How Schribe works
Who owns what, who pays what, and what happens if you leave.
The practical answers authors ask before they trust anyone with a manuscript. Everything here matches our terms of service and the written agreement you sign for your project.
What stays yours, and what we hold
You own your work. Copyright in your manuscript stays with you from the first draft to the finished book, and nothing in our agreement transfers it to us.
Every book gets a Nielsen ISBN from our own range, registered in the UK trade catalogue used by retailers and libraries. Schribe Publishing is publisher of record, so your book is listed under an established UK publishing imprint.
You keep every penny of royalties from sales. We take no share of your book’s income at any point, now or later.
Full account access and credentials are handed over on completion, together with your print-ready files and handover documentation.
How the money works
You pay a fixed fee for a defined package. Prices are shown on the publishing page and confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Projects are invoiced in stages set out in your agreement, and work begins once the first payment clears. Longer engagements are paid across the term rather than upfront.
Anything outside the package scope is quoted separately before it starts. Nothing is added to an invoice without your go-ahead.
If you want to leave
Either side can end an engagement in writing. You pay for the work completed to that point, and we hand over everything produced so far, including files and account access.
If a book will not do what you want, we say so on the first call rather than take the fee.
What we promise, and what nobody can
Editorial and production work to the standard described, the publishing specification, and delivery to the agreed timeline. Where a campaign is part of your engagement, we are responsible for the agreed volume, quality and timing of outreach.
How many copies sell, how a book is received, or whether a third party accepts a pitch. Nobody controls those, and you should be wary of anyone who claims to.
Questions authors ask us
Is Schribe a vanity publisher?
No. Vanity publishers typically charge authors and then keep rights, control or a share of the income. We charge a fixed, published fee for a defined service, and you keep your copyright and all of your royalties.
Who owns the ISBN?
Every book we publish carries a Nielsen ISBN from Schribe’s own range, and Schribe Publishing is publisher of record. Your copyright and all of your royalties stay with you.
Do you take a cut of my sales?
No. You keep every penny of royalties from sales, and we take no share of your book’s income at any point.
How much does it cost?
Bound is £995, Essentials £1,450, Complete £2,950 and Transchribe £5,000. The Authority Programme is £10,000, paid in three stages of 40%, 30% and 30%. Add-ons such as audiobooks and printed copies are quoted against your specific book.
How long does it take?
Bound takes 3 to 4 weeks, Essentials 6 to 8 weeks, Complete 12 to 16 weeks and Transchribe 16 to 20 weeks. The Authority Programme runs 6 to 8 months, with the book normally published around month six.
Do I need a finished manuscript?
No. Transchribe builds the book from recordings you already have, or from interviews we record with you. You do not need a manuscript, an outline or a title to book a call.
Where will my book be sold?
Essentials and Bound list your book through Amazon KDP as standard. Complete, Transchribe and the Authority Programme add IngramSpark and Gardners for wider print distribution. Our books are distributed into more than forty countries.
What if my manuscript needs more work than I expected?
Every manuscript gets a structural assessment first, and we tell you which editing stage it genuinely needs. If it needs more than your package covers, we say so early and agree a revised plan rather than pressing on quietly.
Who is Schribe?
Schribe Publishing Ltd, a UK company registered in England and Wales (company number 11095236). The name is spelled with an H: school plus scribe.