Cutting Book Production Costs: Edition Types, Paper Choices and Colour Strategies for Self-Publishers
By Michael Pietrobon, Foglio Custom Book Specialists
If you’re new to self-publishing, reckoning with production costs can feel mysterious and even daunting. Paper weight, colour pages, edition type, trim size, freight, proofs. One seemingly insignificant choice can add dollars to every copy. I meet many authors who only discover this at the very end, when they’ve already got their hearts set on a certain paper stock or printing method. That’s a terrible time to learn, and it often leads to disappointment.
However, you can prepare and learn, ensuring that your expectations match your budget, keeping disappointment at bay. That’s my goal with this guide: to walk you through the big levers that move your budget, show you how to keep quality high, and help you avoid the traps that make books more expensive than they need to be.
Along the way I will point you to tools and deeper reads on our site, like our pages on Print-on-Demand, ISBNs and Distribution, and Cover Design, plus a broader craft overview in Self-Publishing in Canada: A Complete Guide to Professional Book Formatting and Typesetting. I will also reference outside sources so you can keep exploring.
Why production costs surprise authors
Most writers start in “maker mode.” You think about story, voice, and the reader. Then, near the end, you enter “business mode.” You face quotes, proofs, and shipping. That switch can be jarring. Service providers will tell you that paper, ink coverage, format, and finish all affect price. They are right, but they often stop there. You need practical guidance, not vague warnings.
Here is the simple rule that will guide this whole article: the number of pages, the format, and the use of colour set your floor. Paper type and finish move the needle up or down from there. You control all five.
Edition types: paperback, casebound, and dust-jacket hardcovers
Your edition choice sets the tone and the budget on day one. Each format has a clear use case.
Paperback trade (softcover)
Paperbacks are the most affordable to make and ship. They are fast to produce with print-on-demand and simple to store for events. For most fiction and many non-fiction titles, a well-designed trade paperback is the right first edition. You can launch in paperback, prove demand, then add a hardcover later.
Budget note: for a 250-page black-and-white trade paperback, typical POD unit costs often land in the CAD $3.25 to $6.00 range, based on trim size and paper. Offset drops the per-unit price once you print a few hundred copies, though you pay more upfront.
A softcover book with the dreaded spine crease. But hey—at least it proves your read it.
Casebound hardcover
A casebound hardcover binds the printed case directly to the text block. It is durable and looks serious without a dust jacket. This is a smart middle path when you want a premium feel but need to control cost. Schools, libraries, and gift markets often expect a hardcover option for non-fiction and children’s titles.
A bunch of hardcover, casebound books. With minimal care and humidity control, these books will look pretty much the same in a hundred years.
Dust-jacket hardcover
A dust-jacket adds a printed jacket over a cloth or printed case. It looks classic and sells well in gift settings, but it is the most expensive of the three. Choose this when you are sure your audience will value it or when the jacket itself is part of your brand.
How to choose: think about your reader, your launch plan, and your cash flow. If you will sell mostly online and want to test demand, start with paperback. If your plan includes libraries, institutional sales, or gift shops, add casebound once reviews and orders come in. Keep dust-jackets for special runs, signed editions, or strong pre-orders.
Do you throw out the dust jacket when you buy a new hardcover book? As a cover designer, I hope not!
Paper weight and coating: feel, readability and cost
Paper is not only about “nice” or “cheap.” It changes the way your book reads, how thick it is, how it ships, and whether photos look true.
Standard weights you will see
For black-and-white interiors, common uncoated text weights include about 50 lb to 60 lb. For colour interiors, 70 lb to 80 lb is common. Heavier paper resists show-through and makes photos look better, but it adds pages to the spine and adds grams to each copy, which affects freight.
White, cream, and groundwood
White uncoated: crisp, high contrast. Best for technical non-fiction, workbooks, poetry with fine rules, and any book that leans on charts or fine detail.
Cream uncoated: softer look that reduces eye strain. This is the default for most trade paperbacks on Amazon KDP and reads well for long fiction or memoir.
Groundwood (IngramSpark): a budget-friendly, natural-tone stock with a trade feel that many readers associate with bookstore paperbacks. It is lighter, often lowers cost per unit, and gives that familiar “novel” texture. It is not for heavy ink coverage or photo-heavy interiors.
Coated vs uncoated
Coated papers (gloss or matte) make images pop and keep ink on the surface. They are standard for photo books, cookbooks, and art. They cost more and can add weight. Uncoated papers feel warmer, writeable, and are ideal for text-forward books.
Practical pick: for most text-based books, choose cream or groundwood for a comfortable read and a friendly per-unit cost. Move to coated only when the content needs it.
Colour vs black and white: when to spend and how to save
Colour is powerful, but it is costly in POD and offset. You do not have to choose all or nothing. You can steer colour with intent.
When colour earns its keep
Children’s picture books, cookbooks, photo essays, field guides and art books need colour. For non-fiction, a few well-placed colour pages can add clarity for charts or maps. If you are on POD, use colour only where it adds real value.
Cost tiers and tactics
Standard colour vs premium colour (POD): many platforms offer two colour tiers. Premium uses better presses and papers for smoother gradients and true tones. It costs more per page. Standard colour is fine for simple graphics and modest photos.
Mixed interiors: some POD platforms price the interior based on whether any colour pages exist in the file. Others count colour pages. If your provider charges by page, consider keeping a colour insert section rather than scattering colour throughout.
Convert to greyscale when it works: charts and icons often translate well with good contrast and patterns. Ask your designer to test.
Rule of thumb: if your book is mostly text, go black and white. If you need colour, control where and how it appears.
Managing page count without hurting readability
Every extra page increases your print cost and your freight cost. The goal is not “thin at all costs.” The goal is a calm page that does not waste space.
Here are gentle ways to keep pages lean:
Edit with purpose. A strong line edit can remove filler and reduce pages while improving flow. See our breakdown of edit stages in Every Type of Manuscript Editing Explained.
Right-size the trim. A 6 × 9 inch trim holds more words per page than a 5 × 8, which can cut total pages without making type too small.
Choose a readable 11-point face. Many trade books read well at 10.8 to 11.5 points with proper leading. Twelve points often adds cost without a better read.
Tidy front and back matter. Combine acknowledgements and author notes. Move long source lists online with a short pointer if your genre allows it.
Mind your white space. Generous margins look elegant, but they can add dozens of pages if you are not careful. You can keep healthy outer margins with a slightly tighter top and bottom to gain a few pages back.
Simple example: a 70,000-word novel at 6 × 9 inches, set in a clean 11-point serif, may land near 260 to 280 pages. The same book at 5 × 8 inches may climb above 320 pages. If your POD cost moves from CAD $3.75 to CAD $4.75 as a result, that is a full dollar per copy you can control with smart layout. See now why professional typesetting makes such a big difference?
For deeper layout guidance, see Formatting and Typesetting and our craft explainer What Is eBook Formatting?.
Print-on-Demand vs bulk printing in Canada
You have two main production paths. You can print as orders arrive with POD, or you can print a batch with offset or digital short-run.
POD: low risk, broad reach
POD prints one copy at a time and ships directly to your reader or to you. It keeps cash tied up in your book to a minimum. It is fast and ideal for steady online sales across Canada, the United States, and beyond. Platforms like Amazon KDP and IngramSpark are the standard choices. KDP lets you list quickly on Amazon. IngramSpark connects you to a wide retail and library network.
Typical case: a 250-page black-and-white trade paperback might cost CAD $3.25 to $6.00 per unit. You decide your list price, then retail discounts and print cost come out before your royalty. If you want more detail on platforms, read The Best Self-Publishing Platforms for Canadian Authors.
Offset and short-run: lower unit cost, higher upfront spend
Offset is almost always the way to go once you need 500+ copies of your book. You pay for the full batch, then store and ship books yourself or through a partner. Per-unit prices drop sharply at 500 and 1,000 copies for simple black-and-white trade books. Expect longer lead times and more logistics.
Illustrative ranges: a 250-page trade paperback at 500 copies might land near CAD $4.50 to $6.00 per unit depending on paper, trim, and finish. At 1,000 copies, you may see CAD $3.25 to $4.25. Always get two or three quotes from Canadian printers so you can compare apples to apples.
Freight and customs: if you print in the United States and ship to Canada, factor in brokerage, duties, and delays. Often it is simpler to print in Canada for Canadian events and stores.
We help authors choose the right path on our Print-on-Demand page and during a free consult. If you plan to pitch libraries or bookstores, you may pair POD for online orders with a small offset run for events and wholesale.
Format and distribution: how choices ripple into sales
Your edition and paper choices touch distribution in quiet ways.
Bookstores and returns: IngramSpark supports bookstore-friendly terms and returns. If you plan to pitch Indigo or independent shops, set up your hardcover or paperback there and choose a trim size that stores expect.
KDP options: KDP is strong for Amazon sales and author copies, but it has limited paper and colour paths for some formats. Many Canadian authors keep their Amazon paperback and eBook inside KDP, then use IngramSpark for extra print reach and library access.
Libraries: eBook distribution through partners that reach OverDrive or Hoopla lowers the barrier for librarians. We cover the basics in our post on going wide and platform choices.
Metadata and ISBNs: smart metadata makes your listing easier to find. In Canada, ISBNs are free through Library and Archives Canada. See our guide ISBNs in Canada: How to Get One and our practical page ISBN, Barcode and Distribution. If you plan to sell in stores, you will need a scannable barcode on the back cover that matches your ISBN and price.
For official ISBN and legal deposit details, visit Library and Archives Canada and read their guidance on ISBNs and legal deposit.
Cost-control playbook you can use today
Think of this as a step-by-step plan you can follow before you request quotes.
Pick your first edition on purpose. Start with a trade paperback for most titles. Add a casebound hardcover once you see demand. Keep dust-jackets for special releases.
Lock your trim early. Choose a standard trim size that your POD or printer supports widely. This keeps unit costs predictable and avoids redesign later.
Use the right paper for the job. Cream or groundwood for text-heavy books. Coated stock only when images need it.
Stay black and white if you can. If colour is needed, control where it appears and consider a colour insert section.
Design for a lean page count. Set a readable 11-point face, sane leading, and balanced margins. Remove duplicate front matter.
Order a printed proof. Always. A physical proof will catch creep in the gutter, weak contrast in photos, or a barcode that sits too close to the trim.
Plan freight and storage. If you choose offset, price pallets, storage, and pick-and-pack. If you choose POD, set ship-to addresses for events early so you are not paying rush rates.
If you would like our team to set up a page system that reads well and prints cleanly, visit Formatting and Typesetting. If you need an eye-catching jacket that still fits your unit-cost targets, see Cover Design.
Examples that show how choices change cost
These examples are illustrative and meant to show direction, not a binding quote. Exact prices depend on your printer, date, exchange, and materials.
Novel, 70,000 words, black-and-white:
At 6 × 9 inches on cream, 11-point type, light leading, you might land near 270 pages on POD.
Move to 5 × 8 inches with the same type and you might reach 320 pages.
If your POD platform charges about CAD $0.012 per page on top of a base, that extra 50 pages adds about 60 cents per unit.
Non-fiction with charts:
Keep charts in greyscale with good contrast to stay in black-and-white. If you must include colour, test an 8-page colour insert. The insert costs more, but it avoids turning the whole book into a colour job.
Photo-heavy cookbook:
Choose premium colour and coated paper. Reduce page count with tight recipes and photo grids. Consider a casebound edition for durability. This will cost more per unit, but the book will carry a higher list price.
If you want to see how this plays out for your specific manuscript, reach out. We will run a few layout passes and show how pages and paper change your quote.
Helpful resources
Self-Publishing in Canada: A Complete Guide to Professional Book Formatting and Typesetting
Library and Archives Canada for ISBNs and legal deposit.
Frequesntly Asked Questions about Book Production Costs
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Almost always on a per-unit basis. Paperbacks also cost less to ship. Casebound hardcovers cost more but add durability. Dust-jackets cost the most. Use hardcovers when your audience expects them or for special editions.
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No. It looks like many bookstore paperbacks. It is a budget-friendly stock that gives a warm, natural tone. It is not suitable for heavy ink coverage or photo-driven interiors. (It’s actually my favourite stock to read from!)
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It depends on the platform. Some price by any colour present in the file, and others price by colour page count. Ask before you layout, then plan your colour usage to match.
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It depends on your face, leading, and trim. Many novels gain 30 to 60 fewer pages with a clean 11-point setup. That can save dozens of cents per copy and improve the read when done correctly. Never drop so low that you hurt legibility.
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Per unit, yes once you reach a few hundred copies. Total cash outlay, no. POD protects your cash and removes storage risk. Offset lowers per-unit cost but needs a larger upfront spend and a plan for storage and shipping.
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You avoid paper and freight, but you still need professional EPUB design, accessibility checks, and validation so your file passes on Kindle, Kobo, and Apple Books. See eBook Design and Validation.
Closing thoughts and next steps
You do not have to guess your way through production costs. Pick the right edition for your launch, choose a smart paper, keep type neat and lean, and control colour with care. Those four moves protect your budget without hurting the reading experience. If you would like a hand with layout, paper selection, or printing quotes, start with a free chat. We do this every day, and we will help you make a book that looks right, reads well, and fits your plan.
Explore our pages on Print-on-Demand, Formatting and Typesetting, and Cover Design. When you are ready, book a free consultation.
