Professional design and layout for the publishing and self-publishing community

November 2023
This month's offer is only open to users of BlueSky Social


A free fiction-paperback typeset (worth ~£350) for ONE UK-based indie-author.

Your book can already be published in any format, but should be 90k-words or less, all in one typeface/font (not including headings), and with no more than three images, plus logo. You must also be able to supply it in a digital format. (Additional restrictions may apply.)

How to enter
Follow this link to my post on BlueSky, follow my account, repost, and leave a comment to say you'd like to enter.

Eligibility
This pay-it-forward offer is open to any UK-based indie author on BlueSky Social, particularly those new to self-publishing, or finding themselves overwhelmed by the process. I especially welcome applications from those who fall into one or more of the following categories:
• single parents or prime carers for other family members
• those in receipt of low-income related benefits
• members of the BAME community
• domestic abuse survivors
• anyone with a disability (including hidden disabilities)
• those struggling with poor mental-health.

Basically, if you're trying to write and publish, but life is giving you a hard time, I will do my best to help you.

This is a goodwill offer, so I ask you not to apply if you can realistically afford to pay for these services and/or don't really need the practical support. I'm keen to help those who will benefit the most. Thank you.





If you would like a quote for paid work, you can see the kind of thing I do here (print) and here (ebooks); but if your problem is small, I might be able to offer advice to get you back on track via social media.





About Blot's Pay-it-Forward Scheme
At one point in 2018, life went through a very sticky patch, and great kindness was shown to me and mine by a heart-warming number of people. Since then, I've paid this kindness forward in the best way I know: via typography.

Several times a year, I offer one of my services for free for up to three UK-based indie authors. Usually, this is a confidential typesetting-assessment + report (worth £60) of a self-published paperback or ebook, but occasionally I offer a complete page-set (worth £350), again of either a paperback or ebook.

If, in the meantime, you are struggling with a particular aspect of your layout or formatting, feel free to tweet/message me on Twitter (DMs are open), or email payitforward@blot.co.uk – I happily offer free advice when I can.

—Leigh Forbes

Image of a sunflower

Photo credit: Mohsen Bagherzadeh