At Cosimo we strive to make publishing as straightforward and transparent as possible. Below are answers to the questions we are most often asked. We hope this information will help you with your publishing projects. If you have any questions that aren't answered here, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

ABOUT COSIMO
What does your name mean?
What is your mission statement?
Do you support non-profit organizations?
Is Cosimo a publisher?
What are the Cosimo imprints?
What is Civil Society?
Who are the Cultural Creatives?
What types of books do you publish?
Who publishes with Cosimo?

GETTING PUBLISHED WITH COSIMO
What kind of publishing services do you provide?
How do the add-on services work?
What kind of marketing services does Cosimo provide?
What is print-on-demand?
What are the benefits of on-demand publishing with Cosimo?
Why should I choose Cosimo to get published?
What does Cosimo provide that a traditional publisher does not?
What does Cosimo provide that a printer does not?
How long does it take to get published?
What do your books look like?

BOOK DISTRIBUTION AND ORDERING
Are your books available in bookstores?
Can bookstores and/or libraries order your books?
Who is eligible to receive volume discounts?
How do I order a book?
What are Cosimo's special series and collections?
What are your shipping & handling charges?
How are your books shipped?
What methods of payment do you accept for purchased copies or services?
How long does it take for orders to be fulfilled?

RIGHTS, ROYALTIES & RETAIL PRICE
Who owns the rights to your books?
Who owns the copyrights to your books?
How are your royalties calculated?
How are the retail prices of your books determined?
What's my cost for copies I purchase?

OTHER
Do your books have ISBN numbers?
Do your books have Library of Congress Card Numbers?
Are all Cosimo books available as e-books?
How do I submit a manuscript?
Have a question not covered here?

 

ABOUT COSIMO

What does your name mean? Cosimo was inspired by Cosimo de Medici of the de Medici dynasty, who ignited the most important cultural and artistic revolution in Western history, the Renaissance. A banker, political leader, scholar, and patron of the arts, Cosimo de Medici had a passion for the pursuit of knowledge. He enriched Florentine life and culture by building palaces and churches and by sponsoring libraries, where professional scribes copied classics from antiquity into the finest manuscripts. This quest for enrichment is the foundation for Cosimo: we are a specialty publisher of books that inspire, inform, and engage readers worldwide.

Cosimo's mission: Our mission is to create a smart and sustainable society by connecting people with valuable ideas. We offer authors and organizations full publishing support, while using the newest technologies to present their works in the most timely and effective way.

Cosimo supports non-profit organizations: As an extension of our mission, we also support non-profit organizations that help improve quality of life. We do so by publishing books whose proceeds will benefit their causes, while highlighting their organizations' work. For example, we contribute a portion of the sales for the book A Dream Come True to the Aid for Traumatized Children Project, an organization that works exclusively with the children of Iraq, providing therapeutic toys, soft stuffed animals, and other tools for recovering from the trauma of war. Click here for a list of organizations that we support and more information.

Is Cosimo a publisher? Cosimo is a specialty publisher for independent authors, not-for-profit organizations, and innovative businesses, dedicated to publishing books and publications that inspire, inform, and engage readers around the world. We use the latest digital print technology to publish books for niche audiences around the world and to keep books in print indefinitely. Our unique approach combines the quality focus of a traditional publisher with the flexibility and speed of a service provider.

What are the Cosimo Imprints? Cosimo has three imprints: Cosimo Classics, Cosimo Books, and Cosimo Reports. In addition, Cosimo is the publisher for Paraview Press and publishes Paraview Pocket Books jointly with Simon and Schuster. We are also available to publish custom editions or private imprints for organizations who want to publish books under their own brand, but do not have the time or resources to do so themselves. Please click to learn more about custom and private imprints.

• Cosimo Books offers on-demand publishing for innovative authors, businesses, and non-profit organizations: more specifically to "cultural creative" authors who are experts, public speakers, consultants, and academics.
• Cosimo Classics offers a collection of distinctive titles by the great authors and thinkers throughout the ages. At Cosimo Classics, unique classics find a new life as affordable books, covering a variety of subjects, including Biography, Business, Economics, History, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Reference and more.
• Cosimo Reports publishes reports that affect your world, from global trends to the economy, and from health to geopolitics.

What is Civil Society? Civil society consists of those organizations, generally not-for-profits, which, in the words of leading author Jeremy Rifkin, emphasize community relationships, cultural diversity, quality of life, sustainable development, and universal human rights. Not-for-profits fitting this profile are making an increasingly bigger impact on societies around the world.

Who are the Cultural Creatives? American sociologist Paul Ray coined the phrase "cultural creatives" in his book The Cultural Creatives, How 50 Million People Are Changing the World, indicating that American citizens are part of a global audience of more than 250 million people in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia who are interested in health & science, media & culture, personal development, politics & society, and the environment & socially responsible business. They represent the source of most new ideas in society and they operate on the leading edge of cultural change.

What type of books do you publish? Cosimo publishes books, reports, and other publications for niche audiences: the topics include personal development, socially responsible business, and economics and public affairs. We are dedicated to publishing the highest quality content and the highest quality finished product. We reserve the right to reject proposals from authors or organizations who don't meet our standards.

Who publishes with Cosimo? We work with individual authors who want to bring their books back into print and/or want to publish new books quickly; with businesses that are on the cutting edge of the economy and seek to create quality books to spread their unique messages; with organizations, including non-profit and civil society organizations, that want to present their mission and message in books, reports, and other publications, to their members and larger audiences. Cosimo guides your publishing project to a successful completion. To submit an application to publish with us, click here and follow the instructions.
 

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GETTING PUBLISHED WITH COSIMO

What kind of publishing services do you provide? We offer professional editorial support and state-of-the art book design and production, we store your digital book files in databases for worldwide and online distribution, and we offer marketing expertise in reaching niche audiences. Each book we publish receives a base level of editorial, design, and marketing attention. For books which may require more work or authors who would like to take advantage of additional editorial, marketing, and custom design services, we provide add-on services for an additional fee.

How do the add-on services work? We have designed publishing programs to make your choices easier, and to include everything a book or publication would need. In addition we offer add-on services, including promotional services you may want to add to your program now or at a later stage. Please contact us for a list of services and prices.

What kind of marketing services does Cosimo provide? For a full listing and description of our marketing services, as well as a list of what you can do to effectively market your book, please click here.

What is print-on-demand? Print-on-demand (POD) is an innovative technology that enables the printing of one book at a time, keeping books in print indefinitely. A book that is printed on demand is indistinguishable from a traditionally printed book. With POD, digital book files are stored in databases and individual copies of books are printed as they are ordered, reducing two of the greatest costs in publishing: large print runs and the need for warehouses to store books. With POD technology, titles can reach their audiences faster than ever before and a process that could take a year or longer with traditional publishers can be completed in a matter of months, quickly and efficiently.

What are the benefits of on-demand publishing with Cosimo?

• POD enables your books to be available worldwide 24/7
• Your books and publications will never go out-of-print
• Your books are printed to order, whether that order is for one copy, 100, or 1,000
• No investment in inventory is required: this will lower the barrier to publish niche subjects
• Getting published takes only a few months, not a year or longer

Why should I choose Cosimo to get published?

• We combine the quality focus of a traditional publisher with the flexibility and speed of an innovative service provider
• We offer professional editorial support and state-of-the-art book design
• We make your book(s) available with leading online bookstores, as well as with wholesalers in the U.S. and the U.K.
• Our marketing expertise reaches specialized audiences worldwide
• Our fulfillment services are specially tailored to your needs
• We offer personal attention, guiding you through the publishing process and beyond
• We offer attractive discounts and royalties

What does Cosimo provide that a traditional publisher does not?

• A flexible alternative to getting published
• Speedy publication
• Immediate worldwide availability
• Indefinite availability of books, reports, and other publications
• Experience with reaching niche audiences around the world
• A choice of specialized publishing & marketing services
• Tailored contracts
• Attractive discounts for authors and organizations purchasing books to resell on their own terms
• Empowerment to publish high-quality publications without a traditional publisher's cumbersome publication process

What does Cosimo provide that a printer does not?

• Design and layout of book, from cover to cover
• Editorial support
• Marketing and promotional support
• Availability through various wholesale channels
• Order processing fulfillment
• Payment of royalties on a timely schedule
• The e-book version of your book in addition to print availability

How long does it take to get published? Our typical publishing process lasts four to six months, from contract completion, until your book is available for ordering from various online channels. Our timelines are subject to change, however, and depend largely on the state in which we receive the manuscript. The less editorial work required, the sooner your book can be available.

What do your books look like? Our books are comparable to the traditionally printed books you find in bookstores and libraries. We offer paperback and hardcover books in the following sizes (in inches): 5x8, 5.5x8.5 and 6x9. We use either cream or white acid-free paper and our covers are printed on enamel paper and laminated. Books must be a minimum of 18 pages and no longer than 1,200 pages. Currently only grayscale interiors are available.

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BOOK DISTRIBUTION AND ORDERING

Are your books available in bookstores? Any bookstore in the U.S. and the U.K. can find and order our books, though whether an individual bookstore keeps our books in stock is at their discretion. In addition, our books are available through the Espresso Book Machine located in multiple bookstores around the world and at leading online bookstores, including Amazon.com, Amazon U.K., BarnesandNoble.com, BooksAMillion.com, and others, reaching millions of readers worldwide.

Can bookstores and libraries order your books? Bookstores and libraries can order our books from our wholesalers and those in the U.S. can order directly from us. For more information, click here.

Who is eligible to receive volume discounts? Volume discounts are available to our customers: authors, organizations and businesses, as well as bookstores, libraries & government institutions.

How do I order a book? Cosimo authors & organizations, as well as bookstores and libraries can purchase books based on their respective terms through our online ordering system. Orders can also be placed directly by email or fax, though are subject to an additional service fee. For our terms and conditions, click here. Individuals can purchase our books 24/7 at any of the leading online bookstores, or from Amazon.com through our bookstore.

What are Cosimo's special series and collections? Cosimo offers rare and unique classics as collections and series at a special series price, which can only be ordered directly through us. For a full listing of our series, visit our bookstore. To order, please call us at 212-989-3616 or send us an email at [email protected].

What are your shipping & handling charges? Our shipping and handling charges vary based on the total order cost, location ordered from, and delivery speed requested. For a full listing of our shipping and handling charges, please check our terms and conditions or our booksellers page.

How are your books shipped? Books are shipped via our fulfillment partner, which uses UPS delivery service. We cannot accept Fed-Ex or UPS account numbers for shipping; our fulfillment partner does not allow for third party shipping options.

What methods of payment do you accept for purchased copies or services? We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Authors, organizations, and libraries must pay by credit card at the time of their order. Orders placed through our online ordering system are processed by Authorize.net. Bookstores have the option of paying by check on credit terms, however, those orders are subject to an additional $4.95 administration fee. For more information, visit our booksellers page.

How long does it take for orders to be fulfilled ? Orders take roughly two weeks to be fulfilled from time order is placed. Printing typically takes two to three days; shipping times vary from seven to ten days depending on location. Larger orders can take longer to fulfill and custom orders of 500 copies or more need to be specially prepared. Please keep order and ship time in mind when placing your order, as rush prices add significantly to the cost of your order.

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RIGHTS, ROYALTIES & RETAIL PRICE

Who owns the rights to your books? Cosimo offers tailored publishing agreements, which will indicate which rights are being acquired and which rights remain with you.

Who owns the copyrights to your books? The author does. When writing a book, the author automatically asserted copyright ownership. Registering with the U.S. Congress Copyright Office, which records this ownership more formally, gives better recourse in case of infringement. The Chicago Manual of Style recommends authors register their books with the Copyright Office. You can contact the Copyright Office for further information. Cosimo can register your book for you as an add-on service.

How are your royalties calculated? Royalties are defined in many different ways within the publishing industry. Often royalties are calculated based on the net proceeds, which the publisher receives from the sale of each book. This is often a complex calculation. Cosimo, however, offers a clean and simple calculation, by paying royalties off the retail price. For example, if the retail price is $15 and your royalty rate 10%, you will receive $1.50 for every book sold through our wholesale channels.

How are the retail prices of your books determined? Pricing of a book depends on a number of factors, including subject matter, targeted audience, format (i.e. hardcover or paperback), and page count. The retail price is imbedded in the barcode of our books, so retailers will know how to price each book. The price is generally not printed on our books. This way you may offer your book at a price of your choosing.

What's my cost for copies I purchase? We offer generous discounts off the retail price on a sliding scale based on how many copies you order. The more books ordered, the more attractive the discount. Please read our terms of sale for a specific breakdown of discounts.

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OTHER

Do your books have ISBN numbers? Each book we publish is assigned an International Standard Book Number, as required by book sales channels to track and order books. Each book will also get an EAN barcode on the back cover, enabling bookstores to order copies of our books. Private imprints are assigned their own ISBNs in a set separate from that of Cosimo's other imprints, in order to fully distinguish the imprint as your own. To read more about ISBNs and how they are assigned, visit Bowker, the company that assigns ISBNs.

Do your books have Library of Congress Card Numbers? Cosimo generally supplies a copy of each of our books to the Library of Congress and obtains a Library of Congress catalog number.

Are Cosimo books available as e-books? E-books are books that are downloadable from your computer or handheld device. A number of our classics are currently available as Kindle books on Amazon.com. In addition, Cosimo is currently updating our Cosimo Books imprint, making those books available in different e-book formats, including Kindle books, Scribd and possibly other formats such as on the Nook, Sony e-reader, and other e-reading devices. If you are a Cosimo author and unsure who holds the digital rights to your book, or would like to make your book available as an e-book, please contact us at 212-989-3616.

How do I submit a manuscript? Please visit Get Published for more information. You will need to complete our online application. This enables us to gain a better understanding of your project and platform. In the meantime, you can download our Submission Guidelines to see how to format your manuscript for submission, read our style guidelines, learn about indexing options, and see our typical timeline.

Have a question not covered here? Please contact us with your questions or suggestions by filling out a contact form, emailing us at [email protected], or by phone at 212-989-3616.

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