IS SNOWFALL PRESS A PUBLISHER?

No. Publishers have ownership over content, pay royalties, and are charged with marketing and selling that packaged content to consumers. We offer state-of-the-art printing services to publishers and authors, but do not act as a publisher.

If I am an author, can I use Snowfall PrESS?

Yes! We consider authors who are self-publishing their own books to be micro-publishers.

Will SNOWFALL PRESS market and sell my books?

No. We do not market nor sell your books. The marketing process can be a rewarding experience and no one can market their book better than the author.  

What is the perfect print run for SNOWFALL PRESS?

We specialize in print runs of as few as one copy, but can print as many units as is required.

Are there any hidden fees?

No. You pay for printing, packaging, and shipping. That's it.

Are there set-up or change charges?

No. A publisher can change their book as often as they like. Simply upload the changed PDF over the old one and print a proof to ensure the printed copy is as you wish.

How much royalty do you keep?

None. We are printers and do not own any rights to any publisher content. Therefore there is not a royalty to pay.

Will you own my book rights?

No. We are simply printers. The publisher always maintains full rights and control over their content and book files.

Do I need to sign a contract with SNOWFALL PRESS?

No. Customers are required to agree to our terms and conditions in order to open an account, but there are no contractual obligations for an account. Publishers are free to print as little or as many books as they like and are free to print with other printers.

How long do shipments take?

We offer customers shipping options through UPS and the US Postal Service (USPS). Customers can choose the shipping option they prefer given the price and time to ship.

Do you offer discounts?

Because we print digitally on fully automated equipment, the economies of scale have already been reached with the first book. We are able to offer low prices with no minimum order quantity – the volume discounts have already been achieved with the first book and while we can print hundreds of units for our publishers, we give our best deal on the first unit. 

What are the payment terms?

All payments for orders through our website are made by credit card.

What is your return policy?

Like all printers, we encourage customers to print proofs before ordering multiple copies. Any issues with printing will show up in the proof. Any changes made to a book interior or cover should also prompt the printing of a proof. Unless the book has a manufacturing defect, we do not take returns or replace books.

Do I need an ISBN number?

Snowfall Press does not require an ISBN number.  Publishers only need an ISBN number if they are planning on selling a book at retail. This includes Amazon.com and other online retailers. If a publisher or author is only publishing a book for family, friends, conferences or direct-to-consumer distribution purposes,they do not need an ISBN.

What is the purpose of an ISBN?

The purpose of the ISBN is to establish and identify one title or edition of a title from one specific publisher and is unique to that edition, allowing for more efficient marketing of products by booksellers, libraries, universities, wholesalers and distributors.

Who can assign ISBNs to a publisher?

There are over 160 ISBN Agencies worldwide, and each ISBN Agency is appointed as the exclusive agent responsible for assigning ISBNs to publishers residing in their country or geographic territory. The United States ISBN Agency is the only source authorized to assign ISBNs to publishers supplying an address in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico and its database establishes the publisher of record associated with each prefix.

What do I do when I receive the ISBN and where should it be located?

An ISBN should be assigned to each title or product, including any back list or forthcoming titles. Each format or binding must have a separate ISBN (i.e. hardcover, paperbound,  e-book format, etc). A new ISBN is required for a revised edition. Once assigned, an ISBN can never be reused. An ISBN is printed on the lower portion of the back cover of a book above the bar code and on the copyright page.

How do I get an ISBN or Barcode?

ISBN numbers and barcodes can be purchased from www.isbn.org 

What options do you offer for shipping?

We give customers full control over the shipping process. After the shipping destination information is fully entered online, shipping options and their prices for the order will appear on screen. The customer can then choose the shipping option they prefer.

The following shipping options are offered for orders:

USPS:

• USPS Priority Mail

• USPS Priority Flat-Rate

• USPS First Class

• USPS Parcel

• USPS Media Mail

UPS:

• UPS Next Day Air

• UPS Second Day Air

• UPS 3-Day Select

• UPS Ground

How long do shipments take?

We offer customers shipping options through UPS and the US Postal Service. Consumers can choose the shipping option they prefer given the price and time to ship. We encourage customers to educate themselves on how long it will take, using different shipping carriers and option, for their books to ship from our printing facility in Phoenix, Arizona as well as Houston, Texas.

Can I ship internationally?

Yes. Currently, we only offer a USPS Priority Flat-Rate option for international shipments and in some cases USPS International First Class.

Why do you warn me when shipping media mail?

Media mail is offered for domestic shipments with certain weight limitations. Although this is the cheapest shipping option, experience has shown that it can be unreliable. We will not replace anything shipped by media mail.

Can I use my own shipping number for shipments?

Currently, we do not offer this option. If you have questions, please contact info@snowfallpress.com

What kind of bindings does SNOWFALL PRESS offer?

Currently, we offer perfect bound books (paperback) and coil-bound books.  Pricing for both perfect bound and coil-bound books can be found here.   Currently, we do not offer case-bound books.

How do I stop a print order?

Because of the rapid turn-around of our print process, a book is often printed very soon after it is ordered.  If an a cancellation request occurs after production has started, there may be a cost associated with the cancellation.  For that reason, we urge publishers to print a proof before printing larger quantities. If you have made a mistake, please send us a message marked "Urgent" to: info@snowfallpress.com.

What is the average turnaround time for printing?

We produce most book orders in three business days or less (not including the day of order) for orders of 500 or less. Larger orders may require an additional 1-5 business days to print.  During periods of high volume, orders may take an additional 1-3 days to print.  Please contact us at info@snowfallpress.com with any questions concerning larger orders.  Keep in mind that we do not guarantee that orders will ship in our expressed timeframe - it is a goal that we reach the overwhelming majority of the time but we do not pay for faster shipping for customer orders that are delayed nor do we offer refunds for orders not printed with our normal timeframe.

What are the trim sizes SNOWFALL PRESS offerS?

We offer any trim size from a minimum of 4"X 6" to A4 (slightly larger than 8.5"X11").  We cannot print landscape books -books that are wider than they are tall.  We can print square books as long as the dimensions are between 6" and 8.5"

What paper is used by SNOWFALL PRESS?

We offer a variety of paper options. 

B&W:

60# offset white

50# offset cream (same thickness as 60# offset white)

40# offset white

COLOR:

60# offset white (uncoated)

70# white matte text 

80# white gloss text

100# white gloss text (art book)

Do you print photos and grayscale illustrations?

Yes, we do print excellent B&W photos and grayscale illustrations within the text of a book.  If after printing a proof you are not satisfied with the presentation of photos and/or grayscale illustrations, you may try checking the "Use ICC" box in Book Setup under Body->Setup->Book Settings.

Do you print books with color interiors?

Yes.  The quantity of color books printed will affect the price per book.  Please see our Pricing Tool here for more information.  In the Book Setup->Body Section you will have the option to change the Interior Type from Greyscale to Color and preview your color pages online.  

Do you do hard cover/case-bound (Hard cover) books?

Not currently.

What is "bleed" and how does SNOWFALL PRESS deal with bleed?

Bleed is a printing term referring to printing that goes beyond the edge of the sheet after trimming. Bleed ensures that the color on the cover goes all the way to the edge and no "white appears at the edge." In our case, the recommended bleed is 1/4th of an inch on each side.

When designing a cover for our system, the bleed should be designed into the cover size. For a book that is 6 inches wide, the cover will be 12.5 inches + the spine width (6" for the front; 6" for the back; plus 1/4 inch for front and back bleeds).

Do you laminate or UV coat covers?

We use a lay-flat gloss or matte laminate cover. UV coating is currently not an option.

Do you offer matte finish on your covers?

Yes.  Gloss laminate is the default finish.  You can change the laminate in Book Setup->Cover by selecting your desired Laminate Type. 

How do I get my "out-of-print books" printed?

If there is not a digital file available, a publisher can scan the book and load the scanned PDF files into their account per the normal uploading procedures.  There are a number of companies that offer this service.  Important:  You must specify that the files are needed for print/publishing in order to receive the correct file format.

How do I make a PDF?

Click here for a full discussion on this subject.

What is font embedding?

Embedding is a way to ensure that all the fonts and graphics you have used in designing your book will be printed. For a more complete discussion on this subject, click here.

How do I upload a book?

For full instructions, click here.

What if my PDF file does not work?

We recommend using a Microsoft XPS or PDF/X-1a file for uploading to our servers. For a full discussion regarding how to make a PDF or XPS file, click here.