How does Snowfall Press work?

Is Snowfall Press a publisher as well as a printer?

No. We are a network of digital printers working to provide revolutionary services for publishers. 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 and can help with distribution.

Will Snowfall Press market and sell my books?

No. We do not market nor sell your books. We have a list of trusted experts who can help sell an author's or publisher's books, whether with marketing, PR, or sales and distribution.  Please see our list of Expert Community for more information).

The marketing process can be a rewarding experience and no one can market their book better than the author. Using an expert to help guide you in this process can be an important asset.

What is the perfect print run for the Snowfall Print Network?

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, set-up fees, or change charges? 

Nope, none of the above apply with Snowfall Press.

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.

Do you offer discounts?

Because we print digitally on fully automated equipment, the economies of scale for B&W interior printing 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. For color interior printing, pricing is dependent on quantity ordered so be sure to check the Pricing ($) tab on our home page.

What are the payment terms?

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

What is your return policy?

Like all printers, we encourage customers to print proofs before ordering multiple copies.  Most 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.

 

Printing Specs

What kind of bindings does Snowfall Press offer?

Currently, we offer perfect binding (paperback) out of both locations, as well as coil-bound and saddle-stitched books from our Phoenix, AZ location. 

What are the trim sizes Snowfall Press offers?

We offer any trim size from a minimum of 4”X6” to A4 (slightly larger than 8.5”X11”).

What paper is used by Snowfall Press?

We offer three paper options:  Standard (60# offset/24lb bond) white, thin white (40# 0ffset) and cream (50# offset).

Do you print photos and grayscale illustrations?

Yes, we do print excellent B&W photos and grayscale illustrations within the text of a book.

Do you print color interior books?

Yes, but only out of our Phoenix location.  Our pricing structure for color is based on quantity.  You can check pricing under Explore-Pricing on our home page.

Do you do hard covers?

No we do not and there are no immediate plans to do so

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?  Do you offer a matte cover?

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

Print Process

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 and therefore difficult to stop before production starts. 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?

Our goal is to produce and ship book orders of less than 500 books in three business days after the business day of the order.  While this is not a guarantee, we aim to meet this goal for all of our shipments.  For orders of 500 books are larger, customers should allow for 3-5 extra business days for printing.

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. We have worked with a number of companies who scan books. These experts can be found here:

How do I scan my out-of-print books?

There are a number of services that will take a physical book and scan it to prepare digital files for digital printing. The best services will actually take the scan and re-typeset the book as well as create e-book files at the same time. These experts can be found here:

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.

How do I upload a book?

For full instructions,  click here

What if my PDF file does not work?

We recommend using PDF/X-1a files for uploading to our servers. For a full discussion regarding how to make a PDF/x-1a file, Click here

 

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 onscreen.  The customer can then choose the shipping option they prefer.

The following shipping options are offered for orders:

USPS Priority

USPS Priority Flat-Rate

USPS First Class

USPS Parcel

USPS Media Mail

 

UPS Next Day

UPS Second Day

UPS 3-Day Air

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 facilities in Phoenix, AZ, and Grand Rapids. MI.

Can I ship internationally?

Yes. Currently, we only offer a USPS International Priority Flat-Rate option for international shipments.

Why do you warn me when shipping Media Mail?

Media mail is offered for domestic shipments only. Although this is the cheapest shipping option, experience has shown that is the most unreliable shipping option we offer. Tracking is somewhat unreliable and we are not responsible for lost shipments with Media Mail.

Can I use my own shipping number for shipments?

Currently, we do not offer this option.

 

ISBN Numbers

What do I do when I receive the ISBN and where is it printed?

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, VHS video, laserdisc, 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.