Top 10 Print on Demand Book Services for Self Publishing

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You need neither a publishing contract nor professional writing experience to author a book. Whether you already have an audience or are making your debut, print-on-demand books offer a practical method to self-publish your work quickly and affordably.

This guide covers 10 popular on-demand book services. Find production schedules, publication choices, and support services to assist you in selecting the right publisher for writing.

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Why choose print-on-demand book publishing?

Print on demand is highly suitable for both novice and veteran authors because it’s very easy to implement. With your manuscript and some basic design software abilities, you can create professional paperback or elegant hardcover versions, then offer them via a marketplace or your personal website.

The primary benefit of print on demand publishing is eliminating large upfront inventory costs that are typically associated with self-publishing. Instead of purchasing stacks of surplus books and hoping they sell, books are printed only when orders arrive and are dispatched directly to the reader’s address.

If you have an existing following, you can leverage print on demand to sell copies to followers on social media or via your email newsletter.

Top 10 print on demand services compared

Review this selection of print-on-demand publishing platforms to identify the ideal choice for your book, magazine, or pamphlet—featuring perspectives from content writer Braveen Kumar.

1. Lulu Direct
2. BookBaby
3. IngramSpark
4. Blurb
5. Acutrack
6. Kindle Direct Publishing
7. Barnes & Noble Press
8. Contrado
9. Gelato
10. Printify
11. Lulu Direct

Lulu Direct

• Production time: 3–5 days
• Minimum order: None
• Available formats: Hardcovers, paperbacks, comic books, magazines, ebooks

Lulu Direct focuses on print on demand self-publishing. Authors can print then sell books in their own shop and retain all profits.

The platform provides various book formats, such as hardcover and paperback, monochrome and color printing, and different paper selections. Binding choices include perfect binding, spiral, saddle-stitch, hardcover case wrap, and cloth-bound hardcover with dust jacket.

Braveen selected Lulu Direct to self-publish his poetry due to its strong profit margins. His volume, sold at $20, incurred $3 in printing costs and $9 in shipping expenses.

Using Lulu Direct enabled Braveen to offer his book in his Shopify store, advancing his aim of creating a brand and marketing additional products. By linking his store to Instagram, he could tag his book in posts and offer readers the chance to purchase while browsing social media.

BookBaby

• Production time: 3–5 days for orders under 500 books
• Minimum order: 25 books
• Available formats: Perfect bound, paperback, hardback, ebooks, audiobooks

BookBaby provides monochrome and color printing for paperback and hardcover editions, plus options for digital distribution. It also creates audiobooks via AI narration, featuring 60 voice talents and 96 language choices.

You can distribute your print-on-demand title to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and multiple wholesale channels. BookBaby also offers editorial services such as line editing, proofreading, and synopsis composition.

IngramSpark

• Production time: Custom quote required
• Minimum order: None
• Available formats: Paperback, hardcover (with dust jacket), ebooks

With IngramSpark, you have extensive choices for self-publishing your book. You decide the book’s dimensions, paper style, finish (matte or glossy), paper hue, paper weight, and cover design. There’s even an option for a premium textured cloth hardcover binding.

IngramSpark’s signature advantage is its remarkably extensive distribution reach. It actively links to over 40,000 independent bookstores, retail chains, and libraries to ensure your titles reach a wide readership.

Although most customers praise IngramSpark’s print quality, a few reviewers mention that pricing may exceed that of competing platforms.

Blurb

Production time: 4–5 business days for printing and binding

Minimum order: None

Available formats: Trade books, magazines, notebooks, photo books, ebooks

Blurb delivers a specialized print-on-demand publishing platform. It provides numerous paper options and proprietary design tools to assist you in arranging your book to satisfy retailer requirements and quality standards.

If you intend to distribute your book broadly, you may gain from Blurb’s built-in bookstore and extensive network of thousands of retail outlets. Bookstores can request and carry your titles directly via Blurb’s system.

Blurb works with Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, and InDesign, streamlining formatting, layout, and submission of your designs. Although a specific Shopify integration is not available, you can guide customers from your Shopify site to Blurb to complete purchases.

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Acutrack

• Production time: Most orders ship within one business day (books are pre-produced and warehoused)
• Minimum order: 50 books
• Available formats: Paperback, hardcover, spiral bound, journals, coloring books

Acutrack is a print-on-demand printing and storage service that prints and holds your books for prompt delivery. It supports multiple book formats and dimensions, handling items from coffee-table editions to children's volumes.

With a dedicated Shopify application and connections to over 100 ecommerce platforms, Acutrack delivers live shipping updates and tracking details. Customer feedback praises its responsive support team and swift order fulfillment.

Kindle Direct Publishing

• Kindle Direct Publishing
• Production time: 1–3 days
• Minimum order: None
• Available formats: Paperback, hardcover, ebook, ebook series

Should you intend to sell mainly via Amazon, you may leverage its platform to print and ship your books. Kindle Direct Publishing offers both digital and print publishing with direct entry to Amazon’s Kindle store.

Adding titles is free, though a fee is taken per sale. Although the platform excludes magazines, periodicals, and spiral-bound notebooks, you can adapt your existing works into Amazon ebooks or paperbacks for increased exposure.

Barnes & Noble Press

• Barnes & Noble Press
• Production time: 5–10 business days, depending on book type
• Minimum order: None
• Available formats: Paperback, hardcover (with dust jacket)

Barnes & Noble Press enables you to design, publish, and monitor sales across formats. Your title is offered to buyers via BN.com and on NOOK devices.

This service suits varied publishing goals, whether releasing a single volume or full print-on-demand paperback catalogs.

Contrado

Production time: 1–3 business days

Minimum order: None

Available formats: Scrapbooks, portfolios, notebooks, guest books, photo albums

Contrado’s Shopify integration provides over 470 on-demand print products, including paper and stationery items.

Although it doesn’t produce standard hardcover books, you can design and print notebooks, photo books, and address books featuring your artwork. The platform also enables selling designs.

Orders are shipped domestically and internationally in three to five business days, with fees varying by region. Students qualify for exclusive discounts.

Gelato

• Production time: 3-4 days
• Minimum order: None
• Available formats: Photo books, notebooks

Gelato collaborates with over 50 suppliers in more than 70 worldwide locations. The service gives prompt flat-rate shipping with discounts on multiple items per order.

While traditional book printing isn’t offered, you may design photo books, notebooks, and calendars. Gelato also produces print-on-demand shirts, apparel, mugs, and other branded merchandise, helping you build a broader product line for your audience.

Printify

Production time: 2– 7 business days

Minimum order: None

Available formats: Notebooks, custom journals

The Printify Shopify integration focuses on on-demand notebooks and journals. Its extensive product range and robust fulfillment network aid developing brands. This system links to your Shopify store to deliver up-to-the-minute order and sales information.

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Easy to start

Print on demand platforms employ a just-in-time production model. Most companies produce copies only after orders are placed. This eliminates the expense and uncertainty of investing in inventory before understanding demand and potential sales volume.

Automated fulfillment

Print on demand providers manage the full order fulfillment cycle—receiving requests, packing books, and arranging shipping. This conserves your effort and budget, particularly if you are newly venturing.

Retail access

Companies such as Blurb and IngramSpark collaborate directly with top distributors and outlets, streamlining distribution of your titles into physical bookstores. This connection helps you reach additional audiences via trusted in‑store networks.

Cost-effective pricing

On‑demand printing functions best for small batches, whether catering to a local clientele or specific requirement. Most platforms provide competitive rates and quality‑control options, such as proof copies, copyediting, and proofreading.

Flexibility to adapt

You can easily revise your book’s design according to reader input, updating covers or tweaking page layouts. Begin with a limited print run and expand production as your audience increases.

How to choose a print on demand service

If you can’t decide between print-on-demand book publishers, here’s a quick guide to choosing the right one. 

1. Review their processes

Ensure your books reach readers promptly by choosing providers that offer swift printing and delivery. Evaluate their careful packaging and transit durations, plus any alliances with logistical carriers. When targeting worldwide markets, confirm the provider supports cross-border shipping and manages international fulfillment efficiently, while maintaining fair pricing for overseas orders.

These other aspects of the self publishing process might be worth looking into as well: 

• Which binding and cover selections does the platform include?
• Do they supply pre‑production proofs or samples prior to ordering bigger print batches?
• Review exclusivity clauses carefully—are you permitted to distribute your title through multiple sales channels simultaneously? 

2. Check how much they cost

Different Print on Demand providers have varying payment models. Some charge no initial fees but claim a percentage of each sale, whereas others require upfront payment yet allow you to retain a higher share afterward. Consider your finances and choose what aligns best with your long-term budget planning.

3. Determine if they can grow with you

All writers dream their books will become bestsellers, yet you must choose a reliable print‑on‑demand service that can handle growing sales volumes. Seek out platforms that supply up‑to‑date sales reports so you can observe surges and declines in your earnings.

Consider extending your offerings beyond paper. If you plan to use other on‑demand formats like eBooks or audiobooks, select a provider that also supports these various digital products.

4. Check their reputation and connections 

To distribute your book through bookstores, choose a provider with extensive retailer partnerships. Consult opinions from fellow indie writers and industry peers—browse detailed reviews, unbiased endorsements, and case studies to gauge the platform’s performance and user satisfaction.

Print on demand vs. traditional publishing

Skip the gatekeepers

Print-on-demand removes the publisher’s gatekeeping of what gets printed. Although this gives you creative control, it also means your manuscript won’t receive professional editorial review.

Consider hiring a skilled freelance editor or buying affordable editorial packages from providers like BookBaby to keep your work polished.

Control your pricing

Independent publishing allows you to determine your own pricing. Although print‑on‑demand platforms might deduct a fee, you set the sticker price and decide your earnings.

When selling via your personal web shop, you fully manage what customers pay. For distribution through retailers, you must apply wholesale rates (usually 40%–60%) so bookstores can then add their usual markup.

Choose your sales channels

On-demand publishing grants you control over distribution. Rather than a traditional publisher selecting sales outlets, you’re free to market your book directly to buyers via your website or partner with bookstores and distributors. Many print-on-demand platforms include global distribution channels to expand your potential audience.

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