Start with a conversation, not a package. Tell us the working title, genre, intended readership, word count, your aims, preferred timing and any realistic route you already have to readers. Do not send the manuscript with the first enquiry. If Casover looks like a useful fit, we will confirm the scope and cost of the manuscript critique and explain how to send the file.
That is what the manuscript critique is designed to establish. It is an honest read of the complete manuscript, not a sample. It examines structure, character or authority, voice, theme, sentence-level craft, continuity and genre fit, then turns the findings into an ordered revision plan and a publishing recommendation. You receive the diagnosis whether you continue with Casover or not.
No. You can use Casover's free courses and author community while you prepare, or contact us to plan around a realistic manuscript date. Paid work normally makes most sense once there is enough of the book to assess properly. We will tell you if the sensible next step is simply to keep writing.
No. A lack of followers does not disqualify a book, but it changes the route. Casover works with three broad situations: an established audience, a reachable niche or an audience still to prove. If demand is uncertain, we strengthen or test the proposition before recommending a full website, print commitment or substantial campaign spend.
Casover's publishing experience includes crime, historical fiction, children's books, memoir and erotica. We are comfortable working with lawful adult erotica involving consenting adults, subject to retailer and platform requirements. Every project is assessed individually for subject, readership, manuscript stage, practical fit and the specialist support it may need. The first exchange will tell you plainly whether Casover is suitable; an enquiry does not guarantee acceptance.
No. The initial enquiry checks whether a useful conversation is possible and whether Casover is the right fit. We may recommend further writing or specialist help, another publishing route, a smaller test, a pause or a decision not to proceed. The right answer is more important than turning every enquiry into paid work.
It is professional publishing support delivered as one connected operation while the author remains in control. Casover can coordinate editorial work, reader positioning, design, production, retailer setup, an author-owned platform and launch activity. The sequence is adapted to the book and its route to readers. You pay for agreed work; you do not give Casover an ongoing share of the book.
Casover is a fee-for-service managed independent-publishing business. It is not a traditional deal: Casover does not acquire a licence to publish your book in return for paying you an advance and royalties. It is not a royalty-sharing hybrid arrangement. You are the independent publisher and rights holder; Casover manages agreed professional work and leaves the accounts, assets and income under your control.
Because editing, design, distribution and promotion are expensive ways to discover that the book or its route is not ready. The critique establishes what needs attention, what can be left alone, who the realistic readers are and what the largest sensible next commitment should be. It is a standalone result, not a sales consultation disguised as an assessment.
You receive a full written critique, an ordered revision plan, a publishing-route recommendation with its reasoning, an honest assessment of reachable readers and book-specific risks, suggested categories and keywords, and a recommended retail price in pounds. The critique costs £295 up to 80,000 words and £375 from 80,000 to 120,000 words. Longer manuscripts are quoted before you commit.
Then you will know why and what to do next. The recommendation might be further revision, a follow-up critique, specialist editing, a demand test, a different route, a pause or a decision to stop. No later stage is compulsory. A difficult answer that prevents unnecessary spending is a useful publishing result.
Yes. Services can be agreed individually or through Book Ready, Launch Ready or the Complete Journey. If you already have suitable editing, design, files or accounts, tell us. We will assess what can be used, what must be checked and which gaps genuinely remain rather than asking you to buy completed work again.
The manuscript critique is £295, or £375 for 80,000 to 120,000 words. Book Ready is £945, or £1,145 over 80,000 words. Launch Ready is £695. The Complete Journey is £1,795, or £2,095 over 80,000 words. Individual services start at £95. The live What You Receive page lists every deliverable and current price; your written quote controls the work you actually commission.
No. Each stage is agreed and paid before it starts, so your normal commitment is the stage in front of you. The critique is paid in full at the outset. If you choose to commit to several stages together, equal monthly instalments can be set out in writing on request. A quote is not an invoice and an enquiry is not a contract.
There can be, depending on the route you approve. Examples include commissioned artwork, an author landing page, advertising spend, printing or proof copies, platform charges and specialist suppliers. They are not quietly added. Third-party costs, exclusions and dependencies must be itemised or explained in the written scope and approved before they are incurred.
Yes. Each paid stage is intended to end with a substantial result, an acceptance check and a clear choice to continue, pause or stop. You keep the completed, paid-for deliverables covered by the agreement. Any third-party licence, non-recoverable cost or unfinished work is handled under the written terms for that stage.
Your statutory rights are unaffected. For an online consumer service contract, a 14-day cancellation period will generally apply, subject to the law and any exceptions. If you ask us to begin during that period and then cancel, you may have to pay a reasonable amount for work already completed. The service agreement states the project-specific stages, third-party costs and refund arrangements.
Use the Managed Publishing quote request and select only the steps you are considering, or choose 'Not sure yet - please advise'. We will send an itemised written quote. It should show the scope, exclusions, responsibilities, timetable, fees, payment stages, approval points and important third-party dependencies before a contract is formed.
Casover operates as a transparent fee-for-service publishing partner. You pay agreed professional fees, but Casover does not take your copyright or an ongoing share of royalties, hold your retailer income or lock you into an unchosen programme. The safeguards are practical: itemised scope, author-controlled accounts, clear approval gates, no promise of commercial success and a genuine right to stop after each stage.
You retain your manuscript, copyright and pre-existing rights. You give Casover only the permissions reasonably needed to assess the work and deliver the agreed service. Any licence needed for publication, commissioned artwork, stock assets or specialist material is stated in the agreement rather than assumed.
The aim is an author-owned outcome with no practical lock-in. Your retailer, domain, hosting, email and payment accounts are opened or retained under your control wherever the platform allows. Final deliverables and any included source files are handed over as stated in the written scope, normally once the relevant work has been paid for. Third-party licences may carry their own terms.
No. Casover takes no continuing royalty share. Retailers, distributors, printers, payment providers and sales channels may deduct their normal charges before paying the balance, but Casover does not add an ongoing percentage. Royalties and direct-sales income should flow to author-controlled accounts.
The route plan records the ISBN and imprint decision for each format. Where an ISBN, retailer record or supplier relationship is created for your project, the practical objective is that it remains available to you and is not used to hold the book hostage. The written scope confirms the registrant, account access and handover arrangements before publication.
Casover is AI-assisted, human-directed, evidence-checked and author-centred. Appropriate tools may support research, analysis, consistency checking, planning and administration. They do not make the publishing decisions or replace the author, editor, designer, publicist or other specialist. A responsible person reviews, challenges and corrects the work, and nothing is published, uploaded, advertised or sent in your name without your approval.
Retailer declarations must be accurate. Amazon KDP currently requires disclosure of AI-generated text, images or translations, but not content that is only AI-assisted. Other services may use different rules, and requirements can change. We ask enough to classify the material correctly, check rights and provenance, and complete the applicable retailer questions honestly. If you are unsure, we discuss it with you.
Yes. The manuscript is your work and your editorial judgement matters. Recommendations should explain the problem, evidence and options rather than silently rewriting the book into a house style. You approve material editorial, design, pricing, metadata and publication decisions. Specialist craft and technology support the work; authorship and accountability remain human.
Your manuscript remains your material. Casover uses it only as reasonably needed to assess the project and deliver the agreed work. The project scope should identify any specialist or material technology involvement, and important confidentiality, provenance and access requirements are controlled as part of the service. If your manuscript contains sensitive or third-party material, raise that before sending it.
Amazon KDP is normally the core Amazon route, set up under author control. Wider distribution, direct sales, premium print or a publisher-first route are added when the evidence supports them. No retailer or distributor is guaranteed to accept, retain, rank or sell a title, but the files, metadata and submission are prepared and checked for the approved route.
Retail availability is not the same as shop stocking. A distribution route may allow a bookseller to order a title, but it does not make a shop buy copies, display them or accept them on favourable terms. If trade availability matters to your book, we will explain the metadata, discount, returns, print and demand factors involved before recommending the route.
The standard route can cover ebook, paperback and hardback. The exact formats, trim size, paper, colour, binding and channels are agreed for the book rather than selected by habit. Interior and cover files are production-checked, followed by proof and release controls before publication.
Not necessarily. Casover starts with the smallest justified author-owned foundation. That may be a focused landing page on your own domain with an email sign-up, buy or pre-order links, a biography and press material. A full website, CRM or checkout is recommended only when the audience evidence and continuing plan justify the spend.
Casover can build and manage a practical launch plan: pre-orders or waiting lists, supporters, advance readers, review activity, press, email, social content, advertising setup and measurement. The plan reflects your readers, reach, timetable and approved budget. Marketing work creates opportunities and evidence; it cannot manufacture demand or replace the author's participation.
No. Casover guarantees the agreed professional work, not a commercial outcome. Sales, reviews, media coverage, rankings, awards and profit depend on the book, market, price, distribution, promotion, timing, author activity and third-party decisions. Any publisher or service provider promising a particular result without evidence deserves careful scrutiny.
There is no honest single timetable for every book. Length, manuscript condition, revision rounds, author approvals, specialist availability and retailer checks all affect the schedule. Before you pay, the written scope confirms the delivery timetable for the stage in front of you. A target publication date is a planning input, not a promise made before the work is assessed.
Yes. Approval points are built into the journey. You approve material editorial decisions, cover direction and proofs, prices, metadata, retailer setup, messages and advertising before release. You are also responsible for the final accuracy of names, claims, permissions and other content you approve. Nothing is published automatically in your name.
Yes. Tell us about the earlier edition, ISBNs, retailer and distributor accounts, source files, rights, sales history, reviews and any reason for republishing. We assess what can be retained, what needs correction and whether a new edition or another route is justified. Existing publication does not mean every asset must be rebuilt.
Yes. The enquiry and quote forms ask for the manuscript language so editing can follow the correct convention. If the book uses another form of English or requires work in another language, explain that at enquiry stage. We will confirm whether Casover and any required specialist are suitable before accepting the work.
Yes. Tell us both your legal name and the name you write under when the relevant account, contract or retailer process requires it. Public-facing author details can use the approved pen name, while private business and payment records remain accurate.
The work does not end with an upload. The launch route includes a 30-day results review, and the wider journey records performance, agreed corrections and the next practical 90-day plan for readers, reviews, promotion and the next book. The purpose is to replace vague activity with evidence and a manageable continuation plan.
Casover is led by Steve Castledine and is a trading name of Draft2Book LLP, registered in England and Wales. Steve brings 18 years of Royal Navy service, more than 40 years of business experience and practical independent-publishing work dating from 2012. Casover's public catalogue shows the work; it is evidence of delivery, not a claim that every title was commercially successful.
Start a conversation. Share the working title, genre, intended readership, approximate word count, manuscript stage, publishing aims, preferred timing and any existing route to readers. Do not send the manuscript with the first enquiry. We will reply personally and tell you whether a conversation is useful and what the most sensible next step is.
Casover deliberately works with a limited number of authors so that each project receives proper attention. We normally accept no more than two manuscript critiques a month and keep only one complete publishing journey in active production at a time, with no more than two substantial client projects open overall. If we are at capacity, we will say so promptly, give you a realistic indication of the next available start and offer a waiting-list place where appropriate. We would rather set an honest timetable than take your money and leave you waiting.