There is no simple answer when it comes to choosing the best print quality for your print on demand books. Most indie authors will prefer the flexibility of print-on-demand solutions to the upfront cost of offset printing, but there are still a number of other factors to consider, including the type of book, your budget, your plans for online distribution, and, most importantly, the print quality for print on demand books on Amazon.
1. What is the print service for print on demand books on Amazon?
Previously, CreateSpace and KDP Print were two different self-publishing companies. They combined into one self-publishing subsidiary of Amazon in August 2018, and will now only be known as KDP Print – the print service with the best print quality for print on demand books on Amazon.
The most well-known print-on-demand book service on Amazon is Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). You can use this tool to create both paperback and eBook books, which you can then sell on Amazon. Hardbacks, on the other hand, are not possible to produce. Currently, KDP paperback printing is only available on Amazon’s websites in the United States, Europe, and Japan, but it will be available in Australia on May 19.
2. How is the print quality of print on demand books on Amazon?
KDP is regarded as a user-friendly service that requires little or no training. KDP Print is also a wonderful option for writers who want their physical book and Kindle book sales pages to be linked because it is controlled by Amazon. KDP Print, on the other hand, costs a high amount to distribute to outlets other than Amazon, and they don’t print hardcovers, which could increase the print quality for print on demand books on Amazon.
Furthermore, Amazon has made KDP as straightforward as possible. It’s well-suited to self-publishing, with detailed instructions on how to navigate the publication process. You have the option of writing your work from scratch before uploading it or using one of KDP’s templates.
There are a few additional key factors to consider:
- ISBNs. Authors will still be able to use their own ISBNs, buy reduced Bowker ISBNs, or get free ISBNs by using KDP Print as the imprint.
- Fees and distribution. KDP Print will provide authors distribution to Amazon only (for a price of 40%) and expanded distribution to outlets other than Amazon (for a fee of 60%) in the same way as CreateSpace did. In terms of expanded distribution, there is one significant distinction, which is mentioned below.
- Tools for creating book covers and interior design. KDP Print will continue to offer the same Word templates and Cover Creator tool that CreateSpace used.
Here are some of the most significant distinctions between the two services to choose the best print quality for print on demand books on Amazon:
- Distribution to international markets. You cannot opt out of Amazon if you want to make your KDP Print book available for wider distribution. With KDP Print’s expanded distribution, you must also offer your book on Amazon. Authors will now be allowed to disseminate to Japan in terms of worldwide distribution.
- Bringing books up to date. You won’t lose the old edition of your book if you upload an updated version (which can be frustrating if you’ve already had a lot of positive feedback and sales).
- An integrated sales dashboard. For both the Kindle and print versions of your books, publishing and accounting are unified.
- Advertising on Amazon. Publishers will not be allowed to buy Amazon advertising for print books, despite the fact that it is already available for ebooks.
- Europe’s local printing. Instead of printing and shipping books from the United States, as CreateSpace does, KDP Produce will print books in Europe.
- Pre-publication printing. For pre-release purposes, CreateSpace allows publishers to order proof copies of the book. This is still possible with KDP Print, but it will come with a disclaimer that the books are not for resale.
- Distribution on a global scale. Authors will be able to distribute their works in Japan now.
3. How fast is the print service of print on demand books on Amazon?
You may reach millions of readers across the world while maintaining control of your work through Amazon’s self-publishing services which are supposed to provide the best print quality for print on demand books on Amazon. CreateSpace makes it simple to self-publish your print book, Kindle Direct Publishing makes it simple to self-publish your digital book, and ACX makes it simple to create an audiobook. In addition to that, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is faster than its competitors, and you can have your book available in 24 to 48 hours.
4. How to order a print service for print on demand books on Amazon?
Entering your book details is the first step towards publishing your print on demand book on Amazon. They correlate with what shows up on the Amazon detail page for your book. Kindle automatically links your eBooks and paperbacks. Although you can use a cover you upload, Amazon also offers a Cover Creator tool for those without a professionally designed cover.
5. Other print services with good print quality for print on demand books you should consider
5.1. IngramSpark
IngramSpark can help you publish both hardcover and paperback books, as well as eBooks. They divided the process of self-publishing into eight steps: Joining the Indie Publishing Community; Writing; Book Editing; Book Design; Book Metadata; Publishing; Distribution; Marketing;
Printing facilities are located in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and print channels are located in China, Germany, India, Italy, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, and Brazil. They provide independent publishers with the same book distribution methods as the traditional publishers.
Uploading a print book to IngramSpark costs $49, with no additional fees if you also publish it as an eBook. They offer a variety of formatting options, such as black or white ink, standard or premium color ink, white or crème paper, gloss or matte book covers, laminated cases, jacketed laminated cases, various trim sizes, and various binding types.
5.2. BookBaby
As compared to print quality for print on demand books on Amazon, BookBaby is your one-stop shop for all of your book printing requirements. They provide services ranging from printing to marketing to help you get the most out of your book. BookBaby promises to offer the world’s greatest distribution network to assist you in getting your book published.
BookBaby will print a single proof copy of your book in full color, any trim size, and any binding with $49. Your single-copy proof is identical to the copies you sell, unlike some other services.
If you wish to self-publish, you’ll need to buy a package in addition to the $49 single-copy option. You must order at least 25 softcover books to qualify for this offer. However, after you’ve purchased your original bundle, you can order more books on demand. Orders are sent directly to BookBaby, who print, bind, and package them. They then arrange for the return of your books to the retailer or distributor for distribution to their customers.
5.3. Blurb
Photo books, wall art, trade books, periodicals, notebooks, and eBooks are among the items Blurb can generate with content you provide. They allow you to print as you go, lowering the danger of self-publishing. You can order a single book or bulk orders of your self-published books at a discounted per-unit cost.
You can sell your self-published book through the Blurb bookshop, Amazon, or the Ingram catalog in retailers like Barnes & Noble. You can either sell one copy at a time and have Blurb fulfill the orders, or you can make a bulk order and sell your self-published book in person.
5.4. Draft2Digital
As compared to print quality for print on demand books on Amazon, Draft2Digital is a newcomer to the print-on-demand marketplace. They can manufacture paperbacks for any books generated through their conversion service, but not for pre-formatted epub files, despite the fact that they specialize in eBooks. D2D Print is the name of their print-on-demand (POD) service.
To give your paperback a professional look and feel, you can choose one of their free templates. Alternatively, if you produce an eBook with Draft2Digital, you may receive a print-ready PDF file to use with any of your favorite print-on-demand services to make a pixel-perfect paperback.
D2D Print is still in beta, thus there are no hardcover or large print options at this time. However, it has the majority of the standard features, such as trim sizes, matte or glossy finish, and cream or white paper. It comes with a cover converter tool that converts your eBook cover into a print-ready version. Booksellers can order copies of your books to stock on their shelves, and you can also sell online through sites like Amazon.
5.5. Lulu
As compared to print quality for print on demand books on Amazon, Lulu offers a variety of publishing, printing, connecting, and selling alternatives for a variety of products. It allows you to make books in over 3,000 different formats, colors, and sizes. Lulu lets you make hardcovers, softcovers, photo books, comic books, magazines, yearbooks, eBooks, and even calendars. Lulu’s book sizes range from 108 x 175mm pocketbook to 297 x 210mm landscape A4 size, making them ideal for photo and art books.
Lulu has a pricing calculator to help you figure out how much your print-on-demand job will cost. You start by choosing a product type, then add features like book size, interior color, paper type, binding type, and cover finish.
5.6. Trafford
As compared to print quality for print on demand books on Amazon, Trafford Publishing provides a wide range of publishing services and packages. While Trafford offers print-on-demand, you must first purchase a package, the most basic of which costs $699. They divided their packages into the following categories:
- Packages with a full-color cover, greyscale interior, faultless binding, and more are available in black and white.
- Children’s books, recipes, graphic novels, and family photo albums all benefit from full-color packaging.
- Children’s packages to meet your publication goals for your children’s book
- Chapters Indigo Package for prospective Canadian authors who want to publish a high-quality book.
Since 1995, Trafford has provided on-demand book publishing services. They’ve helped over 17,000 writers in 120 countries.
5.7. Matador
Matador bills itself as the most generally recommended self-publishing service in the United Kingdom. Matador is a division of Troubador Publishing Ltd, and it provides a variety of services for publishing, marketing, and distributing books and eBooks, both through print-on-demand and traditional retail distribution.
Unlike most other self-publishing organizations, Matador claims that it will only accept works that it believes are good in terms of content. They reject around a quarter of the fiction and poetry works that are submitted to them. They search for both content and presentation excellence.
5.8. Acutrack
As compared to print quality for print on demand books on Amazon, Acutrack is a media-on-demand publishing company that focuses on eCommerce fulfillment. Book fulfillment is viewed as a five-step procedure by them:
- Acutrack’s prepress team collaborates with you to finalize the design and layout after you’ve uploaded the material.
- They print according to your specifications.
- They work in tandem with your shopping cart to download orders.
- They deliver your books and provide your consumer with tracking information.
You can choose between toner or inkjet-based digital printing for runs ranging from one to 1000 copies. If you need more than 1000 copies of your book, offset printing becomes more cost-effective. You can select from a variety of trim sizes and formats.
5.9. Diggy POD
For the past 20 years, Diggy POD has assisted self-publishing authors in getting their books published. Any genre is printed by them. However, you must print at least 24 copies in order to place an order. If you live in the continental United States, Diggy POD offers free shipping on orders over $100.
On their website, they include a pricing calculator. Printing your book with a full-color cover on 10pt, coated one-sided cover sheet with gloss lamination, and any services you request in your quote are all included in their pricing. As an added bonus, they provide free book spine construction.
Final thoughts
The fundamental benefit of print-on-demand publishing is that you are not limited by print quantities, provided the best print quality for print on demand books on Amazon. You don’t have any huge print minimums that determine whether or not your book is viable. Many POD publishers allow you to pay for a single copy of a book if that is what you want, so you don’t waste money on books you don’t want to publish. It also means that you may readily edit the contents of a book if you find a mistake or have an urgent need to do so.
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