For most types of books, printing today is remarkably easy. CreateSpace and similar print-on-demand services allow self published authors to print paperback copies of their work in small quantities without destroying their profit margins. Boutique printers like Lulu offer hardcover prints at workable prices. Almost nobody offers board book printing.
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| My Board Book: Goodnight Server Room |
I considered a handful of board book printers that work with self published authors:
- Print Ninja - Print Ninja offers overseas printing with U.S. based support.
- Pint Size Productions - Pint Size productions (printer of Sandra Boynton books) is the only printer I could find that prints in the U.S.
- China One Printing - China One offers overseas printing with U.S. based support. Their online presence is much smaller than Print Ninja. Update (2021-01-15) China One Printing seems to have gone out of business.
Here's an overview of the key decision points. Note that these values reflect a snapshot and will change over time. I did not have shipping details for all quantities, so some costs are estimates based on quoted shipping for other quantities. Go directly to the companies for an accurate quote.
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Tip One: Shipping will get you
The table above includes shipping in all unit prices. Print Ninja's shipping costs were particularly high. I made the mistake of planning expenses based on Print Ninja's pre-shipping price, rather than their post-shipping price. They charge nearly $900 to ship 500 books, and over $1,300 to ship 2,000 books. Before making a decision, always check shipping costs.
Books are typically sold wholesale at about 50% of the retail price. That means I could expect to sell a board book like Goodnight Server Room to retailers for about $5.00. If I had opted for a small quantity, I would have had virtually no profit margin. Faced with this constraint, I decided to bite the bullet and order 2,000 copies.
Tip Two: Printing takes a long time
I opted to use China One Printing. While I had hoped to use a U.S. manufacturer, the higher cost of Pint Size productions ruled them out. China One has an outdated web page and minimal staff, but I decided to trust them based on a recommendation from the author of Goodnight Loon.
Printing took a quite a while (even though everything went perfectly). Here's a timeline:
- August 2nd - Interior and exterior design files transferred
- August 17th - Interior proof print shipped
- ~September 1st - Printing begins
- October 13th - Printing complete
- November 20th - Book shipment clears U.S. customs
- November 27th - Book shipment arrives in Minnesota
- November 28th - I received the books
Tip Three: Get a physical proof
When I opened the boxes of books for the first time, I knew I had absolutely no recourse if the books did not turn out the way I wanted. I had 170 or so KickStarter backers eagerly expecting their books by Christmas and I did not have enough money left over to re-order if there was a problem. Thankfully, I was not too concerned. Why? Because I had paid the extra couple hundred dollars to get a physical proof.
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| Printed proof of Goodnight Server Room |
China One printed the interior of the book without the board book backing and sent it to me for approval before they printed the real books.
You can buy your own copy of Goodnight Server Room on Etsy!
Update January 2021
China One is no longer in business, but Tam, creator of 10 khúc đồng dao 10 nursery rhymes from Vietnam used Guangzhou Hangtong Printing Factory. As a happy backer, I can report that the quality was excellent!
