ALVA continues to put down roots. In addition to offering the option of traditional book printing in Trade paperback and hard cover, ALVA has now published and distributed Drum Machine and Jolt: a rural noir to most major wholesalers/distributors. 

Currently Roy is working with three authors anticipating publication in the next few months. As publishing is a complex process involving a number of required steps before a book can be released, only rarely does an author submit a camera-ready book that ALVA press can then convert to an eBook and release within a month's time. However the reasons for the need for considerable time from an author's submission to publication is because, as much as ALVA would like it to be otherwise, this cannot happen without the book/author/publisher following the get-ready-to-publish process as described below.

Step I - Author submits book and publisher reads it. At ALVA, rarely can this occur in less than two weeks to a month.

Step II - Publisher states willingness--or unwillingness--to publish said manuscript as an eBook or book but may require further editing.

Step II - If editing is required, author may participate in a one or two-step process.

• The simplest editing is the line read. This is used when the book's organization and statement are clear and grammar and punctuation--in other words, Style--need editing. This is termed a line edit. Line edits usually take only a week or two from submission to return. ALVA has two well experienced line editors both of whom have an excellent understanding the writing process. More experienced writers would be likely to need, if anything, just a line read.

• The more complex editing is provided when a book is seen to have excellent potential but the organization or establishment of such things as scene, character, conflict, tension, and resolution need strengthening. Typically when this style of editing is provided, the writer does the edit and revision of the manuscript before a line read is ordered. At ALVA we refer to this first more global edit as a Read Through with Suggestions for Content and Structure Strengthening or Read Through for short. Our Read Through editor has served as a judge in a major book competition, written and published a number of her own books, and edited numerous others. Careful in her comments and suggestions, typically the author comes away with a sense of both confirmation and appreciation--particularly if this is the author's first book or first manuscript in a genre new to the writer.

Step III - The author submits the manuscript in publishable form. This may be in plain text, formatted text or in PDF format.

• Plain text submissions will require a designer to format them.
• Formatted texts will need to be converted to PDF.
• PDF texts may be converted in eBooks. At ALVA we convert to ePub and ePDF. These forms permit distribution to all major sites and use by Kindle, the Nook, the iReader and most other apps and readers. Step IV

Step IV - At this point, if it has not already been completed, it is important that ALVA and the author sign agreements as to the terms and conditions of the publishing process.

Step V - Once the eBook is ready, it is put up on the ALVA website and distributed to the websites of Atlas.com, B&N, Apple iBookstore, IndieBound, Lybrary.com, and some fifty or more other wholesaler/retailer sites through which it may be purchased.

Traditional Book Option- An author typically also orders copies of his or her manuscript in book form. Smaller numbers such as 100 or 250 copies are more expensive per copy but may fit the author's budget better. These may be printed POD or Print on Demand.

Larger orders of 500 and more may be printed in offset. Costs are less per book than they are POD, however the total cost of the printing is likely to be significantly larger and for many a writer outside of what might seem reasonable given the book has not yet be read by many.

ALVA at this time does not distribute traditional books through other than its own site however authors benefit most from having print copies for use and distribution to contests, reviewers, and at book signings.

So why choose ALVA rather than a larger press? Exactly because at ALVA, whether you are an experienced and well-known writer or a dedicated novice, ALVA will offer you personalized service that will help your writing to blossom. At ALVA you are treated with respect and care and instead of having to deal with numerous people from editor to designer to printer to wholesaler, at ALVA we promise you that throughout the complete process you will only have to relate to one person.

Roberta in Po-Town

P. S. I could be your publisher.