Frequently Asked Questions

ChatGPT and Claude are general-purpose AI tools - they answer questions and generate content, but they don't know anything about your catalog, your imprints, or your publishing operation. TomeOS is a purpose-built operating system: your ISBN registry, title pipeline, imprint configuration, and decision history are all live context that every agent division can act on. You're not prompting a blank slate every session - you're running a configured business operation.

No. The agent team runs through a browser interface and a simple chat window - no command line, no coding. You'll fill in a configuration file with your imprint names, platforms, and affiliate IDs once during setup, which reads like a form. If you've ever set up a KDP account or configured a newsletter tool, you have more than enough technical comfort for TomeOS. Studio customers get a guided onboarding session if you want a walkthrough.

KDP and IngramSpark are built in from day one - platform-specific SOPs, checklists, and agent workflows are included for both. The system also supports any additional distribution channel you're using; you configure your platforms in the central publisher config file and the agents reference it across every task. Amazon, wide distribution through IngramSpark, and direct sales setups are all supported.

TomeOS is designed for publishers with at least a few titles in production or a clear plan to publish at scale - it's a system for running a catalog, not a beginner's guide to self-publishing. That said, if you're early-stage and serious about building a real publishing operation from the start, Starter tier is built for exactly that. All five divisions are included from Starter - you get the full system from day one.

Mode A is the advisory layer - agents work through your dashboard, run research tasks, manage your pipeline, and produce structured outputs you act on. No server required; it runs through your hosted TomeOS workspace. Mode B is the automated execution layer - agents can directly execute multi-step workflows, push files, and run scheduled operations. Mode B requires a VPS or server connection, which we set up and configure with you. Most publishers start with Mode A and enable Mode B once they're comfortable with how the agents operate. Neither requires you to write code.

Yes - all of them. TomeOS is format-agnostic at the operations layer. Whether you publish low-content (coloring books, journals, planners), non-fiction, fiction, or a mix, the underlying workflow is the same: research identifies opportunities, production tracks your pipeline, marketing runs your launches, and QC validates your files before they go live. You configure your catalog types during setup, and the agents adapt their SOPs accordingly.

No - and that's intentional. TomeOS is a publishing operations system, not a content generation tool. It doesn't write your manuscripts, design your covers, or format your interiors. What it does is run everything around the content: identifying what to publish, tracking titles through production, managing your launch operations, enforcing QC before upload, and learning from what works. Content creation uses whatever tools you already have. TomeOS is the business layer that connects it all.

After you subscribe, you'll receive a license key by email within a few minutes. You activate it once by adding it to your TomeOS workspace directory - a single command that takes about thirty seconds. The agent validates the key on startup, reads your subscription tier, and automatically activates the correct set of divisions. If you upgrade, the key is revalidated and the new divisions become available without reinstalling anything. Keys are tied to one active workspace.

There's no free trial, but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee with no questions asked (see below). We think that's better than a restricted trial - you get the real system, run real tasks on your actual catalog, and judge it on what it actually does. If it's not right for your operation within 30 days, you get a full refund.

TomeOS launches August 1, 2026 with an 8-week founding beta cohort running through approximately September 26, 2026. The founding beta is a limited group of publishers who get in at a 25% lifetime discount as a thank-you for joining before the public launch. Founder rates are: $97/mo for Starter, $149/mo for Operator, $374/mo for Studio. Your founder rate locks permanently at the moment you complete your first payment — joining the waitlist reserves your spot, but the rate lock activates on subscription, not on waitlist join. You pay that rate as long as your subscription stays active, regardless of future price increases. Once the founding cohort closes, pricing returns to standard rates ($129/$199/$499).

Yes — billing starts on your first payment date and repeats monthly from there. The 8-week founding beta (August 1 – ~September 26, 2026) is not a free or pre-billing phase; it's the cohort window during which founding rates are available. You subscribe, pay, and get full access immediately. What the beta period gives you is the 25% lifetime discount, the 30-day money-back guarantee, and early access to the product before founding spots close. There is no separate "unpaid access" period layered on top of the refund window.

Yes. Monthly plans cancel at the end of the current billing period - no fees, no retention loops. You keep every output, report, and registry entry your agents have generated; that's your work and it goes with you. Your workspace data is held for 90 days after cancellation. Reactivate within that window and your operation picks up exactly where you left off. Plans can also be paused up to three months per year if you need a break without losing your founder rate.

Yes - full refund within 30 days of your first payment, no questions asked. Email [email protected] with "REFUND" in the subject line and we'll process it within two business days. After 30 days, subscriptions are non-refundable but remain fully cancellable. We don't offer partial refunds for unused time within a billing period.

IngramSpark is a first-class workflow in TomeOS, not an afterthought. The QC Agent validates files against both KDP and IngramSpark specifications separately - which matters because IngramSpark has stricter tolerances on spine width, bleed, and trim standards, and those differences catch publishers by surprise. The production pipeline tracks each platform's submission status per title independently, so your KDP and IngramSpark states for the same book don't get conflated. Mode B includes IngramSpark submission workflows alongside KDP. Important: IngramSpark charges a $25 revision fee every time you resubmit updated files after a title is live — there is no free correction window. This is a key reason TomeOS QC validates files against IngramSpark specs before you submit, not after. One blocked submission caught by the QC Agent more than covers a month of TomeOS at any tier.

No - TomeOS doesn't require any third-party research tools. The Research Agent runs its own niche analysis, competitive assessment, and keyword opportunity scoring using structured SOPs built into the system. If you already use Publisher Rocket ($199 one-time) or BookBolt, they stay in your stack and complement the Research Agent — you're not being asked to replace them. The distinction is what each tool does: Publisher Rocket surfaces keyword data for a single search session; TomeOS's Research Agent produces structured research briefs that feed directly into your production pipeline and compound into your Lessons Learned system over time. TomeOS operates above the individual tool layer: it coordinates decisions and tracks your catalog state whether or not you're using external research tools.

TomeOS doesn't run ad campaigns directly or connect to Amazon's advertising console. What it does support is the decisions around advertising: the Research Agent identifies high-opportunity keywords that inform campaign targets, the Marketing Agent builds your launch promotion sequence, and the Lessons Learned division tracks which title-level decisions drove results so you can apply those patterns to future ad strategy. Direct ad management - bid optimization, campaign setup in AMS - is outside TomeOS's scope. Most publishers pair TomeOS with their existing ads workflow or a dedicated ads manager.

Wide publishing is supported. IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Kobo Direct, and other channels can all be configured in your publisher settings file, and the production pipeline tracks per-platform submission status per title. QC validations cover both KDP and IngramSpark specs since they differ in meaningful ways - IngramSpark rejects files that KDP accepts, and catching that pre-submission saves real time. Aggregator workflows through Draft2Digital have lighter direct integration than KDP and IngramSpark, but the catalog tracking and coordination layer works across all platforms you configure.

Yes. TomeOS is designed to layer onto your existing operation, not displace it from day one. If you're running Notion, Airtable, spreadsheets, or custom prompt workflows, you migrate at your own pace - there's no requirement to abandon those systems immediately. The practical question is what TomeOS can do that custom-built systems structurally can't: compound catalog performance history back into new title decisions, run automated QC against live platform spec sheets, and maintain live pipeline state across multiple in-flight titles without you being the integration point. Most publishers run parallel systems for a period before fully transitioning.

It depends on which mode you use. Mode A (advisory) is fully hosted by Officina Systems - no server, no VPS, no infrastructure. You access everything through a browser. Mode B (automated execution) does require a VPS or server connection because the agents need direct access to execute file operations and run scheduled workflows. We walk you through Mode B setup and can recommend inexpensive VPS options if you don't already have one. Most publishers start on Mode A and add Mode B when they're ready for more automation.

Yes. Your workspace - catalog data, registry entries, research reports, decision logs - is private to your account and is not shared with other customers or used to train any AI models. Officina Systems accesses your workspace only for support purposes and only when you explicitly request it. Data is held on Officina-managed infrastructure and retained for 90 days after cancellation before archival. You can export your full workspace at any time.

TomeOS runs on frontier AI models - currently Claude (Anthropic) and GPT-4 class models (OpenAI) - routed by task type and optimized for accuracy and cost at scale. Model access is included in your subscription; you don't need separate API accounts or keys. We update the underlying models as better versions become available, which is part of what the monthly subscription covers. The SOPs and agent logic are model-agnostic - they work with the best available model, not a specific one.

Yes - model access scales with plan tier. Starter runs on a capable standard model suited for research, QC, and production tasks. Operator gets access to a stronger model with better reasoning for complex multi-step analysis and marketing work. Studio customers get priority routing, which means your tasks go to the highest-capability available model and aren't queued behind lower-tier requests during peak load. All tiers include unlimited agent usage within their respective model tier - there are no per-query charges on top of your subscription.

No - your catalog data lives in your workspace, not on Officina's servers. Your ISBN registry, title pipeline, research briefs, QC records, and production history are stored in your own workspace directory and remain under your control. Officina manages the infrastructure that runs the agents, but the data files themselves belong to you and are exportable at any time. This also means that if you cancel, your catalog records don't disappear - they stay in your workspace for 90 days before archival, and you can export the full set before that window closes.

No. Your workspace files are yours and they stay local — research briefs, production records, ISBN assignments, QC reports, Lessons Learned summaries, and everything else the agents have generated live in your workspace directory, not in a cloud vault we control. After cancellation, you have 90 days to export the full set before archival. Reactivate within that window and your operation picks up exactly where you left off, with your full catalog history intact. Nothing about your publishing records is held hostage to an active subscription.

Currently, each TomeOS license covers one workspace and one active user. That's intentional for this stage - the workspace is built around a single publisher's catalog, operating history, and configuration. Multi-seat team access is on the roadmap and is a priority feature for the Studio tier. If you're running a small team and need shared access now, reach out to [email protected] - Studio customers with that specific need can discuss options directly with the Officina team.

It depends on which mode you're using. Mode A (advisory) requires no coding or command-line work - you interact through a browser interface and a chat window, configure your setup by filling in a structured file (think: a form), and everything runs through your hosted TomeOS workspace. Mode B (automated execution) does involve a terminal for the initial VPS setup and connection - but that setup is guided step-by-step, and you do it once. Ongoing Mode B use doesn't require ongoing technical work. If you've ever SSH'd into a server or followed a deploy guide, you have enough to get through Mode B setup.