Before you submit
your manuscript.
One page, everything you need to know — what we publish, how the model works, what it costs, what you keep, and what happens next. No call or email required.
What kinds of books do we publish?
Yes, we accept fiction — including contemporary romance — alongside these categories:
- Fiction, including contemporary romance
- Memoir & biography
- Religious & Islamic books
- Academic & educational
- Children's books
- Poetry
- Business & professional
- Self-development
- History & culture
Accepting your manuscript for review isn't automatic endorsement of its content. Every manuscript goes through a basic suitability review, and some may need a legal or technical publishing assessment before we proceed.
How Chance Publishers' publishing model works
Chance Publishers provides professional author-funded publishing services. You choose the publishing support you need — editing, design, production, publication — and pay a service fee for it. You retain ownership and control over your book throughout, per our publishing agreement.
Traditional publishing
The publisher selects manuscripts and usually bears the cost of publication, in exchange for agreed publishing rights and royalties.
Author-funded / professional publishing services
You pay for the professional services you need, while retaining agreed ownership and control according to the publishing agreement.
Hybrid publishing
May combine features of both models, depending on the specific contractual arrangement — not currently Chance's standard model.
What it costs
These are publishing-service fees — not bulk-printing prices. See exactly what each package includes on the packages page.
Why is printing separate?
Printing cost depends on things that vary book to book: number of copies, page count, book size, paper type, black-and-white vs. colour interior, and binding/finishing. A price that's fair for one book would overcharge or undercharge for another, so it's quoted individually with our printing estimate tool.
I only have an idea, not a finished manuscript — what does that cost?
The Bronze/Silver/Gold fees above are for a manuscript that's ready for editorial and design work. If you have an idea but haven't written it yet, manuscript development, interviewing, ghostwriting and writing support are separate services, quoted according to how much work is required. Tell us about your idea and we'll advise on the next step.
What happens to my manuscript?
We work on structure, clarity, flow and consistency, while preserving your voice.
The final pass after layout — spelling, grammar, punctuation and consistency.
Front cover, spine and back cover designed as one professional package.
Your manuscript is converted into properly formatted, print-ready book pages.
Before bulk printing, you get a physical (or appropriate digital) sample to check cover, pages, layout and colour. Bulk production only starts after you approve it.
Printing — separate from publishing
Your publishing package fee covers the services above. Bulk printing is quoted separately, based on:
- Number of copies
- Number of pages
- Book size / trim
- Paper type
- Black & white or full-colour interior
- Binding & finishing
Bulk printing begins only after you've approved the final book/sample and confirmed the printing quotation. Try the printing estimate tool for a starting figure.
Distribution & e-books — accurately, not optimistically
Amazon
We can assist with preparing and uploading an eligible book to Amazon (paperback and Kindle e-book), using your own Kindle Direct Publishing account. Your account, pricing, and royalties stay entirely yours — we simply request authorized-user access so we can manage the listing.
E-books
We support Kindle e-book listing via your own Amazon KDP account. We don't currently produce standalone EPUB files outside of that.
Physical bookstores (Kenya & beyond)
Bookstore placement and wider distribution may be arranged or supported on a case-by-case basis, depending on the title, quantity, retailer terms and any distribution agreement in place at the time. We don't guarantee shelf placement in bookstores across Kenya, East Africa or internationally.
Who owns my book?
Your manuscript remains your intellectual property, subject to the terms of our publishing agreement. Submitting your manuscript, signing our NDA, or paying for a package never transfers copyright or ownership to Chance Publishers.
Royalties & revenue — three different things
What you pay Chance for editorial, design and production services.
What you pay for your own physical copies, quoted separately by specification.
100% yours — Chance never takes a cut, since it's your own KDP account.
If your book sells through shop.chancepublishers.com, that's a 70/30 split — 70% to you, 30% to Chance — since we handle the marketing and fulfillment for that channel.
What do I need to submit?
- Full manuscriptYour most complete draft — Word, PDF, scanned photos of handwritten pages, or a hard copy are all fine; see the note on manuscript condition below.
- Working titleA placeholder is fine if you haven’t settled on a final one.
- Your full name & contact detailsPhone and email so our editorial team can reach you.
- Short synopsis or descriptionA few sentences on what the book is about.
- Genre / categoryFiction, memoir, religious, academic, etc.
- Target readershipWho you picture reading this book.
- Approximate word or page countA rough estimate is enough at this stage.
- Any existing cover conceptOptional — only if you already have one in mind.
- Relevant images or illustrationsIf your book includes any.
- Previous publication statusLet us know if any part of this has been published before.
Manuscripts can arrive as a Word document, PDF, typed pages, photographed/scanned handwritten pages, or hard copy. The format you send doesn't change your package fee, but it can affect how much preparation work is needed before editing begins — we'll flag that during review.
Is my manuscript confidential?
Yes. Authors complete our confidentiality (non-disclosure) process as part of getting started — it legally binds Chance Publishers and every staff member who sees your manuscript not to disclose, copy or use it outside delivering your publishing services. The NDA protects confidentiality; it does not transfer copyright or ownership. Read more about the NDA process →
How long does it take?
Our standard publishing process is approximately 14 working days, subject to manuscript length and condition, the amount of editing required, design complexity, and timely author reviews and approvals. This covers the publishing stage — bulk printing has its own separate production timeline, confirmed with your printing quotation.
Not included in a publishing package
Transparency matters — here's what's charged separately or requires a fresh quotation:
- Manuscript writing or ghostwriting from an idea
- Bulk printing (always quoted separately)
- Extensive manuscript development or major rewrites
- External/statutory fees where applicable (e.g. optional KECOBO copyright registration)
- Additional marketing beyond what your package states
- Specialised photography or commissioned illustrations
- Guaranteed physical bookstore placement
Ready, or still deciding?
Whether you have a finished manuscript or only an idea, the next step is the same first click.