Write, revise, and prepare your book in First Mate. Keep your manuscript and story references together, with suggestions you choose to accept or reject.
Finished manuscripts can be considered separately for publication by 36 Seas. Studio membership and publishing services are separate purchases.
Meat Wagon by Joshua Carlson is our example project. These temporary visuals show a creative direction; they are concept illustrations, not screenshots of the product.
Temporary concept illustration
Follow the detective
Meat Wagon begins with a medical miracle and the detective who questions it. Use a visual direction to keep the story’s atmosphere in view.
Temporary concept illustration
Build the world behind the words
Cold light. Sealed containers. An orderly system hiding a terrible purpose. Collect visual references alongside your story notes.
The cover, fully realized
One identity. Every format.
A striking first impression, from the complete print wrap to the digital bookshelf. Explore the Meat Wagon cover by Joshua Carlson.
01 / Complete cover artworkBack · Spine · Front
01Back cover
The hook. The premise. A reason to open the book.
02Spine
Title, author, publisher identity.
03Front cover
Bold typography. An unmistakable atmosphere.
36SEAS
02 / Digital edition conceptYour cover. Ready for its close-up.
Use First Mate to move your own book forward. When your manuscript is finished, you can choose a separate paid review for consideration by 36 Seas. Accepted books move to a publishing agreement defining the release, services, costs, and rights. You can also use the studio independently of the imprint.
One story. Six stages. A complete publishing vision.
01 / Ideas & structural plotting
Give your ambition a structure.
Connect character, conflict, and consequence before the manuscript grows. Shape a clear direction while leaving room for discoveries that make the story yours.
Write in a focused workspace with your manuscript and story context within reach. Your draft stays connected to the publishing journey beyond the final chapter.
Direct custom, high-resolution cover art that expresses your story’s atmosphere. Bring front cover, spine, and back cover together for your chosen print specifications.
Translate your book’s atmosphere, tension, and promise into Cinematic Assets for social and web. Give your launch a visual identity that invites readers into its world.
Prepare print and digital editions with consistent typography and professional presentation. Keep production in one workflow as you move from finished draft to finished book.
For selected titles, agree a defined showcase supported by your cover, synopsis, and cinematic trailer. Eligibility, placement, and feature duration belong in your publishing agreement.
Can I use First Mate without publishing with 36 Seas?
Yes. First Mate is an author studio you can use independently. A membership does not submit your manuscript, require you to use the imprint, or guarantee publication.
What does the $99 publishing review cover?
The launch offer is a one-time payment for final review of one finished manuscript and consideration for publication by 36 Seas. It is separate from studio membership. Publication requires editorial approval, commercial fit, and a separate agreement.
Does paying mean my book will be accepted?
No. Payment is for review and consideration. It does not guarantee acceptance, distribution, sales, or a publication date. If your book is not accepted, you can continue using First Mate independently.
Are editing, covers, and trailers included in my membership?
Membership provides studio tools and the capacity listed for your plan. Human evaluation, editing, ghostwriting, and managed production are separate services. Final video and audiobook generation are planned add-ons and are not currently available. Check the pricing page and the quoted scope before purchasing.
Do I keep my rights?
Using First Mate does not transfer ownership of your manuscript. If you choose publication with 36 Seas, any publishing rights and obligations are set out in a separate agreement for you to review before signing.
Is 36 Seas a vanity press?
36 Seas offers paid author software and a paid manuscript review, with a selective publishing path. Paying for software or review does not buy acceptance. Any publication commitments, services, costs, and rights must be defined in a separate publishing agreement.
How is First Mate different from a general chat tool?
First Mate organizes your manuscript and story references in an author workspace, with tools for writing, revision, and book preparation. The focus is working on one connected book project and keeping creative decisions with you.
How long does review take, and what feedback will I receive?
A fixed turnaround and feedback format are not specified here. Contact 36 Seas to confirm the delivery scope and timing for your manuscript before purchasing.
Joshua Carlson began Meat Wagon in 2009, writing it without AI. The journey through revision, cover design, editions, metadata, and publication inspired First Mate: a connected author workspace with creative decisions left to the writer.
An author explores genre, premise, audience, and story possibilities in one spatial canvas. First Mate turns the choice into an editable book map—not a locked AI outline.
Published front coverExample cover directionJoshua Carlson
01 · MOBILE IDEA CAPTURE
Every idea finds the book it belongs to.
An author is between places when the next line arrives. First Mate captures it now, then cross-references the manuscript, characters, and open threads when she returns.No blank-page setup · Start with one sentence · Your words stay yours
ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECT · HUMAN SERVICES COST EXTRA
Technology for momentum. People for judgment.
An author brings in an editor after the manuscript is structurally complete. First Mate keeps the project context intact while a person contributes taste, accountability, and experienced judgment.
Prepare an approved manuscript for its next stage: print and digital editions, cover assets, and submission materials. This Meat Wagon example illustrates the intended workflow; outputs depend on your plan and project.Finish my book
ILLUSTRATIVE PRODUCTION CHECKLIST
01EPUB
02PRINT PDF
03DOCX ARCHIVE
04PAPERBACK · 5.5 × 8.5
05HARDCOVER WRAP
06KDP PACKAGE
Choose how far First Mate travels with your book
Jane started with an idea.You can start exactly where you are.
Writing-credit balances measure book-making capacity. Each action shows its credit cost before it begins; taxes, where applicable, are calculated securely at checkout.
Charting the Course · Get Published
Get published. Get it out there.
You can already imagine someone reading your book. First Mate brings the work to get it there into one place: the manuscript, the cover, the finished editions, and the cinematic trailer. With 36 Seas, you also have a path to a publisher.
Half a draft on your hard drive? Start there. Chart Your Course shows you what it takes to finish the book, prepare it for publication, and introduce it to readers.
Your book is already beginning.Bring First Mate aboard.
Start with an idea or import the pages you have. Your original remains recoverable, your decisions remain yours, and your project can travel all the way to professional editions.
No credit card · Reversible edits · Export when ready
MEAT WAGONJOSHUA CARLSON
EXAMPLE PROJECT · PUBLISHED COVERMeat Wagon
For the book you keep meaning to finish
Your manuscript is unfinished. Your ambition isn’t.
There is a book on your hard drive that still deserves your attention. Chart Your Course helps you identify the next step, prepare your editions, and plan how your story will reach readers.
