— For authors
Your story deserves a process built around the story.
Starbridge Media is developing a flexible publishing and creative approach for writers whose projects may need more than a standard template. For independent and self-publishing authors in any genre, that can include manuscript development, book cover design, illustration direction, book layout and typesetting, Kindle eBook and paperback preparation for Amazon KDP, and book trailers.
We are now accepting new author and story submissions. If you have a manuscript, illustrated project or story concept you would like Starbridge Media to review, tell us about your project and send us a sample using our author submission form.
01 The approach
What it can involve.
Not every project needs every step. Some books arrive as strong finished manuscripts and need careful design and publishing preparation. Others need help shaping the story, developing characters, planning scenes or building a wider visual presentation. These are the areas Starbridge’s approach covers.
- 01
Manuscript development
Reading the story as a whole: what it is trying to do, and whether it does it.
- 02
Structural feedback
Where the shape of a story helps or hinders it.
- 03
Pacing and continuity
Keeping the rhythm right, and the details consistent from page to page.
- 04
Character planning
Giving characters identities that can survive every later illustration.
- 05
Worldbuilding
The rules, places and objects that make an imagined world hold together.
- 06
Storyboarding
Planning scenes and sequence before expensive artwork begins.
- 07
Illustration direction
What each picture needs to say, and how to keep the visual language consistent.
- 08
Book layout
Typography, page composition and the balance of words and pictures.
- 09
Kindle preparation
Digital files, device checks and the practical requirements of an ebook.
- 10
Print preparation
Trim, margins, bleed and the requirements of a printed edition.
- 11
Promotional design
Cover presentation and artwork that introduces the finished book.
- 12
Trailers
Short films that use artwork, pacing and sound to give a story another way to reach readers.
- 13
Dedicated book and story pages
A page of its own for characters, previews, trailers and purchase links.
- 14
Launch preparation
Metadata, store listing, categories and the checks before publication.
02 Kinds of project
Stories that need more than a template.
We read submissions across genres and audiences: picture books, children’s fiction, middle grade and young adult, adult fiction, non-fiction and memoir, in text-only or illustrated form. On the submission form you can ask about cover design, eBook, paperback and hardback preparation, Amazon KDP preparation, book trailers, promotional artwork, a dedicated book page, and audiobook or audio development. What a particular project needs, and what is included, is agreed in a written proposal. See author projects for how examples are shown.
Picture books
Where words and illustrations need to work closely together.
Illustrated chapter books
Longer stories where artwork supports the reader without overpowering the text.
Adventure & fantasy
Characters, places, continuity and larger storyworlds.
Comic-style storytelling
Stronger visual sequencing, panels or scene planning.
Animation-inspired books
Character consistency, movement and storyboard thinking.
Early story concepts
Ideas that may need shaping before production begins.
03 Every project is different
No two books require the same journey.
A primarily text-led book may need relatively straightforward editorial, design and publishing preparation. An illustrated adventure, comic-style story or project requiring character development, storyboarding, animation or promotional media involves considerably more creative production.
Starbridge does not work from fixed packages. The first job is understanding what a particular story actually needs.
04 Costs and next steps
Free to enquire. Agreed in writing before any work.
Initial consideration is free
- Sending your project through the submission form costs nothing and commits neither of us to anything.
- We read your sample and reply. That first look is a suitability check: it is not automatically a full editorial assessment of your manuscript.
- We may decide a project is not something we can take forward.
Paid services are agreed later
- If we both want to go ahead, a written proposal sets out the scope, deliverables, fees, milestones, revision allowances and any rights or licences before work begins.
- Nothing is charged and no work starts until that proposal has been accepted by both sides.
- Starbridge does not publish prices, packages or deposits, because every project differs.
What happens after you submit
- SubmissionYou send the form, a sample of about the first 10 pages and any artwork you would like us to see.
- AcknowledgementAn automatic email confirms we have received it. It is a receipt, not a decision.
- Initial suitability reviewWe read the sample and consider whether the project looks like something we could help with. We may ask for more pages.
- DiscussionIf it looks promising, we talk about what the story needs and what you want from the project.
- Written proposalScope, deliverables, fees, milestones, revision allowances, rights and licences, in writing.
- AgreementWork starts only once both sides have accepted the proposal.
- Production and author approvalsWork moves in stages, and you approve the key decisions as it goes.
- Delivery and publication preparationThe files and preparation set out in the proposal.
Starbridge does not currently publish a guaranteed response time or production schedule. Any timings are agreed and written into the proposal.
Following up, withdrawing or asking for deletion
Email authors@starbridge.media with your name and project title to ask how your submission is going, to withdraw it at any point before an agreement, or to ask us to delete the material you sent. We will delete it unless we have a legal reason to keep it, and aim to reply to data requests within one month. You can also reach us by telephone or text, but an email leaves a written record of what you asked. See the Privacy Notice.
05 Studio production toolkit
The studio toolkit, chosen per project.
These are the Adobe applications and services available to Starbridge for studio and author work, shown as our toolkit rather than a promise. Tools are chosen according to each project’s needs. No project uses every tool, and this list is not a record of which application was used on Nebula and the Glimmernauts. What has actually been made is shown on Behind the Book; the toolkit describes what is available.
Manuscript collaboration and proofing
reading and commenting on PDF proofs, so feedback sits on the page it refers to
copy editing text inside an InDesign layout without disturbing the page design
For you: clear feedback, in one place, tied to the page.
Book interiors and typography
book interiors: chapter openings, text panels, grids, preflight, and print and digital layouts
typefaces chosen for readability and mood
For you: readable, consistent pages.
Font licences are checked before source files are handed over. Font files stay licensed to the studio’s account.
Illustration, graphics and visual development
compositing, paint-over, retouching and finishing of artwork
vector graphics such as maps, diagrams, symbols and title treatments that scale cleanly
pencil-style sketching and painting for character studies and storyboard thumbnails
collecting colours, shapes and textures from the real world as reference for artwork
For you: consistent characters and artwork you approve before it is final.
Image finishing and organisation
matching tone and colour across sets of images such as scans and photographs
desktop cataloguing and batch finishing of larger image sets
browsing, naming and organising project files so assets are easy to find and hand over
quick mobile touch-ups to photographs, such as an author photo
turning paper sketches and marked-up pages into digital files
For you: consistent colour and well-organised files.
Promotional materials and web pages
quick social graphics, announcements and flyers made from approved artwork
designing and coding web pages, such as a dedicated book page
For you: promotional assets and pages that look like your book.
Stock images and other paid assets are not included unless the written proposal says so.
Trailers, motion and animation
editing book trailers and short films
motion graphics, titles, effects and compositing
2D animation and animated sequences
bringing layered character artwork to life in short animated pieces
For you: media that fits the story.
Completed example: the Book One trailer. For other projects these are available capabilities, used only where the story calls for them and the proposal includes them.
Audio, exports and delivery
cleaning, balancing and mixing voice, music and sound effects
exporting finished video in the formats needed for the web, social platforms and delivery
For you: professional files you can use straight away.
Optional AI-assisted tools
exploring early visual ideas, only if you agree. Boards are a Firefly feature, not a separate tool
AI-powered speech clean-up and voiceover tools, only if you agree
For you: a say in whether they are used at all.
Never part of the workflow by default. Any use on your material would be discussed and expressly agreed with you first, and any result would be reviewed and edited by people. AI-assisted concept art that appears on this site is labelled as such.
Suite and licensed assets
the suite that manages the applications, shared libraries, fonts and cloud files, keeping project assets organised
a searchable library of licensed images, video and audio
For you: well-organised assets, and clarity on what is licensed.
Adobe Stock licences are bought separately. Nothing from Adobe Stock is included in an author project unless the written proposal says so.
What each stage gives you
- Proofing and editsClear feedback, tied to the page
- Character and visual developmentConsistent characters from page to page
- Book interiorsReadable pages in print and digital
- ArtworkApproved artwork before it is final
- Finishing and deliveryProfessional, checked files
- PromotionSuitable promotional assets
Adobe and the Adobe application names are trademarks of Adobe Inc. Starbridge Media is not affiliated with, and is not authorised, endorsed or sponsored by, Adobe. The names are used only to describe the software.
— Motion work
Audiobooks, trailers and launch media.
Two of the studio’s service banners and a book-trailer sample, as they would appear beside the services they describe.
06 Proof of work
See a book being built.
The clearest way to understand the approach is to see it applied. Behind the Book follows Nebula and the Glimmernauts from first idea to published book, with real character references, working notes, a storyboard, revision history, page design, a trailer and the finished Amazon listing.
It is proof of work, not a testimonial: one real project, shown as it was actually made.
See a real project from idea to publication07 Honest expectations
What this is.
- An independent studio that has published its own first title and is developing a creative approach for future work.
- A process shaped around the individual story, not a fixed package.
What it isn’t
- A literary agency promising representation.
- A traditional publisher offering advances.
- A guarantee of sales, rankings, reviews or adaptation.
- An offer of publication simply because a project has been submitted.
08 Rights
Your project remains your project.
Providing creative or publishing services would not automatically transfer ownership of an author’s story to Starbridge. Any rights, permissions or agreed uses relevant to a particular project would need to be set out clearly in a separate written agreement before work began.
09 Publishing responsibilities
Who does what.
Every project is different, so these arrangements are agreed in writing before work begins. This page states only what is already settled. Where there is no standing answer, it says so instead of guessing.
Who controls the publishing account, ISBN and imprint?
This is decided for each project and written into the proposal before work begins. Nothing about your account, ISBN or imprint passes to Starbridge, or is taken over by Starbridge, simply because you submitted a project.
Who receives the retailer income?
Retailers pay the holder of the publishing account, so the answer follows the account question above. It is agreed in writing for each project. No particular arrangement is assumed or promised on this website.
Are files supplied, or are retailer uploads included?
Preparing files, such as a print-ready PDF or a Kindle-ready file, and uploading them to a retailer are separate tasks. The proposal says which of them are included. Starbridge does not assume it will upload on your behalf.
What source files and promotional assets are handed over?
The proposal lists the files you will receive and the licence that applies to any artwork or promotional assets. Some material has licence limits, for example fonts or third-party assets, and these are raised before you agree.
What approvals and revisions are included?
Production moves in stages and you approve the key decisions along the way. The proposal sets which approvals and how many rounds of revision are included, so the allowance is clear before work begins.
What marketing and distribution are actually offered?
Starbridge can prepare promotional material, such as cover presentation, artwork, a dedicated book page or a trailer where it suits the story, and can prepare listings for online retailers such as Amazon. Online retailer availability means readers can buy through the retailer’s website. It is not active bookshop distribution, which is not promised here. If it were ever part of a project, it would be written into the proposal. Nothing on this website promises sales, rankings, reviews, adaptations or acceptance by any retailer.
Do I keep ownership of my work?
Yes. Submitting or commissioning work does not transfer ownership to Starbridge. Any later rights or licences need a separate written agreement. See the Author Submission Terms.
Will AI be used on my work?
Not by default, and never automatically. Starbridge’s submission process does not send your material to any AI service. If a third-party AI tool were proposed for part of your project, it would be discussed with you and used only if you expressly agreed beforehand. Updating a policy page would not count as your permission.
Ready to tell us about your book?
Starbridge Media is now accepting new project enquiries from authors and story creators. If you have a manuscript, concept or illustrated project you would like us to consider, send us your first 10 pages and tell us about the story you want to create.
An enquiry only • No obligation • No fee for initial consideration. Paid services, if we both want them, are agreed in a written proposal first.