Most authors do not fear the work of publishing. They fear the maze: one tool for editing, another for formatting, a designer somewhere else, a platform account after that, and a contract they do not fully understand waiting at the end.
Folio Authors was built to remove the maze. It is publishing software that carries a book from raw manuscript to live listing in one place, and this guide walks through exactly how it happens, step by step, so you know what publishing your book actually looks like before you start.
Before the Steps: Your Book, Prepared in the Same Place
Publishing is the last stage, not the first. Inside Folio, your book passes through the same dashboard the whole way:
- Assessment: the tool reads your manuscript and reports honestly on its readiness. Your first 6 pages are assessed free.
- Editing: the editing tool works through your book and presents its findings for your review. Your first 500 words are edited free, and the full tool unlocks on the Standard plan.
- Formatting: one click formatting builds your print and ebook files, with DOCX and EPUB downloads on Standard.
- Cover: Cover Studio gives you templates, customisation, and book based cover generation, with a 3D preview before anything goes to print.
Free plan authors can try all of this on their real book. The Standard plan, $150 one time per book, unlocks everything for the whole manuscript. Authors who want people instead of tools can choose Humanize services, such as a human assessment for $100, a dedicated editor at $3 per page, or a custom cover for $99, and pay only for what they pick, after approving a final quote.
When the book is ready, publishing itself takes five screens.
Step 1: Add Your Book Details
Title, subtitle, genre, keywords, description, and the list price for each format you want to sell. This is your book's shop window, so Folio asks for it first and lets you save a draft and return any time. Here you also make your ISBN decision: take a free ISBN from Folio, or use your own if you bought one and want to be the publisher of record. Our ISBN guide explains that choice.
Step 2: Pick Your Cover
Choose the cover you made in Cover Studio, or bring the design you prepared. Because your interior is already formatted at this point, the cover is built against the real page count and trim size of your book, which is the order professionals use and the reason covers fit properly the first time.
Step 3: Choose Your Plan and Your Platforms
Now you decide how widely your book launches. Folio's team handles the setup and submission for whichever you choose:
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | $99 one time | Your book live on the biggest bookstore, Kindle ebook and paperback |
| 3 Platforms | $399 one time | Any 3 stores from the network, including Amazon KDP, Apple Books and Kobo |
| 10 Platforms | $799 one time | Any 10 of the 12 main platforms, wide reach without managing each store |
| Global Online Distribution | $1,299 one time | More than 10,000 online platforms worldwide |
| Global Physical Distribution | Custom quote | Print books with distributors and bookstores, for selected authors |
Every plan includes the free ISBN option, and you set the list price for each format yourself. The full details are on our publishing page.
Step 4: Review and Pay
You see every detail of your book and your plan on one review screen: the metadata, the cover, the prices, the platforms. Nothing is submitted and nothing is charged until this step, and Humanize services are never charged until you approve a final quote. Check it like a reader would, then confirm.
Step 5: We Submit, Your Book Goes Live
Folio's team submits your book to the platforms you chose. Stores run their own review before a listing appears, which usually takes a few days depending on the platform, and your publishing dashboard shows where things stand. When the listings go live, your book is on sale under your name, at your prices, earning the stores' standard author royalties.
And after launch, the same dashboard holds your audiobook and marketing tools, so the next stage of your book's life starts in the place the last one finished.
What Folio Never Does
It never takes your rights. It never takes a share of your royalties. It never locks your book into a contract you cannot leave. Your files are yours, your prices are yours, your catalogue is yours. This is the whole idea behind the software: publishing help that behaves like a tool you own, not a gatekeeper you rent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to publish with Folio Authors?
Preparing the book depends on you: the tools work in minutes, and authors who want human services work to an agreed schedule. Once you confirm at the review step, Folio submits your book, and platform reviews usually complete within a few days.
What do I need before I start?
A finished manuscript and a free Folio account. The assessment, editing, formatting, and cover stages all happen inside Folio, so you do not need files prepared anywhere else first.
How much does the whole journey cost?
Start at $0 on the Free plan. The full tool set is $150 one time per book on Standard. Publishing starts at $99 for Amazon KDP and rises with reach, up to $1,299 for global online distribution. Optional human services are priced per service and charged only after you approve a quote.
Do I keep my rights and royalties?
Yes, completely. Your book is published in your name, you set the prices, the stores pay their standard author royalties on your sales, and Folio takes no share of either your rights or your royalties.
Can I publish on Amazon only, and expand later?
Yes. Many authors start with the $99 Amazon KDP plan and widen their distribution once the book is selling. Your book details and files are already in your dashboard, which makes expanding a short step rather than a new project.
The Bottom Line
Publishing a book should feel like finishing one: clear steps, honest prices, and your name on the cover and the rights page alike. Five screens, one dashboard, no maze. Create your free Folio Authors account, bring your manuscript, and let your first 6 pages be assessed today. Your book has waited long enough.
Folio Authors: Publishing Software to Replace all Vanity Press. Save time. Save money. Keep every right.