There's more opportunity than ever for self-published books to succeed – any stigmas about publishing methods are fading. But to be competitive, you need to get it right with the details, including book printing. The conventional wisdom might be to sign up for print-on-demand, yet there may be better options available. Digital printing makes short runs possible that don't strain your budget. If you can achieve book sales above 2,000 copies, it's worth hearing prices for traditional offset printing. It can bring down your per-copy price and improve profitability. Both are to your benefit in the long run.

What is the best way to print a self-published book? It varies by author and often depends on whether you can predict your book's sales. If you're writing your first book on a shoestring budget and are still determining whether it will sell on-demand printing may be the preferable option. But if you know your sales or customers buy your book to coincide with other services, you can predict your sales. For those self-publishers, printing books conventionally is nearly always more profitable. It also allows you to sell books wherever you choose, including everything from your own website to Amazon Marketplace.

If you're an author overseeing your book printing, take a look at others in your genre. It's an excellent idea to try something unique to stand out, but make sure it fits within the context of your genre. If you publish a volume that's tricky for people to understand, it may impact sales. Also, make sure to consider working with a professional cover designer. They can help you produce an eye-catching design that represents your book well. Even when books are sold online, their cover imagery appears on a sales page, so it's as essential as it is for books sold in person. A polished design will do you well.

When you choose to print on demand, you become a cog in a much larger wheel. Any book buyers you attract become the on-demand printer's customers. You never see the data, such as collecting their emails that you can use for upselling opportunities. If you want to write a book for no reason other than the thrill of becoming an author, on-demand may serve you well. But it may slow you down if you hope to earn money, promote your business, or achieve other goals. It takes little time to investigate alternate publishing options. Like everything else today, you'll find them listed online.