How to Publish a Book with Spines: A Step-by-Step Guide

Publishing a book used to require an agent, a publisher, and a willingness to wait years for an answer. Self-publishing changed that, but introduced a different set of problems.  Dozens of vendors, countless handoffs, and no clear path from finished manuscript to professionally published book. With neither path being perfect, authors were forced to choose between quality and control, royalties and readership, ownership and overwhelm. 

Spines was built to bridge the gap. Built by authors, for authors, our hybrid publishing model combines the quality and standards of traditional publishing with the freedom and creative control of self-publishing. Publishing experts and human support teams are powered by cutting edge technology and AI-powered production tools to take your story from manuscript to published book in as little as 90 days. Your book, professionally published, without the gatekeeping.

Here’s exactly how our process works.

Key Facts

• Starting price: $4,450
• Average timeline: manuscript to finished book in 90 days
• Formats: print-on-demand, ebook, audiobook
• Copyright: authors retain 100% ownership and full creative control
• Distribution: major global retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble

What Is Spines?

Spines is a publishing platform that handles the end-to-end production of your book: proofreading, formatting, cover design, audiobook creation, global distribution, and post-launch marketing. Every author is paired with a dedicated production manager who accompanies them throughout the publishing process, from manuscript upload to book launch.

Every author keeps full creative control and 100% of their copyright, and the average timeline from manuscript to finished book is 90 days.

Spines offers publishing options in all formats, including print-on-demand (POD), ebooks, and audiobooks, and distributes to dozens of major global retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books.

Founded in 2021, Spines has published more than 10,000 books in its first five years.

Why Publish with Spines?

*Timeline can vary depending on your needs. 

Who Founded Spines Publishing?

Spines was founded in 2021 by Yehuda Niv (CEO), Lev David (CMO), Nir Kenner (CTO), and Niv Ovdat (COO), a team that had previously run a hybrid publishing company in Israel before deciding to rebuild the process around AI. That earlier work shaped a specific belief: publishing didn’t need to take months or require an author to manage five different vendors to get one book done right.

Read more about Yehuda Niv’s background in publishing and the founding team behind Spines.

How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Book with Spines?

Publishing with Spines starts at $4,450 for the core plan, which covers manuscript formatting, cover design, editing and proofreading, print-on-demand, ebook and audiobook production, and global distribution.

Spines offers publishing packages built for competitive pricing and high-value service options. Plans always include proofreading, formatting, cover design, and global distribution. Professional editing, illustration, ghostwriting, translation, and more are available as add-ons. 

Add-on services sit outside the core plan and are priced separately, since not every author needs every extra:

If you want to test the platform before committing, you can open a free account and explore the core tools, including proofreading and cover creation, at no cost. Every plan also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there’s a way out if the platform turns out not to be the right fit.

Traditional publishing routes typically cost less upfront but ask for more time and control in return; see how the two compare in self-publishing vs. traditional publishing.

For the full plan breakdown, visit Spines pricing page.

Spines Publishing Process: A Simple Step-by-Step Approach

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to turn your manuscript into a published masterpiece with Spines:

1. Upload Your Manuscript
2. Cover Design
3. Editing and Proofreading
4. Formatting
5. Multi-Format Creation (Print, Ebook, Audiobook)
6. Global Distribution
7. Marketing
8. Translation

Step 1: Upload Your Manuscript

Every author starts with a book strategy call and is matched with a publishing expert who stays with the project from here forward. You upload the manuscript along with its title, author name, subtitle, and category, and choose your formats: ebook, print, audiobook, or any combination. The moment the manuscript is in the system, Spines issues an automatic copyright protection certificate, so the work is protected before a single edit is made.

This is also the stage where you can choose your formats: ebook, print, audiobook, or any combination. Deciding early means your manuscript is prepared efficiently in each format from the start.

Step 2: Design Your Book Cover

Your cover is how your book competes for attention in today’s market. Since most books are purchased online, your cover needs to stand out on the screen, even as a thumbnail. Spines knows that readers often choose a book in just one look, so we create a design built to perform. Our covers aren’t just based on design but also on data relevant to your genre, reader expectations and current trends. 

To achieve a winning cover design, Spines offers authors two options for professional book cover design services. You can either work with a design consultant to create a cover that feels unique to your book or you can design your cover using our intuitive AI-powered cover generator, which comes with a full suite of customization tools and requires zero design experience.

If you already have a cover you’re happy with, you can upload it directly to the dashboard. We also help you write your author bio and book blurb, both of which are important in conversions once your book is live.

Step 3: Proofread Your Manuscript

Spines’ AI proofreading scans your manuscript for grammatical errors and issues and highlights areas that would benefit from revision. The process is fast, easy and comprehensive. If you want human editorial input, professional proofreading is available as an add-on service.

For authors publishing complex non-fiction or literary fiction, professional line editing is worth considering separately. Proofreading catches errors, but editing shapes the story. Both matter but it’s up to you to decide how much editing your book requires.

Step 4: Format Your Book

Formatting can be tricky business. This important stage is where your manuscript becomes a finished book. Here is where you choose your interior layout style, paragraph formatting, font, and physical specifications: paperback or hardcover, matte or glossy cover finish.

Spines handles the technical production of print-ready files. You make the decisions and the platform builds the files. No matter the format, no matter the platform, your book will always be ready to meet the requirements.

Step 5: Create an Audiobook

Audiobook is the fastest-growing book format revenue in the US, and the format keeps growing. If your plan includes an audiobook, Spines guides you through audiobook production using AI voice technology in your selected voice, with a proof-hearing step so you can review the finished audio before it goes into distribution.

Step 6: Order Your Copies

Before distribution goes live, order physical copies for yourself; to review, to sell at events, or to keep. Set your address and quantity; Spines handles printing and delivery.

Step 7: Global Distribution

Once a book is finished, Spines distributes it across major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books. Royalties from every channel get pulled into a single dashboard, updated monthly, so an author isn’t logging into four different platforms to figure out what they’ve earned.

Step 8: Spines Marketing Tool

Spines includes a book marketing service for authors who want structured support after launch: social media ad campaigns, book trailers, PR-style assets, and promotional content. You set the budget and direction; Spines organizes the execution.

What Formats Does Spines Publish?

Spines publishes in three formats, all produced under a single plan.

All three come out of the same manuscript, through the same production process, which keeps the total cost down compared with producing each format separately.

Your Book, Your Terms

Every manuscript represents real work. Spines gives you a clear, direct path to publishing it — without the gatekeeping, whether it’s your first book or your fifth.

FAQ: Publishing a Book with Spines