Where indie authors find clarity, support, and ethical control.
At Wilder Creek Publishing, our process is designed to remove confusion, eliminate predatory practices, and guide you confidently through the steps of publication — whether you’re publishing under your own name or joining our community imprint.
You keep your rights.
You keep your royalties.
We handle the rest — with transparency, care, and your goals in mind.
Step 1: Author Intake Form
Start by filling out our Author Intake Form. This gives us a sense of your manuscript, your goals, and the services you’re considering. It also lets you choose whether you’d like to:
Use your own ISBN and publish under your own name/imprint with our support
Or use our ISBNs and become part of the Wilder Creek branded catalog
We’ll never try to sell you services you don’t need.
You choose your path — we walk it with you.
Step 2: Publishing Path Selection
After we receive your form, we’ll respond with personalized guidance based on your selected path.
We’ll also confirm your:
Desired formats (ebook, paperback, hardcover)
Distribution goals (Amazon, IngramSpark, others)
Whether you want a hosted author website
Any metadata or copyright assistance needed
You’ll receive a checklist and projected quote —
never more than $750 USD, even if you use every optional service.
All prices are listed separately on our website.
Step 3: Originality & Integrity Review (Optional)
If you wish to label your books AI Free, we will scan your manuscript with professional grade AI detection systems for AI-generated content and plagiarism, as well as at least two other tools, to verify it meets U.S. copyright eligibility and reflects your original work.
We verify that your content aligns with our Ethical Publishing Standards, including:
No plagiarism
No AI-generated content without proper disclosure
No hate-based or defamatory material
No falsified authorship or impersonation
Once completed, your manuscript will receive an “AI Free Certification.”
If your manuscript is AI-assisted and passes originality thresholds, no additional disclosure is required.
If your manuscript is AI-generated, a foreword and clear labeling are required on the back cover and book description.
Your author dashboard will contain downloadable certificates of ownership, authenticity, and our endorsement as verified original work.
Step 4: ISBN Assignment & Metadata
Whether you use your own ISBNs or choose ours, we’ll:
Help register your titles for ebook, paperback, and hardcover
Note: Any revisions will require a new ISBN. We recommend waiting until the final manuscript
Input and format your metadata for distribution platforms
Optionally register your book with the U.S. Library of Congress
If you publish under the Wilder Creek imprint, we also issue a Publishing Certificate and include your listing on our Author Showcase.
Step 5: Community & Visibility (Imprint Authors Only)
If you publish under Wilder Creek:
You’ll be listed on our Author Showcase
Your book will appear in our Catalog
You’ll be cross-linked from other authors’ pages
You can join group launches, ARC mailing lists, and shared promotions
You’ll gain early access to events, co-op ad opportunities, and reader networks
This is how we build a community imprint — not just a label.
Step 6: Optional Website & Branding Support
We offer all authors an author page to help establish your author identity.
Additonally, you can opt for a Wilder Creek Publishing designed, branded and hosted e-commerce website.
We’ll list your books, link to your preferred storefronts, and even embed your book updates in our newsletters.
Step 7: You're Published — and Still Independent
You’ve now published your book.
There are no royalties owed to us. There are no lock-ins or required subscriptions.
You can leave at any time — see our Refund & Rights Policy – Use of ISBNs and Metadata) for full details on imprint withdrawal.
If you used our ISBNs, they remain in our catalog unless you request withdrawal.
We charge no exit fees unless reissuing new metadata is required — and even then, it’s capped and explained in advance.
But you remain part of the Wilder Creek Family