Questions readers ask
Short answers about how buying and reading here works.
What is ZI² Books?
ZI² Books is a bookstore where presses sell their own books directly to readers. Each press runs its own imprint on the platform, sets its prices and is paid for every sale; print and ebook formats link to the press's store and to retailers.
What is a sealed ZI² edition?
A sealed edition is a book file encrypted for one buyer. It opens in any browser or in the ZI² reader app with the passphrase sent at purchase, carries a verifiable seal from the press, and stays yours to keep.
Who gets the money when I buy a book?
The press does. Payment goes to the publisher's own account at the time of purchase, less a flat platform fee, and the platform never holds a catalogue it does not pay for.
How do I read a book I bought?
Open the link in your receipt or sign in to your library. Sealed editions read in the browser on any device and in the ZI² reader app; where the press has published a sample, the first pages can be read before buying.
Can I buy the printed book?
Yes. Every book page lists the press's own store and other retailers for paperback, hardcover and ebook formats next to the sealed edition.
How does a press join?
A publisher starts an imprint in a few minutes from the Start an imprint link, uploads its titles, connects a Stripe account or chooses platform payouts, and is selling the same day.