Tellwell Talent

Tellwell Talent is an assisted self-publishing company in Victoria, British Columbia that charges for services and takes nothing from sales. Founded in 2015 by Tim Lindsay, it has published over 6,000 books for more than 4,000 authors, with staff across Canada, the US, UK, Australia and Cebu, Philippines.

It is independent. The "part of Friesens Corporation, printing since 1907" line that circulates about Tellwell actually describes FriesenPress — a different Canadian company and a direct competitor. No Tellwell page claims any Friesens affiliation.

What You Get#

• Ingram paperback distribution in every package, entry tier included. Tellwell's help centre states it plainly: "Distribution of the paperback edition of your book through Ingram is included in all of our publishing packages." That is the 45,000-bookseller catalog feeding Amazon, Chapters/Indigo and Barnes & Noble.
• 100% of net royalties, by contract. Tellwell's terms name two models — Managed Distribution 85, where Tellwell keeps 15%, and Managed Distribution 100, where the author keeps everything. Since September 1, 2025, MD100 is included automatically at no extra cost.
• Four tiers, not three: Standard, Professional, All-Inclusive and Traditional. Cover design and interior layout with two revision rounds are in all of them.
• Editorial feedback and three QC passes. Every project gets a written report on strengths, areas for improvement and next steps, plus three separate quality control reviews before print.
• Full copyright retention. "Your manuscript, your content, and your book are yours, full stop." Services stay valid two years from first payment, and either party can terminate on seven business days' written notice.

Who It's For#

• Authors who want trade paperback reach without a gatekeeper. Tellwell publishes no acceptance criteria; the entry package buys Ingram distribution outright.
• Canadian authors, who pay in CAD and skip the currency spread US-based hybrids build in.
• Authors who will not chase the sale themselves. With no commission on sales, Tellwell's revenue is the package price — marketing is a separate line item, not a bundled incentive.

Pricing: Standard CAD $2,199, Professional $3,649, All-Inclusive $6,699, Traditional $12,999 — roughly USD $1,590–$9,410 at 0.724 CAD/USD (August 19, 2026). Children's packages run CAD $2,199–$9,499. Last repriced September 1, 2025, the first increase since 2023. Billed separately: hardcover $260, expanded ebook distribution via Smashwords $260, copy edit $0.023/word (minimum $250), substantive edit $0.046/word, post-publication cover or layout revisions $150, marketing packages $2,099–$3,699, and audiobook production $1,025 CAD (USD $890) up to 30,000 words.

Strengths#

• The no-commission claim survives the contract. Unlike the royalty percentages most hybrids advertise, Tellwell's 100% appears in its own terms and conditions under a named model — not only in marketing copy.
• Reputation signals that check out separately. BBB Accredited since February 15, 2019 and an A+ letter grade — two distinct things vendors routinely weld together — plus the 2024 BBB Torch Award for Professional Services. Trustpilot TrustScore is 4.6/5 across roughly 200-plus reviews running through August 2026, though locale mirrors disagree on the exact count.
• Ingram at the entry price. Most hybrids reserve real trade distribution for mid or upper tiers.

Limitations#

• Royalties under CAD $100 a quarter do not pay out. The balance rolls over until it clears the threshold; payment lands about 45 days after quarter close.
• Audiobooks are a separate deal on worse terms. Production is an add-on, distribution reaches only Amazon, Audible and iTunes, the agreement runs a minimum of seven years, and the royalty is 40% exclusive or 25% non-exclusive — not the 100% covering print and ebook.
• No Google Play and no library channel. Ebook reach stops at Kindle, Kobo, and Smashwords' onward stores (Apple Books, B&N Nook). Neither OverDrive nor libraries appear anywhere in Tellwell's distribution documentation.
• Hardcover and expanded ebook cost extra below the All-Inclusive tier, and prices are set in CAD, so the USD cost moves with the exchange rate.
• No editorial screen cuts both ways. Nothing about a Tellwell book signals selection to reviewers or booksellers.

Alternatives#

FriesenPress is the closest same-market rival and lands near the All-Inclusive tier all-in. BookBaby starts cheaper but pulled print out of Ingram and Barnes & Noble in January 2026 — precisely what Tellwell includes at every tier. IngramSpark reaches the same catalog for near nothing if you can project-manage it yourself. Koehler Books and She Writes Press cost more and add an editorial filter.