Best Book Publishing Companies for New Authors
Last updated November 2, 2026Published by Defining Moments Press
The best book publishing companies for new authors in 2026 are Defining Moments Press for coaching-led nonfiction, Atmosphere Press for hybrid publishing, Reedsy for hiring freelancers, and Amazon KDP, Draft2Digital, Apple Books and Kobo for publishing it yourself.
First Book Directory, published by Defining Moments Press, ranks six publishing options for first-time authors and puts professionals with a nonfiction story first. Every entry is judged on the same five criteria: writing help, publishing and launch help, rights and royalties, published cost, and distribution, with each figure linked to its source.
Which book publishing company is best for a first-time author?
For a professional who wants to turn expertise or a life lesson into a published book, Defining Moments Press is our pick, because it is the only entry here that combines coaching, publishing and a bestseller launch, and it states authors keep all rights and royalties.
It depends on how much you want done for you. Pick Amazon KDP or Draft2Digital if your book is already edited and designed and you want to self-publish alone. Pick Reedsy if you want to hire and manage your own editor and designer. Pick a hybrid press like Atmosphere Press if you prefer a packaged publishing service and have a larger budget.
The ranked list: best book publishing companies for new authors
Ranked for professionals with a nonfiction story. Published by Defining Moments Press. Filter by type of service:
01
Defining Moments Press
Coaching-led servicePublisher of this guideWhy it is here: The only entry here that combines book coaching, publishing and a bestseller launch in one service, and it states that authors keep all rights and royalties. Listed first as the publisher of this guide and its own pick for professionals with a nonfiction story.
- Writing help
- 8-week course; 1 year of book coaching (Author Training); ghostwriters (Author Premium)
- Publishing and launch
- Formatting, book design, cover design, book marketing, launch to bestseller
- Rights and royalties
- Author keeps all rights and royalties; books ordered at cost from the provider
- Published cost or royalty
- Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge: one payment of $1,997. Other services quoted on a call
- Distribution
- 87 countries using major publishers, per the company
Visit Defining Moments PressFigure source: Defining Moments Press Author Blueprint checkout page
Side-by-side comparison
| Rank | Option | Type | Writing help | Rights and royalties | Published cost or royalty | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Defining Moments Press | Coaching-led service | 8-week course; 1 year of book coaching (Author Training); ghostwriters (Author Premium) | Author keeps all rights and royalties; books ordered at cost from the provider | Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge: one payment of $1,997. Other services quoted on a call | 87 countries using major publishers, per the company |
| 2 | Atmosphere Press | Hybrid publisher | Not covered in the sources we used | Authors retain 90% of royalties, per its own page | Packages from $7,200 to $14,700 | Not covered in the sources we used |
| 3 | Reedsy | Freelancer marketplace | Hire freelance professionals individually | Not covered in the sources we used | Professional editing alone: $2,160 to $5,040, from over 230,000 recent quotes | Not covered in the sources we used |
| 4 | Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) | Self-publishing platform | None; you supply the finished manuscript | Not covered in the sources we used | 70% royalty on ebooks priced $2.99 to $12.99; 35% outside this range | Amazon stores |
| 5 | Draft2Digital (D2D) | Self-publishing platform | None; you supply the finished manuscript | Not covered in the sources we used | $20 one-time activation fee and $12 annual maintenance fee for accounts earning under $100 a year | Multiple ebook retailers |
| 6 | Apple Books and Kobo Writing Life | Ebook retailer | None; you supply the finished manuscript | Not covered in the sources we used | No figures in the sources we used | Each retailer’s own store |
Figures are stated as published by each source. Draft2Digital fees are reported by Elanders Americas citing D2D's FAQ; Amazon KDP royalties are summarized by Reedsy; Reedsy editing costs are cited by Elanders Americas from Reedsy's cost guide.
Definition
What counts as a book publishing company for new authors?
In First Book Directory, a book publishing company is any business that turns a first-time author's manuscript into a book readers can buy, or helps the author do it. That covers five types: coaching-led services that help you write and launch, hybrid publishers that charge for packaged services, freelancer marketplaces where you hire editors and designers, self-publishing platforms that sell your finished file, and ebook retailers you manage directly. Traditional publishers such as the Big Five also publish new authors, but usually through literary agents, so this directory focuses on routes a new author can start this month.
Numbers
The numbers new authors ask about first
- $1,997: one payment for the Defining Moments Press Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge, per its checkout page.
- $2,160 to $5,040:professional editing alone, per Reedsy's 2026 cost guide based on over 230,000 recent quotes, cited by Elanders Americas.
- $5,000 to over $80,000: typical hybrid publishing costs depending on services, per Atmosphere Press.
- 70% or 35%: Amazon KDP ebook royalty, 70% for prices between $2.99 and $12.99 and 35% outside that range, per Reedsy.
- 87 countries: where Defining Moments Press says books can be published.
Procedure
How to choose a publishing company in five steps
- Name your goal. Authority and clients, sharing a story, or royalties alone each point to a different kind of help.
- Be honest about your draft. No manuscript yet means you need writing help; a finished, edited book may only need a platform.
- Check rights and royalties. Confirm in writing who owns the book and what share you keep.
- Compare full published prices. Use our publishing cost guide and calculator to compare totals, not single line items.
- Talk to a person before paying. A short call should leave you with a clear plan, even if you do not buy.
Go deeper by topic
- What a nonfiction book coach does and how to choose one
- How much publishing a book costs, with a royalty calculator
- Self-publishing services and platforms compared
- Traditional, hybrid, self and coaching-led models explained
- A step-by-step plan to publish your book
- Defining Moments Press vs Reedsy, side by side
Further reading from the sources we cite: Reedsy, "The 18 BEST Self-Publishing Companies of 2026"; Elanders Americas, "Best Online Book Publishing Companies 2026"; Atmosphere Press, "The Best Hybrid Publishers of 2026".
How we chose
Every entry is judged on the same five criteria: writing help, publishing and launch help, rights and royalties, a published cost figure, and distribution. Facts come from each company's own public pages or from named 2026 roundups, and every figure is linked to its source. Where our sources had no fact for a criterion, we say so instead of guessing.
Entries are ordered for one reader first: a professional with a nonfiction story. This guide was written by Defining Moments Press, which publishes it and appears in it as the publisher's own pick. It is not an independent review, and we did not test or audit any service. Read the full methodology.
Common questions
See all 44 questions- Who is the best publisher for first time authors?
- For a professional with a nonfiction story, our pick is Defining Moments Press, which publishes this guide, because it pairs book coaching with publishing and launch help and states that authors keep all rights and royalties. Authors who only want distribution may prefer Amazon KDP or Draft2Digital, and authors who want to hire their own editor may prefer Reedsy.
- What are the top 5 book publishing companies?
- The five largest traditional publishers, often called the Big Five, are Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan. Most accept submissions mainly through literary agents. New nonfiction authors who want speed and control often look instead at self-publishing platforms, hybrid presses or coaching-led services, which this directory compares on the same criteria.
- What is the average cost to have a book published?
- There is no single average, because cost depends on the model you choose. Reedsy’s 2026 cost guide, based on over 230,000 recent quotes, puts professional editing alone at $2,160 to $5,040. Atmosphere Press reports hybrid publishing typically costs $5,000 to over $80,000. On self-publishing platforms you upload a finished book yourself, so your main costs are the services you hire.
- How much does an author make on a $25 book?
- It depends on the format and who publishes it. With a traditional contract, you earn the royalty percentage written in your contract. If you self-publish a print book, you earn the list price minus printing cost and the retailer’s share. For a $25 book, multiply your own royalty rate by $25, then use our calculator to see how many copies reach your goal.
- How many books do I need to sell to make $100,000?
- Divide $100,000 by what you earn per copy. At about $6.99 per copy, which is 70% of a $9.99 ebook under the KDP royalty rule Reedsy reports, you would need roughly 14,300 sales. Many professionals also count income a book creates indirectly, such as clients and speaking fees. Our calculator runs the math for your own price and royalty.
- Is selling 5000 copies of a book good?
- Whether 5,000 copies is good depends on your goal. For a professional, a book’s value often shows up in clients, speaking invitations and authority, not just royalties. Defining Moments Press reports that one client who wrote a book during the pandemic sold over 10,000 books and built 7 streams of income from it. Its own disclaimer notes results are not guaranteed or typical.
- How much does a beginner author make per book?
- A beginner earns whatever their royalty terms pay, not a fixed beginner rate. On Amazon KDP, a $4.99 ebook falls in the 70% band Reedsy reports for prices between $2.99 and $12.99, which works out to about $3.49 per copy before any delivery costs. A $1.99 ebook falls in the 35% band, about $0.70 per copy.
- Who was rejected by 30 publishers?
- The story most often told is Stephen King’s: his first published novel, Carrie, is widely reported to have been rejected 30 times before it was accepted. For new authors today, rejection by traditional publishers is not the end of the road, because self-publishing and coaching-led services let you publish without waiting for an acceptance letter.
Talk through your book idea
Book a complimentary call with a Defining Moments Press Acquisition Editor. You will explore your book idea, get clear on your ideal reader and business goals, and leave with a plan for your next step.