We're not a self-publishing service — we're a UK book printer and bookbinder who works with hundreds of self-publishing authors every year. You bring the manuscript and the cover. We print and bind it. From 10 copies, no setup fees, free digital proof. You keep the rights, the ISBN, and the royalties.
If you're self-publishing a book in the UK, you're navigating a landscape of services: editing, design, ISBN, distribution, retail, marketing — and printing. We do the printing. Just the printing. We're a real UK bookbindery, with a sewing machine, a case-binding line, foil-blocking presses and 19 paper stocks held on-site.
For self-publishing authors, that focus is a feature, not a limitation. You get printer-grade attention to the part of self-publishing that touches paper. You keep the rights, the ISBN, the royalties and your relationship with readers. We print, bind and dispatch your book to your spec — short-run book printing from 10 copies upward, no minimums beyond that.
Self-publishing means you're in charge. We're one part of the operation — here's exactly which part.
Live prices from the same engine as the full calculator — no email, no sign-up. The defaults below are a typical self-published novel; change anything and the per-copy price responds.
The first five rows are the same A5 300-page paperback debut at rising quantities — watch the per-copy price fall as the run grows. That curve is the whole case for short-run printing over print-on-demand: a platform charges roughly the same whether you order one copy or fifty, while a real print run rewards quantity. For your exact spec, our book printing quote calculator takes under a minute.
| Format | Specification | Quantity | Per copy |
|---|---|---|---|
A5 paperback debut novel |
300pp mono · perfect bound · 80gsm bookwove |
10 | £9.72per copy |
A5 paperback debut novel |
300pp mono · perfect bound · 80gsm bookwove |
50 | £3.72per copy |
A5 paperback debut novel |
300pp mono · perfect bound · 80gsm bookwove |
100 | £2.97per copy |
A5 paperback debut novel |
300pp mono · perfect bound · 80gsm bookwove |
250 | £2.47per copy |
A5 paperback debut novel |
300pp mono · perfect bound · 80gsm bookwove |
500 | £2.26per copy |
A5 hardback gift edition |
250pp mono · case bound · 80gsm bookwove |
50 | £4.71per copy |
All prices include UK delivery and a free digital proof. Add 10–30% for premium cover materials, foil blocking or dust jackets. See full UK book printing prices or our cost-to-print-a-book guide.
Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu and BookBaby are full self-publishing platforms with retail integration. We're a focused book printer. Different tools for different jobs — and many self-publishing authors use both.
| Factor | Self-publishing platforms (KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu) | Imprint Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Service scope | Print, retail integration, distribution, marketing tools, ISBN options bundled. | Print and bind only. Tighter scope, deeper expertise on the printing. |
| Per-copy cost | Higher per-copy (POD economics) — £8–£15 for a typical paperback regardless of quantity. | Short-run economics — ~£6 at 10 copies, ~£3 at 250 copies. Scales with quantity. |
| Print quality & options | Standard paper, perfect-bound, limited cover finishing. Generic. | 19 paper stocks, thread-sewn binding, foil blocking, hardback construction, dust jackets, premium cover materials. |
| Royalties / rights | You keep rights, but platform takes a cut of each sale (typically 30–60%). | You buy the books outright at print cost. 100% of any onward sale revenue is yours. |
| Retail integration | Direct integration with Amazon, IngramSpark distribution, sometimes Apple/Google. | None — we print, you sell. You handle Amazon listings, direct sales, events, bookshops yourself. |
| Best paired with | Authors selling primarily through Amazon retail with no inventory. | Authors who sell direct, at events, to bookshops, or want premium-quality print. |
Many self-publishing authors use both: KDP for Amazon-driven sales, us for the books they sell direct, sign at events, send to bookshops and gift to family. More on print on demand vs short-run book printing →
A loose guide to the kinds of self-publishing book printing we handle most often. Your project doesn't have to fit a box — if it's a book, we'll print it.
Paperback runs of 50–250, often with a small hardback edition for events and gifting. A5 perfect-bound or PUR is the typical spec.
Series authors printing book one and gradually adding to the catalogue. Thread-sewn paperback for durability, B-format size for retail look.
Saddle-stitched booklets at 50–100 copies, or perfect-bound paperback for longer collections. Often premium paper for the tactile feel.
Paperback or hardback at 25–100 copies for family editions and private circulation. ISBN often not needed. Premium gift editions available.
Hardback editions (50–100 copies) for libraries and academic communities. Thread-sewn, foil-blocked spine. PhD and thesis printing.
Hardback case-bound runs in colour on coated paper. Coffee-table format, 100–500 copies, premium finishing.
Full-colour paperback or hardback, A4 or square, 100–500 copies. Saddle-stitch for slim picture books, perfect-bound for longer.
Heavy coated paper for food photography, lay-flat thread-sewn binding. Cookbook printing typically at 100–500 copies.
Small UK indie publishers who run their own list and use us as their printer of choice. Trade pricing, scheduling support, repeat title relationships.
Use our calculator — choose paperback or hardback, paper, binding, page count, quantity. Live per-copy pricing, no email gate.
Press-ready PDFs of interior + cover. Our team checks files before press — free file check, we flag any issues before money changes hands.
Free digital proof on every order — or add a printed proof copy to hold the actual book, check the colours and confirm the cover before the full run starts.
5–10 working days for paperback, 3–4 weeks for hardback. UK tracked-courier delivery. You get the books; you keep all the rights and royalties.
We started life in the late 1990s as the in-house printing arm of Imprint Academic, a UK academic publisher. Self-publishing authors found us in the early 2000s and never left. We now print hundreds of self-published books every month — debut paperbacks at 50 copies through to indie-publisher runs of 5,000+.
Every book is made at our Exeter facility. Universe digital sheet-fed sewing machine for thread-sewn binding from 10 copies. Digibook case-binding line for hardback construction. Foil-blocking presses, dust-jacket fitting, 19 paper stocks held in-stock, in-house binding for every order. Visit by appointment — the person who shows you round is the person who'll bind your book.
More on book printing generally? See our book printing services hub or 73-question book printing FAQ.
Get an instant online quote — no account required. From 10 copies up, paperback or hardback, with a free digital proof on every order.