53 questions, plain answers
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These are the questions people ask Defining Moments Press most before they publish a book, answered in plain language with the direct answer first.
The Defining Moments Press FAQ covers what done-for-you and done-with-you publishing means, what publishing a book costs, how long it takes, who the services are for, how they compare with traditional and DIY publishing, and how to get started.
Book a free discovery call with an Acquisition Editor, choose a done-for-you, done-with-you or DIY service, then write or polish your manuscript and launch it in 8 weeks or less. You keep all royalties and rights.
Defining Moments Press, Inc. is a US-based company that helps authors around the world write, publish and promote nonfiction books that build a business, open doors to paid speaking and make a profit. It offers a DIY course, done-with-you coaching and done-for-you publishing, and says books can be published in 87 countries using major publishers.
Done-for-you publishing means a team handles the production and launch work so you do not have to learn it. At Defining Moments Press, the done-for-you services cover formatting, book design, cover design, book marketing and a launch to bestseller campaign. The Author Premium option goes further: its ghostwriters write the book for you.
Done-for-you means the team does the work; done-with-you means you do the writing with coaching and support beside you. Defining Moments Press offers Author Launch and Author Premium as done-for-you services, and Author Training as done-with-you, which pairs one year of book coaching with formatting, design and a full launch.
Author Launch is for people who already wrote a book and need help publishing and launching it. It includes formatting, book design, cover design, book marketing, a launch to bestseller campaign and access to the author Facebook group. Pricing is not listed publicly; it is discussed on a free discovery call.
Author Premium is the fully done-for-you service. Defining Moments Press ghostwriters write your book, then the team handles cover design, book design, formatting, a full launch to bestseller, book media appearances, setup of book marketing accounts and a one page book funnel for launch.
Author Training is done-with-you. It includes book coaching for one year, an 8 week course to write your book, ongoing training and support, formatting, book design, book marketing, a full book launch to bestseller, the author Facebook group, and a media and podcast list to promote your book.
The Author Blueprint is the DIY option: an 8 week course with audio and video tutorials, a step-by-step process, templates and tools, a free Facebook group and unlimited email support. It covers editing, self-publishing in ebook and print, and launch, in about 2 to 5 hours a week. Its checkout page lists one payment of $1,997.
Yes. Ghostwriting is part of the Author Premium service, where Defining Moments Press ghostwriters write your book for you. The same package then covers design, formatting, launch and media appearances, so you can publish a book in your voice without drafting every chapter yourself.
Publishing a book costs anywhere from $0 to $15,000 or more in 2026, according to Manuscript Report. Traditional publishing is usually $0 upfront, pure DIY self-publishing can land at $200 to $800, and Reedsy puts professional self-publishing at $2,940 to $5,660. Ghostwriting, coaching and marketing push the total higher.
Self publishing a book typically costs between $2,940 and $5,660 when you hire professionals, according to Reedsy, while Manuscript Report puts pure DIY at $200 to $800. The difference comes from editing, cover design, formatting and marketing. Doing those yourself saves money; hiring them out saves time and usually improves quality.
It does not have to. Traditional publishers cover production, so authors pay $0 upfront, though Manuscript Report notes the publisher keeps 85 to 90 percent of royalties. Self-publishing ranges from a few hundred dollars for DIY to several thousand with professional help. What you pay depends on how much of the work you hand off.
The DIY Author Blueprint lists one payment of $1,997 on its checkout page. Prices for the done-for-you and done-with-you services are not published; they are discussed on a free discovery call with an Acquisition Editor, because scope depends on whether you need ghostwriting, coaching or just launch support.
Yes. Defining Moments Press says authors keep all royalties and rights. That is the main difference from traditional publishing, where Manuscript Report notes the publisher takes 85 to 90 percent of royalties in exchange for paying production costs upfront.
Yes. Defining Moments Press states that authors can order books at cost directly from the provider. That is useful for speakers and professionals who sell or give away books at events, workshops and client meetings, since you pay the printing price rather than a retail price.
It depends on the royalty rate. Under a traditional deal where the publisher keeps 85 to 90 percent, a $25 book earns roughly $2.50 to $3.75 per copy before any agent fee. Self-published authors keep more; Writer Cosmos cites up to 70 percent on ebooks, though print royalties are lower after printing costs.
Divide $100,000 by what you earn per copy. At $3 per copy you need about 33,334 sales; at $10 per copy, 10,000 sales. Many nonfiction authors earn more from what the book leads to, such as clients, speaking and courses, than from royalties alone. Try the royalty estimator on our cost page with your own numbers.
At $3 per copy you would need about 333,334 sales, and at $10 per copy, 100,000 sales. Those are rare numbers for any author. That is why Defining Moments Press frames a book as the start of a business: its stated view is that it is not about the book, it is about what the book does for you.
To publish your own book, finish and edit the manuscript, get it formatted for ebook and print, design a cover, upload it to a publishing platform and plan a launch. You can do every step yourself, take a guided course like the Author Blueprint, or hand the production and launch to a done-for-you service.
Start by booking a free discovery call. An Acquisition Editor explores your book idea, your ideal reader and your business goals, then tells you whether your book fits their services. If it does, you choose a DIY, done-with-you or done-for-you path and move into writing, design and launch.
Defining Moments Press helps authors write and publish a book in 8 weeks or less. The 8 week course is the backbone of both the Author Blueprint and Author Training. If your manuscript is already written, Author Launch starts at production and launch instead of writing.
Writing time varies widely; some authors take years, often because they lack a clear outline. Defining Moments Press structures the writing into an 8 week course, and its Author Blueprint estimates about 2 to 5 hours a week. A focused nonfiction book built from expertise you already have is usually the fastest to write.
About 2 to 5 hours a week, according to the Author Blueprint page. That covers editing, self-publishing in ebook and print, and launching over 8 weeks. It is designed for busy professionals who need a steady, limited weekly commitment rather than long writing retreats.
On the free call, an Acquisition Editor helps you explore your book idea, get clear on your ideal reader, discuss your business goals, create a plan for your next step and uncover profit opportunities from your book. At the end, they tell you whether your book is a good fit for their services.
All applicants receive an email reply within 2 business days, according to Defining Moments Press. If you have not seen one, check your spam or promotions folder, since replies sometimes land there.
Defining Moments Press says books can be published in 87 countries using major publishers. That gives professionals with an international client base or speaking schedule a book readers can buy in the markets where they work.
Yes, the process covers both. The Author Blueprint walks you through self-publishing in ebook and print, and the done-for-you and done-with-you services include formatting and book design, which prepare your interior and cover files for publication.
It serves entrepreneurs, professionals, coaches, healers and people with powerful stories who want to write, publish and sell a nonfiction book that grows a business, boosts a brand and makes money. Professionals who want to be respected as the authority in their field are a core audience.
That is the core idea behind Defining Moments Press. Its homepage invites professionals who want to be respected as the authority in their field, and its services pair the book with marketing, media lists and launch support so the book can open doors to clients and paid speaking.
Very possibly. Defining Moments Press works with people who have a story or life lesson that can help others, and helps them find their voice and their audience. Its founder, Melanie Warner, wrote her first book after losing her son, which became the start of the Defining Moments book series.
The Defining Moments Press homepage invites aspiring children’s book authors to get started alongside professionals and nonfiction storytellers. The services described on this site focus on nonfiction, so bring up a children’s book on the discovery call to confirm the right path for your project.
No. Defining Moments Press says you can write your bestselling book in 8 weeks or less and make a profit, even if no one has ever heard of you. The done-with-you and done-for-you services include book marketing and launch support, and Author Training adds a media and podcast list.
Yes. Defining Moments Press, Inc. is a US-based company that works with authors all over the world. The coaching and courses are delivered online, and books can be published in 87 countries.
No. Defining Moments Press only accepts authors it feels it can help succeed in their goals. Every applicant still gets an email reply within 2 business days, and the discovery call is designed to give you clarity on your next step whether or not you move forward together.
For most nonfiction professionals, self-publishing wins on speed, control and royalties, while traditional publishing wins on zero upfront cost. Writer Cosmos cites ALLi’s 2025 survey: indie authors earn a median of $13,500 a year versus $6,000 to $8,000 for traditionally published authors. Traditional deals can still suit authors chasing bookstore placement.
For traditional publishing, you usually query literary agents, who pitch publishers on your behalf, and the process can take a long time. For self-publishing services, compare what each one includes, who keeps royalties and rights, and the total fee. Defining Moments Press starts with a free discovery call.
The best fit depends on your goal. This site is published by Defining Moments Press, so it lists its own services first; we judge every path on cost, royalties, rights, timeline and support. See our comparison page for self-publishing vs traditional publishing judged on those same criteria.
It can be. Writer Cosmos notes self-published authors keep up to 70 percent royalties on ebooks, and it cites a 16.7 percent annual growth rate for the self-publishing market. Profit depends on your costs, price and sales, so check Amazon’s current royalty terms and run your numbers before you launch.
Legitimate traditional publishers do not charge authors upfront; they pay production costs and keep most of the royalties, 85 to 90 percent according to Manuscript Report. Reedsy notes that marketing can still be a substantial cost for traditionally published authors. Self-publishing services charge a fee instead and let you keep royalties.
You can, and pure DIY is the cheapest route at $200 to $800 according to Manuscript Report. The tradeoff is time and learning curve across formatting, design, platform setup and launch. Busy professionals often hand that work off so they can focus on writing, clients and speaking.
The 50 page rule is a reading guideline: give a book 50 pages, and if it has not hooked you, set it down. A common variation, attributed to librarian Nancy Pearl, subtracts your age from 100 for readers over 50. For authors, it is a reminder that your opening chapters must earn the reader’s attention.
The five finger rule helps young readers pick a book at the right level: open to any page and raise a finger for each word they do not know. Zero or one is easy, two or three is about right, and five or more is probably too hard for now. Teachers often use it in classrooms.
JK Rowling has said the idea for Harry Potter came to her in 1990, and the first book was published in 1997, so roughly seven years passed from idea to publication. Most of that was drafting, rewriting and finding a publisher. A focused nonfiction book with a clear outline usually takes far less time.
Be cautious with offers that promise a fixed payment for every book you read. Paid reading work generally means writing reviews, proofreading or narrating, and pay varies widely. Defining Moments Press does not pay readers; it helps authors write and publish their own books.
Generally, no. Amazon pays authors, not readers: self-published authors earn royalties on sales, and authors enrolled in Kindle Unlimited are paid based on pages read by subscribers. If you want Amazon to pay you, the path is publishing your own book.
Publishers usually send advance review copies to reviewers, bloggers, podcasters and media who reach readers in their genre. Building a consistent review presence and requesting copies through publishers’ publicity teams or review platforms is the common route. As an author, you can do the same for your own launch.
Book a free discovery call through the Defining Moments Press website. You will talk with an Acquisition Editor about your book idea, reader and goals, and leave with a clear plan. If you want to learn first, Defining Moments Press also offers a free one hour course on writing, publishing and monetizing a book.
That is the most common starting point. Author Training gives you an 8 week writing course and a year of coaching, and the Author Blueprint gives you a self-paced version. Defining Moments Press says lack of clarity is the number one reason most people never finish, so both begin with your outline.
Author Launch is built for you. It skips the writing phase and covers formatting, book design, cover design, book marketing and a launch to bestseller campaign, plus access to the author Facebook group. Bring your manuscript status to the discovery call.
Author Premium is the fully done-for-you option: Defining Moments Press ghostwriters write the book for you. The package then covers cover design, book design, formatting, a full launch, book media appearances and marketing setup, so your time goes into sharing your expertise rather than drafting.
One Defining Moments Press case study describes exactly that: a client who had written a book before but did not sell many. Defining Moments Press reports she went on to sell over 10,000 books and build an 8-figure business. Results are not guaranteed or typical, and a lot of hard work is involved.
No. Defining Moments Press states that results are not guaranteed or typical, and that a lot of hard work is involved. What the services provide is the structure, production, launch support and coaching to give your book its best chance; the outcome still depends on your book and effort.
For questions about courses and access, Defining Moments Press lists support@mydefiningmoments.com. For a new book project, the fastest route is the free discovery call. The company’s listed phone number is (559) 577-4171 and its address is 2443 East Fox Glen Avenue, Fresno CA 93730.
New here? Start with our guide on how to publish my book with Defining Moments Press.
Ask us on a free callAn Acquisition Editor at Defining Moments Press can answer it on a free discovery call, along with a clear plan for your book.
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