Harmony Publishing vs Palmetto Publishing
Palmetto Publishing is a US self-publishing services company with published item prices and quote-based packages.
Short version. Palmetto Publishing is a US self-publishing services company offering cover design, editing, formatting, illustration, printing, distribution and marketing. It publishes some item prices, and says its authors keep 100% of royalties, but its full package price comes from a quote after a consultation. Our packages and their prices are published on one page, with printed copies from Complete up. If you want to see the price before you talk to anyone, that is the main difference.
Which should you choose?
Choose Harmony if…
- You want to see the price before you talk to anyone: our packages and their prices are on one page, and Palmetto says a consultant sets its price after a conversation. (palmettopublishing.com, checked 4 October 2026)
- You want the whole run priced up front: our calculator gives the delivered price of 100 to 10,000 copies (for the common black-and-white paperbacks) before you commit, with the freight as its own line when the shipment is heavy.
- You want one team across editing, design, print and distribution, an ISBN registered in your name or your own imprint, and no share of your royalties.
Choose Palmetto Publishing if…
- You want a dedicated publishing consultant and project manager and a plan built around your book: Palmetto describes both, and a consultation stage that lasts about a month for most authors. (palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process, checked 15 October 2026)
- You need developmental, line and copy editing in one place: Palmetto lists all three, and publishes per-word prices for copy and line edits. (palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process, checked 15 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com, checked 4 October 2026)
- You want the terms of leaving spelled out in the agreement: Palmetto's terms say rights revert on termination and print availability stops within 30 days. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
Switching probably isn't worth it if…
- Your book is already with Palmetto, your rights are yours (the author keeps 100% under its terms) and the only reason to move is a different price: ask for a quote on the work you still need before you leave a project that is under way. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
- You are partway through editing or design with a consultant you trust: the process runs in stages, and a move restarts at least the stage you are in. (palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process, checked 15 October 2026)
Side by side
| Harmony Publishing | Palmetto Publishing | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A full-service self-publishing company: editing from Premium, cover, layout, ISBN, printing, eBook and distribution | A US self-publishing services company: cover design, illustration, editing, formatting, printing, distribution, audiobooks and marketing (palmettopublishing.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Pricing model | Packages with the price on the page | Quote-based packages, with some item prices published; its FAQ says a consultant sets the price after a conversation (palmettopublishing.com, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Published prices | From $699 (Essentials) | Cover design from $799 (custom cover from $899); copy edit $0.038 a word; line edit $0.046 a word; metadata optimization $399; illustration from $249 for a half page; writing coach $900 a month (palmettopublishing.com, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Royalties | You keep 100% of royalties and all rights | Authors keep 100% of royalties, per its homepage and FAQ (palmettopublishing.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Printing | Printed copies from Complete ($1,299) up | Hardcover and paperback book printing offered (palmettopublishing.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Editing | Editing from Premium (copyediting and proofreading); Rockstar adds a developmental review | Developmental, line and copy edits, with a minimum of seven business days for a manuscript under 20,000 words and a day more for each further 10,000 words (palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process, checked 15 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Delivery timescale | 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 weeks | Its FAQ says the process 'can take as little as 8-12 weeks'; its terms commit to reasonable efforts to produce, print and distribute within 90 days of your approval to start production (palmettopublishing.com/faq, checked 15 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026) |
| ISBN and publisher of record | Registered in your name or your own imprint | Palmetto assigns an ISBN for each print format unless you supply one in writing. The pages we read do not say who is listed as publisher of record (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Rights and leaving | You keep all rights | You keep 100% of the rights and give Palmetto a non-exclusive licence. On termination rights revert and, within 30 days, Palmetto stops print availability and removes the digital files from distribution (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Best for | Authors who want the package price and inclusions before a conversation | Authors who want a full-service editor, designer and printer and are happy to work from a quote (palmettopublishing.com, checked 4 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
Competitor descriptions reflect their published service structure at the time of writing and may change. Check their current terms directly. Our own prices are on the packages page.
The same book, priced on both
One book, priced the same way on both sides: a 6×9 inch paperback, 200 pages, black and white interior on 60lb natural paper, gloss cover, perfect bound, with print-ready files supplied. Printing only, delivered to ZIP code 10001 (New York, NY), Economy delivery.
| Copies | Harmony Publishing (our calculator, today) | Palmetto Publishing |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $890.08 printing, with delivery included$8.90 per copySee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (palmettopublishing.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| 1,000 | $6,623.74 = $6,140.40 printing + $483.34 freight$6.62 per copy, deliveredSee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (palmettopublishing.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
Our figure is the live output of our calculator at the moment this page was shown. Where the quantity is small, delivery is included in the price; for a heavy shipment the freight is its own line at the carrier's cost, with no markup. Prices exclude sales tax. A competitor price appears here only with a source and the date we checked it; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
The same job on both
The job: Publish a 200-page paperback with your own ISBN and get it on Amazon.
With Harmony Publishing
- Choose a package. Essentials is built for a manuscript that is already edited and covers cover design, interior layout, ISBN assignment, account setup and the publishing submission to KDP and IngramSpark, and distribution worldwide.
- Send your manuscript and a cover brief. If you already own an ISBN for the printed edition you can give it to us in the calculator's ISBN step.
- Approve the proofs. Nothing is printed until you have approved everything.
- We submit the book to the retailers and print-on-demand services and set up distribution in your name.
- You supply:
- A finished, edited manuscript and a cover brief (or a finished cover).
- You get back:
- An ISBN registered in your name or your imprint, your print-ready and editable files, the book live through worldwide distribution, and 100% of your royalties.
- How long:
- 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 weeks, depending on the package and how quickly proofs are approved.
With Palmetto Publishing
- Learn: a consultation to build a publishing plan, which Palmetto says lasts about a month for most authors. (palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process, checked 15 October 2026)
- Discovery and onboarding: questionnaires, a dedicated publishing manager, and an ISBN assigned to your book at this stage (about a week). The terms say Palmetto assigns one for each print format unless you supply yours in writing. (palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process, checked 15 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
- Editing, design and proofing: edits where needed, cover and interior, then a digital proof for you to review. (palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process, checked 15 October 2026)
- Distribution and printing: print-on-demand and eBook distribution through online retailers. Palmetto says it will ensure the book is available on platforms like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and that it is up to individual bookstores to stock it. (palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process, checked 15 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com/faq, checked 15 October 2026)
- You supply:
- The manuscript, answers to questionnaires, and your review and approval of the designs and the digital proof. (palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process, checked 15 October 2026)
- You get back:
- A book distributed in print and as an eBook, with 100% of your royalties and 100% of the rights (you grant Palmetto a non-exclusive licence). (palmettopublishing.com, checked 15 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
- How long:
- Palmetto's FAQ says the process 'can take as little as 8-12 weeks'; its terms commit to reasonable efforts within 90 days of your approval to start production. (palmettopublishing.com/faq, checked 15 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
Switching to Harmony from Palmetto Publishing
If you decide to move a book you have already published, this is what carries over, what does not, and an order of steps that keeps the book available the whole time.
What moves with you
- Your rights. You keep 100% of them under Palmetto's terms, and on termination 'all rights granted within this agreement revert back to the author'. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
- An ISBN you supplied or bought yourself. Palmetto assigns one for each print format unless you supply it in writing. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
What does not
- Anything you cannot confirm is registered to you. The pages we read do not say who is listed as publisher of record when Palmetto assigns the ISBN, so ask for the registration details before you plan the move. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
- Retailer listings Palmetto does not control. Its terms say it is not responsible for the failure of third-party retailers to remove a title, so listings can outlast the 30 days. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
- Reviews tied to the old ISBN. A new ISBN starts as a new listing, and whether reviews can be carried over is the retailer's decision.
The order of steps, so the book is never unavailable
- Ask Palmetto for your final files and the ISBN registration details, and leave the book live while you move. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
- Decide the ISBN: keep one you own, or take a new one with us.
- Order a single proof copy from us (the calculator prices one copy) and approve it.
- Publish the new edition with us and check it is live on Amazon and the other stores you sell through.
- Only then end the agreement with Palmetto: its terms say that on termination, within 30 days, it stops print availability and removes the digital files from distribution. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
What to check first
- Read your agreement for the termination terms; Palmetto's standard terms say rights revert and print availability stops within 30 days. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
- Whose name is the ISBN registered in? Palmetto's public pages do not say. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
- Do you hold final print-ready files for the interior and the cover?
- Does the book meet the trim and page limits of the new print run? Check them in the calculator.
To price a reprint or a proof copy before you move anything, use the calculator.
Three questions to ask any provider
Including us. The answers decide more about value than the headline price:
- Ask who the publisher of record will be. If it is not you or your imprint, understand why before you sign.
- Ask what royalty share they take. Any percentage of your sales is a cost that compounds over the life of the book.
- Ask whether you receive your editable source files. If you cannot take your interior and cover elsewhere later, you are locked in.
On all three, our answer is: you are the publisher of record, we take no royalties, and you receive your print-ready and editable files.
How this comparison was made
- Prepared by the Harmony Publishing editorial team.
- Palmetto Publishing's public product, help and terms pages were read on the dates in the sources list; nothing was purchased, and no account was opened.
- Our figures are the live output of our own calculator, for the scenario stated above.
- A competitor price appears only with a source and the date it was checked; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
- Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Each source below carries the date it was checked, which can be earlier.
Sources
- www.palmettopublishing.com/ — checked 4 October 2026 and 15 October 2026
- www.palmettopublishing.com/about-us/our-process — checked 15 October 2026
- www.palmettopublishing.com/faq — checked 15 October 2026
- www.palmettopublishing.com/terms — checked 15 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is Palmetto cheaper than Harmony Publishing?
Palmetto publishes some item prices (for example cover design, and per-word copy and line editing) but sets the price of a full package after a consultation, so a like-for-like total needs a quote. Our package prices are published on one page, so you can add up what you need before you talk to anyone. (palmettopublishing.com, checked 4 October 2026)
Do I keep my royalties and rights with Palmetto?
Palmetto says authors keep 100% of royalties, and its terms say the author retains 100% of the rights and grants Palmetto a non-exclusive licence to distribute and sell the work. With us you keep 100% of royalties and all rights too. (palmettopublishing.com, checked 15 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
How long does publishing take?
Palmetto's FAQ says the process can take as little as 8-12 weeks, and its terms commit to reasonable efforts to produce, print and distribute within 90 days of your approval to start production. Ours is 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 weeks, depending on the services in your package and how quickly proofs are approved. (palmettopublishing.com/faq, checked 15 October 2026; palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
Who is the publisher of record?
With us, you are: the ISBN is registered in your name or your own imprint. The Palmetto pages we read do not say who is listed as publisher of record, so ask before you sign. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)
Can I move a book from Palmetto to Harmony?
Yes. Ask Palmetto for your final files and the ISBN registration details, decide whether to keep an ISBN you own or take a new one, order a proof, publish with us, and only then end the agreement: its terms say print availability stops within 30 days of termination, and that it is not responsible if third-party retailers keep a listing. (palmettopublishing.com/terms, checked 15 October 2026)