What authors ask before they send their manuscript
Straight answers on publishing, platforms, costs and rights. Can’t find your question? Message us or book a free consultation.
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- of the rights stay yours
Publishing and timing
Is Zart a publishing house?
Yes. Zart Publishing & Distribution is a Saudi digital and print publishing house that began distributing books in 2009. We act as a non-exclusive publisher and distribution agent: we prepare your book, design its cover and publish it on more than 29 platforms worldwide, with print on demand. Your book’s rights stay fully yours.
How long does publishing take?
From the day we receive your final file: 12–16 working days on Pro, 14–18 on Starter and 16–21 on Lite. Specialized Publishing is scheduled to the size of the work in the planning session. Each platform may take a different time to show the book after upload.
Does my book need to be finished?
No. We accept finished manuscripts, scattered drafts and ideas. Specialized Publishing is designed to organise drafts and complete what is missing with you.
Is anything published before I approve it?
No. The cover, layout and description reach you first, and every stage has a status you can follow in your account.
How do I start, and how do I send my book?
Register on the Start page and upload your Word file from your account; we send you a report and an invoice. Once you pay and upload the receipt, we prepare the book, you approve it, and we publish it. Everything is done remotely; there is no need to visit us.
Is my book accepted once I pay?
We review your file before issuing the invoice and tell you what it needs, and we accept works that meet our content standards. Each platform then decides on acceptance under its own policy.
Platforms and reach
How many platforms will my book appear on?
3 platforms on Lite, 5 on Starter, 6–7 on Pro and every available platform on Specialized Publishing, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play and Kobo.
Can I choose the platforms my book is published on?
No. Our team chooses them after studying your book’s audience, language and category. Zart does not guarantee any specific platform: each platform has its own policies and decides on its own whether to accept, refuse or remove a title, without having to give a reason. If a platform refuses your book, we address its notes or choose an alternative within your plan.
Will my book reach many readers?
It will be available on platforms read by millions, but sales depend on the book’s quality, keywords, price and promotion. We handle professional publishing and help with the description and categories; we do not promise a number of sales.
Will my book show up in search engines?
Book pages on the platforms are usually indexed, and with Zart you also get one page that gathers your book’s links, so it is easier to find by title and author.
Can my book be published in more than one language?
Yes, each language is published as a separate edition. Professional translation is available in Specialized Publishing or as a separate service.
Will my book reach Jarir and other bookshops?
We publish to digital reading platforms, not physical bookshops. You can print copies and distribute them yourself, and you don’t have to print them with us.
How do I know which platforms carry my book, and when will it appear?
You get a notification when publishing is complete, and the links appear on your book’s page. Each platform takes a different time to show the book.
Can readers preview pages of my book?
Yes. You choose free sample pages from your account, and readers see them on the book’s page.
Costs and payment
Do you publish for free?
There is no direct free publishing, but once you upload your book you can ask for it to be shown in the Critics Club, and it may be lucky enough to win free publishing, perhaps even more. Plans carry a small annual fee and a sales commission that varies with the type of contracting party.
Do I earn royalties, and how are they paid?
Yes. You receive your sales after the platform share and Zart’s commission, with sales reports according to your plan.
What exactly do I pay?
A one-time setup fee from SAR 399, a commission on sales of 8% to 18% depending on the plan, and SAR 99 a year on Starter and above. Full details are on the plans page.
Does my book stay published if I don’t renew?
Yes. Your book stays published on the platforms whether you renew or not.
Are there offers or discounts?
Yes: a discount on additional books in every plan, seasonal offers, and special pricing for large projects and organisations.
How can I pay?
Bank cards, bank transfer and other online methods shown at checkout.
Print and clearance
Do you print the book, and do I get author copies?
Yes, through print on demand: SAR 250 with Lite, 200 with Starter and Pro, and free with Specialized. Printing requires an ISBN and content clearance.
How do I get content clearance?
It is issued after the book is typeset: free through the national book clearance platform, or we obtain it for you for SAR 250.
Rights and ownership
Who owns the rights to my book?
You do, 100%. Zart is a publisher and distribution agent, not the owner of the work, and the contract says so.
Can I publish my book myself later?
Yes. Your rights are yours, and the details of ending publication through Zart are set out in the user agreement.
Are you licensed, and is there a contract between us?
Our licence number is at the bottom of the site and can be verified, and the user agreement is shown to you when you upload your book.
Services
Do you proofread?
Pro includes full proofreading and Specialized includes full editing. On Lite and Starter, proofreading is an optional add-on.
Do you design the cover?
Yes, on every plan: one option on Lite, two on Starter, three on Pro and four with unlimited revisions on Specialized.
Why Zart instead of publishing on Amazon directly?
Publishing directly is free, but you handle the design, formatting and requirements alone. With us: a cover, typesetting, publishing to several platforms, support in Arabic and English, and a person who follows your book by name.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes, a free first consultation with a publishing expert to assess your project and suggest the right plan, with no obligation.
I designed my own cover. Will you accept it?
Yes, as long as it meets the platforms’ specifications, and we adjust it if needed.
Do you obtain the ISBN?
Yes, or we use your own ISBN if you have one.
My book is published elsewhere. Can I get it a page on Zart?
Yes. “Your book page” is an add-on separate from publishing: all you need is your book’s store links, and we build a page that gathers them with a free sample. You choose its design from 25 templates, talk to your readers through it and see its visit analytics. Create your account and request it there.
Do you publish illustrated children’s books?
Yes. We prepare children’s books in fixed layout, so the art and text stay in place, and set right-to-left reading for Arabic books. Common sizes: square 8×8 or 8.5×8.5 inches, portrait 8.5×11 and landscape 11×8.5. Send the illustrations in high resolution (300 DPI) with the text separately, or a ready PDF. Because some platforms don’t support this format, our team chooses the platforms that display it correctly, and a print edition is available through print on demand.
Didn’t find your question?
We reply within 24 working hours, or book a free consultation with a publishing expert.