Resource
How publishing works
From acquisition to printed copy: a short, honest walkthrough.
Most writers come to us with a strong instinct about their book and very little idea of what happens after they press send. Publishing is less mysterious than it looks, and a great deal more careful than it is given credit for. Here is what actually happens.
Acquisition
An editor reads your proposal. If we believe in it, we ask for more — usually the full manuscript or further sample chapters. Discussion at this stage is private; we do not announce books we have not yet acquired.
Editorial development
Once a book is acquired, an editor works alongside the author through several rounds — structural editing first, then line editing, then copy editing. The aim is not to flatten the writer's voice but to make it unmistakable.
Design and production
Cover design, typesetting and proofreading happen in parallel. We treat the cover as part of the argument, not as decoration. Most books at Prestige go through three or four cover directions before settling.
Sales, marketing and publicity
Around six months before publication, the book enters our sales catalogue. Marketing and publicity work begins — review copies go out, retailer briefings are scheduled, the author's publication-week activity is mapped.
Publication and afterwards
Publication day matters; the year that follows matters more. We keep working on books across their first year and beyond — through reviews, festivals, paperback editions, audiobook adaptations and translation deals.
Letters from the editors