The wrong reader is attracted.
The package leads with something true, but not the thing that creates the right expectation.
Reader Recognition Audit · Book Production · Publishing Judgment
Most book fixes fail because they solve the wrong problem beautifully.
I help authors and small publishers find out what a finished book is actually promising readers before they spend more money on cover design, layout, ebook formatting, ads, or launch work.
Built for completed manuscripts and published books that need clarity, confidence, and a practical path forward.
Map before repair
Your book may not need another beautiful wrong solution.
A new cover, rewritten description, category change, ad campaign, launch plan, or formatting pass can all be executed well and still fail if the book’s reader-facing promise is confused.
The right reader hesitates.
The title, cover, subtitle, description, genre signal, or pitch does not make the book easy to recognize.
The next fix gets bought first.
More money goes into production or promotion before anyone has diagnosed what is actually failing.
No-surprise pricing
Start with the audit. Add production only when it makes sense.
The common audit-plus-production path is $2,050. Consulting is separate. Editing is available if needed, but it usually adds 4–8 weeks before production can begin.
$750
Step 1
Reader Recognition Audit
A fixed-price diagnostic for a completed manuscript or published book. The goal is to identify what the book is currently teaching readers to expect, where the promise is aligned or broken, and what should be repaired first.
- Manuscript or full book review
- Title, subtitle, cover direction, and description diagnosis
- Genre, category, keyword, and reader-expectation review
- Repair priorities before more money is spent
$500
Optional production
Cover Design
A professional cover built around the book’s clarified promise — not just a pretty wrapper. The cover should invite the right reader into the right book.
$450
Optional production
Print Layout
Clean, professional interior design for print editions, built by someone who has been doing page layout since Aldus PageMaker.
$350
Optional production
Ebook Formatting
Reliable ebook production using modern tools, backed by decades of experience with digital publishing and ebook systems.
$2,050
Common path
Audit + cover + print layout + ebook formatting
For completed manuscripts ready to move from uncertainty to a professional reader-facing book package.
- Consulting is available separately at $100/hour.
- Editing is available, but it changes the timeline.
- No ad management. No launch hype. No sales guarantees.
Proof of trust
Writers trust judgment earned the hard way.
The value is not just that I can design, format, or produce a book. The value is that I know what I am looking at.
“Steven has been my trusted guide for the past 15 years. His depth of knowledge, work ethic, and personal commitment to each author’s success make him genuinely unique in the industry.”
“Steven Booth is a man of great integrity and many talents. My contracts with Genius Books expired a long time ago, but I renewed them gratefully. That should tell you all you need to know.”
About Steven Booth
Books are not theory to me.
I have lived with the consequences.
I began page layout in 1989 with Aldus PageMaker III and have worked exclusively with books since 2010. I have designed hundreds of titles and covers, built ebook formatting software, and now use modern production tools.
I am also a publisher, though that is not the point of this site. The point is what that experience taught me: I have published and invested in more than 200 titles and worked with more than 100 authors. When I say I know what a book should say to the right reader, I learned that with my own money.
I work best with completed manuscripts. If your book needs editing, I can help with that too, but editing usually delays the project by 4–8 weeks. When the manuscript is ready, my work can usually move in days, not months.
Send me the situation.
Tell me what you have, what you've already tried, and where it feels uncertain. I'll let you know whether the Reader Recognition Audit is the right first step.
steven@geniusbookservices.com