Choosing a self-publishing company is one of the most important decisions you will make as an author. It is also one of the easiest to get wrong — because most companies make similar promises, use similar language, and look credible enough on a website.
The difference between a company that genuinely serves authors and one that exploits them is almost never visible on a homepage. It shows up in the contract, in the royalty formula, in what happens when you ask a direct question and see how directly it gets answered.
We work with authors every day at OrangeBooks — and we genuinely believe the best thing we can do for any author, whether they eventually publish with us or not, is give them the tools to evaluate any publisher properly. That is what this guide does. It gives you 10 specific questions to ask any self-publishing company before you sign anything or pay anyone.
We will tell you what a good answer sounds like — and what a red flag sounds like. Then use the list on us, too. We mean that.
Self-publishing in India has grown 264% in five years
More companies than ever are competing for your manuscript — and not all of them have your interests in mind
What This Guide Covers
| ✓ The difference between a vanity publisher and a genuine self-publishing service |
| ✓ 10 specific questions to ask any publisher — with good answers and red flag answers |
| ✓ 3 red flags that should end the conversation immediately |
| ✓ What to do with this list once you have it |
Why This Decision Matters More Than Most Authors Realise
In 2026, the Indian self-publishing market has more companies than ever — and the gap between the best and worst of them is significant. Authors' Guild alerts from October 2025 logged multiple reports of AI-enhanced scam emails targeting Indian authors by name, referencing their actual manuscripts, and impersonating legitimate publishers. The sophistication of these approaches has increased sharply.
Beyond outright scams, there is a broader category of companies that are technically legal but structured to benefit the publisher far more than the author — through life-of-copyright clauses, vague royalty language, mandatory add-on fees, and distribution that sounds impressive but delivers little. These companies exist in India, they market professionally, and they are not always easy to identify without knowing exactly what to ask.
The questions below are not designed to catch anyone out. They are designed to give you clarity — the kind of clarity you deserve before you hand over your manuscript and your money to anyone.
First — Understand the Difference Between These Three Things
Most authors come into this evaluation without a clear picture of what they are actually comparing. Before you ask any company a single question, understand these three distinct models:
🚩 Vanity Publisher
Charges high fees, may take partial or full rights, often makes promises about sales or bestseller status that are not contractually supported. The publisher profits from the author's fee — not from the book's sales. Author benefit is secondary.
✅ Self-Publishing Service
Charges a transparent fee for specific services — editing, design, printing, distribution. Author retains 100% copyright and royalties. The company provides services only. This is the model OrangeBooks operates on — and the one you should be looking for.
📚 Traditional Publisher
Does not charge fees — instead pays an advance and takes a percentage of royalties (typically 7.5–12% of MRP) and often partial rights. Difficult to get accepted. Suitable for very few Indian debut authors. Full comparison here.
When you are evaluating any self-publishing company in India, you are trying to confirm that it operates as a genuine service company — not a vanity publisher dressed up in modern branding. The 10 questions below will tell you which one you are dealing with.
The 10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign Anything
Ask these questions on a call, in writing, or both. Pay attention not just to the answer but to how quickly and directly it arrives. A company that genuinely operates in the author's interest will answer every one of these without hesitation.
Question 1
Who owns my copyright after we sign?
Why it matters: Under the Indian Copyright Act 1957, your copyright belongs to you the moment you write your book. No publishing company needs to own it to publish, distribute, or sell it. They need a license — not ownership.
✅ Good answer: "You retain 100% copyright. We only require a limited license to publish and distribute your book. The contract will say this explicitly."
🚩 Red flag: Any language about "assigning," "transferring," or "co-owning" your copyright. Walk away.
Question 2
What is the exact royalty formula — written out in actual numbers?
Why it matters: "100% royalty" sounds identical whether you earn ₹10 per copy or ₹150 per copy. The actual formula — how production costs, platform fees, and distribution charges are calculated — determines what you actually take home. If they cannot show you a specific worked example in rupees, you have no idea what you are signing up for.
✅ Good answer: A live calculator or a clear written formula — ideally with a worked example using your actual page count and chosen MRP. OrangeBooks provides this publicly.
🚩 Red flag: "Royalties as determined by the publisher," vague percentages with no formula, or no worked example available before you pay.
Question 3
Where exactly will my book be distributed — can you name every platform?
Why it matters: "National and international distribution" is a phrase that can mean anything from 2 platforms to 150+ countries. Authors who don't ask this often find their book on Amazon India only — with no Flipkart listing, no Google Play, no international availability, and no eBook distribution. Ask for a specific list, not a marketing phrase.
✅ Good answer: A specific list — Amazon India, Flipkart, Google Play, Kindle, OrangeBooks Store — and for international, confirmation of the distribution network used (e.g., Ingram) and the number of countries covered.
🚩 Red flag: "We distribute globally" with no specifics, or eBook distribution mentioned only as a paid add-on when it should be standard.
Question 4
Can I see a sample contract before I pay anything?
Why it matters: A company that will not show you the contract before payment has something in the contract they would prefer you didn't read until it was too late. This is non-negotiable. You should be able to read, review, and have someone else look at the full agreement before a single rupee changes hands.
✅ Good answer: "Absolutely — here is the standard agreement we use. We will walk you through every clause on a call if you'd like."
🚩 Red flag: "We'll send the contract once you confirm your booking" — meaning after payment. Non-negotiable deal-breaker.
Question 5
What is included in this package — and what will cost extra?
Why it matters: Many companies advertise an attractive base price and then charge separately for ISBN registration, eBook conversion, spine design, author copies, revision rounds, or marketing reports. The price you see on the website is not always the price you pay by the end. Ask for a complete list of what is and is not included — in writing.
✅ Good answer: A clear, itemised breakdown of what the package includes — with explicit mention of what is not included and what those additional services cost if needed.
🚩 Red flag: Vague package descriptions, "additional charges may apply" without specifics, or ISBN and eBook formatting listed as paid add-ons in a basic package.
Question 6
What is the realistic timeline from manuscript submission to book going live?
Why it matters: Some companies quote 30-day timelines to close the sale and then take 6 months to deliver. Ask for the realistic timeline — not the optimistic one — and ask whether it is written into the contract. If timelines are not contractually committed, they are aspirations, not commitments.
✅ Good answer: A milestone-based timeline — editing complete by X weeks, design by Y, proof review by Z, live on Amazon by W — with the expectation that the author's response time at each milestone affects the overall schedule.
🚩 Red flag: "Usually 30 days" with no milestone breakdown and no contractual commitment to any delivery date.
Question 7
Can I speak to three authors who have published with you in the last six months?
Why it matters: Website testimonials are curated. Google reviews can be managed. Speaking directly to a recent author — someone who went through the actual process, not a launch event — gives you an unfiltered picture of what it is like to work with that company. Any company confident in its service will facilitate this without hesitation.
✅ Good answer: Immediate willingness to connect you — with names and contact details of authors who have agreed to share their experience.
🚩 Red flag: Hesitation, redirection to testimonial pages, or "we'll check with our authors" followed by nothing. A company with 3,100+ satisfied authors should be able to find three references easily.
Question 8
Who controls the price of my book after it is published?
Why it matters: Some self-publishing companies set the book's MRP and retain the right to discount it, change it, or run promotions without the author's consent. Since your royalty is calculated as a percentage of MRP, an unauthorised price reduction directly reduces your earnings per copy — without your knowledge.
✅ Good answer: "You set the MRP. We can advise on pricing strategy, but the final decision is always yours — and any change requires your approval."
🚩 Red flag: Publisher retains pricing control, or the contract includes language about "promotional discounts at publisher's discretion."
Question 9
What happens if I want to leave — can I take my book elsewhere?
Why it matters: A genuinely author-first company does not need to trap you. If the relationship is not working — poor service, a better opportunity elsewhere, or simply a change of direction — you should be able to exit cleanly, with your manuscript, your files, and your rights fully intact. Life-of-copyright clauses — giving the publisher rights for your lifetime plus 60 years — do appear in Indian publishing contracts. Look for them.
✅ Good answer: A clear termination clause — with reasonable notice terms, confirmation that all your files are returned, and no penalty for leaving once services are delivered.
🚩 Red flag: No termination clause, a penalty fee for exiting, or a life-of-copyright grant with no reversion provision.
Question 10
How and when are royalties paid — and how can I verify the numbers independently?
Why it matters: Non-payment and under-reporting of royalties is consistently the most common complaint Indian authors make about self-publishing companies. If you cannot independently verify how many copies sold, on which platform, and at what price — you have no way of knowing whether what you are paid is accurate. This is not a theoretical risk. It happens regularly.
✅ Good answer: Monthly royalty deposits with a detailed breakdown by platform — and ideally, access to a dashboard or report you can cross-reference independently.
🚩 Red flag: "Royalties paid quarterly at our discretion," no written payment schedule, or no mechanism for the author to verify sales data independently.
3 Red Flags That Should End the Conversation Immediately
Beyond the 10 questions, there are three things that — if you encounter them — should stop the conversation entirely. No follow-up, no "let me think about it." Just stop.
🚩 "We guarantee your book will become a bestseller"
No one can guarantee this. Not Amazon. Not Penguin. Not anyone. This claim is universally identified as a predatory tactic by every credible publishing advisory body globally — including the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Authors Guild, and Reedsy. A company making this claim is either lying to you or selling you something that has nothing to do with actual book sales.
🚩 Payment required before you have seen the contract
This is the clearest possible signal that the contract contains something the company does not want you to read before you have already paid. Legitimate publishers share the complete agreement before taking any money. If a company pushes you to pay first and sign later — walk away.
🚩 Pressure to sign today — "this offer expires in 24 hours"
Artificial urgency is a sales tactic — not the operating style of a company that respects authors. Publishing your book is a significant decision. You deserve the time to read the contract, ask questions, speak to other authors, and make a considered choice. Any company creating time pressure to prevent you from doing this is not operating in your interest.
Now Use This List on Any Publisher — Including Us
We wrote this guide because we believe authors deserve better information than the industry typically gives them. And we are confident enough in how OrangeBooks operates to invite you to apply every one of these questions to us directly — on a free consultation call, before you pay anything, with no pressure and no time limits.
Over 3,100 authors have published with OrangeBooks. We retain no rights to any of their books. We pay royalties monthly with a detailed breakdown. We share our contract before any payment. We connect prospective authors with published ones on request. Our pricing is transparent and published openly — including a live royalty calculator that shows you exactly what you'll earn before you commit to anything.
That is what a genuine self-publishing service looks like. Use this list to find one — and if the answers you get back meet the standard described above, you will have found a publisher worth trusting. To understand what professional self-publishing costs in India, read our full cost guide here. And if you want to understand what happens to your rights once you publish, this comparison covers it in full.
Ask Us Every One of These Questions
Book a free consultation with our publishing team. Bring this list. We will answer every question — on a call, before you pay anything, with no pressure and no time limits.
📞 +91-810-964-5082 | 📧 info@orangebooks.in
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