Publish with us

Publish Your Book with Wai Ako

At Wai Ako Books, we help authors bring their stories to life — with confidence, care, and professional support.

We are a whānau-owned publishing house supporting a wide range of stories — from bestselling Treaty Book Understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi, to refugee journeys, to personal memoirs and more. Whether you’re publishing your first book or your fifth, we offer flexible services to suit your needs and your story.

Get in touch today at books@waiako.com to tell us about your project.

About Wai Ako Books

Wai Ako Books is part of Wai Ako, a successful whānau-owned education initiative that has been bringing te Reo Māori and Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories to tamariki and whānau since 2017.

We believe in empowering authors to share their unique perspectives and creating space for stories that might otherwise go untold.

Why Author-Led Publishing?

We offer authors across Aotearoa a better alternative to traditional or fully self-publishing — combining professional industry expertise with transparency, flexibility, and a personal approach.

You remain in control of your story, your vision, and your budget — we simply help you create the publishing package that’s right for you.

Flexible Publishing Options

We use modern technology to make publishing accessible to more authors.

You can choose to print physical copies with our print broking support.

Or publish digitally as an e-book or through on-demand print services (like Kindle Direct Publishing).

E-books and on-demand printing are great options for keeping costs low and retaining more of your profits — without investing in large inventories.

Additional Services to Support Your Book

We can also help you create your own website or social media content to promote your book, so you can keep more of your profits and build a direct relationship with your readers — instead of relying on platforms like Kindle or Amazon alone.

Publishing Under the Wai Ako Imprint

If your book is a good fit for the Wai Ako imprint, we can also discuss publishing it under our name, alongside specialist editorial and production support.
This means your book can carry the Wai Ako logo and be featured across our websites and channels.

 

Ready to get started? Email us at books@waiako.com— we’d love to hear about your story.