Make the Right Choice in Terms of Book Printing
Self publishing is not always easy, so how do you know which printer is going to provide the high quality printing and binding that you naturally would expect? You need to be very careful because if you pick the wrong printer, the book shipment you receive might be very low quality, or maybe you are paying significantly more for the result. This is of special concern for self-publishing artists and photographers, and those paying for the cost of publishing their book independently. A book printing broker is a great option, as they get reduced trade pricing, so you won’t pay more. They are old pros, whereas often printing salespeople are new and inexperienced, particularly with book production.
Make a list
First of all, in order for your self-publishing mission to go as planned, get a sampling of quotes. Try to find printers or book printing brokers that specialize in your subject matter, for instance, photography books. Make a list of concerns to discuss with them. You will need to let them know if the book is color or black and white, the page count, quantity of books that you want to receive, dimensions, the binding (paperback or hard cover), material (cloth or printed cover wrap), where the books will deliver to, and so forth. Also ask about other things, like paper stock and weight, French flaps, French fold dust jackets, ribbon markers, foils, embossing, stamping, etc. These are all options that a representative of a self-publishing printing company can address.
References
When doing your research, spend some time studying the potential self-publishing printing company. Compare quotes among them. Do they include shipping and delivery, or is that extra? Can they provide good references? Call the references! The lowest quote is not always the best choice. Maybe you want cheap books, but what good is it to place an order and then have only half of the books arrive in condition to sell? Ask for references to call where there has been a problem on a book printing order, and find out how they made it right. Are they members of the Better Business Bureau? Can you verify it? There is usually a BBB Accredited Business icon on the website. Click on it to go to their BBB Online report for full details.
Book manufacturers and local printers vs. book printing brokers
Book manufacturers vary greatly in terms of quality, their specialty, cost, the representative’s experience, and customer service. If you have a professional looking coffee table book in mind, you don’t want to use a local printer. They generally don’t print in signature format required for most books, and often don’t have the presses or bindery equipment to do the job properly. They usually print cards and brochures, not books. Book manufacturers have different specialties that is dependent upon their equipment. Not all book manufacturers can print the kind of coffee table book you may need. Printing brokers also vary quite a bit in their specialty. Many times they are ex-printing reps from a commercial printer. They have do small projects like fliers or even booklets, but do not have experience with all the facets of book printing, including color, design, book construction, and book binding styles. Look for a broker who specializes in coffee table books.
Printing the book is not the only thing that you will have to be aware of when publishing your book. Keep in mind cover design, book design and layout, retaining your rights as publisher, etc. There are often differences of thousands of dollars between quotes. Sometimes the cost is just too high, and sometimes it seems high for good reason. Discuss the quote with your representative.
Next steps
Evaluate the cost of printing (per book and total). Think about quality as well as good pricing. When you have narrowed it down to a likely printer, ask for a sample book similar to the type of book you wish to print. If the book does not meet your expectations, talk to another printer whose quote your were considering.You will likely be asked to sign a contract. There is nothing wrong with this. A good contract spells out the buyers’ rights as well as obligations. Do your homework and talk to representatives. Get quotes, then samples, and evaluate them carefully. You will soon notice the differences!
