Know what happens between your idea and your finished book.

1. Define the book and the work

Describe the intended reader, genre, manuscript condition, approximate word count and planned formats. An idea, a partly written draft and an edited manuscript need different support. List the tasks you want to handle yourself and those you want Greenfield to scope.

The proposal should identify deliverables, responsibilities, review rounds, schedule assumptions and pricing. Original ghostwriting is different from the manuscript typing included in our publishing packages. Clarify the distinction before choosing a package.

2. Develop or prepare the manuscript

If writing is included, agree the outline and a voice sample before expanding the draft. Identify the sources, interviews and permissions required. If you already have a manuscript, establish which version will be edited and keep later author changes organized.

For complex projects, choose one person to consolidate feedback. A clear review process protects the author's voice and keeps conflicting comments from becoming repeated revisions. Business authors and memoir authors can use our dedicated pages to prepare the brief.

3. Edit before final production

Structure, clarity, consistency and final errors are different editorial concerns. Confirm the stages your manuscript needs. Large structural changes should be resolved before final typesetting; proofreading then checks the laid-out publication files.

Use the editing and proofreading comparison to discuss the scope. Your proposal should say how edits are presented, how you respond and which passes are included.

4. Prepare covers, interiors and book information

Confirm the title, author name, description and edition details. Cover concepts can develop while other work progresses, but a print spine needs the final production specifications. The print interior and ebook may need different files and checks.

A useful approval asks more than whether the page looks attractive. Check heading hierarchy, captions, contents, reading order and the relationship between the cover and interior. See the formatting checklist and Greenfield cover collection.

5. Review a proof and approve corrections

Review the relevant digital preview or physical proof for each planned edition. Record corrections against one identified file version. Check that corrections appear in the next export and that they have not created new page or line breaks elsewhere.

Keep a written approval point before releasing the files. If substantial content changes are still arriving, update the schedule and review scope so the next version can receive the checks it needs.

6. Confirm delivery, accounts and distribution

Agree which files you receive, who manages publishing accounts, how access is arranged and which distribution channels are included. Availability through an ordering channel does not guarantee stocking, sales or reader reviews.

Our Basic, Standard and Premium packages list different page ranges, bookstore counts and launch inclusions. ISBN, copyright registration and LCCN are different services; applicable requirements and eligibility should be confirmed in the proposal. The Library of Congress PCN program, for example, has eligibility rules and does not promise that every submitted book will join its collection.

A project brief you can use today

• Book: genre, working title and intended reader.
• Material: idea, notes, recordings, partial draft or finished manuscript.
• Scope: writing, editing, cover, formatting, publishing or launch support.
• Length and formats: current word count, illustrations and planned editions.
• People: author, interview participants, reviewers and final approver.
• Timing: preferred date and how much time you can give to review.

These details help us discuss an appropriate scope. Contact us for pricing; there is no need to share confidential manuscript files in the first enquiry.