Frequently asked
QUESTIONS
JTZ Books is an author-friendly publisher and we aim to put the power back into the hands of the writer. Our company is committed to authors maintaining their royalties, keeping the rights to their material, and control over their art. That’s why JTZ Books now works with a dedicated team of editors, designers, and illustrators to help authors see their books come to life.
There are a lot of answers to this question, but beyond our straightforward dedication to strong ethics and integrity, we bring to the table experience in top-notch editorial and design services. We truly work hand-in-hand with authors through every step of the process, and it’s our goal to be the best publishing experience possible for our authors. Above everything else, JTZ Books stands out for how our people care for our books and our authors.
No, we are not a self-publishing company. Self-publishing is when a person puts a book out for themselves; often with little quality control, no cover designer, and no professional editorial assistance. JTZ Books is interested in helping writers see their books in print without having to deal with the hassle of trying to get accepted by a traditional publisher. We make sure to vet every book for excellence. While there have been successful self-published authors, these are the outliers. Many self-published authors spend a lot of time and energy writing books that did not make it to the finish line. That’s why we’re here to offer another way.
Nothing, in theory. It can give you great reach, and can take advantage of well-worn pathways to notoriety. Unfortunately, though, traditional publishing is fraught with shortcomings, and it can be very challenging to authors. Here are some of the problems that often plague traditional publishing: long time from acceptance to publication; expensive author copies; limited editorial assistance; little say in cover design; little say in interior layout; little say in book dimensions; onerous royalties contracts; outrageous contest and reading fees and rejection. Here are some of JTZ Books solutions to these problems: can be less than 6 months to publication; wholesale price author copies; dedicated editorial assistance; tons of say in cover design; tons of say in interior layout; tons of say in book dimensions; we take 10% royalties; no contest / reading fees; no endless rejection—if your book is good, let’s make it happen. Keep these advantages in mind, when determining which route to take to get your book into the world.
We are not a vanity press. Vanity presses publish whatever walks in the door and rarely offer anything more than one’s name in print. All of our books go through a rigorous editorial process. We owe it to our excellent writers to only publish great work. We offer consultation and advice to anyone who has a project that they would like to see published.
JTZ Books uses a “partnership” model. Many traditional publishers pay the initial costs of publication and design. However, the author is often locked into onerous royalty’s contracts and marked-up book copies sold to the authors themselves. We’ve seen this happen to great writers over and over again. Instead of this publisher-friendly model, we use an author-centric approach in which you as the author make the initial investment in the publication costs, maintain your rights and artistic autonomy, and reap the benefits if your book is a hit.
We strive to have incredibly low overhead, which keeps our costs down, and we pass that savings onto you. That’s why you get everything from hours of editorial coaching and consultation, interior and cover design, ISBN assignment, international distribution through a recognized major league distributor, and advice and assistance to book events, all for under $3,000, with the exact amount often much less than that figure, and always revealed transparently right up front, with no sneaky surprises later on in the process. Compare this to vanity/self-publishing venues, who sometimes charge $10,000+ for the same services. JTZ Books strives to ensure that book sells make its author a substantial profit.
Our focus is on making sure the author is successful. We only take a 10% royalties. Part of “author-friendly” means that your book is your book, and no one should get rich off of it but you. We are still highly invested in the success of your book. We as a literary press publishing company are only as strong as our submissions.
We promote our authors heavily through social media and email newsletter campaigns, as in the current climate these are the truest ways to reach and expand audience. We also use an international distributor to make your book available not just through the endless desert of Amazon, but on Barnes and Noble’s website and the websites of tons of independent bookstores, which helps generate local sales. Given that an author is typically one of the primary driving forces behind the success of a book, we will give direction wherever possible, whether it be through media advertising buys, setting up a book tour, or getting the word out through grassroots social media promotion.
JTZ Books knows that time is of the essence, and will work to get your book out on a timeline that works for you. If that means you have a business event and need your book done in six months, we will help make that happen. If that means you want nine months to plan a publicity blast, we’ll time that right up for you. Our job is to clearly communicate with you and provide status updates to meet your requested release date.
We do both! We’re well versed in the interior formatting nuances of both of these formats, which are surprisingly more complex than you might initially imagine. Our designers and developers are up to date on the latest software, and, more importantly, the latest styles and approaches to the wide world of fonts and typography. You can be certain that the words on the page—whether that page is paper or a screen—will be easy on the eyes.
Many traditional presses will charge authors 60% of retail list price. That means that if your book is retailing at $17.99, you’re paying $10.79 per copy, which will make it virtually impossible to make a profit on books you yourself sell, such as at readings and to family and friends. It also makes it near impossible to make a profit if you try to sell your books at bookstores, which will often take 35-45% of the cut, leaving you with an untenable <$1 per book profit. At JTZ Books we sell our authors unlimited copies of their books at the printer’s wholesale cost, which is almost always under $7 per book, and often much less, depending on the length of the book.
JTZ Books is based in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and our authors, editors, and staff can be found all around America and the world. From New York City to Costa Rica to Amsterdam to Sydney to Sao Paulo to Des Moines, we’re used to navigating time zones. If you’d like to get a hold of us by our mailing address at 34 East Germantown, Pike #251, Norristown, PA 19401, our phone number at +1 (908) 727-0693, and our email at Jtz@jtzbooks.com.
You should expect an efficient but thorough assessment of your manuscript, including two rounds of editorial consultation over the phone, in which we discuss ways to make your book the best it can be. After you make any changes you’d like to make based on the advice, we’ll do a second round of revision to make sure your manuscript is publication-worthy. During this time we’ll also be talking about cover design and interior layout, as well as what to do when your book is out. Because we’ll work at the pace that suits you—lightning fast or carefully slow—we will do what it takes to communicate clearly, and before you know it you’ll have a beautiful book in your hands.
Visit our submissions page to send us your manuscript. We will quickly be in touch to discuss your project, your desires and expectations, and determine a budget. From there, we’ll embark on the fun process of guiding that book into shape!
Alternately, if you just have a question you’d like to ask, feel free to contact us at Jtz@jtzbooks.com!