About Small Press Distribution: A Ghostwriting and Publishing Team That Puts Authors First

Small Press Distribution has a long history in independent publishing. The name goes back to 1969, when it began as a nonprofit distributor that carried books from small presses to readers, libraries and booksellers. For decades it championed poetry, fiction and nonfiction that larger publishers often passed over, and its bestseller lists from 2006 to 2023 are now a record of what small-press readers were buying.

The original organization closed in 2024. The business has since been acquired by new ownership, together with its portfolio, and it continues today with a wider mission: helping authors write, publish and market books while keeping ownership of their work. You can explore the past in our bestseller archive, and see what we do now in our services.

We started with a plain observation. People with valuable stories and real expertise were being shut out of publishing, or were paying separately for editing, design, formatting and marketing, then coordinating freelancers who never spoke to each other. The result was often a book that did not reflect the effort behind it.

So we built one team that could take an author from first idea to finished book, to the standards a traditional house expects, while leaving ownership, control and royalties with the author. The name says it. Small presses are where distinctive voices find a home, and distribution is what puts a book within a reader's reach. Our book publishing services carry that idea through to launch. Today the scale is bigger, but every project still gets treated as a book we would be proud to put on our own shelves.

Values only count when they cost something. These are the choices we make even when another choice would be easier.

• Authors own their work. Copyright, credit and royalties belong to you. We never take a percentage of earnings.
• Your voice comes first. Our writers and editors make the book sound more like you, not more like us.
• Honesty over sales. If another route would serve your book better, we will tell you.
• Quality is not optional. We do not cut review stages to hit a deadline, and a separate proofreader checks the final pages.
• Transparent pricing. Fixed quotes, milestone payments and no hidden fees.
• Long-term partnership. We plan each project as if you will come back for the next book, and many authors do.

Your project is staffed by specialists: ghostwriters, developmental editors, copyeditors and proofreaders, cover designers and typesetters, publishing specialists who handle ISBNs and distribution, and marketers who focus on books. We match them to your genre and subject, not just to whoever is free. When the fit is right, the collaboration feels less like hiring a vendor and more like working with a trusted colleague.

One project manager is your single point of contact and keeps the schedule, gathers your feedback and makes sure nothing is missed. See our full range of services or meet our authors to see the work.

These are the practices you can hold us to, on every project and every package. We publish them so you can check us against them. If something in your finished book falls short, tell us and we will put it right.

• A written scope and fixed quote before work starts, with pricing split into milestones.
• Revision rounds at each key stage, with tracked changes and clear explanations.
• A style sheet for consistency, following the Chicago Manual of Style and US conventions.
• Confidentiality terms for the team members who handle your material.
• Original writing, delivered by professionals, and never recycled text.
• Replies within one business day, and early notice if anything changes.
• Files, rights and your ISBN set up in your name.

We have published more than 250 books, worked with over 170 authors and helped more than 50 titles reach bestseller status in their categories. We never guarantee that outcome for yours, because no honest publisher can. Behind the numbers are founders, experts, novelists and families who wanted a book they could be proud of.

Where authors have given permission, you can see their work in our portfolio and read their words on our testimonials page.

Our office is on W Troy St, Dothan, AL 36303, and visits are by appointment. Most authors work with us remotely by phone, video and email, and we can schedule calls across US time zones. Call +1 205-210-8070 or contact us.

Get a free consultation and meet the team, or submit your manuscript to get started today. You will hear from a real person within one business day.