How to publish a book in India.

Three routes

Traditional publishing

The publisher pays for production and takes the commercial risk. It is selective, often needs a literary agent, and can take months or years. You should not be asked to pay.

Do it yourself

You use platforms such as Amazon KDP or a print-on-demand service and handle editing, cover and layout yourself. It usually costs the least and takes the most work from you.

Assisted publishing

You pay a company to do the production work: editing, cover, layout, printing and listings. You keep control and the quality varies widely, so the questions below matter. Dalimss Ink works this way, with fixed-price packages.

Nine questions to ask before you pay

1. What exactly am I paying for?

Ask for a written list. Editing, cover, layout, printing, ebook and listings are real work with real costs. Ask what is not included, too. Our packages list what is included and what is not.

2. Who owns the copyright?

You should. A publisher needs a licence to publish your book, with a stated term and territory. It should not need ownership. Dalimss Ink asks for a limited licence only.

3. How is royalty calculated, and on what?

Royalty on the cover price and royalty on net profit are very different numbers. Ask for the definition in writing. Net profit is usually the list price minus the retailer or platform cut, the print cost and taxes, but check the exact definition.

4. Is the ISBN charged separately?

It should not be. ISBNs are issued free in India by the Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN. Dalimss Ink never sells or prices an ISBN.

5. How much of my book will a human editor read?

Many offers say 'professional editing' without a limit. Ask for the word count a human editor will actually cover. We state it in each package, and we say plainly that AI tools help with first-pass checks.

6. What happens if dates are missed or I am unhappy?

Look for written terms on when you can get money back, and agreed dates for each stage. Ask to see them before you sign.

7. Will I see sales and royalty statements?

Ask how often you get them and in what form. Statements should come to you in writing.

8. Does anyone promise sales or bestseller status?

Be careful of anyone who does. No publisher can promise sales, rankings or reviews. We do not.

9. Who is the company, and can I reach a person?

Check the registered company name, CIN and address, and look for a named grievance route. Dalimss Ink is an imprint of PAMF Digimedia Private Limited, CIN U63910HR2026PTC141447, Golf Course Road, Gurugram. Our grievance contact is on every page.

If you would rather not pay

We also run a Free Launch Programme for selected books. Terms and the entry form are on the Free Launch page.