For a Novice Publisher

The purpose of this page is to provide a brief overview of the main stages of publishing for a novice publisher.

A publisher is a private or legal person (organisation) that wishes to publish a publication in Estonia (printed book, ebook, audiobook, sheet music, electronic sheet music, etc.). 

The following keywords characterise publishing activities: acquiring the economic rights of the publication’s authors and agreeing on the use of their moral rights; financing the publication; executing the publishing process; distributing the publication, making it available to the public, and marketing it. Some printing houses and ebook producers offer services such as editing, design, production, and marketing. 

There are several ways to operate as a publisher: you can be both the author and publisher of a publication, publish someone else’s work, or publish as a legal person (organisation), etc. Before publishing, a manuscript created by the author(s) must be available.* 

The Estonian Publishers Association can provide additional assistance with questions that arise during publishing. 

Key activities

Publishing involves various activities. We outline seven key activities:

• 1. Choosing the Format(s)

  Books (as well as maps, sheet music, etc.) can be published in different formats:

  • Printed book (paperback, hardcover, Braille, etc.)
  • Ebook (EPUB, PDF, MOBI, etc.)
  • Audiobook (MP3, WAV, etc.)
  • Other options (CD, DVD, USB stick, etc.)

  When choosing a format, consider the target audience of the publication and the cost of production and distribution for the chosen format.

• 2. Signing a Publishing Agreement

  A publishing agreement (or license agreement) is signed between the publisher and the author(s), specifying which work is being published, in which format, over what period, in which geographic region, and who can publish it. The Estonian Writers’ Union has prepared a sample publishing agreement in estonian. 

  A publishing agreement is not necessary if the author, as a private individual, is also the publisher and no other author’s work (e.g., designer, illustrator) is used in the publication. However, if the author is a board member of the legal person publishing the work, a publishing agreement must be signed with oneself. 

  The publisher must also enter into written license agreements with the publication’s designer, illustrator, photographer, and other contributors. More information can be found in the Copyright Act here and the National Library of Estonia’s copyright information. 

• 3. Editing

  Before the publication is finalised, the manuscript needs editing: content, language, and formatting. Different formats (e.g., printed book, EPUB) may require separate proofreading and specific design adjustments. 

  Particular attention should be paid to the design of the title page and its verso, which is regulated by the Estonian standard EVS-ISO 1086:2006 “Information and Documentation – Title Leaves of Books.” The standard can be borrowed or purchased. 

• 4. Applying for ISBN/ISMN/ISSN

  These are international standard numbers that allow the desired publication to be easily located in databases. 

  • ISBN is assigned to books. 
  • ISMN is assigned to sheet music. 
  • ISSN is assigned to serial publications (newspapers, magazines, yearbooks, etc.). 

  The standard number is placed on the verso of the title page along with other publication details. Standard numbers can be applied for free via the Publisher Portal. An EAN barcode (needed for putting the publication for sale) is included for free with printed ISBN and ISMN assignments. 

• 5. Production

  A printed book can be produced in a printing house or self-produced. There are two main production methods: 

  • Traditional printing, where the entire print run is produced at once. 
  • Print-on-demand, where books are only printed when purchased. 

  E-books and audiobooks can either be self-produced or outsourced to a service provider. 

• 6. Marketing

  To market and sell a publication, you can use bookstores, platforms specialising in book sales (e.g., Amazon, IngramSpark, Eesti Digiraamatute Keskus (Estonian Digital Book Centre)), direct sales to libraries, your own e-shop, etc. Additionally, e-books and audiobooks can be made available for lending via the MIRKO lending platform.

• 7. Legal Deposit Copy

  According to the Legal Deposit Copy Act, the National Library of Estonia collects publications (books, sheet music, maps, serials) published in Estonia as legal deposit copies. 

  For printed books: 

  • The output-ready (pre-print) file and 4 copies of the book must be submitted if the print run exceeds 50 copies. 

  For ebooks and audiobooks: 

  • A copy of the file must be submitted. 

  Printed books should be sent to the National Library of Estonia, and output-ready files should be uploaded to the Publisher Portal. More information is available here. 

Writing Resources 
Various (e-)courses and (e-)books are available to help with writing a work, such as “How to write a non-fiction book in 30 days”, among others. 

Contact

Phone +372 630 7372
e-mail [email protected]