Do I still own the rights to my book if I use a publishing service?

If you go with a self-publishing service (like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark), then yes you typically keep full rights to your book. These platforms usually act as distributors, helping you publish and sell your work, but they don’t take ownership of your content. You control the pricing, the rights, and how or where it's sold.

However, if you're working with a traditional publisher or a publishing company, things can get a bit more complex. Some may ask for exclusive rights, or take partial ownership in exchange for publishing, editing, or marketing services. That’s why reading the contract carefully or having someone review it for you—is super important.

Also, many book publishing service providers operate as work-for-hire models meaning they help polish, format, or print your book, but you retain the full rights because you’re paying them for the service rather than giving them publishing control.

Bottom line: always ask up front about rights, royalties, and ownership. Keeping control of your intellectual property can make a big difference in your long-term success as an author.