Enjoy a Free Gift with Every Order, and
Free Canada-Wide Shipping on all orders over 75$!
Bold & Unexpected Books.
Frequently Asked Questions.
1. How do I submit my work to AOS?
Visit our submissions page by clicking the submissions button in the top right corner of our website. Then, just fill out the submissions form, and hit submit!
When you hit submit, we've received your work, even if a confirmation bubble does not appear. You should expect a reply within 2-4 weeks if we are interested in seeing more of your piece.
You can also send an email anytime to info@aospublishing.com
2. Is AOS a traditional publishing house?
AOS is in fact a Hybrid Publisher, which means that we employ a rigorous and selective editing process, as you would expect from a traditional press, but we are independent and do not receive funding from any outside organizations. As such, our authors share the costs of publication with us. The costs will vary based on the length and type of manuscript, and on the work required to bring the work up to our publishing standard. In exchange for sharing the costs, the author will retain full creative control over the project and will earn much higher (3-5x higher) royalties than with a 'traditional' deal.
We do things a little differently from the other guys, with our young and energetic team focusing our efforts on digital marketing and an expanding online and social media presence. We also offer a highly collaborative experience for our authors, one that ensures our authors are happy with the final product we take to market.
2B. Does this mean I retain creative control?
Yes, absolutely. AOS Publishing will never step over one of our authors to make changes to their work. It is written into every single one of our contracts, that authors will be the ones dictating the creative direction of their work. That being said, we of course understand that we are the experts and we will always be there to offer guidance and recommendations, which the author is free to adhere to, or deviate from as they see fit.
3. What are the costs of publishing?
Whichever of the three routes you opt for in taking your book to market, there will be costs associated with publishing.
With Traditional Publishing, you will pay on the back end. What this means is that, although a traditional publisher will not charge you to publish the work ('fronting the cost'), they will make their money back on the back end through the book sales, usually offering as little as 5-8% royalties on any sale of the work. In addition to taking the lion's share, if they paid you a small advance, that money is essentially a loan that must be repaid through sales of the book before a penny is paid to the author. Furthermore, most traditional publishers require querying through an agent, which is an additional barrier to entry for the author, and an additional cost of 15-20% (the agent's fee) on any monies earned (including any small advances). And finally, most traditional publishers, as a result of fronting all of the publishing costs, will leave all of the promotional work entirely to the author, offering little to no support. Unless you are a big name, you can expect that any promotion will be paid for by you!
With Self-Publishing, you will pay as you go. There are ways to save money by cutting corners, but if you want to hire professionals to edit the book, format the book and design a cover (not to mention the promotional side), these will cost you money out of pocket. Without years of publishing experience, it is very easy to make mistakes as you learn the way forward, or even to get taken advantage of. Costs can easily exceed 5000-10,000$ depending on the professionals you work with and the quality of work you choose for your project. Publicists alone often charge 8000-20,000$+ for only a few months of their services.
With AOS Publishing, our Hybrid model is very straightforward and transparent. You will share the costs of publication with us through a one time fee, and we will take care of everything for you! This means professional editing (not proofreading!), formatting, cover design, distribution, social media marketing and promotion. Our costs are far lower than most hybrid publishers, many of whom require author contributions over 10,000$ USD. AOS' author costs are often less than half of that (sometimes even a quarter), and billed in favourably exchanged Canadian dollars (CAD). Our work is of top quality and we stand behind everything we do. More than that, our authors are consulted at every step along the way and shown our work for approval before we move onto the next step in the book creation process. We are very proud of our transparent and collaborative process that ensures our authors maximum peace of mind, and a final product that is everything they hoped it would be.
For a helpful and informative article about publishing costs, feel free to refer to:
https://wordsrated.com/cost-of-publishing-a-book/
Whenever you are tendered a contract, please, please please read the contract and ask any relevant questions before signing. AOS always urges prospective authors to read the contract in full when it is tendered, to ensure that both parties are on the same page and that we begin our professional relationship on the best possible footing.
4. How many titles does AOS Publishing accept on a yearly basis? Which genres is AOS interested in?
AOS publishes novels, short stories, non-fiction, and poetry. We are looking for quality works, and are less concerned about the genre as we are about the impact of the writing.
Our team has the capacity to work on 35-40 books per year, and so space is limited. Once we fill up our catalogue for the year, the submissions window closes until we begin building out the catalogue for the following calendar year. We never schedule publication dates more than 18 months out, so if your submission was passed on, or you didn't hear back from us, it may just be that we were at capacity and we would be happy to take a look in the near future. Always feel free to submit again :)
5. Do I need an agent to submit?
No, you do not. AOS accepts submissions directly from authors. Visit our submissions page for more information.
6. I work for a media outlet interested in covering an AOS Publishing book. How can I request a review copy?
Requests for Advance Reader Copies for reviewers or media can be made directly by emailing info@aospublishing.com
7. I would like to have my blog post featured on the AOS Publishing blog. How can I make a request?
Inquiries about AOS Publishing's Blog can be made by emailing info@aospublishing.com
8. I have an inquiry about permissions. Who do I contact?
Inquiries about AOS Publishing permissions can be made by emailing info@aospublishing.com
9. What was the result of the small claims court suit with author Jenn Sadai?
The Court of Quebec formally dismissed the small claims lawsuit brought against AOS Publishing by author Jenn Sadai, ruling entirely in favour of the publisher. Regarding Quebec small claims court file number 500-32-721653-238, a final legal judgment was rendered confirming that AOS Publishing fully adhered to all contractual obligations, met professional industry publishing standards, and did not engage in misrepresentation or breach of contract. The judge reviewed the evidence and dismissed the plaintiff’s claims in their entirety. While outdated information and early, one-sided social media posts from the former author continue to circulate online, they reflect an unverified personal perspective from an active dispute and do not represent the final, legally binding court outcome, which can be very easily verified through public records.
As an honest and principled independent Canadian press based in Montreal, AOS Publishing maintains a rigorous selection and editing process. We remain fully committed to transparent author collaborations, contract integrity, and high-quality literary productions.