How Self-Publishers Print Their Books

Acutrack is the book printer and book fulfillment service ideal for self-publishers with an eye on profits and outstanding customer service.

The big news in the book world continues to be self-publishing and how it has exponentially expanded the pool of published authors. Undoubtedly, book printing on demand has been a factor because it has let people become published authors with minimal upfront investment. But other options are trending for many good reasons. If you can predict your book's sales, using a printer that also offers online order fulfillment can help. The on-demand system tends to swallow you up, and you become part of "their" system. Printing on your own lets you avoid those pitfalls and be in control.

Traditional offset printing remains the lowest cost option on a per-copy price basis. But it may only be financially viable if you can print several thousand copies simultaneously. Digital printing allows smaller runs and, although a bit more cost per copy, makes minimum print runs doable for more authors. Carrying inventory helps no one, so printing books shortly before they are sold is the ideal scenario. It lets you earn profits right away, and you need less warehousing. Companies that self-publish books and can predict their sales are often in better positions to estimate their print runs in advance.

If you decide to go with print-on-demand, carefully scrutinize package deals. For example, if they offer editing and cover design as part of the program, ask questions about the quality you'll receive. Most veteran marketers agree you're wiser to find content preparation services on the open market, where you evaluate and select each one individually. All have expertise in specific genres, and finding people with expertise in yours will benefit your project. You'll also learn more along the way, and it's knowledge you'll carry to your next book project. The first time is always the steepest learning curve.

Trim size and paper stock quality are also important considerations for your book. Going with standard sizes and qualities is likely okay if you've written a text-heavy tome. But for photo books and other specialized volumes, you want options to go bigger or smaller than average and enhance the paper stock if it benefits your project. On-demand printing may limit you, and staying on the open market gives you more choices. Book printers that fulfill online orders allow you to sell books from your website, eCommerce platform, or from inside larger online retailers – the ones offering a marketplace.  

Company Name: Acutrack, Inc

Address: 350 Sonic Ave, Livermore, CA 94551

Phone Number: 888-234-3472

 


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