Print-on-Demand Books: Top 9 Services for Self-Publishing

You don’t need a publishing contract or professional writing experience to become an author. Whether you have an existing readership or are making your debut, print-on-demand books are a practical way to self-publish your work quickly and affordably—purchasing any copies upfront or worrying about storing inventory.

In book publishing and beyond, print on demand is a growing industry. Globally, the print-on-demand (POD) market is expected to increase from $12.39 billion in 2025 to $75.3 billion by 2033.

This guide covers the most popular print-on-demand book services. Learn about production times, publishing options, and additional services to help you choose the right publisher for your books.

What is print-on-demand book publishing?

Print-on-demand book printing services produce a copy of your book only after an order is received. With your manuscript and some basic design software skills, you can produce professional, high-quality books, then sell them on a marketplace or your own website.

In contrast, offset printing is used for high-volume runs of hundreds or thousands of books at once. The cost per book is lower, but it requires more money upfront. You pay for a full stock of books before you can start selling them. 

Unlike traditional self-publishing, print on demand avoids large inventory investments. Rather than paying to print boxes of books and hoping they sell, print-on-demand suppliers print books only when orders come in and then ship them directly to the customer’s door.

If you already have an audience, you can use print on demand to sell books to your social media followers or through your email list. 

Top 6 print-on-demand book services compared

1. Lulu Direct
2. BookBaby
3. IngramSpark
4. Blurb
5. Kindle Direct Publishing
6. Bookvault

When choosing a print-on-demand publisher, cost is among the most important factors. “Some platforms have higher printing costs, which eats into your profit margin,” says Shaun Quarton, a writer who has sold about 1.2 million copies of books in different formats.

You also want to consider usability and how these platforms can help you market your book. “You want a dashboard that makes it easy to upload, format, and preview your books,” Shaun adds. “Many platforms also offer native marketing tools, which can be really helpful when you’re launching your first title and not sure where to start with promotion.”

Explore this list of top book printing services to choose the best option for your self-publishing needs.

1. Lulu Direct

Lulu Direct specializes in print-on-demand self-publishing. The service offers multiple book formats, including hardcover and paperback, black-and-white and color prints, and various paper types. Binding options include perfect bound, coil, saddle stitch, hardcover case wrap, and hardcover linen with dust jacket.

Content marketer Braveen Kumar chose Lulu Direct to self-publish his poetry because of the platform’s high profit margins. His book, which he sold for $20, cost $3 to print and $9 to ship.

Using Lulu Direct also let Braveen sell his book on his Shopify store, supporting his goal of building a brand and selling other products. By connecting his store to Instagram, he could tag his book in posts and give customers the option to buy while browsing social media.

• Who it’s for: Authors who want to sell directly on their websites.
• Production time: Three to five business day.
• Royalties: 100% of profits.
• Available formats: Hardcover, paperback, comic book, magazine, ebook.
• Binding options: Perfect bound, coil bound, saddle stitch, case wrap, linen wrap.
• Lulu homepage showcases the range of available printing options. About $6.71 for a US trade paperback with perfect bound and standard black-and-white interior color. 

2. BookBaby

BookBaby offers black-and-white and full-color book printing services for both paperback and hardcover books, plus digital publication options. BookBaby can also help you transform your own books into audiobooks narrated by AI voices, voice actors, or your own voice.

You can sell your print-on-demand books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and various wholesale distributors, as well as on BookBaby’s own online shop. BookBaby also provides editing services, including line editing, proofreading, and synopsis writing.

• Who it’s for: Authors who want to sell print and audiobooks.
• Production time: Two to five business days.
• Royalties: 100% of profits for self-distributed sales. BookBaby also offers two distribution plans: BookBaby Bookshop distribution costs $199 and includes 50% royalties; with the Global Distribution plan, you pay $399 and get distribution on Amazon, Powell’s, Barnes & Noble, and more. You’ll keep net sales (your book’s sales minus BookBaby’s printing and shipping fees).
• Available formats: Paperback, hardback, ebook, audiobook.
• Binding options: Perfect bound, adhesive case wrap, adhesive case wrap, dust jacket.
• Price per 200-page paperback: Around $12.27 per unit to print 25 standard softcover books with perfect binding and natural paper stock. 

3. IngramSpark

IngramSpark’s standout feature is its distribution network. It connects with more than 40,000 independent bookstores, chain stores, and libraries to help get your titles in front of readers. 

“[One] key benefit of Ingram is access to brick-and-mortar stores, as many of them order through [Ingram’s] catalog,” Shaun says. “If you’re looking to expand beyond online sales, IngramSpark can help you add a new revenue stream.”

• Who it’s for: Authors who want to sell to brick-and-mortar stores.
• Production time: Three to five business days for paperback, seven to 10 business days for hardcover.
• Royalties: 100% of profits. If you use Ingram Spark’s distribution network, you’ll pay a market access fee of 1% of the local list price at the time of sale.
• Available formats: Paperback, hardcover (with dust jacket), ebook.
• Binding options: Perfect bound, case laminate, with or without a dust jacket.
• Price per 200-page paperback: Printing and shipping costs vary by factors like trim size, materials, and shipping location. A standard-size 200-page paperback costs $4.17 to print up to 99 copies, with discounted rates for higher quantities. 

4. Blurb

Blurb has a dedicated print-on-demand service. It offers a wide selection of paper types and its own design software to help you lay out your product to meet bookseller standards.

If you plan to sell your book to the masses, you might benefit from Blurb’s integrated bookstore and network of thousands of retailers. Retailers can order and stock your books directly through Blurb.

Blurb integrates with Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, and InDesign, making it easier to format and submit your designs. While there’s no dedicated Shopify app, you can direct customers from your Shopify store to Blurb to place an order.

• Who it’s for: Authors who want to use templates.
• Production time: Five business days.
• Royalties: Royalty calculations displayed on your account dashboard.
• Available formats: Trade book, magazine, notebook, photo book, ebook.
• Binding options: Perfect bound.
• Price per 200-page paperback: $63.80 for a small square (seven inch by seven inch) book size with standard paper. Note that Blurb does offer volume discounts. Printing 20 books, for example, brings your cost down to $51.04. 

5. Kindle Direct Publishing

If you plan to sell primarily through Amazon, you can use its service to print and ship your titles. Kindle Direct Publishing provides digital and print publishing with direct access to Amazon’s Kindle store—an advantage, according to Shaun. “Most of your book sales will likely come through Amazon,” he says. “They offer better royalty rates if you sell exclusively through them via KDP Select [a 90-day program that requires separate enrollment].

Listing titles is free, with a commission charged on each sale. While the service doesn’t support magazines, periodicals, or spiral-bound notebooks, you can convert your existing books into Amazon ebooks or paperbacks for additional visibility.

• Who it’s for: Authors primarily interested in selling ebooks through Amazon.
• Production time: Varies based on book type.
• Royalties: 60%.
• Available formats: Paperback, hardcover, ebook, ebook series.
• Binding options: Perfect bound.
• Price per 200-page paperback: $1 per book for regular trim sizes. 

6. Bookvault

Bookvault is a United Kingdom–based print-on-demand book publisher that connects directly to your Shopify store. It also has its own store, The Great British Bookshop. Bookvault users who want to sell on The Great British Bookshop can retain up to 90% royalties.

UK authors can use BookvaultBespoke to add special features, like gold foiling and ribbon bookmarks.

• Who it’s for: Authors in the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia who want to sell through their own store or The Great British Bookshop.
• Production time: Five to seven business days.
• Royalties: 100% profits on self-distributed sales.
• Available formats: Paperback, hardcover.
• Binding options: Perfect bound, saddle stitch, case bound, wire bound, spiral bound.
• Price per 200-page paperback: £19.95 upfront fee, then $4.01 per book to print in the US. 

3 specialty print-on-demand book services

• Contrado
• Gelato
• Printify

If you’re looking beyond traditional books (think notebooks, scrapbooks, and journals), there are several specialty POD book printing services you can use, including the following.

1. Contrado

Contrado’s Shopify app offers more than 470 print-on-demand products, including paper and stationery items. Though it doesn’t print traditional hardcover books, you can create notebooks, address books, and photo books with your designs. You can also use the platform to sell your artwork.

Orders ship domestically and internationally within three to five business days, with rates varying by location. Students can also access special discounts.

• Who it’s for: Stationery stores.
• Production time: Three to five business days.
• Minimum order: None.
• Available formats: Scrapbooks, portfolios, notebooks, guest books, photo albums.

2. Gelato

Gelato partners with over 50 manufacturers across more than 70 global locations. The service offers fast, flat-rate shipping, with discounts for multiple items per order.

While traditional book printing isn’t available, Gelato is a great option for photographers who want to sell photo books of their work. You can also sell print-on-demand notebooks and calendars. Outside of paper products, Gelato produces print-on-demand shirts, apparel, mugs, and other branded merchandise, helping you build a broader product line for your readers.

• Who it’s for: Photographers.
• Production time: Three to four business days.
• Minimum order: None.
• Available formats: Photo books, notebooks.

3. Printify

Printify’s Shopify app specializes in print-on-demand notebooks and journals. Its broad product catalog and established fulfillment network support growing brands. The platform easily syncs with your Shopify store to provide real-time sales and order data.

• Who it’s for: Stationery brands.
• Production time: Two to seven business days.
• Minimum order: None.
• Available formats: Notebooks, custom journals.

Benefits of print-on-demand books

• Easy to start
• Automated inventory management and fulfillment
• Retail access
• Cost-effective pricing
• Additional services
• Flexibility to adapt

Using a print-on-demand service to publish your books gives you more time to focus on writing and marketing them. Here are a few other benefits of this self-publishing process:

Easy to start

Print-on-demand services use a just-in-time approach to manufacturing. Most providers print books only when orders come in. This removes the risk and cost of buying books upfront before knowing how many will sell.

Automated inventory management and fulfillment

One of the biggest advantages is that you don’t have to purchase books upfront or worry about managing your inventory. Print-on-demand services also handle the entire order fulfillment process—receiving orders, packaging books, and organizing delivery. This saves you time and money, especially when you’re just starting out.

“I’ve looked into traditional bulk printing on a few occasions, but once you factor in the cost of a print run, storage, packaging, shipping, and tracking stock levels, it just doesn’t seem worth it,” Shaun says.

Retail access

Services like Blurb and IngramSpark work directly with wholesalers and booksellers, making it easier to get your books into retail stores. These connections help you reach more readers through traditional retail channels.

Cost-effective pricing

Print on demand is cost-effective for self-published authors. “There are several platforms where the setup costs are zero,” Shaun says. “Once you’ve written your book and got yourself a cover, that’s it. No upfront or hidden costs. Just hit Publish and your book will live on the website within a few hours for people to order. If you’re starting out and don’t have much money to invest, it’s hard to beat.”

Additional services

Most services offer quality control options like ordering proofs, copy editing, and proofreading. You can also turn your finished manuscript into an ebook or audiobook, and many services also offer translation services. “A translated version is much more likely to sell well in those markets than the English version,” Shaun adds. “And you still manage your books from the same dashboard.”

Flexibility to adapt

You can update your book design quickly based on reader feedback, from changing covers to adjusting page layouts. “If I want to update one of my POD books—tweak the cover, fix a typo, change the blurb—I can do it in a few hours,” Shaun says.

Print on demand vs. offset printing: Which is right for you?

Every author has to choose the best book printing services for their needs. And it’s a big decision—their choices affect upfront costs, profit margins, and product quality. 

The two main options are POD and offset printing. Both methods can produce timeless books, but they’re built for different needs.

When to choose print on demand

Print on demand helps you move fast at a lower cost. You don’t have to guess how many books to print and pay for a big batch, since books are only printed when someone actually buys one. 

Your book can be printed and shipped in just a few days. You don’t have to deal with complicated freight shipping. If you find a mistake, you just upload a new file. And you’ll never be stuck with a pile of old books, which is a problem called stranded inventory.

The downside is that the cost per book is higher. For example, a 200-page book might have a print cost of $3.40. If you price it at $14.99 on Amazon, they take their cut. After the printing is paid, you’d get about $5.59 for that sale.

When offset printing makes sense

When you know you’ll sell a lot of books and want the best possible quality, traditional offset printing wins. This is how big publishers do it—the more you print, the cheaper each book gets.The upfront cost, however, means it’s important to validate your book idea first. 

Offset printing gives you access to better paper, special inks, and cool finishes like foil covers or sewn binding. For high-volume runs (usually 500 or more copies), the unit cost drops way down—meaning you make more profit on each sale.

Hidden costs to consider

To make the best choice, look at the hidden costs: 

• With offset printing, you also have to pay for bulk shipping and storage for your inventory, and you risk losing money on damaged or unsold books. 
• With POD, your profit gets smaller because of the fees that marketplaces take.

Let’s look at an example. Say your POD cost to print and ship your book is $3.40. An offset printer quotes you a $600 setup fee and a $2 unit cost for 1,000 units of the same book.

If you take this breakeven formula:

Breakeven Point = (Total Offset Setup Cost) ÷ (POD Cost Per Book - Offset Cost Per Book)

And plug in your numbers

$600 ÷ ($3.40 - $2) = 429

You’ll see that if you can sell more than 429 books, offset printing will make you more money on each sale from that point on. If you’re not sure, POD is the safer bet. 

How to choose a print-on-demand book service

1. Review their processes
2. Decide what kind of book you want to print
3. Check pricing and commissions
4. Determine if they can grow with you
5. Check their reputation and connection
6. Prepare print files for your publisher

Here are a few things to consider when deciding between print-on-demand book publishers:

1. Review their processes

You want your books to arrive quickly, so look for services that can print and deliver your books to readers efficiently. Pay attention to their packing and shipping times, and whether they have partnerships with shipping companies. If you’re thinking of global distribution, make sure the service can handle international orders at reasonable rates.

Also, make sure to review whether they have an exclusivity clause or if you can distribute your book through multiple channels at once.

If your dream is to see your book on a physical bookstore shelf, you need to understand the rules of the game. Bookstores have specific requirements you’ll have to meet through your POD service.

There are two requirements:

1. A wholesale discount. Bookstores need to buy your book at a much lower price so they can make a profit when they sell it. The industry standard is a 55% wholesale discount.
2. Returnability. Bookstores also need a safety net for books that don't sell. Your book must be returnable, which means the store can return unsold copies for a refund.

💡 Remember: When a book is returned, you are charged the wholesale cost of that book.

On a platform built for bookstore distribution like IngramSpark, you will have to set these options. You’ll choose a discount (between 40% and 55%) and decide if returned books are shipped back to you or destroyed.

⚠️ Take note: Most bookstores and major chains will not even consider ordering a book if it isn't returnable and offered at a standard discount.

2. Decide what kind of book you want to print

The type of book you hope to publish will determine what book-printing service you use. “If your book needs something more specialized, like a particular binding style or an unusual trim size, you’ll need to seek out the specific platforms that cater to your specific needs,” Shaun says.

If you’re publishing a children’s book, for example, look for a printer that can handle full-color illustrations and offers multiple sizes and paper weights. Bookvault recommends using 150 grams per square meter coated paper for children’s books.

Romance novels and thrillers frequently dominate the Kindle bestseller list; if your book falls into either of those genres, you should seriously consider KDP.

3. Check pricing and commissions

Print-on-demand services often have different payment policies. Some are free upfront but take a cut of your sales, while others might ask for an upfront payment but let you keep more profit later. Think about your budget and what works best for your wallet in the long run.

You may find that you can maximize your profits by working with multiple services: “I publish through Ingram to get it into bookstores, I publish through KDP for Amazon, and then for my Shopify store, I use Bookvault,” says Julie Broad, author of Self-Promote & Succeed and founder of self-publishing service Book Launchers. This multichannel strategy allows Julie to tap into Ingram’s and Amazon’s audiences, while earning more per book on sales made directly through her Shopify store.

Common pricing mistakes to avoid

Setting your price is difficult because each channel calculates profit differently. Amazon, IngramSpark, even your own website all have different cuts, not including wholesale discounts or charges for returned books. 

Figuring all this out is where authors make mistakes. Here are the most common ones to watch out for: 

• Pricing too low on KDP. Amazon KDP has a minimum list price based on your book’s print cost. If you price your book too close to that minimum, your royalty can drop to zero.
• Forgetting that Expanded Distribution pays even less. On KDP, your royalty for sales on Amazon.com might be 60%. But for sales through Expanded Distribution (which sends your book to other retailers), the royalty drops to 40%. If you don’t account for this, you could lose money on those sales.
• Forgetting fees on direct sales. When selling from your own store, your profit is the list price minus the print cost, shipping, and any fulfillment fees. Don’t forget to include all the fees in your profit margin calculations.
• Using one price for all channels. You make a different profit selling on Amazon versus IngramSpark versus your own site. It’s common to set a different list price for each channel to make sure you’re profitable everywhere.

4. Determine if they can grow with you

All authors hope their books will take off, but you need a print-on-demand service that can keep up with sales. Look for services that give you real-time sales information so you can track peaks and troughs in your bottom line.

It’s also good to think beyond print. If you’re considering other print-on-demand products like ebooks or audiobooks—or even merch like shirts, hats, or mugs—it might be worth choosing a service that offers these, too.

5. Check their reputation and connections

If you want to sell your book in bookstores, pick a service with strong retailer networks. See what other self-published authors are saying—read reviews, testimonials, and case studies to understand each print-on-demand service’s production quality and customer satisfaction.

6. Prepare print files for your publisher

Once you’ve chosen a printer to work with, it’s time to get your book’s files ready. Each printer will have its own technical rules, but following them will guarantee your finished book comes out exactly how you imagined it. 

Here is a general checklist of things to get right:

• Use high-resolution images. For an image to look sharp in print, it should have a resolution of 300 dots per inch (dpi) at its final printed size. 
• Get your bleed and margins right. If any image or color in your book goes to the very edge of the page, include a bleed. A bleed is a small extra margin (usually 0.125 inches or three millimeters) of your artwork that extends beyond the trim line. Also, keep all important text inside the “safe margins” to ensure nothing gets cut off.
• Export in the correct format. Your interior file and your full cover file should be exported as separate, print-ready PDFs. Use the right preset (like PDF/X-1a), if required, and make sure all your fonts are embedded. Your interior file should be single pages in reading order.
• Use the right color space. Your computer screen displays color in red, green, and blue (RGB) light. Printers use cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) ink. To avoid surprising color alterations, export your cover and any color interior pages in the CMYK color space.
• Build your cover as a single file. Make your cover file a single, full-wrap image that includes the front cover, back cover, and the spine all in one piece, with bleed on all four sides. The spine width must be calculated precisely based on your final page count and the paper type you choose.

Always do a final check before uploading your files. Use the official templates provided by your POD service, and make sure your dimensions are correct to avoid a crooked cover or cut off text and images. 

Print-on-demand books vs. traditional publishing

• Creative control
• Control of pricing
• Choice of your sales channels

You can create high-quality books whether you choose print on demand or traditional publishing methods.

Here are a few ways print on demand and traditional publishing differ:

Creative control

In a traditional publishing model, you don’t control what goes to print. This means if you need to make an update to your book, it’s not a simple process. “With a traditional publisher, [changes] can take months,” Shaun says. “There’s a chain of command to navigate, layers of approvals, and even then, updates often have to wait until the next print run. They could even disagree and say no.”

Print on demand allows you to bypass these hurdles and retain complete creative control of your project. If you go to market with one version of your book but later want to update it, you can simply replace the old version with your POD publisher. On the flipside, although you have more creative freedom with self-publishing, you won’t have a professional editor built into the process like you would with a traditional publishing house, so you’ll have to actively seek one out to help you refine your work.

Control of pricing

Self-publishing lets you set your own prices. Print-on-demand services typically take a commission, but you choose the retail price and set your profit margin.

If you sell through your own online store, you also control your direct-to-consumer (DTC) pricing. When selling to retailers, you’ll need to offer wholesale discounts (typically 40% to 60%) so bookstores can make their standard markup.

Choice of sales channels

Print on demand gives you freedom over distribution. For Shaun, going the traditional publishing route meant not maximizing online sales. “I was surprised by how little some publishers understood about online selling,” he says. “Yes, they sold more copies in brick-and-mortar stores, but I saw a big drop in my online sales. In the end, I was earning significantly less than when I was handling it myself.”

Instead of a publisher deciding where to sell your book, you can sell directly to readers through your online store or work with retailers and wholesalers—or a combination of these options. Many print-on-demand services also include distribution networks to help you reach more readers.

Marketing strategies for print-on-demand books

• Create high-quality content
• Build your author platform
• Use social media for promotion

Marketing matters just as much as your book’s content when you self-publish. Without a traditional publisher’s support, you’re responsible for reaching readers.

Here are key strategies to get you started with marketing your print on demand books:

Create high-quality content

One of the best ways Shaun gets repeat customers is by writing good books. “I know it sounds obvious, but making your books the best they can be pays off,” he says. “The readthrough rate for my series is incredibly high. If someone reads one of my entry-point books, there’s a strong chance they’ll go on to read several more. That organic momentum helps keep all my titles moving.”

Build your author platform

Your author platform is your marketing foundation—where readers learn about you and your books. You don’t need advanced tech skills to build an effective platform.

Here’s how to start building your platform as a self-published author:

Website

Create a simple, clean website with key information about your books and yourself. Include an About page to introduce yourself, a blog to share updates or behind-the-scenes content, and most importantly, a way for readers to buy your book directly or through retailer links.

One of the simplest ways to build an author website is with a no-code, drag-and-drop website builder like Shopify.

Email list

An email list is a good way to keep in contact with your readers. It’s one of the most effective marketing strategies for Shaun. “I include a signup form at the front and back of every book to grow my list,” he says. “From there, I focus on offering genuinely useful content—I never spam. When I launch a new book, I always give my list early access and a very generous discount. That initial boost often pushes the book to the top of the bestseller charts.”

Author branding

Define what makes you unique as an author through strong brand positioning. Create a unique value proposition that clarifies your writing style, expertise in your genre, or a compelling personal story, and keep it consistent across your platform.

Use social media for promotion

Social media helps authors connect with readers directly while reaching potential buyers. Choose platforms based on your audience—look at the different platforms and learn about their key demographics. For example, if you want to appeal to younger audiences and create short videos, you might consider marketing on TikTok.

Regardless of where you choose to post, here’s how to make the most of your platform:

Be authentic

Share more than just book promotions. Post about your writing process or book inspiration. Reveal different parts of your personality. More casual posts can resonate with your audience.

Check #BookTok for inspiration.

Engage with your audience

Reply to comments, ask questions, and join conversations with other authors or readers of your genre. More interaction helps readers feel connected to you, making them more likely to support your work.

Run ads

Run targeted ads to reach more readers. Even a small budget for Facebook or Instagram ads can help find people interested in your book.

Share your words with the world

You don’t need a traditional publisher to reach readers. Print-on-demand books offer a cost-effective way to share your writing and build a profitable business. With a Shopify store, you get tools and apps to help you sell books and grow your audience.

Connect print-on-demand services like Lulu Direct to your store to print and ship books automatically when orders come in. Handle everything from one dashboard and offer multiple formats—paperback, hardcover, or digital—to appeal to the varying tastes of your target audience.