"John Rizzo is just what the first time author needs; he is enthusiastic, encouraging, and lays everything out in layman’s terms. He knows the world of self-publishing well, yet remembers what it is like to be starting out as an author and relays information with that in mind. He is polite, professional, and extremely quick to respond to e-mails or phone messages. When my wife and I basically phone interviewed several self-publishing companies to decide who to publish with, it was John who made the difference. He was clearly easier to understand, not confusing like most others, and seemed in no hurry to end the call, but rather wanted to make sure all of our questions were answered and that we were comfortable with the information discussed. These initial impressions were simply confirmed throughout the publishing process!"
-Matt Bolton, Author of The Concise Visitors Guide to Yosemite
"John, I want to thank you for all that you did to help me publish my first novel. Sometimes it seems that writing the book is the easiest part. You guided me throught the hardest part: publishing The Final War and 3001 and getting it placed where it needed to be placed. Every interaction that I had with you was professional, well thought out and helpful. I've already started writing some new books. I'll be seriously working on them this winter. You can bet the farm that when the time comes to publish them, you'll be my first call."
-Priscilla Herochik, Author of The Final War and 3001
"What a find! BookSurge delivered precisely what we needed for our self-publishing adventure. When we had questions, John Rizzo was there to answer them. After uploading our finalized documents we visited the BookSurge plant in North Charleston, South Carolina. John introduced us to the BookSurge team, walked us through the plant, and treated us to a nice lunch. (Thanks again, John!) The printing process is simply amazing, and the physical features and quality of each book have been outstanding. Trust us; you won't go wrong for choosing BookSurge. Five stars!"
-Terry and Peg McCarty, Authors of The Chatfield Story
"John is simply outstanding. Initially, I thought that he would provide me very little support after my book was published. But I was surprised that he kept on giving me one tip after the other months after my book has been published. He gave me sound advice that highly contributed in making my book a best-seller on Amazon. He knows his stuff. John is one of the best publishing consultants because he focuses on providing real value, not only sending you one offer/promotion after the other. I enjoyed working with him and he continuously surprises me with his great suggestions to market and sell more copies of my book."
- Mohamed Tohami, Author of The Pharaohs' Code
"John Rizzo rocks! After publishing through other known sources, I found working with Booksurge to independently publish a fictional memoir was a treat! John provided needed guidance and assurance that I was on the right track with this book, which was a labor of love for me. He innately understood how to respond to both my inner artist and the part of me that runs a global consulting business and demands excellence. He pays attention to all the right details and made the process seamless. With a strong business acumen and passion for service, Rizzo will be running a global company sooner than later if he chooses! In the meantime, grab him and his team of fabulous folks to publish your treasured stories."
-Darelyn DJ Mitsch, Author of Mystic GRITS
, Author of Reincarnation of Lucrezia Borgia
"I cannot recommend John Rizzo highly enough to any author, aspiring and veteran, alike. From beginning to end -- the introductory conference call through issuance of the author's proof -- Mr. Rizzo consistently and unfailingly delivered personal, hands on stewardship of the project. Without exaggeration, John treated the project as if it were his own. A remarkable feat, given his formidable work load. Introduction of any work of art into the stream of commerce is an intrinsically problem fraught prospect. Transposing the author's raw manuscript to print ready salable product is an imperfect, overwhelming undertaking for both author and publisher. There are going to be mistakes made by both parties along the way. It's how these mistakes are handled that distinguishes the exceptional from the ordinary. When a problem arose, Mr. Rizzo remained focused, objective and, above all, diplomatic in arriving at timely resolution. Because of his experience, skill and dutifulness, the project came in nearly two weeks ahead of schedule."
-Jason M. Kays, Author of Virtual Vice
“Fortunately
for me the publishing industry has evolved to the point where POD
allows one to publish quickly and without jumping through the agent and
publisher hoops. This was especially important since my book is very
timely. I just couldn't wait around for two years. In my search for the
best option I spoke with John Rizzo, and it was immediately clear that
he'd be a great guy to work with. That first impression proved to be
accurate. John's always been there for me, no matter how arcane the
questions, not only providing answers but coming up with new ideas for
marketing. I had the feeling from Day One that he was a straight
shooter, and he's lived up to that expectation in every way. Thank you,
John, for all you do. Here's hoping my success reflects back to you,
for you have been a big part of it.”
-Tom Blees, Author of Prescription for the Planet
"John Rizzo is great to work with; and he has a great organization behind him. John is always right there for me, helping me with the details as well as the struggles of getting a book published. He knows his business. His
knowledge, creativity, enthusiasm and ability to get things done always
came through expeditiously – sometimes so effectively that it surprised
us both. BookSurge stands solidly behind John and his teammates. They
not only invest in good people like John, they support them with state
of the art technology, processes, and the human resources to make them
shine. Having personally toured the facility, I can affirm that there’s plenty of substance behind these favorable impressions."
-Mike Miller, Author of The Infinite Power of Teams
"As an author living in Australia but
wanting to participate in the US and global markets, Amazon was an
obvious choice but that still left the huge challenge of printing and
publishing from the other side of the world, potentially a very
daunting task. I discovered how Print On Demand and BookSurge
specifically could assist me as the whole concept just made perfect
sense. To be honest it was more “author friendly” from a financial
viewpoint than all the US publishers I spoke with. Thankfully when I
contacted BookSurge I was introduced to John Rizzo who was able to gently
walk me through the whole process, giving me great advice as well as
being available at all sorts of weird hours (with me living in
Australia). I can't speak highly enough of John’s professional and yet
personal approach to his clients. Thanks John!"
-Graham Park, Author of 7 Secrets the Weightloss Industry Will Never Tell You
"John has been my publishing
consultant for over a year. During that time period, John has impressed
me on several levels. First, John is easily accessible and returns
every call and email in a timely fashion. This sounds simplistic, but I
can assure you, it is not the norm in the Print on Demand industry.
More importantly, "John gets it." He loves what he does. He is
extremely knowledgeable, and is committed to helping the author market
his book. This is in stark contrast to most consultants whose corporate
mission is to sell the author a plethora of useless marketing packages.
John has earned my trust and my highest recommendation."
-Pat Paciello, Author of Has Anyone Seen My Reading Glasses?
"As a first time author, I often
feel like a deer caught in the headlights. John Rizzo has been a beacon
leading me safely through the publishing process; he always takes the
time to explain the available options and has my best interest in mind.
I absolutely recommend John for any author taking the plunge into the
publishing market."
-Victor Grippi, Author of The Ninth Cube
“I
am 76 years old, and have been working this past year on publishing a
"local history- family memoir" since my predecessors were so much a
part of our community's history. I have had the privilege of working
with John Rizzo, during the past number of months in this venture. My
experience with John has been outstanding. He has been almost
instantly responsive to inquiries and questions ( which is unique in
this day and time), he is knowledgeable about all the many phases of
publishing process, patient with my inexperience, and encouraging
in completing the project. It was not an easy task involving more than
270 photographs and captions. John has been helpful in assisting with
selecting the appropriate cover, the cover art being an especially
painted artistic piece of early local times, but in all things, he has
attended to detail and promptly brought it all to conclusion. I am
very pleased and looking forward to working on my next book soon!”
-John W. Sheppard, Author of One Man's Family in Early Fort Myers
John Rizzo was to me, a first time wannabe writer, what my flight instructor was for helping me get my Navy wings. John was always prompt in responding, thorough in his content but never pushy. The BookSurge products and services were offered and presented with complete explanation, but never with a hard sell and I appreciate that. As I passed through the publishing process it was reassuring to be able to go directly to John with any question. If anyone reading this is hesitant about plunging into the POD with BookSurge I can say the products and services were fairly priced and timely delivered. If you can get John Rizzo for your consultant - go for it.
-Lawrence McGrath, Author of A Cry From The Heart: a Personal Essay
I have nothing but praise for John Rizzo as someone who helped me step by step with my first publishing venture, With his always timely help, he turned something that I had first viewed as a pit-strewn endeavor into something I found quite easy and indeed enjoyable. I never ceased to be amazed at how quickly John would answer my questions and help me with solutions. I look forward to working with him again before too long.
-Lester Sutherland, Author of Experiencing the Miraculous
"As a personal historian I have written a number of biographies and histories using university and self-publishers. When I found the Booksurge POD option, I found an affordable way for my clients to get their stories into print quickly, but I worried that dealing with a big, out-of-town publishing company would be an impersonal and frustrating experience. I was wrong. John Rizzo has given the process a human presence, and because of him I never felt like a cog in a massive publishing machine. He’s always available to answer my questions, to reassure me when I have a meltdown, and generally act as my advocate. He is patient with my impatience and forgiving of my mistakes. This experience has been a joy, and I look forward to working with John again very soon."
-Lynn Willoughby, Ph. D., Judge Aaron Cohn
"After having self-published my book locally here in Singapore, my search to reach out to wider readership led me to BookSurge, and specifically to John Rizzo. From our initial contact, he was patient and reliable, which gave me the confidence to commit myself in publishing the book with BookSurge. Even though there were the initial hiccups - being the first Singapore-based author to work with John, he was nevertheless able to see the difficulties through together with me and ensured that he delivered on his promise. I no doubt feel privileged to have had the experience of working with John and will have no reservations in recommending him and BookSurge to my fellow authors here in Singapore and abroad. Not just fancy showmanship, John is indeed an honourable partner to work with, and someone who leaves a lasting impression on you."
-Ganga Sudhan, Author of The Unofficial Police Handbook
"I am honored to have worked with John on my book publishing project. He was able to give me all of the answers that I needed in a timely fashion. Publishing my first book was not an easy process, but working with John and BookSurge took out a lot of stress for the finishing process of my book. The services that were offered were state of the art, and BookSurge brings a new meaning to the word 'excellence' as it pertains to new authors. The product that was produced speaks volumes to new authors who desire to obtain higher levels of quality for any initial book project. I strongly recommend BookSurge to anyone who desires to get their book produced in print form."
-Audrea V. Heard, Author of Thru the Fire
"John was one of the best people I have ever worked with. When I signed up with Book Surge, the main reason was John. He was so quick to promptly respond to my emails and my million and one questions. It was really nice to be treated with such respect and care. I have a great experience at Book Surge primarily due to the wonderful team of people I worked with, but especially John.
-Talar Kozikoujekian, Author of Mom and Dad, Why Do I Need to Know My Armenian Heritage?
“The BookSurge experience has been very professional and comforting. John Rizzo especially has always taken my calls and made questions I have had very clear to me. John has even taken his personal time to call me at times just so I felt I was moving in the right direction thru the process of being self published. I just wanted to thank John and his staff for making this process pain free and exciting!”
"The world of publishing for first time authors can be very daunting when no one knows your name. A place of intricate associations and rejection. You have something to offer and wish your words to reach the world stage for all to see but how do you do it? It's all new and it can be very isolating. Then I met John Rizzo. In keeping with my principles and a deep desire to share information with the world, he appeared like a gate keeper to accelerate my learning curve. An easy rapport, my goals were his goals and the rest as they say is history! Now I have a friend in this new world and grateful for John Rizzo's help, guidance and professionalism. Thank you John and I look forward to our next venture together!
-Lilian Eden, A Mandala of Awakening
"Before working directly with John from Booksurge, I had a less than perfect experience with other companies. From the moment I got in touch with John, it was different. He was and is incredibly helpful! John took the time to walk me through every step of the process--from getting the files transferred over, to making sure the format was what I wanted, to post-production and marketing opportunities of which I've barely scratched the surface. He understands how trying it can be for a first-time author, and makes it friendly. What a change to be contacted frequently to just "check in with how things are going", instead of me having to make the calls. I look forward to taking advantage of John's expertise in further promoting my book, and to soon start the production of a sequel. Thank you John and thank you Booksurge!"
-Ned Hammar, Author of Early One Morning