Professional Editorial and
Book Publishing Services
The Ross House Press provides a full-range of editorial and publishing services, from basic manuscript proofreading to full book production. We work on a per-contract basis tailored to meet each client’s needs, and working within a tight budget is one of our specialties. If the Ross House Press can assist you with your manuscript or project, please send a query to editor@rosshousepress.com or leave a message at 412.953.4244.
We have four main categories of services. If you need assistance with writing, research, or any other editorial service not listed below, contact us at editor@rosshousepress.com or leave a message at 412.953.4244.
For details, click on the category or simply scroll down.
Editing
At the Ross House Press, we are dedicated to providing our clients and partners with unequivocally professional publishing services. As editors, we seek to accentuate and refine good writing while maintaining the author's style and voice. This includes using one of the following levels of editing, depending on the request or need:
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Line Editing: Basic proofreading for grammar, punctuation, spelling, consistency and word usage. Basic line editing may involve minor rewriting for efficiency but will not include stylistic revisions.
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Copy Editing: Line editing plus checking the manuscript for clarity and flow. This may include an evaluation of stylistic choices and suggestions for pragmatic revisions.
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Content Editing: A thorough professional reading of the manuscript for inconsistent character behavior/speech, style issues, thematic variances, and readability. Content editing includes verifying that the language matches the target audience, the dialogue is believable, and the plotline is plausible.
Interior Design & Typesetting
We take the aesthetics of book design seriously. As an artisan with over 30 years in the book publishing business, our chief designer has seen the art of bookmaking devolve from carefully crafted designs intended to accentuate the literature to one-size-fits-all digital templates. These changes are a result of technology that produces finished books quickly and easily with little regard for interior design, which is especially apparent in most self-published titles. Ross House is dedicated to publishing well-designed books while still charging less than services that use digital templates — and every book boasting the Ross House imprint rises above the "self-publishing" model.
Design elements include font selection, header and footers, and graphic embellishments, but we also focus on the aesthetic nuances. White space, margins, placement of blank pages, and the inclusion of half-titles are just some of the old-school techniques we bring to our books.
Our typesetting process meticulously ensures that the text flows smoothly, and widows and orphans will not be found in our finished books.
eBook Formatting
Unlike printed books, eBooks do not contain 'design' elements as such — but they must still be expertly formatted in order to be properly viewed. Most online services offering to convert a print book to an eBook will simply run it through a software program to literally make it readable as an eBook, but this often results in a scattered and confusing layout. Readers who prefer eBooks do not want to struggle to find the text. The reading experience should be seamless and without visual distraction.
At Ross House we carefully format your book specifically for Kindle and other eBook readers—we don’t just run your book through a software program. In the process we retain as much of the print design as the digital format will allow, including effective use of photos and illustrations.
Cover Design
A book’s cover is its marketing vanguard. At Ross House we work with a network of artists and designers in order to produce cover art that represents the literature, reflects the author, and speaks directly to the potential reader.
Our basic cover design includes
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the use of a single author-provided, hi-res image (image manipulation not included);
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custom book cover layout;
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custom cover background colors;
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stylized typography that features a unique look for your book title, author name and back cover text;
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one round of revisions (changes to image not included);
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custom placement of your synopsis, author photo and author-supplied barcode on the back cover, plus cover formatting and sizing made to your book's specific trim size.
We can also provide original artwork for the cover. Ask for a quote!
Contact
If you have a manuscript that you think might be a good fit for the Ross House Press, please send a query to Phil Rice at editor@rosshousepress.com; or leave a message at 412.953.4244; or fill out the form below.