PublishNation

What PublishNation does

PublishNation is a UK-based, privately held self-publishing services provider founded in 2010 by David and Gwen Morrison, operating from London. The company serves individual authors in the UK and internationally who want to publish books in paperback and Kindle ebook formats without managing the technical complexity of self-publishing directly. Core offerings include Self-Publishing Packages starting at £215 that bundle formatting, front cover design, and worldwide distribution to Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and other bookshops. Supplementary services include Cover Design (£40+), Critique Reports (£119-£279 by word count), Proofreading, Book Marketing, and a bundled Total Marketing Campaign that can save authors up to £226.

Name

PublishNation

Legal name

PublishNation Limited

Website

https://publishnation.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PublishNation is a UK-based self-publishing service founded in 2010 that provides formatting, cover design, editorial support, and worldwide distribution to individual authors publishing paperback and Kindle books, with packages starting at £215.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Publishing Services

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting) (MPAJAJAG)

Keywords

• Self-publishing services
• Book cover design
• Manuscript editing
• Book marketing
• Manuscript critique

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Book Publishing Packages: One-time fees for complete book publishing packages that include formatting, cover design, editorial support, and distribution to Amazon and worldwide bookshops. Packages start at £215 for paperback and Kindle formats.
2. Critique Reports: Manuscript critique services priced by word count (ranging from £119 to £279), providing professional editorial feedback to help authors improve their work before publication.
3. Cover Design Services: Front cover design services including free text-only covers and enhanced designs for £40. Back cover design included free with standard packages.
4. Editing and Proofreading: Express Proofreading and Light Editing services to ensure manuscript quality. Express Critique combined with Express Proofreading available for £175.
5. Book Marketing Campaigns: Total Marketing campaign options offered as add-on services to increase book visibility and sales performance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PublishNation is a UK-based self-publishing service provider that helps independent authors publish paperback and ebooks. It offers tiered publishing packages along with standalone services including cover design, proofreading, manuscript critique, book marketing, and distribution to major online retailers. The service is positioned as an accessible, author-friendly alternative to traditional publishing for writers who want to retain rights and control of their work.

Product overview

PublishNation is a UK-based self-publishing service provider offering a unified platform for authors to publish books in paperback and ebook formats. The core offering consists of Self Publishing Packages starting at £215, which include Total Distribution to Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and worldwide bookshops. Additional services include Cover Design (£40+), Critique Reports (£119-£279 based on word count), Proofreading, Book Marketing, and the Total Marketing Campaign. All services are provided by experienced UK-based editorial staff without requiring authors to sign contracts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Self-Publishing Packages
• Total Distribution
• Cover Design
• Critique Reports
• Proofreading
• Book Marketing
• Total Marketing Campaign

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 titles published with over 50% customer return rate

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AuthorHouse: AuthorHouse provides self-publishing packages with editing, design, marketing and distribution services. It targets the same SMB/individual author segment as PublishNation and historically has competed on similar package pricing.
• FriesenPress: FriesenPress is a hybrid/self-publishing services company offering packages covering editing, design, printing, marketing and distribution. Its tiered package structure and author-services positioning map almost identically to PublishNation's model.
• BookBaby: BookBaby provides book publishing services including editing, design, formatting, and distribution for self-publishing authors. It overlaps directly with PublishNation's bundle of services and similar target market of indie authors who want managed support.
• Lulu Press: Lulu is a direct competitor offering self-publishing packages, cover design, formatting, and global distribution for indie authors. Like PublishNation, it sells bundled service packages to authors seeking assisted publishing rather than fully self-serve KDP workflows.
• IngramSpark: IngramSpark offers print-on-demand and ebook distribution alongside optional paid services. It is comparable because authors choose between IngramSpark's low-cost self-serve path and PublishNation's managed package for essentially the same outcome (book on shelves).
• iUniverse: iUniverse (a Penguin Random House subsidiary) offers assisted self-publishing packages, editorial services, and distribution. It competes for the same mid-market author willing to pay for bundled publishing help rather than fully DIY.
• Reedsy: Reedsy is a marketplace connecting authors to vetted editors, designers and marketers, and has expanded into publishing tools (Reedsy Studio). It competes with PublishNation for the same editorial/design/proofreading budget that authors spend around their book launch.

Regional players

• Matador (Troubador Publishing): Matador is the self-publishing arm of UK-based Troubador Publishing, offering editorial, design and distribution services to indie authors. It is comparable as a UK-focused competitor with overlapping package offerings in the same geography.
• Whitefox: Whitefox is a UK-based publishing services company offering editing, ghostwriting and book production services. It is comparable as a UK-headquartered provider of editorial and production services to authors, though it skews more toward editorial/coaching than distribution bundles.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing: KDP is the dominant free self-publishing platform for ebooks and paperbacks. It is the broad incumbent that PublishNation builds on top of (using KDP for distribution) and that increasingly competes with managed-service intermediaries as KDP's self-serve UX improves.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PublishNation
• Instagraminstagram.com/publish.nation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/publishnation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PublishNation