Frequently Asked Questions

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House Inc., is a self-publishing company specializing in self-help books with a positive message. Offering a full suite of publishing, design and marketing services, we are committed to empowering more authors to publish books that will in turn help others and our planet Earth.

Balboa Press authors publish books on a wide range of topics, concentrating in self-help and transformational themes, including the following: astrology, alternative health, angels, pet care, finance, nutrition, parenting, psychology, sociology, meditation, spirituality, numerology, color therapy, feng shui, business, autobiographies, social commentary, memoirs, and more.

We offer custom design, topnotch editorial services, and powerful marketing services giving you have the flexibility to choose a publishing package that fits your needs. We are committed to deliver exactly what authors desire – control over the final product.

We understand the need for security and vow to protect your personal information, copyright-protected materials, and privacy. Please review our Privacy Policy for details.

If you have ever dreamed of publishing your own book, we can help! Welcome to Balboa Press.

An ISBN for your work is registered under Balboa Press and is included with each Balboa Press publishing package. The ISBN will be inserted on the copyright page and on the back cover of the book with the barcode. The barcode is a digital image sellers can scan to identify the ISBN. Visit www.isbn.org for more detailed information about ISBN.

Self-publishing can be a rewarding, but daunting undertaking. At Balboa you have the freedom to direct your path, but you are not left to figure everything out for yourself. By choosing to publish with Balboa Press, you have an entire staff of experienced industry-professionals on your side providing continual support and assistance throughout the entire publishing process.

Balboa Press is by far the easiest, fastest and most dynamic publishing experience. Our team of experts will guide you step-by-step through the process until your manuscript is a complete, published book. The steps to publishing through Balboa Press are quick and easy. From selecting a package, submitting your materials, approving the formatted interior and cover design, you'll be surprised at how easy self-publishing can be. The flexibility of the design elements, choices and optional additional services offer a dynamic experience that is a perfect fit for many different types of authors. Since we understand the importance of customer support, we also have a support team standing by to lend a hand if you need help during the process.
As a division of Hay House, Balboa Press titles are monitored regularly by the parent company. Hay House is one of the fastest-growing self-help and transformational publishers in the world and hopes to find through Balboa Press new inspiring authors that display their potential to add to their catalog.

While Balboa Press is a self-publishing company, there's no need for authors to rely solely on their own knowledge or skill set to get published. The experience and connections provided through Balboa Press give authors everything they need to create and publish their books while allowing the author to maintain control of the content.

Our books are printed using Print-on-Demand technology so we print each book to order. Not only is this method of printing mindful of our planet because no books go to waste, but it is mindful of our authors too. As an author, you are never required to shoulder the cost and hassle of printing, storing and transporting large quantities of your book. When a book is ordered by a reader, a retailer or the author, it is printed and shipped in a matter of days.

Once published, your book will be available for purchase through our online Bookstore on our Web site. Plus, you get an ISBN and Channel Distribution which means your book is available to anyone in the Ingram Book Network. Using Print-on-Demand technology, our printer can supply an infinite number of copies of your book. No matter the size of the order, small or large, books are conveniently printed whenever an order is placed, so you never have to deal with up front printing costs or storing books that you don't need.

We have helped serious writers, recreational writers, poets, cooks, parents, artists, business professionals, students and more turn their manuscripts and works into published books. We are confident we can help you, too. We are also confident that you cannot find a better company to publish your book with

Yes. The rights to your book are yours throughout and after our entire publishing process. We never buy your rights from you. Our non-exclusive contract allows you to continue exploring other publishing avenues while still working with us.

Yes. We have non-exclusive agreements with our authors so the rights to your book remain yours. You are welcome to publish your book with another publisher, contact a film production company and sell your rights to them or explore other opportunities. These guidelines also apply to your book if it is currently available through another publisher or if you want to publish your book with another company in the future. The only restriction we place on you is that you cannot use the book files we create to print the book exactly as it is with another publisher.

We have no limit on how many manuscripts you can submit and publish with us. However, keep in mind that you are responsible to pay for a package and services for each manuscript so cost may be your only restriction.

The cost of your entire self-publishing experience depends on which package you choose and if you add any additional services to your package. We offer plenty of combinations that allow you to choose the price range, package and services that best fit your needs. View all of our publishing packages.

Yes. Balboa Press can publish books in English and Spanish. 

Yes. Authors all over the globe can publish with us, but we have primarily worked with authors in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. However, because of certain banking institutions, the currency which we can use to pay royalties has some limitations. The specific details are outlined in your author agreement.

Self-publishing allows the author to remain in complete control over the finished product because the author decides what text, images, fonts, editorial changes, etc. are made to the book. Also with self-publishing, the author retains the rights to his/her manuscript, the timeline from start to finish is much quicker, royalties and book prices are set by the author, no agents are needed and the author has access to additional services he/she may choose to purchase.

Digital publishing is book publishing that is only done online. There are no hard copies printed for books that are digitally published. Instead, books are uploaded and published online. Readers pay to download digital copies of books onto portable, wireless readers or their personal computers.

Typically in traditional publishing, an author's agent will submit a manuscript to a publishing house for publication. If a publishing house likes the manuscript or portion of the manuscript they see they will pay the author an advance and buy the rights to the manuscript. Then, the publishing house will have full control over changes in the book and the cover design. Once the book is published the author will receive royalties from any books sold.

Our publishing packages do not include editing; however, we believe that editing is an important step for authors looking to achieve commercial success for their books. We do offer a full range of editorial services, which we encourage our authors to review based on their specific needs.

The Balboa Press online bookstore lists all of our published titles as part of your publishing package purchase. Review all our packages to learn about other marketing opportunities that could be included.

If you've already purchased a publishing package, we offer additional marketing services that may help you meet the promotional goals you have for your book.

Once it is published, your book will have a global audience, because it will be listed in our Balboa Press online bookstore. Additionally, retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com will list your book for sale through their online bookstores, with the ability to order your book for a physical store.

Here are some specific advantages of using POD:

• Earth-friendly
• Easy and cost-effective to produce books as they are ordered, either one at a time or in large numbers.
• Unlike a traditional printer which can only print a large number of books at one time, POD is an "as needed" printer
• No wasted books
• No need to store a large inventory of books
• A book can be available for an extended period of time, instead of the book being "out of print" after one print run.

Royalties are based on the payments we actually receive from the sale of printed or electronic (e-book) copies of your book, minus any shipping and handling charges or sales and use taxes. Also, we offer discounts to retail and wholesale customers, so the royalty amount you receive depends on what type of customer bought your book and any discount they received. For more information on how royalties are calculated, please visit the FAQ.

When you purchase a publishing package, we will assign a publishing consultant to you. If you would like to connect with a consultant and place an order, please call us at 844.682.1282.

If you have already reached out and been assigned a publishing consultant, but are unsure of his or her contact information (name, phone number, e-mail address, etc.), please call us at 844.682.1282, and someone will access your account to provide you with the correct information.

The Library of Congress sets strict guidelines about which books may receive a Library of Congress Control Number.

The following types of books are ineligible for Library of Congress Control Numbers:

• Books which do not list a U.S. city as place of publication on the title page or copyright page
• E-Books (i.e. books published in electronic format)
• Serials
• Custom editions
• Items under 50 pages, with the exception of genealogies, children's literature, and catalogue exhibitions submitted by museums and art galleries
• Textbooks below the college level
• Items not intended for wide distribution to libraries
• Religious instructional materials
• Expendable educational materials
• Translations except Spanish
• Music scores
• Crossword puzzle books

Please contact our customer support team by calling us at 844.682.1282, or visit our Contact Us page to submit your question.