Publishing strategy, production services and digital marketing for authors, publishers and content producers.

They say everybody has a book in them


But it’s possible you’re not sure how to go about it, what to do after you’ve written it or whether you should invest your time and money in a book at all.

With a depth of experience in publishing from conception through to sales and analysis, we can help you come up with a publication strategy, find an editor, put together a marketing strategy and help you to produce and distribute your book.

Our philosophy is to help connect you to the people and services you need to publish successfully, and then get out

Joel Naoum has a decade of experience in books and writing. For the past five years he has run Momentum – a global, first-of-its-kind digital imprint for Macmillan – one of the largest publishing houses in the world. Responsible for publishing over a hundred titles a year, Joel oversaw the publishing process from contract negotiation through editorial, production and marketing all the way to sales and analysis. He has worked with authors like Matthew Reilly, John Birmingham, Kylie Scott and Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, across all genres and in both fiction and non-fiction.

He was also responsible for setting up the digital-first production workflow of Momentum, as well as building a custom central title database, which integrated with website ecommerce and a dynamic pricing algorithm that priced ebooks on the fly in response to sales.

Joel is also on the board of the NSW Writers’ Centre and was the recipient of the 2011 Unwin Trust Fellowship, which involved months of research on digital experimentation in the publishing industry.

You can read his report here.

Our aim is to be as transparent as possible and ensure you pay no mark-up for any services you require. No invisible fees, no strings attached and no ongoing commitments.

Services


For authors

Choose from one of our pre-built packages of services or let us customize a package that suits you. Whether you want help setting up distribution, just a marketing plan, or an end to end publishing solution we can help you.

For publishers

Need help building out a digital production or editorial workflow? Need a best-in-class database solution or help with your ONIX feed? Get in touch to organise a free initial consultancy to provide advice and get a quote on how to help fold the best technology solutions into your business.

For content producers

Are you interested in exploring book publishing opportunities for the content you’ve already produced, be it from your blog, your brand or your business? Arrange an initial consultation and get advice or a quote on how (and whether) to bring your content together as a book.



Mentor Package

$100/hour.

One hour consultation to discuss publishing strategy and what you need to publish your book successfully. If in doubt about our services don’t hesitate to get in contact.



Production Package

Starting from $250.

One-hour consult on editorial strategy.

Connect you to the most appropriate editors and proofreaders for your work and negotiate fees on your behalf.

Recommend and negotiate with designers and typesetters so you can turn your manuscript into ebook and print-ready files.

Professional brief for your book cover to a recommended cover designer.



Marketing Package

Starting from $250.

One-hour consult on marketing strategy.

Social media audit.

Advice on digital advertising (Facebook, BookBub etc.).

Facilitate merchandising with selected digital retailers.



Distribution Package

Starting from $200.

Metadata created and optimised for your book.

Pricing advice for your genre and type of book.

Book blurb edited and enhanced for your target market.

Set up distribution for your ebook and/or print on demand files across all major retailers.



The Complete Package

Starting from $600.

End to end overseeing of publication process to the standard of traditional publication.

Includes up to two hours of consultancy regarding overall publishing strategy.

Analysis of sales and marketing strategy.



Custom Services

$100/hour.

Pick and choose from the services above or just book in a consultation to get advice on how and where to publish your work, how to submit to publishers and agents, edit your pitch, look over your contract with a publisher or agent, or career development. If in doubt about our services don’t hesitate to get in contact.

If we can’t help you, we know someone who can.




We can help you:

  • Develop a digital editorial and production workflow.
  • Set up digital distribution for ebooks and print on demand.
  • Set up and maintain a central title database.
  • Help you with your digital marketing campaigns around books and authors, including Facebook advertising techniques, social listening and author training.
  • Provide industry best-practice advice and training on optimizing metadata, ebook pricing and ebook cover design.
  • Advice on digital contracts to ensure you are protected as well as meeting industry norms.

Get in touch to organise a free consultation and quote, or if you have any further questions about services.


We can help you:

  • Determine whether your content is worth producing as a book.
  • Build a publishing strategy around your work.
  • Source editors, proofreaders, designers and typesetters to produce and polish your work to a professional standard ahead of publication.
  • Advise and facilitate a cutting edge digital marketing strategy geared towards books.
  • Create top-notch metadata and distribute it globally to retailers around the world in both print and digital formats.
  • Provide analysis on sales, distribution and marketing effectiveness.

Get in touch to organise a free consultation and quote, or if you have any further questions about services.

"Joel Naoum is one of the best publishers I've worked with. He's smart, passionate and, most of all, he knows what he's doing!"

- Matthew Reilly, best selling author of Ice Station, Seven Ancient Wonders, The Tournament and The Great Zoo Of China

Testimonials



Contact


Critical Mass is not currently taking on new clients. If you'd like to be notified about availability, please sign up to the newsletter here. In the meantime we recommend getting in touch with your local writers' centre or the Australian Society of Authors for further advice.