self-publishing : print-on-demand

See for yourself how print-on-demand works
What is print-on-demand?
CompletelyNovel print-on-demand

Print-on-demand involves a number of modern machines which make it possible to print just one book at a time.

This video shows you what happens when you buy a book on CompletelyNovel. From the file being sent to the printer right through to the book’s arrival at your door, we show you what happens behind the scenes and how all the separate parts of the book are created and put together.

The printer featured in this video is Antony Rowe Ltd, part of the CPI Group, who are based in Eastbourne, UK. They are one of the print-on-demand print companies that CompletelyNovel users can connect to so that people can buy printed copies of their books.

Currently, you can also get your book printed by Lightning Source International. With Completelynovel, you can choose which printer you would like to print your book in the USA and the UK.

Print-on-demand is a printing technology which has made it economical to print just one copy of a book at a time. This is because it uses digital printing rather than the traditional methods of letterpress and offset printing which require too much setting up for it to be possible to print a one-off book.

How much does print-on-demand printing cost?

As you would expect, the unit cost (i.e. cost per book) of printing just one book at a time is higher with print-on-demand than for a print run of thousands. However, for smaller print runs, the average cost per copy is much smaller because the set up costs are much lower. If you choose the CompletelyNovel Publishing Free Plan there is no set-up cost at all. You can try out our self-publishing service here.

Who uses print-on-demand?

• Authors
  For authors who are looking to self-publish, print-on-demand is a very attractive option as it enables them to sell their book without having to pay up-front fees for a large number of books, when they are not sure how many they are going to sell. Most services charge authors a commission on every book that they sell, but on CompletelyNovel the author gets to keep the full royalty.

• Publishers
  Publishers use print-on-demand for backlist titles in order that they can maintain availability without incurring high storage costs. It is also handy to use print on demand when they are not sure how many copies a book is going to sell – particularly if the book is likely to have a short shelf-life. For example, it may be a book about a celebrity who is currently in the media spotlight, but who could fall into obscurity shortly after publication. Print-on-demand is also very useful for niche publications which have a smaller audience.

• Businesses
  Businesses are increasingly using print-on-demand services to produce customised books for their employees or clients so they can have easy access to up-to-date information about the company or useful information.

CompletelyNovel offers a unique print-on-demand self-publishing service which enables you to take full control over how your book looks, how it is sold and who creates it.

Easy to upload your manuscript

There’s no need to create a PDF version of your book. You can upload a Word document direct to CompletelyNovel and we will create a PDF which is instantly ready to be printed. We have advice on formatting and typesetting so you can make your manuscript look professional.

Cover designing made simple

Our specialised online cover creator makes it really straightforward to design your front cover, spine and back cover. You can upload your own images and text, or select from our suggestions. You can also take a look at our cover design advice from experts.

Full control over your book sales

You can choose what price you are going to sell your book at and choose whether you want to make it available through mainstream retail channels as well as through CompletelyNovel. There are more details of this on our Publishing Plans page.

Choose your printer

CompletelyNovel links to a number of different print-on-demand printers, who operate in different countries. You can select the one that you want based on price and checking out their company.
For more information about the printers on CompletelyNovel, please take a look at our Printers page

Find out more about how it all works on CompletelyNovel.