About Us

What’s different about Tovim Press?

1. We are an Orthodox Jewish company, that caters to Jewish authors, readers, and bookstores. We’re a smaller company, and able to print submitted material from various authors, as long as they conform to the Jewish values expressed in the Torah (see Our Policy). Since Jews are a minority, our books often do not appeal to the “masses” and are often rejected by larger publishing companies because they feel they would not be “profitable”. Since we only cater to a Jewish audience, we reserve the right to limit our policy to Jewish material that fits with our audience, and can print book in English or Hebrew.

2. We are all about quality, not quantity and profit. We create our prices to cover all needed expenses, yet remain competitive. In the Jewish world, authors have many more ways to fund their projects, such as dedication and memorial pages for loved ones sponsored by people in your own community. (See our page on funding your project.) We help offer ideas, and welcome suggestions because as Jews, we are all one big family. As our slogan says, Tovim Press “is simply Tov!”

3. Tovim Press offers and encourages quality hardcover books. Unlike some Print-On-Demand (POD) companies, we have the option of hardcover books. Jews are often called “the people of the book”. That is because we read a lot! Paperback books have a limited life-span and get damaged easily. The covers can start to curl over time, the binding breaks free, and the inner pages are not as protected from damage. We believe in treating books with respect! You would be hard-pressed to find someone throwing a hardcover book in the trash, yet that is what happens to many paperback books when they are worn-out and don’t look so nice anymore. Since many Jewish books contain Sheimot (sacred names), we encourage people to publish hardcover books. The cost is only a few dollars more than paperback books, but they are higher-quality, lasting a lifetime and beyond. People expect to pay more and willingly pay a higher retail price for hardcovers. They realize that you get what you pay for.

4. We welcome material from anyone, not just a select few. Unlike larger Jewish publishing companies, we publish works from regular lay-people, not only rabbis or already established authors. After all, even the most famous author had to get their start somewhere! We welcome New Independent Jewish Authors (NiNJAs) and offer competitive prices for our services. Tovim Press is an independent publisher and does not have the stigma of the “self-published” author. If one wants to publish their work as cheaply as possible, they may be better off with a “self-publishing” company that deals with volume (quantity, not quality). However, they do not offer hardcover books. As stated before, you often get what you pay for. We offer “value”, which is more than just a “cheap” price.

5. No waiting for months before you even find out that your book has been rejected. As long as it fits our guidelines appropriately, we don’t generally reject books. Large publishers feel they should limit their authors to those who are already famous or have sold over 200 copies of a book. Some may not even accept submissions. Others may accept submissions, but usually they require the author to put a sizable amount of money up-front due to their risk involved. They also can take anywhere from 3-12 months before ever finding out if your book has been accepted. We don’t believe anyone should be “at risk”, but rather we both invest something in the book project. We invest in projects with our time and better services, and the author invests their work and just enough money to cover book creation costs. We work together and both benefit in the end. The result is a partnership that both parties can truly be proud of.

6. We offer the ultimate in versatility in pricing and services. Tovim Press offers services that not every company does. Do as much or as little of the book project as you like yourself. If you don’t want to go it alone, or have first time jitters, we can do most of the preparatory work for you. If you are a die-hard do-it-yourselfer, you can create your own cover, and format and preflight your interior documents. (See our instructional Book Specifications Checklist.) Many self-publishing companies (or “Vanity Publishers”) offer expensive package deals from $1,500-$10,000 to create only one book, and nothing else. The book may still have that “self-published” stigma, you end up paying a lot of money, and still you may be at the mercy of editors and staff who tell you what you can and can’t do. At Tovim Press, you are able to pick and choose what you need and want. That’s why we offer “per service” pricing as well as our Bundles.

7. We believe in transparent pricing, and try to have all of our pricing available up front. Browse our Store for all of the various products and services that we offer, and we invite you to compare our prices with other publishers. You might be surprised at what you find.

8. You maintain complete control over your own work. Aside from acceptable Jewish content (which really shouldn’t affect most work), you control what you want to publish. Think of it- no editors breathing down your back, micromanaging what you want to say! There are no rejections (see Our Policy), you own your work 100% and you still get standard publishing-rate royalties for your work. Tovim Press has the best of all worlds! You control your content and your cover. Some companies charge anywhere from $500-$1500 for cover design alone, and the author doesn’t even get the final say-so! We believe the author knows their book better than anyone and value their input.

9. Tovim Press has extra services available to help promote you and your work. When you publish with us, you get your own free Author Page to advertise all of your books. We don’t just offer you the option of one little author page, but an entire customized website with the domain name of your book title or name, if it is available. Tovim Press’ parent company Tovim Media, LLC is a full-service web agency that specializes in just that- media. You can purchase web hosting where you can build your own website or we can build it for you, purchase extra services, and do as much or little as you like. We work with you according to your needs.

10. Tovim Press gives you the ultimate in distribution for your work. We are connected to a global distribution company that covers over 40,000 bookstores and libraries, so your work can reach out over the entire world! We provide the availability, but people can only find your book if they know it exists. As we partner with you to sell your book, we make it accessible, but you have to make it noticeable. It is up to you to promote your work through speaking engagements, book signings and public appearances, but Tovim can help you by offering valuable services and marketing materials. You do all the rest of the book promotion.

Experience the Tovim Press difference. We are Jewish and proud of it!