Our Services

Branding

For those who are establishing an author brand for their careers. Contrarian will pair you with one of our branding professionals to help you curate a brand aesthetic that will let readers know what to expect from your books just by taking a single glance at your website or social media page. We'll also provide you with assets to get you started!

All sample assets below were designed for author M.B. Thurman.

Branding Guide

Branding isn't just about one book—it's about every book you're ever going to write. It's about how readers will perceive you. With the right branding, your readers will know they've found the author they're looking for with just a single glance at your website, social media page, merchandise, or vendor booth.

Includes a branding guide, an author logo, three starter graphics, and examples of how to utilize your branding.

Starts at $500

Author Logo Suite

Author logos are just one part of your branding, but they're an important part. We'll provide you with a logo and icon kit that will help you stand out.

Perfect for use on websites, social media graphics, mailing lists and more.

Included with the Branding Guide.

Starts at a price of $150

Social Media Templates

In today's day and age, social media is a necessary marketing tool, and we can help ensure your social media has a seamless look across all your titles. We'll set up a graphic creation tool with templates and sample graphics that will set you on the path to success to create your own graphics moving forward!

Discounted rate available when purchased with Branding Guide. When purchased separately, branding must be provided or assets will be branded to a book.

For more social media help, check out Marketing.

Starts at $300

Website Design

Every author needs a website, and with Contrarian at your side, you can ensure your website has all the professional components necessary to help readers, media, and influencers discover you and your work. Starting price includes a five page website with a media kit.

Discounted rate available when purchased with a Branding Guide. When purchased without a Branding Guide, branding must be provided or will be branded to a single book.

Starts at $700

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Editorial

For those looking for qualified editorial professionals to aid them in the publication process. Contrarian can provide you with developmental editing, line editing, copy editing and proofreading support.

Developmental Editing

Recommended when you’re in search of in-depth feedback for your manuscript.

Developmental Editing often includes a significant restructuring of a manuscript’s discourse, including but not limited to adjustments to elements of structure, plot, character, pacing, theme, and other big picture issues. Includes art notes for picture books and graphic novels.

Starts at $0.018 per pass

Line Editing

Recommended when you are wanting a more granular review of your manuscript.

Line Editing addresses the creative content, writing style, and language use at the sentence and paragraph level, including but not limited to words or sentences that are extraneous or overused, redundancies, clarity in passages. Includes art notes for picture books and graphic novels.

Starts at $0.015 per pass

Copy Editing

Recommended when you’re wanting a polished product prior to publication.

Copy Editing addresses flaws on a technical level, including but not limited to checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax. Copy editing also ensures consistency, flags ambiguous or factually incorrect statements, and tracks macro concerns including but not limited to internal consistency. Includes art notes for picture books and graphic novels.

Starts at $0.013 per pass

Proofreading

Recommended only for novels which have already been formatted.

Proofreading compares the typeset pages to your manuscript, ensuring all the words, punctuation, and pagination are in order. It is also the final checks for typos, grammar, and punctuation. Includes art notes for picture books and graphic novels.

Starts at $0.008 per pass

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Public Relations

For those who want a dedicated publicist to help get word out about their books and brand. Contrarian will help you contact media, arrange PR boxes, reach out to influencers and bookstores, and more.

All samples below were designed for author M.B. Thurman.

Publicity

An oft overlooked part of book publication, Contrarian will provide you with a dedicated publicist who will reach out to media outlets and podcasts, set up events, and more—generating lasting buzz and word of mouth not just about your book, but about you. Includes media training ahead of speaking engagements.

It is highly recommended that you hire a publicist a minimum of 6 months prior to the publication of your book. Published already? That's okay!

This service requires us to first read your book to be sure we're a proper fit.

Starts at $1500 a month

Event Coordination

Want to head to a convention? Interested in setting up an author tour—local or national? Want a digital blog or social media tour instead? We'll help you set everything up, from outreach to conversation partners to booth design and more. We can also come out to assist you at events and conventions!

We require 6 months to set up an ideal book tour. Less time means less ideal results! The minimum required to set up a tour is 3 months ahead of publication. One-off events require less time, though we still recommend a minimum of 3 months for marketing purposes.

Starts at $1000

Sales and Influencer Outreach

It can be hard, especially as an indie author, to get your book noticed by bookstores, libraries, and influencers. We'll help you set up your book so bookstores and libraries are likely to purchase, and then reach out to bookstores, libraries, and influencers on your behalf to get your book noticed and on the shelves.

It is highly recommended that you begin this process a minimum of 6 months prior to the publication of your book. Published already? That's okay!

This service requires us to first read your book to be sure we're a proper fit.

Starts at $1000

PR Boxes

Treat your book like a lead title at a Big 5 publisher, and let us put together and send out custom PR boxes to influencers on your behalf. We've got 3 tiers available: Basic, Pro, and Deluxe.

Basic includes: 5 boxes, a Contrarian-branded white box, a custom bookmark, and a special goody.

Pro includes: 10 boxes, a Contrarian-branded white box, a custom bookmark and sticker, a special goody, and a box for you (including extra bookmarks and stickers).

Deluxe includes: 25 boxes, a custom box branded to your book, a custom bookmark and sticker, a special goody, and a box of your own (including any extra bookmarks and stickers).

Starts at $500

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Self-Publication

For those who want guidance on the self-publishing process. Contrarian will help you devise a timeline, advise you on finding freelancers, aid in setting up your books for print and ebook, and help make the opaque world of publishing clearer.

Publication Consultation

There are a lot of different ways to publish, and it's not always clear how to do it. Let Contrarian make it easier for you. We'll help you create a personal publication plan, navigate the best publication platforms, find the right editor and designers for your project.

Recommended for when you really need personalized guidance from a team of professionals.

Starts at $1000

Registration and Distribution

Want to save yourself the hassle of setting up distribution for your book, getting GoodReads up and running, registering your books for copyright, and more? We've got you covered. Contrarian's team of publication experts will take care of all the admin and the paperwork for you. And you will retain 100% ownership of your work.

Recommended for when you want to focus on the creative work rather than the nitty gritty details.

Starts at $500

Formatting

Not everyone wants to format their own book, and that's okay! Contrarian will set up your book for publication based on your preferred specifications for your intended publication platform following industry-standard book design principles.

Includes formatting for both ebook and physical edition. Does not include cover design or interior or exterior illustration.

Starts at $350

Freelancer Coordination

It can be a hassle to keep track of every person you're working with and what's due when. Let us do the tracking for you. We'll coordinate with your freelancers so you can keep your writing on schedule.

Don't have a freelancer and need one? You can hire us, or we can help you find someone suitable who will fit the bill! With our experience, we know what should be a in a contract, what to look out for, and who you can trust with your book.

Starts at $30 an hour

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Marketing

For those who want marketing help—or a dedicated marketer—to help get word out about their books and brand. Contrarian will help you set up and run your social media, configure your metadata, and run advertisements.

Social Media/Email Management

Social media and email marketing works best when you're consistent with it! But as an author, you need to write, to work on edits, to appear on podcasts. Let us take on the marketing work so you can focus on writing.

We'll create social media graphics for you, post as many times per week as you'd like, manage your comments, engage with the community, send out monthly newsletters, and more.

Starts at $1000 a month

Social Media Asset Creation

Social media is a necessary part of marketing in today's day and age, but it can be such a headache! We keep up with the latest trends as well as creating evergreen content that is proven to be successful so you can post high quality photos and videos about you and your book consistently.

Get as few as one or as many as ten posts created especially for you and your book. The more posts you buy, the less they cost you.

Starts at $125 for 5 posts

Quote Pull and Content Ideas

It can be hard to identify the "marketable" quotes and swoon-worthy moments in your own book. And it's even harder to turn those into content ideas.

Contrarian's team of professionals can pull the best quotes out of our book for you, and we can help you turn those quotes into actionable content ideas that will set you on the path toward thinking about your book and the content around it differently.

Starts at $0.005 per word

Advertising

Marketing isn't all social media. There's still good old-fashioned advertising! Whether it's on social media platforms, through hired influencers, or through websites, everyone needs a professional to help create well-crafted, eye-catching advertisement. Whether you just want ad assets and advise on where to spend, or you need design, planning, and execution, we're ready to help you spread the word about your book.

Starts at $500

Content Calendar

Don't need the assets, just need the ideas? Contrarian can deliver you a personalized calendar for the upcoming month with as many content ideas per week as you need. Beginning with a base of two posts a week, we'll present you a list of evergreen posts that you can queue up and post, as well as suggesting posts coinciding with holidays or special dates that align with your book!

Starts at $100

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Additional Services

Audiobook recording

Audiobooks are all the rage! Work with Contrarian to record your audiobook, whether it be using an actor or by recording the book yourself. Afterward, we can also help you set it up on audiobook services.

Traditional Publishing Consultation

Interested in traditional publishing rather than self-publishing? With ample experience in the traditional publishing field, Contrarian can help advise you on query letters, sample pages, synopses, and more.