BookLocker

BookLocker is a US self-publishing company that formats, designs and publishes authors' books as print-on-demand paperbacks and hardcovers plus ebooks, and submits them to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Walmart and other retailers. Its publishing site sells four fixed-price packages, from a $499 do-it-yourself option for authors with print-ready files to a $2,350 package with hardcover, proofreading and a book trailer. Angela Hoy is named as President and CEO, and the site says "all BookLocker authors have direct access to the owner."

The packages

The comparison chart on the homepage lists four programs:

• D.I.Y. Package, $499. The author submits "a cover and manuscript formatted to our specifications." Services such as cover design, proofreading and ebook formatting can be bought as à la carte add-ons.
• At-Your-Service Package, $975. The site calls it "our classic program": the author sends a word processing file ("MSWord preferred"), BookLocker formats it and returns it for final edits. It includes an original cover designed with the author, basic epub ebook services and full distribution; authors may still supply their own cover.
• Professional Author Package, $1,350, marked "Most Popular." Everything in At-Your-Service plus U.S. copyright registration, a Library of Congress Control Number and category and keyword analysis by BoostABook.
• The Works!, $2,350. The Professional Author Package plus the hardcover edition, a publisher-directed book trailer and proofreading of the first 25,000 words.

Proofreading beyond 25,000 words costs $0.025 a word. The site says it connects authors with an English professor at the University of Tennessee for this, who can quote for the rest of the manuscript or a fuller edit. Covers are designed individually: "We do NOT use cover templates. Every cover is unique!"

The chart also lists, across the programs, ISBN assignment for print and ebook editions plus a barcode, interior formatting and cover verification, an electronic galley and a print galley, author volume discounts, one-on-one author support ("Our employees are located in the U.S.A."), a dedicated book page on BookLocker.com, Espresso Book Machine availability, an Amazon Look Inside excerpt, and copies of the production files. Every program is described as a "Non-exclusive Contract and Author Can Cancel at Any Time."

Hardcover, color and ebook pricing

The hardcover combo is included in The Works. With the other packages, choosing it at sign-up costs "only $499-$699, depending on the package you chose," and adding it later costs $867; the site says processing both editions together "saves us and our authors a ton of time."

Color interiors carry extra formatting fees of $7.50 per page and $8.50 per image, quoted once the file is uploaded. The site warns that color books cost more to print and so have "significantly higher" minimum list prices, and recommends black and white interiors where possible. Basic epub conversion covers books with two or fewer graphics and an automated table of contents; more complex ebooks may cost extra, with the examples of $3.00 per extra photo and $10.00 per table. Ebook publication is optional.

Turnaround, proofs and distribution

The chart gives paperback publication "in approx. 1 month" and an expedited service for "Paperback publication in approx. 2 weeks!" Every author must receive and approve a print galley, "the first printed, bound copy," before the title goes on sale, after approving the final interior PDF.

For D.I.Y. files, a person at BookLocker checks the first set of interior and cover files free and sends a list of formatting or design errors. If the second set still contains errors, a $45 spec-check fee applies to each further file. D.I.Y. authors can upgrade to full service at any time, and the site tells authors who are "not adept at MSWord and design programs" not to sign up for D.I.Y.

Print books are submitted to "Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Target.com, Walmart.com, BooksAMillion.com, Chapters/Indigo, and Thousands of Other Online Retailers Across the Globe," with listings in "More than 40K Retail, Library, and School/College Systems." Ebooks go to Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, Apple, Kobo, Overdrive and Google Play. The first year's $18 annual file hosting fee is included in all print programs and keeps the book in BookLocker's, the printer's and Ingram's systems; the page calls Ingram "the largest book distributor" and says there are no hosting fees for ebooks.

Production files and cancellation terms

BookLocker states that authors own their production files, the print-ready cover and interior PDFs, and can request them any time after they are uploaded to the printer, contrasting this with competitors it says charge "hundreds of dollars extra" or refuse. A request made more than 10 days after terminating the contract costs $35 to pull the files from the archive.

If an author cancels after paying but before any file transmission or formatting work, BookLocker keeps a 25% cancellation fee. Once files have been transmitted or work on the book or cover has begun, no refunds are given, and "Refunds are not permitted on D.I.Y. projects." The full contract is linked from the page.

Marketing help

Authors get free copies of two BookLocker marketing books, a daily online promotion plan and a list of book selling tips, plus free one-on-one marketing advice by correspondence. The company says it does not sell marketing services, arguing that such packages "usually cost far more than any resulting book sales," and links to recommended book publicists for authors who want to outsource promotion. A "Better Deal Request" form lets authors with a book at another self-publishing company ask whether BookLocker can beat their terms, and a separate page lists "six reasons why BookLocker would not be a good match for you."

What authors say

The homepage shows reviews posted on BBB. Attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, is quoted saying "The ebook royalties are the highest I've ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average" and that BookLocker is "selective and won't publish any manuscript just because it's accompanied by a check." One reviewer calls it "a family-run business." Others praise help with a first novel and a revised edition, and one tells writers they "will not be hounded relentlessly to follow through" after asking questions.

Who it suits

BookLocker suits a US author who wants a fixed package price covering formatting, an original cover, ISBNs, a print proof and distribution to the major online retailers, with a human checking files and direct access to the owner. D.I.Y. authors with professional PDFs can publish for $499 while keeping their production files.

It fits less well an author who wants to spend almost nothing upfront, a color-heavy book on a tight budget, or anyone who may change their mind after work starts, given the no-refund terms.