Self-Publishing a Book
Short Run Printing
Small quantities at reasonable prices, in specifications print on demand can’t offer.
Is it right for you?
When short run printing suits your book
Short run means small quantities — typically 20 to 500 copies — in specifications that print on demand can’t offer. It’s often the best route when one or more of these is true.
You need a higher specification
The paper, image quality or binding available through print on demand isn’t suitable for your book. Short run gives you a wider choice of manufacturing specification.
You sell the books yourself
Your sales won’t depend on booksellers like Amazon. Short run books are manufactured in the UK and delivered to you to distribute as you see fit.
It’s a private publication
Your book is a privately published work, not for commercial sale — so you simply need a modest, good-quality run for family, friends or a specific audience.
Short run printing means printing a book in much lower volumes than was possible with traditional printing. The Choir Press can publish small quantities at reasonable prices – typically between about 20 and 500 copies.
The Benefits of Short Run Printing
- A choice of manufacturing specification that is not available with print on demand
- Minimal ongoing inventory costs
- Little or no wastage due to unused books
- Responsiveness to variations in demand
- Short run books reduce the traditional risks with printing large quantities
- Cost-effective printing for low-volume market sectors
Life before cost-effective short run book printing
Before accessible short run printing, anyone publishing a book had to accept that it would be printed in relatively large volumes – with all the up-front set-up costs, materials costs, inventory storage and risks of wastage if books remained unsold. With modern digital printing technology, traditional print-run conventions have been replaced by convenient short run printing.
How Short Run Printing Works
Printing books in short runs involves producing small quantities in response to the rate at which orders are received. With short run production, we can print any quantity from twenty books upwards. It’s sometimes more economical to create smaller batches, especially if yours is a private publication for self-distribution. We use the term ‘short run printing’ as a catch-all phrase to distinguish those projects where print-on-demand does not offer the required project specification but the number of books required is too few for economic long run production. Choosing short runs is convenient and involves much lower minimum print quantities than was previously possible with high quality specifications.
What is the difference between our short run printing and print on demand services?
- Print on demand is a digital printing process that enables us to supply one copy at a time to booksellers. In order for this system to operate efficiently in many markets around the world there is a limited set of specifications for paper, image quality and binding.
- Short run printing is a digital printing process that enables us to produce books with specifications for printing, materials, image quality and binding that are not available in the global print on demand system. Short run books will be manufactured in the UK and delivered to you for you to distribute. Short run printing does not provide cost savings when compared with print on demand but it is the most practical route for small quantities of higher specification books.
When Is Short Run Printing Likely to Be Most Beneficial?
- The print on demand specification for paper, image reproduction quality and binding are unsuitable or do not meet the required quality, or
- The sale of books will be managed by you with a process that is not dependent on booksellers like Amazon, or
- Your book is a privately published work and is not for sale commercially.
Talk to Us About Your Short Run Printing Requirements
Could a short print run hold the key to successful publication of your book? Short-run book printers can help you print paperback or hardback books to meet specific order quantities and specifications. For fiction or non-fiction alike, we can advise you and help make short print runs a successful reality. Please contact us now for more information.
What Our Customers Think
"You have been helpful, prompt, knowledgeable and sympathetic throughout. The book looks great. The cost was entirely reasonable and I particularly appreciated the promptness with which you had the printing done."
“In writing a memoir for my daughter, I wanted something that she would be proud of long after I have gone — and which was not too pricey on a short print run. The book is now in her hands and it meets more than my requirements.”
Peter Foot, autobiography (published privately)Talk to us about your short run
Could a short print run be the key to your book? For paperback or hardback, fiction or non-fiction, we’ll help you print exactly the quantity and specification you need.