We understand you may have questions about process, costs, distribution and others. so we have compiled a list of questions that other authors and publishers just like you have inquired about in the past. If you can't find the answer you are looking for, please feel free to contact us.

About Blitzprint
BlitzPrint Services
General
Pricing & Cost
Book Printing Questions
How to make a PDF
Printing Term Glossary

Are there any issues with shipping books across the border?
None whatsoever. There are no taxes or duties on books and shipping from Alberta to the US for example is no more costly then shipping from Denver to NY.

Is Blitzprint a publisher?
No, Blitzprint offers its expertise and print services to publishers. If you own the rights to your book, put up the money to publish and market it, then you are, by all rights, the publisher.

Do I retain all rights to my book?
Absolutely, as the author and publisher you deserve and retain all rights. This includes the right to have anyone else print, distribute and sell your book.

Will you print one book at a time as orders come in?
Blitzprint feels the current level of production technology used for Print-on-Demand cannot support the "one at a time" concept. In order to offset the loss incured printing one book at a time, most On Demand Publishers will charge large upfront "setup" fees. At Blitzprint you only pay for what you need. If all that happens to be is 50 books printed from your existing files, that will be all you pay for.

Blitzprint services
Does Blitzprint issue ISBNs?
Will I get a chance to see a proof before my book is printed?
What if I have changes to my proof?
What will my book look like?
How long does it take?
How many books should I order?

Does Blitzprint issue ISBNs?
Blitzprint will issue you an ISBN, but...since you are the publisher of your book it's always best to be the owner of the ISBN prefix. For as long as any of us can remember ISBNs have always been associated with the publisher of the book (you). Getting an ISBN is a painless process and all part of the fun of self publishing. If you still want a Blitzprint ISBN we would be happy to issue one and a corresponding barcode for $25.
To obtain information on a US ISBN click here>>
To obtain information on a Canadian ISBN click here>>

Will I get a chance to see a proof before my book is printed?
Absolutely, in fact we insist on it. We send PDF proofs to all our authors. The option to see a complete hard copy proof is also available and is recommended for some types of books..

What if I have changes to my proof?
Changes or corrections to your work can be made by you and if you are submitting a print ready PDF, no charges will be incurred. If we are required to make changes, we start the clock and bill by the hour. All charges will be OK'd by the publisher before we start. Any errors in production are always corrected free of charge by Blitzprint. To minimize the possibility for errors please review [proofing how to's]

What will my book look like?
We have always believed every book should be unique. Our publishers are welcome to use any outside service to design and layout their book and bring us print ready files or visit our design center for other options.

How long does it take?
Typically we work on a 3 week turn around from proof approval. Timelines depend a lot on the proofing process and getting everything just perfect should not be rushed. We like to remind authors that it likely took years to write your labor of love and it's not a good idea to rush things now.

How many books should I order?
Ask yourself how many books you need? Add up all the friends and family who want a copy, the reviewers you should send them to, any buyers, bookstore managers and media who will get complimentary copies. Having a good supply of books on hand for these sorts of contacts is crucial for successful marketing. In our experience most authors have no problem going through an initial order of 100 books. You can reprint anytime and publishers are often wise to print only as they need books, rather than invest in large quantities.

General
How does Blitzprint print my books?
Is there a quality difference between offset and digital printing?
What size should I make my book?
What if I am not happy with my books?
Who owns my digital files?
Will you ship bulk orders to various locations?
How does Blitzprint ship books.

How does Blitzprint print my books?
Blitzprint will use one of two methods for book printing. For run lengths under about 1000 units it is usually more economical to use digital print on demand equipment. The longer runs are better handled with traditional offset equipment.

Is there a quality difference between offset and digital printing?
Not a quality difference, but to the trained eye there is a difference. It is often difficult to tell which is which, but the two technologies do not produce identical books. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Today, the only difference between a print on demand title and a traditional offset run is the amount of space taken up in your garage.

What size should I make my book?
Genre, market trends, and cost are a few factors which go into determining size. Blitzprint can print almost any size and shape, so we place few restrictions on you. Contact us to discuss your project and we can always offer some guidance.

What if I am not happy with my books?
Blitzprint has always stood behind it's product. If for whatever reason you are not completely satisfied with our service we will do everything we can to you happy.

Who owns my digital files?
You do. We retain archived copies for easy reprinting. If at any time you want your files, just contact us and we will get them to you.

Will you ship bulk orders to various locations?
Yes, when possible we will do our best to accommodate drop shipments. Let us know ahead of time and we will make the necessary arrangements. You will be responsible for shipping charges.

How does Blitzprint ship books.
Orders of less than 500 are packed tightly in double walled individual boxes and shipped via UPS. Larger orders may be palletized and depending on the shipping location will be sent via ground or air freight.

Pricing and Costs
How should I price my book?
What factors does Blitzprint consider when calculating the printing cost of my book?
How much will my books cost me?
How is payment handled?
Are there discounts for reprints?

How should I price my book?
When deciding on what price to sell your book for, you should consider a few factors like genre, market trends, format (hard cover, soft cover, etc..). For example, a 200 page softcover written on a very specific computer programming language would likely sell for more than a 200 page fantasy novel. For more information on pricing click here>>

What factors does Blitzprint consider when calculating the printing cost of my book?
95% of all titles we help publish are trade paperbacks. Factors which can greatly influence printing costs are odd physical sizes, inclusion of color interior pages and hard cover binding.

How much will my books cost me?
Please visit our pricing page.

How is payment handled?
Blitzprint accepts Visa, Mastercard, and personal or certified checks.

Are there discounts for reprints?
Yes, in almost all cases exact reprints at the the same run length will be cheaper..

Print related questions
Are there restrictions to the size and type of books Blitzprint can print?
Do you print color books?
What binding options are available?
How to black and white illustrations or photographs affect the price?
Which paper stock will my book be printed on?
I am supplying print ready files. What format should they be in?
Which file formats does Blitzprint accept?

Are there restrictions to the size and type of books Blitzprint can print?
We can print any size and page combination which fall inside these parameters: 3"x3" to 9"x12" and from 2 to 850 pages.

Do you print color books?
Yes we do. The same technology which prints our beautiful color covers can print color interior pages.

What binding options are available?
Paperback or perfect binds, case or hard cover bind and coil, cerlox or wire-o. View all.

How to black and white illustrations or photographs affect the price?
There are no additional charges for these. If there is very high ink coverage throughout the book, additional charges may apply, but these are always discussed ahead of time with you. For the highest quality reproduction of photography we recommend using a coated stock, and addtional charges would apply.

Which paper stock will my book be printed on ?
We have a number of house stocks which cover most publishers' needs. These range from 50 to 70lbs and are available in natural or white shades. Blitzprint is also very pleased to be the only print on demand supplier offering 100% post consumer recycled Newleaf Papers Ecobook paper.

I am supplying print ready files. What format should they be in?
These should be supplied as PDF files. Supplying print ready files streamlines the print process and we pass the savings along to you.

Which file formats does Blitzprint accept?
If Blitzprint is handling the layout of your title, then you can supply almost anything. PC or Mac versions of the following are acceptable:
Interiors
PDF, Quark, Pagemaker, InDesign, MS Word, Wordperfect
Covers
PDF, Quark, Pagemaker, InDesign, Photoshop, Corel Draw, Illustrator, EPS