Harmony Publishing vs Troubador
Troubador is a UK company that works with independent authors to produce, market, distribute and sell their books, with bespoke quotes.
Short version. Troubador says it has 30+ years of self-publishing experience. It does not offer pre-set packages: each author gets a bespoke quote, and it publishes four worked examples from £650 to £7,500. It says it does not hold the rights to your books. We offer full-service self-publishing with our packages and prices on one page. If you want a UK company with its own distribution warehouse and a bespoke quote, Troubador is built for that.
Which should you choose?
Choose Harmony if…
- 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.
- You want a price in dollars with the inclusions listed, rather than a bespoke quote in pounds: Troubador's worked examples are in pounds and depend on the services you need. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
Choose Troubador if…
- You want a bespoke service rather than pre-set packages: Troubador says packages 'limit flexibility for authors'. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
- You want bookshop sales support: it cites a dedicated sales team and its own distribution warehouse. (troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026)
- You are UK-based and want a company with a long history in self-publishing: it cites 30+ years. (troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026)
Switching probably isn't worth it if…
- Your book is published, you are happy with the bookshop sales support and you hold your files.
- You only need an ebook: Troubador lists a £650 example for that, and the price depends on your manuscript. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
Side by side
| Harmony Publishing | Troubador | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A full-service self-publishing company that produces and prints your book | A UK company that says it partners with independent authors to produce, market, distribute and sell their books, with 30+ years of self-publishing experience (troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Pricing model | Packages with the price on the page | Bespoke quotes: it says it does not offer pre-set packages (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Published prices | From $699 (Essentials) | Four worked examples in pounds: £650 (ebook), £3,000 (printed and to market), £6,000 (into bookshops), £7,500 (maximum exposure), for a text-only manuscript of up to 75,000 words (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Payment | See the packages page | It asks for an initial deposit of £500 when you return your contract (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Printed copies | Printed copies from Complete ($1,299) up | 200 printed copies in the £3,000 example and 500 in the £6,000 example (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Rights | You keep 100% of royalties and all rights | It says it does not hold the rights to your books (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Bookshop and retail reach | Global distribution including Amazon KDP | Bookshops and online retailers, a dedicated sales team and its own distribution warehouse on site (troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Best for | Authors who want the package price and inclusions on one page | Authors who want a UK company offering a bespoke quote with sales and distribution support (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026; troubador.co.uk, 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) | Troubador |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $890.08 printing, with delivery included$8.90 per copySee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (troubador.co.uk/pricing, 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 (troubador.co.uk/pricing, 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 a cover, an ISBN and distribution.
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 Troubador
- Describe your book and the services you want; Troubador prepares a bespoke quote. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
- Return the contract with the initial deposit of £500. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
- Work through editorial, production and design, and sales and distribution services as quoted. (troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026)
- You supply:
- Your manuscript. Its worked examples assume a text-only manuscript of up to 75,000 words. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
- You get back:
- A produced book and, depending on the quote, printed copies and distribution through bookshops and online retailers. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026; troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026)
- How long:
- No turnaround is stated on the pages we read. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
Switching to Harmony from Troubador
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. Troubador says it does not hold the rights to your books. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
- An ISBN you bought yourself. It is yours to use with any printer.
What does not
- An ISBN registered in a publisher's name. The pages we read do not say whose name Troubador registers it in, so ask before you plan the move. (troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026)
- Retailer listings and reviews tied to the old ISBN. A new ISBN starts as a new listing.
The order of steps, so the book is never unavailable
- Ask Troubador in writing for your final files and the ISBN details, and leave the book live meanwhile. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, 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 ask Troubador to end the old edition and any stock held at its warehouse. Its pages do not say how, so ask first. (troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026)
What to check first
- Whose name is the ISBN in?
- Do you hold the final files for the interior and the cover?
- Is there stock at the warehouse, and what happens to it? (troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026)
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.
- Troubador'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.troubador.co.uk/ — checked 15 October 2026
- www.troubador.co.uk/pricing — checked 15 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Does Troubador publish its prices?
It publishes four worked examples, from £650 to £7,500, for a text-only manuscript of up to 75,000 words. Your own quote depends on the services you need. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
Do I keep my rights with Troubador?
Troubador says: 'We don't hold the rights to your books, ever.' With us you also keep all rights to your book and 100% of royalties. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
How do I pay Troubador?
It asks for an initial deposit of £500 when you return your contract. Ask for the schedule for the rest in your quote. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026)
Which is better for me?
Troubador suits authors who want a bespoke, UK-based service with bookshop sales support. Our packages suit authors who want to compare whole packages and their prices on one page. Compare the inclusions and the total you are quoted. (troubador.co.uk/pricing, checked 15 October 2026; troubador.co.uk, checked 15 October 2026)