Frequently Asked Questions:

Does my manuscript have to be in an electronic format?
What types of files do you accept?
How can I send you my files?
Does my cover also have to be electronic?
What is a PDF?
How do I save my file as a PDF?
Do you print hard cover books?
Should I format my own book?
How do I format my book for printing, if I choose to do it myself?
What happens if you format my book?
What is a full-bleed cover?
Can I use my own ISBN or Press/Publishing company name?
How long does it usually take for my books to be printed?
What if my question isn't listed above?

Does my manuscript have to be in an electronic format?
Yes. We only accept digital files. If you only have a type or hand written manuscript, we can usually help you find someone to transcribe it. This service usually costs about a dollar a page.

What types of files do you accept?
If you do your own formatting, we require that the files be submitted as PDFs. If we are doing the formatting, we prefer to work with Word documents (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf). We can work with other file formats if absolutely necessary, but please check with us first, since an extra charge may be incurred.

How can I send you my files?
You can either e-mail the files to us as an attachment, mail us a cd with the files on it, or drop discs by our office if you are in the area.

Does my cover also have to be electronic?
This depends heavily on the the content, if you have a fully designed cover, the answer is yes. But if you just have a photo or two that you would like on a cover that we design, we can scan the photos for you for a modest fee.

What is a PDF?
PDF stands for Portable Document Format and is a file format used primarily for representing the exact look of a document. By saving your book as a PDF, we can print the book exactly as you created it, without you having to package images, colors, fonts and graphics for our readability.

How do I save my file as a PDF?
The exact steps vary from program to program, the best way to find step by step instructions would be to read the help section for your chosen application, visit OnlinePDF, or download or buy a program such as pdffordge or Adobe Acrobat.

Do you print hard cover books?
Unfortunately, we only print paperback books at this time.

Should I format my own book?
It really depends on your computer knowledge and technical skills. Many of our authors have started to format their own book, but given up, and paid us to do it when they were displeased with their progress.

How do I format my book for printing, if I choose to do it myself?
The formatting for your book depends heavily on your chosen size and the content of your book. For basic formatting, you can e-mail us for information on how to set up your file, or download templates from the Submitting your book page. These guidelines will give you a great start for setting your margins. As for choosing what the interior of your book looks like when it comes to page numbers, chapter titles, etc. it is completely up to you. We suggest browsing through your personal book collection or visiting a local bookstore to find out what format you prefer for your book.

What happens if you format my book?
You supply us with your completely finished and editted digital manuscript, and we reformat the content to have the proper margins, include pagination, title pages and a table to contents. Sometimes an additional formatting fee is incurred if you want a complicated interior design with special formatting, or lots of graphics. We always check with you before any additional charges are incurred.

What is a full-bleed cover?
When printing is done from one edge of the paper to the other without standard borders. So if you want a cover in which a photo or color block reaches the edges of the cover, it will be full-bleed.

Can I use my own ISBN or Press/Publishing company name?
Of course! We do not require that you buy ISBNs through us. If you have bought a block of ISBNs, we will gladly use the ISBN that you provide. We would be a ghost printer for your publishing company, so our name and logo would no longer appear on the title page, or spine of the book, unless you want it to.

How long does it usually take for my books to be printed?
The time frame for your book will depend on how much of the formatting you do yourself before we receive the book, or if there are images that need scanned or placed within the text if we are doing the formatting. If we are completing formatting, it will be about a week, sometimes two, for you to receive your proof, if you are getting one. After you pick up your proof, you have two weeks to review it, and okay the rest of the print run. Then from when we receive your go ahead, it is usually 10 to 14 days until you can pick up, or we ship the books to you. Therefore, depending on your customized printing process, it can be anywhere from two weeks (if you deliver a completely formatted book, and do not order a proof) to about six weeks (if we do formatting, and you take a full two weeks to review your proof before your book is printed.)

What if my question isn't listed above?
Just fill out the form on the Contact Us page, give us a call at (518)689-1083, or arrange an appointment to come in and talk with us at length.