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Not really a business but... (book printing)

 
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u1bd2005



Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 48
Location: England, United Kingdom
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 6:52 am    Post subject: Not really a business but... (book printing) Reply with quote
    

I was wondering if any of you know of any cheap book printing companies as one of my close friends is really talented at writing and I would like to help her get one of her books published.

So far to get 100 books printed (paperback) it would cost just over £200 (which is over £2 a book)

This wouldn't leave much room for negotiation when I try contacting some small indipendant bookshops so I was hoping to find somewhere cheaper.

So any help with this would be appreciated.

Book Details
210mm x 148mm (A5 Portrait).
Around 100 pages.
Quantity 100 (Thought it would be best to start small.)
Paperback.
Colour book cover.
Plain black text inside the book.
The rest would just be the basic lowest level options to keep price down.

marigold



Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 7:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've not used them myself, but https://www.lulu.com/ do print on demand.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Also, has she sent her work to any literary agents to see what they think? Self publishing is fine, and most of my books are self published, but its a very valuable experience to work with a good agent to get a book into mainstream publishing as well

OtleyLad



Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 8:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You get a better price for larger volumes - I just tried a local search for printers and got a range of quotes from them.

Vic



Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 387
Location: Sherborne, Dorset
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 2:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That quantity, you'd be looking to print digitally so it won't be that cheap. This may sound weird but on a shortrun like that, it has to be digital and that is pricey. If you were printing 5000 you could have normal litho print and probably only pay 50p a book (or something). On 100 its going to be very, very difficult to get a good price.

To get the best possible price, you need to know that printers work in multiples of 8 (or 16) so you'll get a better price on printing 112 or 96 pages than 100. Also, stapling will be cheaper than a normal paperback but then you won't have a spine, and bookshops prefer to have these (easier for display). Look at standar book sizes and follow these rather than just saying it should be A5.

And if you're going to sell to a bookshop you'll need an ISBN...

u1bd2005



Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 48
Location: England, United Kingdom
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 4:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Well the thing about the low volume is that I can't really afford to give her much more backing than a few hunded pound.

I know she can be successful, but I'm only on jobseekers at the moment thats the thing.

It might be better to maybe try contacting some agents instead of going this alone, but I really wanted this to be something I could help with, however, I guess it is still a big help if I contact several agents for her (as she's not really great at that sort of thing, it takes a lot of patience and some people find it boring.)

If we did find the money to do this solo though, how would we go about getting an ISBN number for the book?

I'm about to search info on this (haven't looked yet) should be easy to find out how, but I'll ask now just incase.

Thanks.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

its not hard to get an isbn number, but they tend to issue them in blocks of ten or so, so its worth knowing you will produce that many books.

What genre does she write in, that might help us give some more specific suggestions as well.

u1bd2005



Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 48
Location: England, United Kingdom
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 6:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The stories she writes are usually sci-fi genre.

baldybloke



Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1388
Location: Wiltshire
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Try Anthony Rowe Printers of Chippenham, Wilts. They specialise in short run production. However I agree with Vic, you need to up the quantity to get a better price.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

u1bd2005 wrote:
The stories she writes are usually sci-fi genre.


ok, thats a notoriously difficult genre to get an agent in, what would really be a plan might be to submit some short stories to the better sci fi magazines (and I'm very out of date and don't know what they are sorry). This type of thing will help hone her skills and get her some very valuable peer reviews that will assist no end when she comes to want to submit a novel or a collection of stories to an agent.

Helen_A



Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 1548
Location: MK, Bucks.
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 09 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Interzone if she has anything that is short (less than 4000 words) is about the only UK- based sci-fi magazine that takes 'on spec' submissions. They always used to be a friendly bunch (had a monthly pub evening in Brighton that you could potter along to and get feedback etc but I don't know if they still do that).

Most sci-fi and fantasy (and horror) authors in the UK with agents and deals are US/Canada only atm - the size of the market makes it much more likely that you can get sales there. Whilst its a pita to do your promotions, it does mean that you can still get UK sales through companies such as Borders and Amazon as they routinely stock US publications - you'd 'just' (ha!) need to persuade the buyer that they want your book in a UK store. (although amazon will usually take a box from you and list it on SOR if you can get enough sales through a DIY listing (around 20 in a 3mth period is the usualy minimum at which point they will sit up and take notice). Once you have a listing there, and sales through a.n. other B&M bookseller you'll have a much stronger chance of getting an agent and on to a publishing deal here.

Vic



Joined: 16 Feb 2005
Posts: 387
Location: Sherborne, Dorset
PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 09 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I second Antony Rowe for printing

https://www.antonyrowe.co.uk/

but I recently had prices from these people

https://www.goodnewspress.co.uk/home.html

and their digital print prices were good - 100 copies 234x156mm, 112pp, at£1.10 each. Might be worth investigating?

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