Gatekeeper Press, a startup venture founded by self-published author and publishing entrepreneur Rob Price, is a full-service self-publishing platform for e-books and print. The service offers a suite of production and editorial services as well as distribution through all major e-tailers, for a series of a la carte fees. Gatekeeper also offers its authors a rare 100% royalty on their sales.
Through Gatekeeper Press authors can opt for any combination of four individual services: e-book conversion and distribution ($249), paperback design and distribution ($249), cover design ($189), and editing and proofreading ($10.50/1,000 words and $6.50/1,000 words). While authors can pick and choose which services they will use, Gatekeeper also offers discounted rates on combined services. The service can also produce enhanced e-books for platforms like Google Play and the iBooks Store. Print titles are produced POD.
Gatekeeper authors decide on the pricing for their books and, most significantly, since the company generates revenue through its fee structure, receive that hefty royalty rate. Authors retain all print and digital rights to their books. The service also provides each prospective author with an Author Manager, a U.S.-based publishing professional that will guide each author through the Gatekeeper publishing and distribution process.
Price, who is also treasurer of the Independent Book Publishers Association, explained that Gatekeeper Press can make money on its fee structure because of low overhead and because it utilizes an existing publishing infrastructure—Price is also the founder of Price World Publishing, a small independent press.
When asked what separates Gatekeeper from the many other self-publishing platforms, Price cited "the level of one-on-one attention, the quality of service, [and] the streamlined publishing process." He then added: "and we offer authors the highest royalty payout.”
