Are you ready to print your book but confused by all the options available to self-published authors today? Well, the good thing is that you have so many options because it wasn’t that long ago when independent authors had very little control over the price and quality of printing their books. Now, however, there are many digital printers to choose from, with some even offering limited distribution as well.
Local printer
Support the local economy by going local! If you live in or near a city, then you have a good chance of having access to a few digital printing companies. You can read about their services online, but I would also encourage you to go to their stores and get a quote on pricing and see samples of their work (e.g., paper options, glossy and matter cover finishes).
- Use Google or LinkedIn to search for printers in your city
- Talk to other local authors and ask where they had their books printed
Online printing companies
If you live in Canada or the United States, there are several online printing companies that offer decent printing services, fees and delivery. These companies cater specifically to independent authors, and they offer easy, step-by-step instructions on how to prepare your files for printing, proof the final versions, and place your orders. Consider these companies:
Example of books printed by CreateSpace.
Publish an e-book (print-free!)
Skip the printing altogether and publish an e-book instead. This means you won't have to worry about printing your book at all. Instead, you can work with an e-book designer to turn your manuscript into digital files (epub and mobi) that can be read on all e-reader devices, such as Kindle and Kobo. Consider these companies:
- Smashwords
- KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
Happy publishing!
Stacey
This blog post is based on the content in Lesson 6: Printing a Book, in the How to Publish a Book online course offered by editor Stacey D. Atkinson of Mirror Image Publishing.
