Chandler Book Design Review

Amazon Titles – N/A (Bespoke Book Designer & Printer)

Chandler Book Design is based in Norfolk, England. Their core business is book design, but they offer authors intending to self-publish several different book service solutions. They do not support an on line bookstore of their own, but their main homepage does feature some of their recently published titles. However, these featured titles have no links to outside on line retailers like Amazon and emphasis that Chandler’s business expertise is book design and not book sales.

“Chandler Book Design is a book production services company offering typesetting and cover design to self-publishers and first time authors. We are NOT a publisher.”

This is a welcome, honest and important acknowledgement which authors should note. There are too many author solution companies who profess knowledge, understanding and even expertise in publishing which they simply do not possess.

“Chandler Book Design will help you fulfill your self publishing dreams without costly royalty agreements or contracts. We are professional book designers who understand the business of publishing and help hundreds of authors every year achieve their dream of printing and selling their titles.”

Yes, the reality is that book design is a crucial part of book publishing and presenting a quality product, but only that—a part of the business of publishing.

Chandler separate their services into three distinct areas, ‘The Full Works’, a full book design service; an internal text layout service for authors who already have a fully designed and print ready cover; and a PDF full cover design service. Quotes can be obtained from Chandler for any of these services or authors can discuss any specific requirements they have. Prices for their services start at £499, but exact costs are dependent on what the author’s requirements are. For the purposes of this review we are just going to focus on their ‘The Full Works’ service.

‘The Full Works’ service includes a full unique cover design using stock artwork or images supplied by the author. It also includes internal layout design (to a maximum of 400 pages before an additional charge is levied) and the incorporation of the author’s own ISBN. Chandler requires authors to have their own ISBN’s before submission of a Word Document, though they can assist and advise an author wishing to obtain a block of ISBN’s from Nielsens. Once the final proof is ready, Chandler say they can produce books for the author after three weeks.

The following quotes are from their website FAQ page.

“Why do I need an ISBN number and where can I get one from?
An ISBN is an International Standard Book Number. If you wish to sell your publication through major bookselling chains, or internet booksellers, they will require you to have an ISBN to assist their internal processing and ordering systems.

“ISBNs can be ordered from the UK ISBN Agency which is the national agency for the UK and Republic of Ireland.”

“When you purchase an ISBN for your book from the UK ISBN Agency, which is part of Neilsen Bookdata, it will automatically be entered on to their database and thus it will be listed on Amazon etc.”

The author will have to carry out much of what other author solutions companies provide as part of their standard service. This includes legal deposit copies, on line search inside programs, and there is an implied reliance on Nielsen’s listing to ‘automatically’ have books listed on Amazon etc. Many self-publishing authors may not feel this to be enough to make their books available if their book project is a serious profit making business and Chandler’s ‘The Full Works’ package may need to be married with many other important author solution services elsewhere.

“Chandler Book Design is based in the offices of one of the UK leading book printers, MPG Biddles, which means that we really can manage your project all the way through its production cycle from our initial design concepts to the finished books on their way to you.”

For a self published author undertaking true self-publishing and requiring a quality printed book that they can have considerable input on—Chandler Book Design are ideal, in particular because they have in-house print facilities and open and available advise for self-publishing authors.