So, your book is ready for the world, amazing job! Now comes the exciting part: getting it into readers’ hands. Thanks to book print-on-demand services, authors can publish their work with just a few clicks — no hassle or complicated logistics required.
But with so many options, choosing the right POD service can feel overwhelming. No worries, we’ve rounded up the best book print-on-demand platforms to help you bring your masterpiece to life, plus our top book cover designs to give it a professional look. Read on! 😊📚
Flip to the Good Part! 📖
- First Things First: What Is Book Print on Demand? 🔖
- What Are the Best Print-On-Demand Book Services? ⭐️
- 1. BookBaby
- 2. Blurb
- 3. Lulu Publishing
- 4. The Book Patch
- Make a Stunning Cover With Our Book Cover Maker! ✨
- 5 Game-Changing Tips to Sell More Books! 🌟
- And That’s a Wrap on Book Print-On-Demand Services! 📚
First Things First: What Is Book Print on Demand? 🔖
Book print-on-demand services aren’t a new phenomenon, some of the most popular print-on-demand book sites have been around since 2002, but you might be wondering what it means to print on demand a book.
Printing a book on demand is exactly what it sounds like —someone buys your book, and it gets printed, simple as that! This eliminates the need for large upfront printing costs, allowing flexible inventory management.
1. Write Your Book
2. Upload It to a Print-On-Demand Site
3. Someone Buys It
4. The Site Takes Care of Printing and Shipping
This means that you’ll be able to sell your books to interested readers without having to have a huge physical stock or make an upfront investment in printing. Book print on demand is especially useful to indie or first-time authors who want to have their books published without the hassle of going through a traditional publisher.
Now, let’s dive into the best book print-on-demand services to make publishing your masterpiece as seamless as possible. 😉
📕😊 A great book deserves a unique title! Check yours with our Book Title Checker.
What Are the Best Print-On-Demand Book Services? ⭐️
There are plenty of print-on-demand options for your next book, but you need to think about the right features for your needs. From pricing to distribution, every platform offers different packages, so it’s worth exploring before you commit. Don’t worry! We’ve done the research on the best print-on-demand book services out there, and here’s what we found.
😌📗 Friendly Reminder: This list isn’t in any particular order —each print-on-demand book platform has something unique to offer, so it’s all about finding the right fit for you! Also, please note that prices and features may change over time, so be sure to check the platform’s current details before you dive in.
1. BookBaby
🤓 Overview
Founded in 2011, BookBaby has stepped into the editorial market as a full-service printing and publishing partner. From helping independent authors self-publish their work to global book distribution to some of the most popular retailers —think Amazon and Barnes & Noble, this platform offers services such as editing, cover design, audiobook creation, and promotion.
📙 Printing Options
🚚 Distribution
As we mentioned earlier, with book print on demand, when a customer orders and pays for your book, the retailer or BookBaby takes care of the rest! That means they handle printing, binding, packaging, and shipping. As easy as that!
BookBaby’s retail distribution network includes major platforms like Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and BAM! Now, when it comes to your print-on-demand distribution, you’ll have two options:
Pricing: $ 399
Key Benefits:
- Your book will be available on major platforms like Amazon, Powell’s Books, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, and 50+ other distributors.
- You can sell your book on its exclusive BookBaby Bookshop storefront.
- In addition to handling logistics, BookBaby tracks your sales and provides detailed reporting.
Pricing: $ 199
Key Benefits:
- Earn 50% royalties on your book’s retail price.
- Get your first payment just a few days after your book is ordered.
- Your book will be available for sale within just a few days of placing your finalized initial book printing order
2. Blurb
🤓 Overview
Founded in 2005, Blurb is a US-based self-publishing platform that lets you create, self-publish, promote, and sell your own books. It has bookmaking and layout tools that can help you create your book online without needing high-end design skills. Catered to authors, photographers, and other creatives, Blurb specializes in image-heavy print like photo books, trade books, and magazines.
📙 Printing Options
The first step is deciding what type of project you want to create — whether it’s a photo book, trade book, or magazine. Once you’ve chosen, Blurb will provide a detailed cost chart based on cover size and paper type (taxes and shipping not included). Plus, you can take advantage of volume discounts! For a more accurate estimate, check out Blurb’s Pricing Calculator.
Blurb typically takes around five business days to print and bind your book. Shipping usually takes an additional one to five business days, depending on the book format, volume, and distribution choices.
🚚 Distribution
Blurb ships to over 70 countries worldwide. Once you’ve uploaded and ordered your custom project, the printing process begins immediately, taking about four to five business days for printing and binding (expedited options are not available).
When placing your order, you can choose your preferred delivery speed. Remember, you can also calculate shipping times with its Shipping Calculator.
3. Lulu Publishing
🤓 Overview
Lulu Publishing was founded in 2002 as an online print-on-demand book service and self-publishing and distribution platform for authors. Committed to sustainability with practices like 100% renewable energy consumption, this company uses POD technology to print and ship print books, photo books, comic books, graphic novels, and magazines, among other options.
📙 Printing Options
Depending on the type of book you’d like to print, Lulu Publishing offers different types of page sizes, paper types, interior colors, binding choices, and cover finishes that best suit your needs. To make the process easier, they’ve put together a Publishing Basics guide that walks you through everything—from uploading your book files to setting your retail price.
Keep in mind that production time across Lulu’s global print network typically takes three to five business days.
🚚 Distribution
With Lulu Direct, you can benefit from direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales combined with POD services. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with top e-commerce platforms like Wix, WooCommerce, and Shopify.
Lulu Publishing also offers global distribution services. Want to see if your book qualifies? Check out this guide for all the details!
4. The Book Patch
🤓 Overview
The Book Patch specializes in print-on-demand services for authors and publishers. In addition to offering printing solutions, it provides a platform for both publishing and selling, complete with its own bookstore for distribution. As a writer, you can start with as few as one copy, making it easy to get your book out into the world.
📙 Printing Options
The Book Patch offers different printing options for bringing your book to life, let’s check a few of them!
- Binding: perfect bound, hardcover, spiral bound, saddle stitch.
- Interior Color: standard black and white, premium black and white, standard color, premium color.
- Cover Finish: glossy, matte.
🚚 Distribution
🤩🪄 Ready to take your publishing journey further? Explore our Free Book Publisher Resources for tips, tools, and insights to help you succeed!
Make a Stunning Cover With Our Book Cover Maker! ✨
Let’s be honest here, think of the last time you were browsing through a bookshop; the first book you probably reached for was the one that had an interesting-looking book cover. Well, that’s what happens when most of us are browsing books online or offline. We tend to hover towards attractive book covers that give us an idea of what the story is about.
With Placeit’s Book Cover Maker, you can design a professional-looking cover in just minutes—giving you full creative control over your book from start to finish. Plus, if you need a little inspiration, explore our collection of book cover templates to make the process even easier. Look down below at some examples of what you can achieve!
📚😀 With so many amazing options to choose from, we’ve made it easy by compiling a top selection of book cover templates. Find a design that fits your vision perfectly!
5 Game-Changing Tips to Sell More Books! 🌟
You’ve written your book and listed it on a book print-on-demand site — what’s next? Well, to sell something, first you have to market it. Here are five easy tips for marketing your book online:
1. Make an Author Website
If you’re trying to promote your book, make sure there is a place online where people can find information quickly on what the book is about, as well as places where they can purchase it. For example:
The first thing you see is the name of the book and the author. Then there is a large image of the author, which in this case works because Mamrie Hart is a known YouTube and online personality. If your goal is to be known online, you could go with a similar layout for your book, but you could also swap the author’s picture for one of your books.
In this example, the key elements are the book itself, a compelling synopsis (always a plus!), and all the links where readers can purchase it.
2. Create an Author Profile on Goodreads
3. Promote Your Book With Mockups
When it comes to selling your book, having professional promotional images is a must. While you could take them yourself, it can be a hassle — especially since creating high-quality images for press releases and marketing takes time, the right equipment, and some expertise. Without those, your photos might not turn out as polished as you’d like.
Here’s where Placeit comes in handy because, with book mockups, you can create promotional images of your book in minutes without using expensive design software. What’s even better is that you can find book mockups for all types of books. Whether you’re promoting a recipe book or a children’s book, you can find the right mockups for your project at Placeit.
✏️🤓 Stuff Your Kindle Day is the perfect event to boost your book’s visibility! Learn how to join & grab top Placeit book templates to stand out.
4. Use Social Media to Connect With Readers
As Goodreads is a great place to build a community that has interests similar to your book tastes, other social media channels can also function as platforms to market your book.
For example, YouTube is home to a thriving Booktuber community who share reviews and recommendations, while Instagram’s #bookstagram features stunning book photos and reviews from passionate readers.
5. Get Media Coverage for Your Book
It may seem challenging at first, but identifying your book’s niche is key. Think about the themes, topics, or problems your book addresses. Is it about finances, parenting, or cooking? Whatever the focus, there are likely podcasts, YouTubers, bloggers, and websites within that niche who would be interested in featuring your work.
Going local is a good choice, too. Look for your local newspapers and let them know you’ve come out with a book; they might be interested in writing a piece about you.
6. Format Your Book to Target Specific Media Channels
MS Word is a great tool to format manuscripts for on-demand printing because you have granular control over line spacing, indents, margins, etc. However, if you’re considering an online version or a Kindle version, then you’ll need a PDF editor like PDFelement. This desktop software for Windows and Mac can convert your Word file to PDF, EPUB, HTML, and other web-friendly formats for wider distribution.
You can also directly edit PDF without having to convert it back to Word. So, if you need to change images, add page numbering, apply a watermark, and so on, this software is very useful. Another advantage of using PDF over Word is that it looks the same on any device, so potential publishers can view it on a smartphone, a tablet, a notebook, or a large computer monitor, and it will be identical across all screen types and aspect ratios.
📔😊 Keep Reading: 9 Tips for Self-Publishing a Book Successfully!
And That’s a Wrap on Book Print-On-Demand Services! 📚
Now that you have the tools and knowledge to choose the best book print-on-demand platform for your brand-new masterpiece, it’s time to bring your project to life!
Whether you’re a newcomer to the publishing world or a seasoned author ready to explore new opportunities, book print-on-demand services offer the flexibility and control you need to bring your book to life. Don’t wait— your book’s journey starts now!
Like to see more tips and resources for authors? Let us know in the comments! 😀
Best Book Print-On-Demand Services for the Independent Author
Find out which are the best book print-on-demand services for independent authors this year! Get your books flowing with the best tips and tricks to promote them!
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