Guides, Tools & Templates for Authors
Publishing guides, templates, and reference materials from Caliana Press.
The complete step-by-step guide to publishing your book — formatting, ISBNs, distribution channels, pricing strategy, and launch planning. Everything between your last draft and your first sale.
How to create a professional book cover that sells — genre expectations, typography, color contrast, hiring designers, the thumbnail test, and the mistakes that kill sales before a reader opens the book.
How to write a book description that turns browsers into buyers — hook formulas, fiction vs. nonfiction structure, the cliffhanger ending, author bios, keywords, and why your synopsis is killing your sales.
How to craft a book title that sells — genre-specific formulas, subtitle strategy for nonfiction, series naming conventions, trademark checking, and the tests that separate forgettable titles from unforgettable ones.
How to build an author platform that drives book sales — website setup, email list building, social media strategy, Goodreads optimization, launch teams, ARC readers, and the content engine that keeps readers coming back.
The complete guide to book metadata — categories, keywords, BISAC codes, ISBN strategy, series metadata, and the difference between discoverability and visibility that determines whether your book gets found or buried.
The definitive reference for print-on-demand book specifications — all 16 trim sizes, 6 binding types, 4 paper stocks, 4 interior ink options, cover finishes, and ebook formats with practical guidance on when and why to use each one.
File prep, bleed settings, margins, export specifications, and the formatting differences between KDP Print and IngramSpark that cause upload rejections. A complete walkthrough for indie publishers.
A complete, screen-by-screen guide to building A+ Content for your book listings on Amazon — from Brand Registry enrollment to module selection, image specs, content strategy, and submission.
KDP Print and IngramSpark both offer color printing — but the ink types, paper stocks, cost structures, and quality levels are different. Here's a side-by-side breakdown with real pricing so you can make the right call.
Should you go exclusive with Amazon KDP Select or distribute wide across all platforms? The answer depends on your genre, audience, and business goals. Here's the full breakdown with real revenue data.
The definitive book production guide for indie publishers — interior formatting, cover layout, spine calculations, file preparation, color management, ebook conversion, and platform-specific requirements for KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu, Draft2Digital, Apple Books, and more.
Everything indie authors need to know about building a professional author website — from page structure and essential content to email lists, SEO, and the mistakes that cost you readers. A Caliana Press A+ resource.
How Caliana Press runs ARC, beta, and street readers across seven retail platforms — delivery, cadence, and the failure modes that kill most launches.
A free 41-page guide for practitioners, coaches, consultants, and experts writing their first book. From blank page to finished draft in four to six months.
A publisher-grade reference on ISBNs for self-published books — what the thirteen digits actually mean, when you need one, when you don't, what Bowker charges in 2026, and why the KDP free option can quietly cost you more than $125.
