5 Things to Know Before Buying New Children's Books Printing
Creative solutions for Children’s Book Printing
Let us begin with guiding you through the children’s book sizes, layout and paper choices you can choose for printing your project. We try not to restrict you in any way apart from what the physical impossibilities are. Our ethos at Ex Why Zed is “The answer is Yes, now what is the question?”.
Key Takeaways on Children’s Book Sizes
Portrait Wire Stitched (staple bound)
? Choose any size from A6 (148x105mm) up to a massive A3 (420x297mm).
?? Pricing Hack. There is a price break at A4 (297x210mm) so if you are printing a smaller number of copies (under 100) then A3 can be expensive per copy.
Portrait Perfect Bound
? Choose any size from A6 to A4.
⏫ You need an absolute minimum or 32 pages.
Portrait Hardcover (Case Bound, Hardback)
? Choose any size from A6 to A4.
⏫ You need an absolute minimum or 28 pages, plus the front cover, back cover and you have the option of printing the 3 ‘end paper’ sides at the front and back of the book too.
Square Wire Stitched (staple bound)
? Choose any size from 148x148mm up to 297x297mm.
?? Pricing Hack. There is a price break at 210x210mm and any square larger than that, is more cost-effective on print runs of 100 copies or more.
Square Perfect Bound
? Choose any size from 148x148mm up to 297x297mm.
✂️ Again, there is a price break at 210x210mm.
Square Hardcover (Case Bound, Hardback)
? Choose any size from 148x148mm to 295x295mm and once again, there is a price break at 210x210mm.
Landscape Wire Stitched (staple bound)
? Choose any size from A5 (148mm high x 210mm wide) up to A4 (210mm high x 297mm wide)
?? Pricing Hack. There is a price break at A5 (297x210mm) so if you are printing a smaller number of copies (under 100) then A4 Landscape can be expensive per copy.
Landscape Perfect Bound
? Choose any size from A5 to A4.
Landscape Hardcover (Case Bound, Hardback)
? Choose any size from A5 to A4.
Portrait Book Printing Size Options
A5 is a medium, compact children’s book size.
The A5 dimensions are 210×148mm. The page size is plenty large enough for your content to be legible and this is a cost-effective and standard size for precision print.
Alternatively, you could make the publication more unique by shaving a few of millimetres off the height to make it 180mm high and 148mm wide which they have done here on Tales of Great Cities London. This is a superb example of infographic printing enabling youngsters to learn and expand their knowledge through reading a larger book.
Emma Juhasz’s What Football Job Can You Do? is an innovative book and more than a collection of facts. It’s a fun, interactive journey filled with illustrations, games, and fascinating insights about football. It’s an educational tool that keeps children engaged while nurturing their passion for the beautiful game. The custom children’s book size of 198x129mm is a handy pocket book companion.
Ask your graphic designer to come up with a bespoke size and we can print all custom options so if you did want to go for something off-kilter that is fine.
Square Size Printing Options
The square format works really well and produces a wide double-page spread. The orientation and layout work really well for both portrait and landscape images.
The Little Bee books shown here are 148x153mm (so slightly off-square). You can see the series they released, each with a similar styling and the same size to breed familiarity and consistency throughout the set.
Pouch’s Magical Worry Cheeks, shown below, is 210x210mm. Gloss Lamination on the front cover and uncoated inside pages make for a nice contrast – the bright colours on the front cover and the more tactile feel of the interior.
Rodney Matthews book is a reprint of a publication first published in the late 70s
(You can still buy a copy on Amazon).
Rodney opted for an imposing 240x240mm square size in hardback. This gives you a huge double-page spread of 480x240mm. We can even print as large as 295x295mm on square hardback and soft back, perfect bound or wire stitched children’s book. These options create a super impressive finished piece.
Landscape Book Size Options
A5 is a medium, compact children’s book size.
The A5 dimensions are 210×148mm. The page size is plenty large enough for your content to be legible and this is a cost-effective and standard size for precision print.
A reminder that you choose any custom size between A5 and A4. This flexibility opens up a myriad of possible options to tailor your book to a unique aesthetic that captures the buyer’s attention and lends itself perfectly to the size of your text and illustrations. The Wild Tribe Heroes book here is 210x272mm.
Another option for a custom children’s book size is 216x279mm which equates to the US Letter favourite of 8.5×11″.
Hardcover versus Paperback Aesthetics
Diving further into the square book format, we take a look at Monster Tea Party and Troll’s Amazing Day…Aren’t the titles of kid’s story books just the best! Both are 210x210mm but Monster is hardback and Troll’s is soft back, perfect bound.
There is no right or wrong answer about which binding method and cover style to choose. It could be argued that you can charge a higher cover price for the hardback, but in turn, it is also more expensive to print.
On the softback, the book has a trim size of 210x210mm. On the the hardback, there is a 3mm overhang on each side of the cover, so the inside pages are 210mm but the actual book ends up being around 216x216mm making it slightly more imposing.
If you’re not sure which binding method to choose?
Here is a short video discussing the 3 possibilities of saddle stitched (stapled), perfect bound and case bound (hardback). The page count does affect which options are available.
For a landscape book, you can go for any size from A5 up to and including A4. You can again, opt for a bespoke size such as 8 x 10 or 10 x 8, which are standard children’s book sizes. Taking a little bit off the height or width makes it more eye-catching for the reader and visually stimulating rather than the standard A size. A wire stitched kids book means the pages can be opened completely flat so you get the full benefit of the double-page spread for your spectacular illustrations and storytelling. On perfect bound storybooks, you do lose 2-3mm in the spine gutter so it is not possible to press the pages completely flat but this is the go-to and professional looking method of binding for 40 pages or more.
A3 Book Printer
There is slightly more scope on a portrait stapled booklet. You can choose any book page size from A6 (148x105mm) right up to A3 booklet printing (420mm high x 297mm wide). However, there is a price point cut off when you reach A4. Anything larger than A4, up to and including A3 has to be printed onto our B2 press which has higher setup costs. In turn, though, your storybook will be a hugely impressive size and can be sold for a higher cover price…although parents might need big muscles to lift it at bedtime!
For portrait perfect bound kid’s book, then our size options are all sizes from A6 to A4 portrait.
A6 Children’s Book Dimensions
A6 makes nice neat postcard size, smaller books that fit in your pocket. Think Postcard Size – that is A6. This can be sold for a lower cover price so might make for an instinctive purchase for potential readers at art fairs, in gift shops or when visiting your online store.
Matt and Gloss Lamination for your Cover
Here in ‘Oi Who Are You Calling Rubbish’ we have a full colour cover with matt lamination to give the books more longevity and black print on uncoated pages inside. Black line art which the children can spend time lovingly colouring in.
Paper does prefer to be laid flat and when you start folding paper in half to get the cover of your book, it will immediately start to crack. When it’s flat it is perfect, but when folded the fibres of the paper crack and this produces a white line and scuffed ink along the fold. The paper roughens up and it doesn’t look great.
So, we recommend laminating the front cover of books to prevent this happened. This lamination acts as a protective film over the front cover to stop it cracking meaning it arrives in pristine condition for the reader. You can choose from matt, gloss, anti-scuff or soft-touch.
Gloss lamination gives your colours real punch and vibrancy. Matt lamination is slightly more subdued with a smooth and professional-looking surface. Anti-scuff is used very rarely. Soft-Touch Lamination is probably more suited to corporate brochures with a velvet feel than it is to children’s books. We would suggest you go for matt or gloss on your new book.
The difference is subtle (at least on our photo 🙂 with “I’ll Just Be Me!” having a slightly shinier gloss lamination while the ‘Eddie’ book behind has matt lamination for a more subtle, less intrusive finish.
Premium finishes are the extra flourishes and premium extras you can add to the book cover making it really stand out. We offer a number of these and printing with gold foil isn’t the limit anymore – foiling comes in a range of up to 200 colours. You could also consider gloss spot UV varnish to a logo, title or vector illustration. How about embossing or debossing of the book title so it jumps towards the reader?
How to Order Your Book with Ex Why Zed
Our Print Journey is a great place to start. Depending on where you are up to, we have provided extensive guides at each stage.
The Ex Why Zed Print Journey
Once the design is completed and you are ready to print your children’s book, get in touch with us and we’ll come back to you asap with a range of print quotes. You might not be a printing expert yet, but we will change that with our advice, setup guides and inspirational portfolio. Your artwork would look great on paper and the printing of a book journey is both full of learning and ultimately exciting at Ex Why Zed. Pdf to book printing is what we are print experts at, aiming to give you a pureprint reproduction of your artwork with our book design services. We offer digital printing for small runs and we are also litho printers for run lengths of 700 copies or more where that method becomes more friendly on your budget.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. If you have any questions do get in touch on hello@exwhyzed.com or call on 01206 76667 and we look forward to helping you transform your ideas into print!
Video Guides for Children’s Book Sizes
A Video Guide on the Winning Solutions ⬇️
To watch our action packed, hour long video guide on Children’s Book printing then grab your drink of choice and a notepad ?
Kids Book Sizes FAQs
Should I Work with Inches or Millimetres in Book Design?
When it comes to deciding whether to work in inches or millimetres for designing a children’s book, there are a few factors to consider. According to expert book designers, millimetres tend to be the preferred unit of measurement due to their precision and accuracy. Millimetres offer a greater level of detail and control in terms of layout and sizing, which is especially important when designing for a younger audience. Additionally, many printing companies use millimetres as their standard unit of measurement, making it easier to communicate and collaborate with them throughout the printing process. Ultimately, the choice between inches and millimetres comes down to personal preference and familiarity with the units, but for those looking for a more precise and streamlined approach to book design, millimetres may be the way to go.
Is Your Printing As Good as Amazon KDP or Ingramspark?
We do have a steady stream of keen authors who arrive in our inbox with comments like:
“I have published a book with Amazon KDP and was also looking into signing up with IngramSpark. However my proof copy from both was not the quality I expected so am just looking at alternative options.” Sue, self-published author.
“I am currently getting supplied through Amazon KDP. I have my first few events coming up where I am hoping to sell some and would like to step away from Amazon where the quality is questionable and inconsistent. Your prices seem very reasonable and I am keen to look into this further!” Sam, self-published author.
At Ex Why Zed we have the top of the range HP Indigo and Heidelberg litho presses so what comes off our machines will be the best your work can possibly look in print. We have over 450 happy reviews on Trustpilot, know the idiosyncrasies to look for in children’s book structure and our friendly, expert team will help you on your Print Journey from day 1 until the books arrive.
Can You Help With My Book Layout?
We have complied a series of super helpful articles on finding a designer to work with you on the children’s book structure. We understand file set-up and graphic design can be quite technical so the following insightful pages will help you research and approach a designer to artwork and layout your book.
Finding a Book Designer on Fiverr.
Finding a Book Designer on PeoplePerHour.
Top Book Design Solutions.
Top 10 Agencies to Design Your Book.
We’ve even done the heavy lifting on the design brief too so just copy and paste one of these in on an email to a few designers you like.
Design Brief for Children’s Book Structure, Artwork and Layout.
Design Brief for Children’s Book Illustration.
You’re welcome 🙂
What Advice Do You Have For Promoting My Book on Social Media?
Here are 10 ideas to ensure your children’s book get maximum exposure on social media:
- ? Create Engaging Videos: Utilise YouTube, the second largest search engine, to connect with your audience through videos that highlight your book’s unique features.
- #️⃣ Use Hashtags Wisely: Choose relevant and trending hashtags to maximise your post reach on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
- ? Engage in Conversations: Monitor and answer questions about your book to give your brand a personality and connect with potential readers.
- ? Host Contests and Giveaways: Attract new followers and appreciate existing ones by organising contests and giveaways.
- ? Network with Influencers: Follow and interact with influencers and authors who have succeeded in your niche to build valuable relationships.
- ? Share Reviews: Build trust by sharing testimonials and reviews from readers and industry experts.
- ? Build a Community: Stay active and engage with your followers to create a community of supporters around your book.
- ? Offer Pre-Order Discounts: Incentivise people to pre-order your book with special offers and discounts.
- ? Use Visual Content: Leverage images, book covers, and inside shots to visually promote your book.
- ? Share Behind-the-Scenes: Offering a glimpse into the writing and revision process can deepen your connection with your audience.
And there you have it! Ten sparkling ideas to make sure your children’s book is the talk of the social media town. Good luck! ? Read more, on our article 10 Ideas to Promote Your Children’s Book on Social Media.
Children’s Book Sizes, Some Key Statistics
If you’re targeting a young age group, like babies and toddlers age 0 3, you should rely heavily on pictures, rather than text.
While there are many factors that influence the cost of printing, page count is one of the biggest.
Over 250.76 million (yes, million!) children’s books were sold in 2022. This compared with 201.9m in 2021 and 184.2m in 2020. So the market is growing and your new book would look great on the shelves too! (Sales figures from wordsrated.com)
The largest selling children’s book of all time is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (published in 1943) is the best-selling children’s book of all time, selling over 200 million copies. A quick look around on Google shows that it has been published many times in all manner of styles and iterations. Here are a few of the exquisite cover designs.
Once the design is completed and you are ready to print get in touch with us and we’ll come back to you asap with a range of print quotes. You might not be a printing expert yet, but we will change that with our advice, setup guides and inspirational portfolio. Your artwork would look great on paper and the printing of a book journey is both full of learning and ultimately exciting at Ex Why Zed. Pdf to book printing is what we are print experts at, aiming to give you a pure print reproduction of your artwork. We offer digital printing for small runs and we are also litho printers for run lengths of 700 copies or more where that method becomes more friendly on your budget.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. If you have any questions do get in touch on hello@exwhyzed.com or call on 01206 76667 and we look forward to helping you transform your ideas into print!
To watch our full action packed, hour long guide on Children’s Book printing then here is the magical link you will need:
Can You Print My Book in Full Colour or Black and White?
We either print your work in black ink throughout or in full colour where we use (four colour) CMYK inks to make up the millions of possible colours within the gamut. Full colour is going to give you far more impact for your images so they jump out at the reader. Black ink printing is cheaper because we are only using one ‘colour’. One example where you might want to print in black ink is for a colouring book. Colouring books are an increasingly simple way of illustrators getting their already completed artwork out there and bringing in some more money.
Note from Jane: Today’s post is excerpted from the book Cover to Cover by Andrew Watson, a comprehensive guide to self-publishing a print book or ebook, mainly for those in Australia. However, the book printing information below is applicable to any author who wants to invest in a print run for their book.
Keep in mind that, due to the pandemic (and other factors), the market right now is very tight for paper and printing, with long lead times and increased pricing. Plan far in advance if you have a specific release date in mind.
Choosing the right materials for your book, and the right printer, is more important than you might think. They will not only affect its physical appearance but also influence a potential customer’s perception of value for money. You’ll also need to know exactly what to ask for when requesting and receiving quotes from a printer whether near you or overseas.
Everything below should be regarded as general guidance only. There will, inevitably, be variations depending on what is available at the time and the technical preferences of your nominated printer. When in doubt, always get a sample.
Depending on where your printer is based, they may express a paper’s weight in pounds per ream (#), grams per square meter (gsm), or points (pt). In this article, we’ve provided US and rest-of-world equivalents.
Note also that papers manufactured for different purposes utilize different systems of measurement. For example, a 100# cover stock is much heavier and more rigid than a 100# text stock.
Text paper
Generally, paper used for the text pages in a typical book will be either coated or uncoated. A coated paper has had a fine layer of china clay or a similar synthetic substance applied to make a smooth, sealed surface. Uncoated papers are, for the most part, everything else.
Gloss, art, satin, semi-matte and matte papers are all coated stocks. The principle is the same for all of them—ink sits on the surface of the paper rather than being allowed to soak in or spread. This allows for precise color registration and enables high quality image reproduction. For this reason coated paper is nearly always white. Indeed, many books that appear to use cream-coated stock are actually white with the non-illustrated areas printed in a light cream color from edge to edge.
The process of applying the coating on both sides tends to flatten the fibers so, although coated papers might have exactly the same weight as uncoated ones, they are noticeably thinner. This, in turn, means a book with coated paper will be considerably slimmer than one with the same page extent using uncoated paper and this may affect the customer’s perception of value for money. Publishers often try to compensate by using heavier gloss paper (from, say, a standard 90 or 100 gsm/60# or 70# stock up to 120 gsm/80# or greater) but this can make the book much heavier and is something to consider if large quantities are being sent by ordinary mail.
Uncoated papers, apart from being, you know, uncoated, come in an extraordinary range of weights and thicknesses and shades of white and cream. They are non-reflective and eminently suitable for a wide variety of uses in book production. They can be as thin as tissue for Bibles and large reference books (literally known as bible paper), all the way up to almost card-like quality for children’s picture books.
Generally, weight corresponds to thickness—the heavier the paper, the fatter it is, but some lightweight stocks leave the fibers deliberately fluffed up to make the paper seem thicker. This ‘bulky’ paper is frequently used in mass market novels to give the appearance of greater value for money.
Weights of text stock can vary between 70 gsm and 120 gsm/50# and 80#. A consideration here is the potential for show-through which occurs when printed matter on one side of a page is clearly visible on the reverse side. This is less likely to happen with coated stock but it can be problematic with lower weights of uncoated paper. If you are unsure about choosing a paper stock for this reason you should ask your printer for recommendations and obtain samples of pages printed on different weights of paper.
All this is, of course, assuming that your nominated printer will actually allow you to choose your own paper. Many do not, primarily because they purchase a small range of paper types in bulk which they then allocate to specific formats of book. Digital printers, in particular, will only use one
or two types of paper for black and white production (eg. 80 gsm or 90 gsm/55# or 60#) and will only increase the weight if the book contains ink-heavy color pages. Choice of paper stock may also be determined by whether your printer uses a sheet-fed machine (eg. single sheets of paper) or a large web-offset machine fed by large rolls of paper.
Paperback cover
Ideally, card for paperback (sometimes called limp or softback) covers should be between 240 gsm and 270 gsm/12 pt. and 15 pt. Outside this range the book can become either too floppy or stiff and awkward to open. Again, it is advisable to obtain a sample of the material to be absolutely sure it is what you want.
Hardback cover
A hardback (or cased) cover has four main components: the board itself, endpapers which help to attach the board to the block of pages, the board covering, and the dustjacket. In the past the board covering would have been thin leather or a textured material but is it much more common now for it to be a printed paper covering which replicates the dustjacket or perhaps eliminates the need for a jacket altogether.
Board: Normally formed from grey card, kraft board or mill board. The most suitable weight is around 40 oz (1800 gsm/100 pt.) but can range between 16 oz (1000 gsm/55 pt.) and 48 oz (2200 gsm/120 pt.). Boards may warp if they contain too much moisture when the endpapers are attached and then dry out. This frequently happens when the grain of the endpaper runs in the same direction as the grain in the board instead of being applied at a right angle.
Endpapers: These are usually around 110 gsm/75# although the thickness may depend on the book’s weight and format size. They help to attach the book block to the board and so the material used has to be sufficiently robust. They can be left plain or printed with an illustration or a patterned design or a block of color. There was once a craze for unusual types of endpaper, such as marbled patterns or recycled papers embedded with flecks of rag or other unbleached materials but, trust me, your printer will not thank you for specifying these and will probably charge extra for the manual work involved in attaching them.
Board covering: There are three ways to go with this: a reconstituted or synthetic leather lookalike, a lightly textured cloth material, or a fully printed paper covering (or PPC). In the past the cloth would have been dyed but it is now more likely to be a basic white material printed with whatever color you desire. Paper for a PPC cover should be around 260 gsm/90# but can be anywhere in the 210 gsm to 270 gsm/80# to 100# range. A leather-like or cloth cover would normally be embossed on the spine with at least the title, author name and publisher’s logo.
Dustjacket: Ideally no less than 128 gsm/90#. And, as with endpapers, the size and format of the book will affect the weight—the heavier the book, the heavier the dustjacket, so anywhere up to 160 gsm/110# would be acceptable. As with the cover, the dustjacket will probably be laminated so the actual thickness will increase anyway.
Printing options
While options are now endless, in broad terms, there are only two methods you to need to know about: offset and digital.
Offset
In the lithographic offset process, whole pages containing text and images are transferred either by photographic means onto thin, flexible printing plates, or ‘burned’ onto the plates by laser directly from a computer file (computer-to-plate or CTP). If necessary, a separate plate is produced for each of the four primary printing colors (CMYK) which, when combined, produce full color images. (See color below)
Each plate is wrapped around a cylinder and inked as it revolves. The plate is then pressed onto a
revolving rubber cylinder which applies the ink to a sheet (sheet-fed) or a large roll (web-offset)
of paper as it travels through the machine. The plates are usually metallic or made from a plasticized material and would wear out quickly if in direct contact with the paper, hence the offsetting.
Digital
This can take many forms but the most common is a hugely scaled-up form of an office laser printer where text paper is fed at high speed through a machine from a large roll. The image is taken from a computer file and applied almost magically by ink or fine powder. The paper is then cut into double-sided pages as it emerges from the end of the machine.
This method is ideal for producing small quantities of books at the outset and then reprints of almost any quantity. Once the text and cover files have been loaded into the machine, there are no further set-up costs, in comparison to platemaking and machine make-ready for the offset process which, generally, have to be completed each time there is a printing. Moreover, it significantly reduces the financial ‘risk’ associated with printing a large quantity of copies prior to publication. Only a small number need to be printed and stock replenished as orders are received. This is commonly referred to as print-on-demand or POD publishing.
Color
In conventional offset printing only sheets that actually contain color images are printed in CMYK, all other pages are printed in black (a ‘monochrome’) as usual. Color illustrations may sometimes be grouped onto a separate set of pages and printed on gloss rather than the normal text stock.
In digital printing it is more than likely that a whole book will be run through a full color machine, irrespective of the number of pages that contain color images or other graphics, or where they might fall in the text.
Choosing a printer
Most medium to large general printers will assure you they can produce books. By this they usually mean they can print the sheets that make up the pages. Whether they are capable of following through with all the remaining ‘finishing’ tasks of folding, collating, trimming, and binding is another matter. Some may well have the necessary equipment but, in reality, most will outsource some or all of these tasks. This may cause problems when it comes to quality assurance and scheduling. Your book is likely to join a long queue where it will be a one-off minnow in a large ocean dominated by big-fish publishers producing, say, thousands of hardback dictionaries or books about football champions. Unless tightly monitored, this has serious implications for scheduling.
Printers overseas, particularly ones in South East Asian countries, rarely have this problem because more often than not they have their own paperback and hardback manufacturing facilities in-house—or at least a good relationship with an associated company.
Indeed, it is worth considering whether you should print overseas. It is not as difficult as you might imagine, especially if you use a reputable broker. They will guide you through the entire process and arrange all aspects of production for you, from checking the computer files to proofing to delivery. Obviously, it will take longer because of extra shipping and customs clearance (up to an additional two months) but there are significant cost advantages.
Brokers
- PrintNinja is a major international print broker which sources its products from companies in China. Although its head office is in the US, it services clients worldwide via a comprehensive website and has production and logistics teams based in Shenzhen.
- KHL is a large printer in Singapore offering a wide range of services, from short-run digital to large format books in full color.
Getting a printer quotation
To get an accurate cost quotation from a printer, you will need to provide some basic details of your project, usually by completing an online enquiry form. Bear in mind that the range of paper types and finished format sizes may be limited if you are planning to print digitally.
- Book title
- Copies: Total quantity required
- Extent: Total number of pages including blanks
- Size: Trimmed page dimensions
- Format: Paperback or hardback? Portrait or landscape?
- Binding: Section-sewn, notch-bound or perfect-bound? (Your printer can recommend what’s best for your book.)
- Paperback cover: Weight and matte or gloss finish?
- Case covering: Cloth or printed paper?
- Printed cover: PPC or dust jacket?
- Color pages: Number of any sections containing full color
- Paper: Type and weight
- Proofs: Digital and/or paper-based
- Advance copies: Number of copies and destination of a few copies for approval before the bulk stock is dispatched
- Delivery: Street address and any issues regarding packing or difficult vehicle access
Certainly, a request for a quote could contain more technical details but, frankly, unless you know exactly what you’re talking about, it would be better for the printer to ask specific questions and advise you accordingly. Nonetheless, they should be able to provide an accurate quote from the above specifications.
Their quote may include a provision for a small percentage of copies that can be supplied over or under the ordered amount. Standard quality control practices mean printers produce more than the required number of printed sheets or finished books to allow for possible spoilage. Sometimes the rejection rate is high and sometimes the opposite can happen and they have more acceptable sheets than anticipated so end up with slightly more books. It simply means they can deliver a different amount (usually between five and 10 percent of the whole run) than ordered and charge you on a pro rata basis.
There may also be a provision in the quote (or the terms and conditions) for increases in the cost of raw materials to be passed on to the customer. It is worth noting, for example, that at the time of writing, global pulp prices have fluctuated significantly over the last six months, however the general trend is upwards.
A printer will want you to accept their quotation as quickly as possible and their sales people may put you under some pressure to do so. For admin reasons they will want to place the project in their future schedules and budgets, so you should make it absolutely clear to them from the start if the quote request and the project itself are speculative and especially if you do not yet have a fixed timetable for production. Once production commences they may require you to pay part or all of the quoted amount upfront.
Note from Jane, especially to Australian readers: If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out Andrew Watson’s book Cover to Cover.
Andrew Watson is a book publishing consultant based in Melbourne, Australia. He has worked in multiple production and publishing roles in the UK and Australia over four decades and taught on publishing practices at Monash and RMIT universities in Melbourne. His recently published book Cover to Cover is a comprehensive guide to self-publishing a print or ebook in Australia and is available internationally from Amazon and other major online sellers or via his website atis a book publishing consultant based in Melbourne, Australia. He has worked in multiple production and publishing roles in the UK and Australia over four decades and taught on publishing practices at Monash and RMIT universities in Melbourne. His recently published bookis a comprehensive guide to self-publishing a print or ebook in Australia and is available internationally from Amazon and other major online sellers or via his website at radiatepublishing.com
5 Things to Know Before Buying New Children's Books Printing
Book Printing 101: What You Need to Know Before Approaching a Printer
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