooks.

EPUB eBook

EPUB (short for electronic publication) is a file format that allows for optimal display of content on the particular hardware device the ebook is being viewed on. The EPUB ebook is the file standard for a range of eReaders because of its reflowable text feature. This enables the text to be fitted to each device, rather than enlarging text and scrolling across the page as you would likely need to do if viewing a PDF ebook on a mobile phone. Certain elements in your manuscript will look different in the EPub from the printed version. The main differences are:

Side callout boxes will be centred instead.
Image grid images will appear sequentially instead of in rows.
The cover will be black and white instead of colour.

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Producing your book

What do I need to do to my manuscript to prepare it for publishing with D Publishing?

Before you start, you need to perform certain basic tasks in Word to make sure the system can ingest your book efficiently. This will save you time and effort once you’re in the MyBook app.

Formatting: It could be useful to clear the formatting from your book. Select all the text in your Word document, then use the Styles menu to Clear Formatting (clearing the formatting works differently in various versions of Word, so refer to Word’s help section if required). If you have bulleted or numbered lists in your book, you can leave these in, or restore the bullets/numbers afterwards. It’s also a good idea to check for things like hyperlinks (these will show up as underlined text) and hard returns at the ends of lines in your Word document, as these will show up once your manuscript is in the MyBook app and you'll save time later by removing these before you upload your document.

However, be aware that clearing the formatting of your Word document will also remove the bold, italic and underlining from your text. If you have a lot of text formatted like this, you can skip clearing the formatting of your Word document.

Headings: choose the most important components of your book – eg the title page, the dedication, introduction, preface, chapters and appendix – and style them in Word as Heading 1. This will enable the system to split your book up into logical sections when it appears in the MyBook app. You can also use H2 and H3 styles for subsections within your book.

Images: Make sure the images you are using in the manuscript are embedded within your Word document, and are of optimal size and quality.

Table of Contents: The system will generate this automatically, so take it out of your Word document before you upload it. Also make sure you delete any other text that you would not want to appear in the final book (this might be instructions to typesetters, notes to future publishers etc etc).

Manual page numbering: please remove any manually generated page numbers from your document before you upload it – the system will set these automatically once your book is formatted.

Wingdings, symbols, non-standard bullet points etc: Avoid using these symbolic elements via Word – if you have a symbol you want to feature in your book, it's best to embed it in the text as an image. Also bear in mind the system cannot reproduce special characters (eg letters with an umlaut or an acute accent as in café) in the Title, Subtitle or Author fields.

Footnotes: Our system does not support footnotes within the text. We can help you generate endnotes (which will appear at the end of your manuscript) once you are working in the MyBook app. Please delete footnotes and endnotes before uploading your Word document (it's a good idea to keep a copy of the manuscript with footnotes for reference when you are setting up endnotes).

Once your book is ready to upload, click ‘browse’ and locate the file, then click ‘continue’ to upload your manuscript.

What are the book categories for?

The book categories we ask you to choose are set by the Book Industry Study Group in the United States, which provides a standardised classification for all book types, enabling better searches for book titles online and in stores.

What is a PDF?

PDF (portable document format) is a format for your document that means it will display the same, regardless of what software it's viewed in. PDFs are the files that get sent to the printers when a book's design is complete. Our MyBook App converts word documents into fully designed books, then allows them to be downloaded as PDFs.

What is InDesign?

What is InDesign? InDesign is specialist design software that can be used for book interiors and covers. If you or someone you are working with needs your book as InDesign files, including fonts and images, you can purchase and download this from your Dashboard once your book has been converted.

What are Ebooks and EPubs?

Ebook refers to a book in electronic format, such as PDF, which can be sold for reading on computers and other devices. Devices such as ereaders like Amazon Kindle have their own formats, so ebooks may have to be converted in order to be read on a specific device. Epub is the industry standard for ebooks, which can be read on many (but not all) hardware devices.

What kind of book can I make?

Our system is set up for softcover (paperback) books such as novels, memoirs, textbooks etc in a fairly traditional design. At present the system is not suitable for producing large hardcover, glossy books such as wedding albums or photography portfolios and highly designed illustrated books.

Can I make changes to my book once it's been converted or published?

Once you've converted your book into a PDF, you can go back into the MyBook App and adjust it four more times. Each time you do so, you'll need to reconvert it again by pressing CONTINUE from within the MyBook App. The old PDFs you made before will be entirely overwritten with the most recent version of your book. You can find your most recent PDF by looking in your Dashboard.

Once you've altered your book five times, you will need to purchase another set of five conversion credits if you still want to make changes. Once your book has been published, you can edit it by choosing 'Republish' from your Completed Works section on the Dashboard. The published book file is updated when you've finished with your edits.

How do I remove my book from the system?

If you have not opted to Publish your book with us, you can remove your book from the system at any time by clicking on 'Delete' either from the Works in Progress or the Completed Works tabs on your Dashboard. Once your book has been published, you'll need to contact us in writing and advise us that you wish to terminate the publishing arrrangement you have with D Publishing, which you may or may not be entitled to do,subject to the legal terms of the Agreement. For more information about this, please refer to our Publishing Agreement.

What is Microsoft Silverlight?

Silverlight is a Microsoft plug-in for your web browser that allows our interactive MyBook App to be displayed. You'll need to download Silverlight if you don't already have it on your computer. It's free, safe and works with all browsers.

What are Sections, Components and Elements?

Our MyBook app will show all the parts of your Word manuscript, divided up into Sections, Components and Elements. Here's an explanation of what these are:

Sections

There are three parts to your book: front section, main section, and back section. Here's a bit more information about each section

Front section (in traditional book publishing, this is called Front Matter). This is the first section of the book, and usually the shortest. Front sections usually have no page numbers, or are numbered using roman numerals. Front matter generally only appears in the first volume of a series, although some Components, such as the imprint page and a table of contents, might appear in each volume.

Main section(in traditional book publishing this is called Body Matter). This is the main body of the book, and it always begins at page 1. The material is often arranged hierarchically into parts and chapters, and there may be subsections within chapters. These components are explained further below.

Back section(in traditional book publishing, this is sometimes called Back Matter). This is the last section of the book, and contains material that is supplemental to the main part of the book. Examples are an epilogue, appendices , a bibliography, an index or additional information about the book's history or the author. In some books, such as histories, endnotes also appear at the back of the book.

Components

We use this term to refer to the components of one of your book's three sections . Components available differ according to the section; for example, Table of Contents is a component you can put in your Front section, but not in your Main section. And Conclusion is a component that is only available for your Back section.

In the MyBook app, components show up as folders, like this:

Here's a full list of components available in our MyBook app. These components make up a blueprint of the book to ensure that your product will look as professionally constructed as those created by the professionals.

ESSENTIAL FRONT SECTION COMPONENTS

Title Page: This contains the book’s title, subtitle (if there is one) and author name(s). The title page is always a recto (right hand side) page. In the MyBook App, the only compulsory fields you must enter are title and author. You will always need to add a title page to your book's Front Section.

A book that is part of a multi-volume series will also state the volume here. A book that is a new edition of a previously published book will also include the edition on the title page, for example, ‘2nd edition, revised edition’. Note, in our book design, the title you enter here will appear on the running header (the small text at the top of the page) on verso (left hand) pages.

Imprint Page: The imprint page contains copyright information and colophon information such as the publishing and printing details. This is always a left hand page that comes after the title page. It's automatically generated by our MyBook App.

Table of Contents:You will always need to manually add the Table of Contents component to your book if you want a Table of Contents to appear, even though the system generates the text in this automatically for you. If you insert a component that does not have a title, it will not appear in your Table of Contents. Some smaller components (such as dedication) do not need to appear in a Table of Contents. You can choose your own title for your contents – for example 'Contents' or 'Table of Contents' or 'List of Parts and Chapters', as appropriate for your book.

OPTIONAL FRONT SECTION COMPONENTS

Reviews: if someone important has read your book and provided you with a quote or review, you can insert this here – in this case it usually comes before the title page.

About the author: this is usually short, biographical information about you, the author, and may also include a list of your previous works. No more than one page.

Dedication: The dedication text appears centred on the page, in capital letters.

Foreword: Written by someone real (often a famous/eminent person connected with the subject) other than the author, who provides an introduction to the book and the author. If present, the Foreword usually comes immediately after the Imprint page and before the Contents page.

Preface: Written by the author, a preface covers the story of how the book came into being, or how the idea for the book was developed. It can also include thanks and acknowledgements to people who helped the author with the work. The Preface usually comes after the Contents page.

Acknowledgements:Thanks and acknowledgments to people who helped the author with the work. If it's only a paragraph or two, it's usually combined with the Preface (and sometimes titled "Preface and Acknowledgements"), and positioned at the end of the front section.

Introduction: An opening section that states the purpose and goals of the following writing, usually only a couple of pages. Note, sometimes an introduction goes beyond this and provides substantial background to the subject matter, enough to form a chapter in its own right. In this case it should instead be the opening chapter of a book (which means it also has a chapter number), even if it is still called "Introduction".

Prologue: In fiction, the prologue is an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background details, often preceding the action of the main book.

MAIN SECTION COMPONENTS

The components you include here will depend on the type of content and structure of your writing. The two chief components of the main section of your book will be Parts and Chapters.

Parts

The first thing to decide is whether your book is structured into Parts. Part is an optional component, used to separate groups of chapters, either thematically or chronologically. You must have at least two Parts, and books rarely have more than six Parts. The Part component includes only a number, a title and a subtitle, and is always a recto (this means right hand) page on its own.

The only compulsory field to fill in is the number field. You can have a title and a subtitle for each Part, but these are optional. Only the number and the title (if used) will show up in the table of contents. Tip: Don’t call the first part Part 1 and the second part Part B – be consistent.

You don’t have to use the word ‘part’ in the title at all if you prefer an alternative name. Naming examples for Part components include:

‘Parts’ – non-fiction often divides material into thematic parts.

‘Sections’ – instead of ‘Part’, sometimes the word ‘Section’ is used, usually in non-fiction books. You can also further divide your Parts into units called ‘Sections’ or ‘Divisions’. For example your book could be divided into three parts, with each part divided into two sections.

‘Books’ – usually only used in fiction or poetry, a ‘Book’ is another name that can be used for the Part component of a manuscript.

Chapters

Add Chapters to your book in the main section, divided if you'd like by Part pages. The important thing about chapters is that they always start on a new page (right or left hand side). If you want to subdivide your chapters, then you just use a heading or other element as a divider.

In the MyBook App: You need to insert a title for your chapter in the Title field. Note, the words inserted as the title of a chapter will appear in the Table of Contents. They will also appear at the top of the right hand page for the whole chapter (this is called a running header). If you don’t insert a title, the system will pick up the last component's title as a running header all the way through the book, which could cause errors. There is also an option for a chapter subtitle – if your title is very long (and won’t fit onto one line as a running header) then you might want to consider breaking it into a title and subtitle.

Tip: the chapters are automatically given numbers by the template. So you only need to fill in chapter title fields in a Chapter component if your chapters have extra titles like, for example, 'In the beginning'. If you manually add chapter numbers, they will appear twice in the final book design, like this:

END SECTION COMPONENTS

The back section comprises supplemental material. You can choose any of the following components for your Back Section.

Appendix: An appendix is a supplemental addition to a main work, usually only used in non-fiction. It contains important data that needs to be included but would otherwise interrupt the main flow of the narrative. Examples include tables, charts, methodology or research history, lists of important people or places.

Addendum: An addendum is added after the main text is finished. It may correct errors, explain inconsistencies or otherwise detail or update the information found in the main work.

Epilogue: A piece of writing most often found in literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work (similar to the Prologue but at the back not the front).

Conclusion: More often used in non-fiction or academic works, a conclusion summarises the argument or information put forward in the main body of the work.

Afterword: An afterword is a piece of writing describing events well after the main timeframe of the story. It may be written by the author or, like the foreword, by another person.

Postscript: Best described as an afterthought – a note added at the end of a work to give additional information.

Glossary: a compendium of terms that are not in general use that have been used in the work.

References: a list of other published or unpublished works that have been referred to in the manuscript. This is sometimes titled “References”.

Endnotes: Notes placed at the end of a work, each of which cites a reference or additional comment for a designated part of the text. If you have created Endnotes within your book, you'll need to add the Endnotes component to the End Section of your book so that they show up. The text will be generated automatically.

Notes : The notes component is for any additional information you'd like to include at the back of your book. To add elements to your Notes, click on the icons below. The element you choose will move into the left hand column, at the bottom of the component. Once you've created your Notes, you can drag it into the order you need within the section.

The following components of the Back Section are traditionally shorter, and will not appear in the table of contents.

Credits: additional credits about the production of the book.

Art/Photo Credits: additional credits about the art or photos used in production of the book.

About the author: this is sometimes put at the back of the book instead of the front, especially in fiction.

Reviews: if you have so many reviews you can’t fit them in one page at the front, you can put more in at the back of the book; this is quite common in fiction.

Elements

These are the items you can add to your book's components. You might want to add a heading, a sub-heading, a callout box,an image or a new block of body text to a Chapter, for example. You can create an element then type new text for it, or take existing text from elsewhere in your book and make it into a new element. Again, the elements available for you to add in depend on the section and component of your book you're working in.

In the MyBook app, elements show up like this:

Here's a full list of elements available in our MyBook app.

Heading: headings are used to denote subsections within chapters, and are usually used only in non-fiction. Only rarely are headings used in fiction, but it does happen. There are three levels of heading which are used to indicate the hierarchy of material in your book, usually arranged thematically. You can use heading1, heading2 and heading3, usually to indicate the start of a new topic or sub-topic within a chapter. The concept of hierarchy (not sequence) is very important. If the divisions in your chapter are all of the same weight and importance, then you would use heading1 for each of these divisions. If one topic has two subtopics of equal weight, then you would use heading2 for the subtopics, but start the next topic with heading1. There is no limit to the number of headings you can use in a chapter, but it’s important to use them in a way that helps readers understand the flow of your text, not confuse them. (This is where a good editor can be a big help.)

Image: Images are available for the C format, B5 format and sub-A4 format books. Single images use the image element – that is, a single image is inserted between your text’s paragraphs, with an optional caption. Remember, you can’t upload an image bigger than the page.

Image grid: You can also add a grid of up to six smaller images, with individual captions. You can change your images to colour or black and white using the icon at the bottom of the image box. You can also upload an image from your computer: add the image element and then click on the folder icon to upload your picture. If you want to add a caption to your images, fill them in to the text boxes below. Use the alignment buttons on the top tool bar to align your image grid left or centred. Note: if you're making an EPub, the images in the grid will come out one below the other, rather than in grid style.

Table: SSimple tables can be inserted into your book (though they would rarely be used in fiction books). You can insert tables in portrait orientation – in this case long tables could go onto a second page – or in landscape orientation (which only fit on one page). If your table is complex, eg using shading or other stylistic elements, then you should create it in a custom program, export it as an image, and insert as an image element.

Callout box: A shaded box can be inserted that is either the full width of the text (this is called a callout box) or that sits to either side of the text which flows around it (this is called a side callout box). These are used to either insert material that is relevant to, but separate from, the main flow of the text, or to visually highlight parts of the main text (often by repeating or quoting the actual words being emphasised). Callout boxes can have text in them that’s aligned left or centre.

Text: The basic body of your book, used for paragraphs in standard sections like Chapter or Introduction. You can format your text bold, italic, strikethrough or underlined, add superscript or subscript, also align your text left, right or centre if you’d like to, by using the alignment buttons on the toolbar of the text editing area in the MyBook app.

List: You can include bulleted or numbered lists in your manuscript by using the list element. If you had bulleted or numbered lists in your Word document, the system will import them and turn them into a list element in the Silverlight app. You can switch your lists between bulleted and numbered by using the buttons on the top toolbar.

Verse: The verse element is suitable for a short or long poem. You can format your verse bold, italic, strikethrough or underlined, add superscript or subscript, also align your verse left, right or centre if you’d like to, by using the alignment buttons on the toolbar of the text editing area in the MyBook app.

Quote: Useful for a pithy saying at the top of a chapter. Text is centred on the page. If you need a longer quote, formatted as a block of text that goes right across the page, you can use the Block Quote element. You can format your quote bold, italic, strikethrough or underlined, add superscript or subscript, also align your quote left, right or centre if you’d like to, by using the alignment buttons on the toolbar of the text editing area in the MyBook app.

Block quote: If you need a longer quote, formatted as a block of text that goes right across the page, you can use this Block Quote element. You can format your quote bold, italic, strikethrough or underlined, add superscript or subscript, also align your quote left, right or centre if you’d like to, by using the alignment buttons on the toolbar of the text editing area in the MyBook app.

What does it mean to 'convert' a book?

Converting a book is when you turn it from an online manuscript into a fully designed PDF document, which can then be downloaded, printed or viewed as an EPub. Each time you purchase a conversion, you'll have up to five chances to go back in and make changes to your manuscript, then convert it again to get a new PDF.

What does Works in Progress and Completed Works mean on my Dashboard?

Works in Progress are books that you have not yet converted, or that you have converted but then decided to alter again. Once your book (and cover) has been converted, it moves from the Works in Progress tab on your dashboard to the Completed Works tab. From here, you can go on and publish and print your book.

I converted my book, and cover, and then it disappeared and I can't see it on my Dashboard any more! Where did it go?

Once your book (and cover) has been converted, it moves from the Works in Progress tab on your dashboard to the Completed Works tab. Look for it here, and then you can go on and publish and print your book.

I published my book, but now I want to change it, what can I do?

Click Republish from your Dashboard. From here you can go back and make changes to your book, provided you have enough conversion credits left. You can then publish your book again afterwards.

Why does the first page of my book say Not Specified?

The MyBook app creates a chapter at the front of your book called Not Specified if there is content at the start of the book that it doesn't recognise. You can avoid this by putting each part of your book under a Heading with a heading style (eg Heading 1 Heading 2) in Word before you upload it. If you do see a chapter folder in the MyBook app that says Not Specified, make sure you delete it (and move any content in it elsewhere) before you convert your book.

Why are there blank pages showing between the parts of my book?

Remember that some parts of your book (eg Foreword or Dedication) are set in our template only to appear on the recto (right hand side) pages. So there will be a blank (left hand side) page showing between them in your PDF document. Addtionally you may see some blank pages (up to 15) at the end of your book, which are commonly added to the book by the printer.

My callout boxes are flowing together!

This can happen when you position two callout boxes next to each other in the text. Try increasing the amount of text that sits between them.

Can I change the size and format of my book?

You will not be able to make changes to the size, format or paper of your book once you have passed the Select Book Type screen at the beginning of the process.

Are there any limits to my book's page count?

What is Digital Rights Management (DRM)?

Digital rights management (DRM) is a term is used to describe any technology that limits use of digital content that is not authorised by the content provider. It's included in EPub books, so that your book cannot be plagiarised easily.

What DRM is used for my eBooks?

We use Adobe Digital Rights Management for our EPUB and PDF ebooks distributed via Dymocks and Google ebooks. Adobe Digital Editions uses the proprietary ADEPT (Adobe Digital Experience Protection Technology) digital rights management system. The software limits content to up to six machines whereby the user can view the content on each of them.

What is an ISBN?

An International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique, 10-digit number that ensures that your book can be identified throughout the world. The ISBN enables libraries, booksellers and others to identify books in orders, stock control and library systems; it simplifies processing of book orders.

All books published worldwide are required to have one to identify it as a specific publication produced by a specific publisher. Costs vary according to the number of ISBNs issued. You will require a separate ISBN for each different title that you publish, and each new edition of a title. As distributors of your book, Dymocks will provide the ISBN.

How do I change my credit card details?

When you are prompted to pay for producing or publishing your book, any stored credit card details will be shown on the payment screen. To change your details, click the Change button:

change credit card

Can I make a hardcover book or one with a dust jacket?

At the moment our D Publishing system only creates softcover books, without dust jackets. In the future we'll be adding more book formats for you to choose from.

Can I add extra text or images to my book once I've uploaded it?

Yes, easily. Just create a new element to house your text (eg a Text element, a Callout box, a Verse etc) then type or paste your new text in. Note: new elements in the MyBook App are created at the bottom of the left hand list, so you'll need to drag them into place once you've created them. Remember to click 'save' to save your work each time you add something new.

If you want to add an image, add a new image element and then click on the folder symbol at the bottom of it to upload a jpg image from your computer. To look their best on the page, you'll need your images to be at least 300dpi, in the CMYK colour space. Most imaging software will be able to tell you your image's resolution. A handy resource for resizing images is http://www.Picnik.com.

If your image has a caption, add it in via the caption field underneath. You can also crop your image from within the tool if you'd like to.

Can you provide a cover image for my book?

At the moment we are not providing cover images – if you want a cover design featuring an image, you'll need to upload your own. If you don't need an image, you can choose from one of our professionally designed custom covers, which come in a range of colour schemes.

Can I submit content that is in the public domain?

If you have the right to reproduce or republish a public domain work (and this will depend on where and how you have sourced the work), you are free to submit or use content that is in the public domain.

Can I have text or images on the inside front or back cover?

Not initially. We will introduce this feature in future.

Will my book have a barcode? Where will this appear?

Any printed version(s) of your book will have a barcode. This will appear on the rear cover of your book. Click here for a diagram that shows how to set up a custom cover so that it will fit your book, showing the position of the barcode and imprint we'll apply.

What do I do if my book is too big? Too small?

The maximum spine width of a book we will print is 50mm. On 70gsm stock, this is equivalent to 700 pages. On 80gsm, this is 970 pages. If your book exceeds this page count, you will need to publish as two (or more) volumes. You will need to publish each volume separately on the Dymocks D Publishing site. The minimum spine width for perfect binding is 4mm. For books printed on the 70gsm stock this is equivalent to 50 pages. For books printed on the 80gsm this is equivalent to 70 pages. The minimum spine width we can print on is 5mm. If the spine is less than 4mm thick, the printer will default to saddle stitching / staple binding, which means the pages will be stapled and folded in the middle.

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Printing your book

How will my book look once it's printed?

Our classic book design uses Minion Pro font for the text, and Myriad Pro font for titles and headings. The overall design is contemporary, and has been designed to suit most book types and content.

D Publishing printed books are softcover, with matt inside pages, and come a choice of standard industry sizes. Our books can accommodate black and white diagrams, images or charts, and mid-resolution colour images and graphics. Note: our formats are designed for fiction, non-fiction and how-to books, but are not optimal for large hardcover glossy books such as wedding albums or photography books.

In the future we'll be introducing more templates to give books a more avant-garde, more classic or more vintage feel according to authors' preferences.

Here's some more detailed information on our book design:

Our bespoke D Publishing design was developed by Linda Nix, a book design specialist with a PhD in the history of book format and layout and a Graduate Diploma in Computing. She has 15 years' experience in professional publishing in typesetting (book design), book editing, structure and website design. Her articles on ebooks and book production are regularly published by magazines and journals in Australia and overseas.

The book design template is set up with equal left and right margins, and visually balanced top and bottom margins, with a larger top margin to accommodate the running header and folio number centred between the trim and the text. The running header and folio numbers are aligned away from the spine (that is, left aligned on verso pages and right aligned on recto pages). Actual margin widths are different for the different format sizes, eg the smallest format, B format, has 10mm left and right margins, while the largest format, sub-A4, has 25mm left and right margins.

Titles are centred on the page, while headings within the text are left aligned. All templates have a single-column page layout, except for the sub-A4 size which has the option of a two-column layout. Inline images are centred on the page with a caption centred below the image. There is a choice of call-out box styles: an inline box shaded at 10% that is the full width of the text, and side boxes (also 10% shading) that align to the left or right of the text for verso and recto pages respectively. The width of the side callout boxes is roughly 1/3 of the text width (which varies depending on the format dimensions).

What kind of paper can my book be printed on?

We offer a choice of two types of paper when printing your book: Standard quality – 70gsm Cream, or High quality – 80gsm Fine Offset. The Standard quality paper is a nice, light stock for predominantly text-based works (and only for black and white images), while the High quality paper is marginally weightier and better for mid-resolution colour images. If you choose to have colour images in your book, the system will automatically set the paper to High quality (80gsm).

What is perfect binding?

Perfect binding is the technique used by printers to produce books with a spine. The minimum spine width for perfect binding is 4mm. For books printed on the 70gsm stock this is equivalent to 50 pages. For books printed on the 80gsm this is equivalent to 70 pages. The minimum spine width we can print on is 5mm. If the spine is less than 4mm thick, the printer will default to saddle stitching / staple binding, which means the pages will be stapled and folded in the middle.

Which paper will give me a thicker spine?

The spine width for each format will depend on the number of pages and the paper you select. While the 80gsm is a weightier paper, the spine will be thinner than if you printed on the lighter 70gsm. The thickness of the paper when bound in a book is called bulk. The 80gsm stock won't bulk up as much as the 70gsm paper because it is a finer grade paper. You should take this into consideration when selecting your paper for predominantly black and white text books, along with our recommendations on the most appropriate format for the genre of your book.

Will you send me a proof copy of my book?

Once you have completed preparing your manuscript, it will be converted into a printable, publishable, professionally typeset book and eBook. You can do most of your proofing via the PDF file you will receive initially. We recommend that, should you choose to make your work available for commercial sale, you order a small initial print run to proof the hard copy version of your book once you are happy with it.

What about pictures?

Our system can accommodate black and white images, diagrams and tables, as well as mid-resolution colour images. Note: our formats are designed for fiction, non-fiction and how-to books, but are not optimal for large hardcover glossy books such as wedding albums or photography books.

Please prepare your images to the following specifications to ensure they look their best in the finished product: at least 300 dpi, jpg, colour space CMYK. Most imaging software will be able to tell you your image's resolution. A handy resource for resizing images is http://www.Picnik.com.

Note: it's your responsibility to make sure any images in your book are your own copyright or cleared for use by the copyright owner.

What do I use for the cover?

You can use our MyCover app to create a cover for your book by using one of our layout templates. If you've chosen one of our templates, you'll have the option to change the text and background colours later.

Alternatively, you can upload your own cover design for free. Our MyCover app will show you the dimensions of your spine once your book has been converted. Just choose the 'upload my own cover' option from the MyCover app front page. A diagram will appear, showing the correct dimensions for your cover including the spine width, which is based on the number of pages in your book. Your cover will need to be the right size and format, with space left for the barcode, uploaded as one single .jpg including the front, spine and cover.

Click below to download a diagram of the cover designs we offer. Remember, you can insert your own image, and change font size and colour once you're in the site.

Cover design 1

Cover design 2

Cover design 3

Your book cover will be printed with a gloss laminate finish, which means a glossy film is applied to the surface area of the book's outside cover at the end of the printing process. The result is a high impact finish that lifts coloured images and provides definition in the design.

How long will my books take to arrive after a print order?

This will depend on the size of the order and where the order must be sent. As a general rule, it takes five working days for us to print your book once you order printed copies. Once printed, allow 2-3 days for deliveries to Australian capital cities and 4-6 days for deliveries to rural areas. If you're outside Australia, allow 14-21 days for the overall process.

My order hasn't arrived. What should I do?

If your book has not arrived within 21 days of you pressing the button to print, contact Dymocks support on dpublishing@dymocks.com.au

How much will shipping cost?

Australia Post manages all shipping and delivery for D Publishing orders. The rate structure for shipping via Australia Post within Australia is as follows:
All prices quoted below include GST.

$6.50 for the first book
$0.50 for each book thereafter

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Sales and distribution

What is publishing?

Publishing means taking care of the legal and commercial necessities required in order to make a book available for sale. This includes assigning an ISBN number, an International standard book number, a ten- or thirteen-digit number assigned to every book before publication, recording such details as language, provenance, and publisher. Other parts of the publishing service include customer service, download or dispatch of digital or printed books and management of the IT systems behind selling digital editions of your book.

What is distribution?

Distribution is the act of making your book available for sale. This can be via direct selling on the internet (eg book retail websites such as Dymocks.com.au), or via a distribution company. Distribution companies market and sell books on behalf of publishers to bookstores and other retailers. When you publish your book with D Publishing, we also provide distribution via Dymocks.com.au and via the catalogue provided to Dymocks store owners (we don't guarantee your book will be sold in Dymocks stores – this is up to the individual franchise owner).

Is D Publishing a publisher or a distributor?

Will my book be sold in Dymocks brick and mortar bookstores?

Your book will be added to the catalogue of books available for stock in Dymocks bookstores. However, we can't guarantee that your book will be stocked in Dymocks stores, as this is at the discretion of the individual store owners. If you have a Dymocks bookstore in your local area, we suggest that you contact the team there to highlight your offering as a local author of interest to the community.

Can I simply produce my book with D Publishing?

Yes. It's important to clarify the difference between producing your book and publishing it. D Publishing enables you to upload your manuscript and use our web-based tools and templates to produce a beautifully typeset book, which can be printed or turned into an Ebook or EPub listed on any distribution channel. You can, if you wish, also then go on to publish this book with us, which also allows you to work with us to distribute it. However, there is no obligation to publish with us – you can simply use our service to produce a professional-looking book, and then take care of sales and distribution yourself.

Can I only produce my book, and then distribute it myself?

Yes. You can print or download copies of your book in electronic form and make them available to friends, family, customers or followers. You don't have to publish with Dymocks to use our service – if, for example, you want to print a few copies of a book as gifts, you can do so after the Produce My Book part of the process has been completed.

Am I obliged to accept the publishing agreement if I produce my book with D Publishing?

No. You need only accept the publishing agreement if you want D Publishing to publish and distribute your work for you. You can produce your book with D Publishing without signing the publishing agreement. Producing your book means you can use our MyBook app to format and organise your manuscript to a professional standard, and then design a cover using our MyCover app. Your manuscript will then complete the transition into a fully typeset and designed print-ready PDF, and/or a fully formatted Ebook and EPub. Once that’s done, you are free to distribute and sell your book yourself, in any channel you wish.

Will I still own the copyright in my book?

Where you are the copyright owner for the content in your book, you will retain copyright. Where you are licensing, with explicit permission, content that is the copyrighted property of another party (e.g. images, diagrams, quotes and passages), you should acknowledge the copyright owner and copyright ownership will not pass to you.

D Publishing only licenses your work, we do not assume copyright or take responsibility for what you have created. See the D Publishing Agreement for more details.

Can my book go out of print?

No. If you publish with D Publishing, you book will always be available to print on demand, from one to thousands of copies. It will never go out of print and you will not have to print large numbers and then store them at your own expense.

How much money can I make on my book sales?

It's up to you – once you set a list price for your book, you'll be able to see the author royalties that will come to you, taking into account retail and publisher royalties and print costs etc.

I've changed my mind and no longer want my book published. What should I do?

You'll need to inform us in writing if you no longer want to publish your book with us, and will be bound by the legal terms of the Agreement. Please refer to our Publishing Agreement for more details.

Can I publish my book under a pen name?

Yes, you are welcome to publish your book under any name you like. However, you must register using a valid email address when you sign up. To publish your book with D Publishing, we'll need real information from you including your name and address when you agree to our publishing terms. Without these, we won't be able to pay you your royalties.

Are there any books you can't publish?

Our formats are designed for fiction, non-fiction and how-to books, but are not optimal for large hardcover glossy books such as wedding albums or photography books.

Dymocks and D Publishing do not support material that is illegal, defamatory, offensive, discriminatory, dishonest, pornographic, hateful, invasion of privacy, or which is inconsistent with the corporate values of the Dymocks Group. Authors should seek to present only fair, balanced and factually accurate material for production, publication and distribution by D Publishing. We reserve the right to reject or remove Works that conflict with this code at any time during the production, publication or distribution process, without prior notification.

Can I use the Dymocks logo in my book?

D Publishing will apply a D Publishing imprint to the cover of your book.

As with any trademark, you will need the permission of the trademark owner if you want to use their logo inside your book.

What are imprints?

The imprint is the trade name under which your book is published. Some publishers have multiple imprints to distinguish different genres, bibliographic classifications or production values in their publishing lists. The imprint information, including the publisher's name and address and the date of publication, is listed along with the author name, copyright information, ISBN and any other details relevant to cataloguing on the imprint or colophon page.

Will you provide me with sales information?

D Publishing will provide you with a royalty report every six months outlining how your work has performed, and paying your owed royalties.

Royalties will be processed at the end of December and end of June each year (for further details please see our publishing agreement). You'll be asked to nominate the bank account you'd like your royalties to be paid into as part of the publishing signup process.

How and when do I receive my royalties?

Royalties will be processed at the end of December and end of June each year (further details in the publishing agreement / rate card). You'll be asked to nominate the bank account you'd like your royalties to be paid into as part of the publishing signup process.

What Digital Rights Management is used for my eBooks?

Adobe Digital Rights Management is applied to EPub and PDF Ebooks published with D Publishing and distributed via Dymocks and Google eBooks. Adobe Digital Editions uses the proprietary ADEPT (Adobe Digital Experience Protection Technology) digital rights management system. The software limits content to up to six machines whereby the user can view the content on each of them.

Can I publish with D Publishing if I'm outside Australia?

Yes you can.

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Interpreting the Publishing Agreement

What is 'the Work' – what does it include and exclude?

The publishing agreement defines the Work as the single book or document written by the author. This could be everything from a novel to a memoir, business profile or book of poetry. The Work is the book in the language in which it is originally published with D Publishing, which in most instances will be English, as the D Publishing site is designed and built in English and thus most compatible with English language texts. A foreign language or translated edition of the book is regarded as a new Work.

What does 'distribution channels' mean?

A distribution channel is anywhere that books can be sold. National and international bookselling websites such as Dymocks.com.au or amazon.com are distribution channels, as are bookstores or other shops, in Australia or around the world. Libraries, markets, events or personal blogs are also distribution channels where you could sell or distribute your book.

What are core distribution channels?

Core distribution channels are the sales and distribution channels in which, through accepting the terms of the publishing agreement, the author grants D Publishing exclusive licence to distribute their Work. For more information or the most up-to-date list of core channels, check the rate card.

What are secondary distribution channels?

Secondary distribution channels are an optional channel of distribution available to the author. If the author wants D Publishing to distribute in secondary channels, they grant us an exclusive licence for the channels where D Publishing has a presence (AKA nominated secondary channels). The author then retains a non-exclusive licence only in the channels where D Publishing does not yet have a presence. For more information or the most up-to-date list of secondary channels, check the rate card.

Can I just distribute my book through the core channels and manage the rest of the distribution myself?

Yes, if you grant D Publishing a licence to distribute via the core channels only.

What's the benefit of having D Publishing managing the secondary channels as well?

D Publishing is constantly looking for new ways to further represent their authors and distribute their works to a broader audience. By agreeing to have D Publishing represent them in these channels, authors can save themselves the time and trouble of finding new routes to market and gain wider exposure for their books.

Why does D Publishing seek exclusive distribution rights for nominated secondary distribution channels?

When D Publishing commercialises a channel it can leverage the body of work it has from a number of authors to access the channel and, hopefully, obtain favourable terms for authors. If the author's book is already available for sale in this channel it affects both the profile of the book and its sales. D Publishing wants to be able to manage D Publishing lists and maximise book sales in any particular channel.

Why does D Publishing want access to subsidiary rights? What is the process?

From time to time opportunities for further exposure of the work will arise, for example via newspaper extract, collection of short stories or poetry, or online subscription service. D Publishing would like to maximise these opportunities on behalf of the author. Should an opportunity to commercialise subsidiary rights come about, D Publishing will contact the author in writing requesting consent. As commercial opportunities are often timeline-driven, the author will have 30 days to respond. If they do not respond otherwise within the given time frame, the author grants D Publishing the right to commercialise.

Can I appoint a third party distributor to manage distribution of my book?

Yes, there are no restrictions around appointing a third party distributor to distribute your book in channels that are not currently regarded as core distribution channels or nominated secondary distribution channels (as elected) under the agreement and rate card.

My local independent bookshop / community centre / library wants to stock the book. Can I distribute the printed books to them myself?

Absolutely. Unless specified in the rate card as a distribution channel that D Publishing covers and which you have agreed to, you can sell your book directly wherever you like.

Can D Publishing change the terms of the agreement?

D Publishing will evolve its service and offering, which means the terms of the agreement will need to change to keep it current. Change to the agreement is essential in a market that is subject to technological change and innovation or where the law is constantly changing (for example, introduction of new taxes or laws relating to form and manner of publication). D Publishing cannot change the commercial terms set at the time you contract. The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 ensures that any ‘unfair term' is not able to be enforced. Authors should also note that there are certain key terms in the Agreement that require specific agreement from the author if a change is to be made (such as the scope of the copyright licence granted).

Can D Publishing change the royalty rates?

No, the rates specified in the rate card at the time of acceptance of the agreement will apply for the duration of each agreement.

How long is the agreement?

The agreement has a term of 10 years. When the 10 year period is over the agreement will automatically renew for another 10 years. If you wish to discontinue publishing with us, you will need to notify us in writing 30 days prior to the original or renewed agreement's end date.

Can I control how many books D Publishing prints for distribution via its distribution channels? What about returns?

Should D Publishing receive an order for a consignment of your printed books from a store, we will contact you and if you choose to fulfil the order, you'll need to go to the D Publishing website to order and pay up front for the books to be printed and dispatched to the customer. You will be paid an author royalty for books that are sold (for more information on royalty structures, see the Rate Card). Any unsold books remain the property of the author, and if the store needs to send them back, D Publishing will contact you to arrange for the stock to be picked up, at your cost.

When customers order your books online from Dymocks.com.au, they will be printed and dispatched automatically. In this case, the print costs are deducted afterwards from the royalty you're paid on the book sales (you'll have taken this into account when setting your book's list price using our Publishing calculator).

Can I have an ABN or be registered for GST?

If you agree to the publishing agreement, you are declaring that you do not have an ABN as a publisher yourself, and are therefore are not registered for GST. It is a legal requirement that we get this in writing from you otherwise the law requires us to withhold 46.5% of all amounts received as withholding tax. If you are registered for GST you can absolutely still publish with us but you will need to contact us for a customised publishing agreement and you will need to supply your ABN. If you hold an ABN for another business this will not apply, unless you are planning to publish the book under that ABN rather than as a personal project or hobby.

Will my royalty payments include GST?

If you have agreed to our standard publishing agreement any royalties will be paid exclusive of GST. If you have let us know you're registered for GST, agreed to a customised agreement and supplied your ABN, your royalties will include GST.

Can D Publishing decide not to distribute my book?

Once you, the author, have signed the agreement, D Publishing has contractually committed to distributing your book via the core and nominated secondary distribution channels (where applicable) set out on the rate card, plus any new channels we start to work in in future. Should D Publishing fail to distribute your book via these channels, we are in breach of contract and you have the right to terminate the agreement. We can also terminate the agreement to distribute your book if we find out that it contains defamatory, illegal or other antisocial content.

Does D Publishing have any editorial control?

No, unless we feel that your book contains objectionable material that could put us (and you) at risk. In this instance we will contact you and reasonably request you remove the material in question.

A version of my book is already for sale somewhere else. Can I still publish it with D Publishing?

If you have already published your book elsewhere you’ll need to check the publishing agreement you signed to make sure it allows you to publish your manuscript again with us.

I already have a book or eBook. Can I distribute it via D Publishing?

At the moment we don't offer a distribution-only service. Distribution via D Publishing is only available to books that have been created using our services.

Can I publish the English language version of my book with D Publishing and then publish a foreign language edition with another publisher?

Yes, we regard a foreign language edition as a new work.

Can I control how many books D Publishing prints for distribution via its distribution channels? What about returns?

Can I have an ABN or be registered for GST?

Will my royalty payments include GST?

Can D Publishing decide not to distribute my book?

Does D Publishing have any editorial control?

No, unless we feel that your book contains objectionable material that could put us (and you) at risk. In this instance we will contact you and reasonably request you remove the material in question.

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After you've received your book

What if I'm not happy with the quality of my book?

Slight variations between the look of the PDF eBook, EPUB eBook and the printed book should be expected. The electronic representation of your fully designed book will be quite different to how it looks and feels as a printed product. We encourage you to order a single printed and bound copy of the book once it's been published so you know what to expect with subsequent copies. Below are a few variables you should anticipate. If there is something visibly wrong with your book, such as a printing error, you should contact us and we will look into the problem.

My pages don't look properly aligned. One side of my page spread ends higher than the other.

Our typesetting and design process will format text so it's easy on the eye. We will minimise the occurrence of lines of text that are detached from the rest of the paragraph (commonly known as 'widows' and 'orphans'). This is common practice in book publishing but may affect the symmetry of a DPS (double page spread). This is not so noticeable in electronic format where you review single pages but should be expected in the printed book.

Some of my text looks stretched or spread out.

You might also notice that some lines of text look more heavily spaced than others. Our typesetting process will automatically space (or justify) text to ensure it is aligned. The result will be columns of text with straight rather than ragged edges. This feature is particularly prominent in the call out boxes, where we are fitting text into a defined area.

My pictures are fuzzy and pixelated. The image colours look different from my screen and home printer.

Images should meet the standard and specifications supplied as if the image is too low in resolution it will lack definition and look pixelated in print. Also, colours look different on screen to the way they will reproduce in print. Even if you print on a home printer, the quality will be very different to that of book printer. Variations in image colour and clarity should be expected when you receive your printed book.

The coloured pages and colour cover look different from my screen and home printer.

Coloured text, tables and graphics will also reproduce differently in print to the way the colours look on screen or printed at home. This is particularly relevant for the cover. The cover will have a glossy finish, which will help the images stand out, but we recommend using good quality images (i.e. clear, not too light/dark and not over/under exposed) in your cover design for the best result.

My book is bigger / smaller / thinner / thicker than I expected.

You will have selected your format based on our recommendations for your book's genre or the type and quantity of content that needs to be accommodated within the book. Although we will have told you the spine width during the process, it can often seem a bit thinner/thicker when you have the book in the hand. As a general rule, a book always looks and feels slightly different to what you were expecting. And after labouring long and hard over a book it may be difficult to be objective! Put the book on the shelf with your other books for comparison. After a while I am sure you will find it looks as good if not better than its companions!

My book looks different as an EPUB ebook.

The EPUB is a reflowable format, meaning that it will adapt its presentation to the suit the device on which it is displayed. The text will reflow accordingly, so if you're reading on a portable device such as an ereader the number of characters on each page is set to suit that device. This means your EPUB ebook will look slightly different depending on the device you're viewing it on.

I've published my book and just noticed a mistake – what do I do?

You can make minor edits to your book once it has been published from the Dashboard. You can change the content within the book, adding and removing text or images. But you can't change your book format (eg from B to C format) and you can't opt for a printed book if you only selected to produce an EPub at the beginning of the process. If you need to change either of these things, you'll have to start again by uploading your Word manuscript.

Who do I contact for help and support?

If you have a question, comment or query please contact us at dpublishing@dymocks.com.au and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Contact us

Please ensure you've read all the information we've supplied, including the Help information and the FAQs before you commence book production. This information will help guide you through the production of your book and is a handy reference during any stage of the publishing process.

If you have a question, comment or query please contact us at dpublishing@dymocks.com.au and we will get back to you as soon as we can. If you're writing with a problem, please include a short description (maximum 75 words) of what it is and try to be as specific as possible about where you were in the site when the issue occurred. We may ask you for your username and password so that we can look at your problem specifically.

Example: I was working in the MyBook app and I was unable to upload an image, even though it met the specifications and file size outlined in the FAQs.

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