For writers, by a writer.
I’m Grant Poulton. I wrote a novel, then spent a year finding out how to turn it into a real book that South Africans could buy. WritersTrek is that year, made shorter for you.
My book is The Leopard’s Bloody Veil, a historical epic set in South Africa. I published it myself, under my own imprint: ISBNs, typesetting, cover, Amazon, and a website that sells it direct with card payments and an order book. You can see all of it at grantapoulton.com.
Before I was an author I spent my working life in IT: hardware, web development and software. That’s why I can build your website as well as your book, and why I set interiors with tools I built for my own.
Through my company, Bluesky Distribution, I also run seller accounts on Takealot, Makro and Amazon.co.za. That is how your book gets onto those shelves without you having to become a marketplace seller yourself. Bluesky is also a registered Exclusive Books supplier, which is how my novel got onto the shelf at their V&A Waterfront store.
The bench
Editing, proofreading and cover design are done by professional South African editors and designers who work with me on agreed rates. You’ll know exactly who is working on your book before you pay a deposit.
I do the typesetting, ebooks, publishing setup and websites myself, and I’m your one point of contact from first call to finished book.
How working with me goes
You tell me where your book is.
Through the quiz, the price builder or a Readiness Call.
I send you a fixed quote.
The price you see is the price you pay. It changes only if your book does, for example if the word count grows.
A 50% deposit starts the work.
I name the editor and designer on your book, and give you dates for each stage.
You approve every stage.
Edits come back as tracked changes in Word. Covers come as two concepts with two rounds of changes.
The balance, then everything is yours.
Final files, accounts and passwords are handed over in your name, with all rights in the work assigned to you in writing.
How I use software, including AI
Editing and cover design are done by people. I use software, including AI tools, for checks: consistency lists, formatting validation and Amazon keyword research. Software never rewrites your sentences, and it never draws your cover.