The Dorrance Story

Pioneering Publishing Services for Over 100 Years

Our founder, Gordon Dorrance, had a dream of becoming a published author. But traditional publishers rejected him. In 1920, he created a better way to get published and founded Dorrance, America’s oldest publishing services company. It’s this pioneering spirit that Dorrance uses to empower everyone “with a book in them.”

Our philosophy is simple: the freedom to publish should be available to everyone with something to communicate. A book created for a few people is as worthy of publication as a book written for millions.

We’ll work with you to customize a turnkey publishing package – including full-service production and distribution, and limited or full-service promotion – that’s right for your book.

Dorrance is America’s oldest Publishing Services company. Our founder, Gordon Dorrance, had a dream of becoming a published author, but traditional publishers rejected him.

Our Principles Stand the Test of Time

  1. We enable our clients to have the life-changing experience of becoming a published author
  2. We continue to innovate the self-publishing process
  3. We inspire and advise “everyday” people in developing their literary pursuits
  4. We empower the everyday person with the sense of pride and accomplishment in seeing written words published for others to enjoy

How does Dorrance Differ from Commercial Publishers?

  • You don’t need an agent to submit your manuscript to Dorrance—we remove the middle man and personally review all submissions.
  • Traditional publishers don’t take unsolicited manuscripts, so you’re often at the mercy of an agent’s preferences and workload.
  • You pay an upfront fee to publish your manuscript. Fees are usually based on binding type, page size, and illustrations—all of which are approved by you.
  • Traditional publishers don’t require upfront payments, and you may even get an advance on royalties. However, you lose all creative control to the publisher, since the publisher owns the rights to your work.
  • You don’t need to have a completed manuscript to work with Dorrance. You can opt to use a Dorrance Writing Coach or Ghostwriter to finish your book and bring it to life.
  • It’s rare to get a publisher with just an idea or half-finished manuscript. In fact, many publishers won’t accept any kind of incomplete work.
  • Depending on how much work you need to put into your manuscript, you can have a book in your hands fairly quickly.
  • The commercial publishing process is long and slow. It could be months or even years before your book is printed.
  • When you sell books, you earn a much larger percentage of sales.
  • A commercial publisher can pay as little as less than 10% on net sales.

Dorrance Compared to
Other Publishing Service Companies

  • We are the oldest publishing service in the country, with over 100 years of experience helping authors realize their dreams of publication.
  • No other publishing service can boast the same experience or longevity as Dorrance.
  • All books published through Dorrance are proudly designed and produced in the United States.
  • We take a personal approach to your work to make sure your final piece is the book you’ve always wanted to publish.
  • Other companies tend to put all of their authors through a standard template process, with no consideration for the uniqueness of the author’s work.
  • We believe in staying connected with our authors in any way they prefer. You’ll get dedicated attention from a full-service Dorrance project coordinator.
  • Most publishing companies are only concerned with bringing in authors through the door only to push them out on the other side.
  • Our Author Services representatives will help you through the promotion process to get your books into readers’ hands.
  • Other companies won’t guide you through any promotional efforts. Authors are often left to figure out the landscape for themselves.
  • Most publishers will outsource their work overseas to save on production costs.