The printed book is a work of art. We are not a major publishing house, a vanity press, nor a print on demand publisher. As a small press we offer a variety of services. We occasionally choose special projects as publications for Thunder Rain Publishing Corp.

My services include book designing, writing, editing, proofing, and publishing. I have published, edited, proofed, and designed books since 1996. My experience in the publishing industry began in the 70s for the journalism department at Loyola University in New Orleans as the typesetter for The Maroon, Loyola's newspaper; the Loyola Law Review; and the New Orleans Press Club Newsletter. In the 80s I worked on the safety manual for the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. I have edited, designed, and created books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction since 1996. I held the position of production and design editor, as well as managing editor of Louisiana Literature Press at Southeastern Louisiana University. I continue to design books for Louisiana Literature Press and Thunder Rain Publishing.

We work on various titles performing a variety of services. We work directly with editors, publishers, and authors. Our fees vary depending on the services we perform and the agreement we make with you. We consider each project on its merits and the job that we are hired to do.

For a free consultation, please email me to discuss your project. After discussing the details of your project, I will email a quote to you. You can download and complete a request for quote for design and layout services to receive a quote within 48 hours. There is no obligation. You will receive a confirmation that we have received your request, but I will not contact you directly, unless you respond by email that you accept the quote. For additional information about other services, please feel free to email me.

If you decide to hire me for book designing, simply fax or email me a copy of your signed quote. After I receive it, I will fax or email you a simple contract stating that I agree to do your project as outlined in the quote; you retain full copyright, and you agree to pay me. I require a fifty percent deposit to begin and the remaining amount is due upon completion of my work. Payment can be made by check, money order, Paypal, or credit card. Payments via credit card or paypal can be made through our secure server.

Please edit and proofread your manuscript before sending it for layout and design. If you require editing and proofreading services, please email me for separate charges of the editing and proofing services. If you are ready for the layout and design of your manuscript, please forward your manuscript in Microsoft Word or Word Perfect as an attachment through email or copy to a CD and mail it to Thunder Rain Publishing, Attn: Katherine Tracy, 603 Hickory St., Thibodaux, LA 70301. It is usually better not to format your manuscript, except to separate paragraphs by double spacing. Please send specific directions along with your manuscript.

The ISBN is the International Standard Book Number assigned to your book. As a publisher, we retain a unique block of ISBN numbers registered to our company. If you are a publisher, you must acquire your own unique block of ISBN numbers through the U.S. ISBN Agency, of which R R Bowker is the exclusive US source of publisher prefixes. As your publisher, we can assign one of our ISBN numbers to your book, listing your title under our company. Note that soft covers and hard covers require two independent ISBNs as required by the U.S. ISBN Agency. If your book is listed published by our company, we will supply the book with a barcode.

The interior design consists of layout and design of all interior pages including the front matter (which may consist of title page(s), copyright page, dedication, acknowledgments, contents, preface, foreword and introduction) and back matter (biographies, references, index, and glossary). You can approve the design and style of your book at the beginning of the project. I will create several pages from the front matter along with two pages from the first chapter, depending on your project, so that you can approve layout and style. Files are converted into PDF files and emailed to you for your approval.

After layout and interior design has been completed, during the revision process, a PDF copy will be emailed to you for your review. After the first round of revisions is made, I will forward you a second round of revisions for final review. After your final review and satisfaction, you will email confirmation of your satisfaction and that we are ready to go to press. Note that major revisions, such as large amount of text or additional graphics that have not be previously included or agreed upon may require a new quote.

The cover is usually the first reference to your book so you want something that will spark your reader. The cover design depends on your book and you. We create cover designs as part of the complete design package or as a separate service, depending on your request. Our covers are designed with Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. I work directly with you to create the cover that you desire. I suggest cover designs upon your request. After the desired effect has been approved, I supply up to three rounds of revisions for your approval. At that time, you can request any change that you want. If you supply specific graphic images, I require high resolution. We can supply graphics and artwork upon request.

If you have a preferred printer, please include contact and phone number in the original quote so that I can obtain all print specifications. You are responsible for your print cost, and the job is turned over to you at that point unless prior arrangements are made. Documents are converted from Adobe InDesign to PDF according to your printer's specifications. Final documents and graphics are packaged on CD with instructions to the printer or uploaded to a specific site.

If you have a deadline, you must stipulate the date in your quote. Most jobs range from 4-8 weeks, but can go shorter or longer depending on the job. Our time frame begins and ends according to the time it takes to layout and design the project. I do not recommend rush jobs, but for an additional fee, I will commit to a deadline. The time it takes to print the actual book is not included in our deadline, which is stipulated as an approximate date by the printer (usually about four weeks). Most books are shipped directly to the author or publisher from the printer, depending on your agreement with us.

Your book is a reflection of our company and we demand COMPLETE SATISFACTION from our clients. During the final steps of completion, we will send you a job survey to verify the job has been completed according to your specifications. I work on a one-on-one basis throughout the layout and design process to guarantee full satisfaction. As your publisher we include one web page with an announcement of your book on our website. Depending on our agreement and the work we do, we feature your books on our website. Other information can be included upon request with a link to your website. If we supply our ISBN, you will be listed in Bowker's Books in Print under our company name where buyers can find information about your book. Our publications can be purchased directly through us or found on alibris.com.

Click Request for Quote to receive a quote on your next book.