Building Your Publishing Team: Assembling Your Dream Crew

Congratulations! You’ve finished your manuscript. Now comes an exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) part of your journey: building the team that will help transform your manuscript into a professional book.

Before we explore each team member’s role, let’s acknowledge that you have options. You can either hire professionals individually (the DIY approach) or work with a full-service company that handles everything. I’ve done both — most recently working with Aila Designs* for my kids’ book, The Adventure in the Magical World.

Because this decision is so important, we’ll explore these options in depth next week. For now, let’s focus on understanding each professional’s role.

Your editor is arguably your most important team member. And there are different types that serve different purposes:

When choosing an editor:

The editor you choose will depend on the editing you need. Not all books need all four types.

But… all books need editing.

Take it from me. I’m a professional editor and proofreader, but I have pros polish my manuscripts (though I do go through them to catch as many errors as I can before handing them over).

And yes, this can be a costly part of pre-publishing, but it’s an extremely necessary one. Editing is the only thing that stands between you and a professional reputation.

I’ve seen a trend arising for writers to produce work that is rife with typos, poor grammar, and incorrect punctuation. Not only does this make my professional heart weep, but it also sends a signal to your readers that you don’t respect their time and money.

The occasional error will still get through — professionals are human and make mistakes — but without any editing, so many more will litter your manuscript. And that’s just unprofessional.

Speaking of professionalism, if you’re creating a children’s book or need internal art, finding the right illustrator is just as crucial as finding the right editor.

While editing polishes your words, illustration brings your vision to life.

Here’s what to consider:

There are many places to find illustrators: Facebook groups, Fiverr or Upwork, or just a search online.

And you’re going to find people on both sides of the aisle when it comes to choosing someone. I don’t have any strong opinions for or against places like Fiverr or Upwork or even Facebook. Just be certain you ask plenty of questions, see samples, get references, and establish the ground rules from the start.

My personal dealings with the illustrator for The Adventure in the Magical World was bittersweet. I’d never worked with an illustrator before, and I made sure she understood that. I also let her know how I worked, that I would pay half upfront and then, once the work was finished, the rest.

But we had a language barrier that forced me to do more work than I expected. And she ended up going over my deadline. In the end, I wasn’t happy with two of the illustrations.

I learned to make sure the person understands English, to have a contract made up, and to stick to my policy of half now/half later.

Your cover is your book’s first impression, which means it’s imperative that you give it an eye-catching head start. Because despite that old adage, people really do judge a book by its cover. And if yours isn’t striking, it may get passed over.

When dealing with a professional designer, they must understand:

I’ve found there’s no shortage of very talented artists online. The obvious places, such as Fiverr, Upwork, and Facebook, apply. You can also try those self-publishing companies, such as Aila Designs, and utilize their services. Or you can Google as I did. Take a gander at what I found:

Keep in mind I’ve never worked with the four above. But I did some homework for you and searched their sites, found their covers of good quality and professional appearance, and their prices not unreasonable.

It’s also worth mentioning that you can get premade covers that go easy on your checkbook or opt to pay a little more for custom work. One woman I’ve found who makes good premade (as well as custom) covers is Cyan Avogadoyle.*

The great news is that most of these book designers work in all formats (eBook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook) and are expanding into other areas such as author avatars, character illustrations, logos/branding, book trailers, various marketing materials… — even author swag!

Speaking of different formats, having a great cover and clean manuscript is only part of the equation. Your book’s interior needs to be just as professional as its exterior.

Interior formatting might not sound exciting, but it’s what makes your book readable and professional across all platforms.

I admit to trying my hand at formatting The Adventures in the Magical World. It was smooth sailing through the eBook formatting. But when I tried to format the paperback… rough waters abounded!

I just couldn’t get the illustrations or the header/footer to work out. It was the most frustrating moment of the process that far, and it didn’t help that I was battling a deadline and dealing with a cold.

I plan to purchase Atticus,* which comes with a formatting system, and am hoping that this will help me for my next novels. But those will be your standard romances. I think for my future kids’ books or anything that requires illustrations, I’m sticking with the professionals for formatting… and saving myself the headache.

If you decide to save money and format it yourself, don’t do what I did and work on a hard deadline. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time because you never know what life’s going to throw at you.

Here’s something many new authors don’t realize: You should start assembling your publishing team when you’re about halfway through your manuscript.

Why? Because quality professionals often have full schedules.

Starting your search at the midway point gives you:

Dedicate one hour per day to team building. Set a timer to make sure you don’t go over.

Why the timer? Two reasons. One, so you won’t get bored or frustrated searching through countless names or go down any rabbit holes. Two, so you can return to working on your manuscript and not feel you’ve slacked off on your book’s progress.

My advice? Pick a day for each category. Your week may look something like this:

This method ensures you don’t bite off more than you can chew, which can lead to overwhelm and frustration (and maybe even desperation, aka choosing the cheapest person who’ll agree to work with you).

Remember: You’re not hiring them immediately — you’re interviewing them and, hopefully, securing their future availability.

Speaking of saving money and time management, let’s talk about what you can expect to invest in your publishing journey — both financially and time-wise.

As you’ve seen from my experiences with editing, illustration, and formatting, each aspect of book production comes with its own considerations.

Always add buffer time for revisions and unexpected delays!

I can tell you that publishing a novel yourself isn’t going to be a cheap affair. Not if you want to put out quality work. But it doesn’t have to break the bank, either. Thankfully, the Internet provides endless possibilities, including working with people overseas, who may charge less than their contemporaries in the States.

Just exercise caution when hiring people. Sometimes, lower fees don’t mean the service will be bad or the work inferior. But that’s not always the case. Ask questions, do thorough research, and then… go with your gut. If something or someone seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Remember, building your publishing team is one of the most important steps in your indie author journey. Whether you choose to work with individual professionals or opt for a full-service company, never forget: This is your book’s future we’re talking about.

I can’t stress this enough: Take your time, do your research, and invest wisely.

Next week, we’ll dive deeper into the pros and cons of each approach — hiring professionals individually versus working with a full-service company. We’ll explore real costs, benefits, and considerations to help you make the best choice for your book.

So… where are you in your team-building journey? Already working with professionals, or still exploring your options and budget? Have you worked with overseas professionals? Share your experience in the comments below!

Related Topics: publishing project management, indie publishing team, book production team, publishing professionals, team coordination, publishing costs, indie author resources

* NOTE: I don’t receive any compensation from the companies listed in this post. I’ve either worked with them myself or found their sites/works impressive and wanted to share with you.

Also, I made several references to my first kids’ book, The Adventure in the Magical World. If you’d like to check it out, click here.