Printing costs and author copies
With print on demand you pay nothing to set up and a fixed price per copy: on Amazon KDP, $3.40 for a 200-page black-ink paperback. You can buy your own copies at that price plus shipping. An offset print run can cost less per copy, but you pay for every copy before you sell one.
The print-on-demand formula
Print on demand prints a copy when someone orders it. There is no setup fee on KDP; the printing cost is taken out of each sale's royalty, or charged to you when you order your own copies. Amazon publishes the formula: a fixed cost per book plus the page count times a per-page cost. For Amazon.com in US dollars:
| Paperback interior | Pages | Regular trim | Large trim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black ink | 24 to 108 | $2.30 flat | $2.84 flat |
| Black ink | 110 to 828 | $1.00 + $0.012 a page | $1.00 + $0.017 a page |
| Standard color | 72 to 600 | $1.00 + $0.0255 a page | $1.00 + $0.0402 a page |
| Premium color | 24 to 40 | $3.60 flat | $4.20 flat |
| Premium color | 42 to 828 | $1.00 + $0.065 a page | $1.00 + $0.08 a page |
Source: Amazon KDP, Paperback Printing Cost, checked October 20, 2026. KDP also lists cheaper groundwood paper rates for black ink.
KDP notes that page count, ink and marketplace set the price; trim size within the regular range, bleed and cover finish do not (KDP).
Print cost by page count
Here is the formula worked out. Most nonfiction books land between 150 and 250 pages; the formatting guide shows how to estimate yours from your word count.
| Pages | Black, regular | Black, large | Standard color | Premium color | Hardcover, black |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $2.30 | $2.84 | $3.55 | $7.50 | $6.80 |
| 150 | $2.80 | $3.55 | $4.83 | $10.75 | $7.45 |
| 200 | $3.40 | $4.40 | $6.10 | $14.00 | $8.05 |
| 250 | $4.00 | $5.25 | $7.38 | $17.25 | $8.65 |
| 300 | $4.60 | $6.10 | $8.65 | $20.50 | $9.25 |
Regular trim for color columns. Hardcover: KDP Hardcover Printing Cost, $6.80 for 75 to 108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.012 a page up to 550 pages.
Two things stand out. Color is expensive: a 200-page premium color paperback costs four times the black-ink version. And the print cost sets a floor under your price, because KDP's minimum list price is the printing cost divided by the 60% royalty rate. A 200-page black paperback cannot be listed below $3.40 / 0.60 = $5.67.
Author copies
Author copies are the copies you buy yourself to give away, sell at talks, or send to the press. On KDP you pay the print cost times the number of copies, and KDP says that is "the lowest price we can offer for your book. We can't offer additional discounts" (KDP).
Shipping is on top, and KDP does not publish a formula for it. It depends on the number of items, speed, destination and weight; you see the total at the last checkout step, and author copy orders do not get free or Prime shipping (KDP). Get a real estimate by starting an order and stopping before you place it.
| Copies | 150 pages ($2.80) | 200 pages ($3.40) | 250 pages ($4.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | $70 | $85 | $100 |
| 100 | $280 | $340 | $400 |
| 500 | $1,400 | $1,700 | $2,000 |
Black ink, regular trim, before shipping and tax.
Budget a few copies you will not sell. The Library of Congress expects one copy if you take a free LCCN, and US law asks for two deposit copies within three months of publication (see the copyright guide). Reedsy puts proof copies at $10 to $100 depending on page count, quantity and shipping.
What author copies can do is real. Michael Erath's firm uses his book as a mailer to prospects; his Scribe Media success story puts the result at "$16" "All-In Cost Per Book Placed" (his story). That is one author's setup, with branded packaging, not a typical figure, but it shows how to think about copies: as a cost per reader reached, not a cost per book printed.
IngramSpark
IngramSpark is the other main print-on-demand option and the usual route to bookstores and libraries. Since February 1, 2026, title setup and file revisions are free, books enabled for distribution pay a 1.875% market access fee, and discounts on books you buy directly start at 100 copies (IngramSpark). IngramSpark's print prices vary by specification; use its calculator for your book. If you use both platforms for the same edition, you will need your own ISBN, because KDP's free one works only on KDP.
Offset runs: when they pay off
An offset printer prints a fixed run, often hundreds or thousands of copies, and ships them to you. Reedsy's 2026 cost guide puts wholesale paperback printing at roughly $2 to $5 a copy depending on volume and specifications, and lists the costs that come with it: paying for the full run upfront, shipping, storage and fulfillment.
Compare that to print on demand. A 200-page KDP paperback costs $3.40 with no upfront commitment. An offset run of 1,000 copies at $2 to $5 is $2,000 to $5,000 paid before you sell one, before freight and a place to keep them. The saving per copy, if there is one, is often under $1.50.
An offset run makes sense when:
- You already know where the copies are going: a company order, a conference, a course, a client program.
- You need a format or finish print on demand cannot do well, such as heavy color or special paper.
- You have somewhere to store the books and a way to ship them.
Authors who distribute at scale tend to do it deliberately. Mario Simonyan's Scribe story reports "10,000+" "Copies Distributed Without a Single Ad" (his story), one author's result rather than a norm. If that is your plan, get offset quotes. If it is not yet, print on demand lets you find out without a warehouse.
Mistakes that cost money
- Printing 1,000 copies without a channel. The cheapest per-copy price is the most expensive book if the boxes sit in a garage.
- Forgetting shipping. It is not in KDP's print price, and it is not free for author copies.
- Choosing color by default. If your charts work in grayscale, black ink saves on every copy for the life of the book.
- Pricing below the floor. Check that your list price leaves a royalty after printing; the break-even guide shows the math.
The calculator works out your print cost from your page count, trim and ink, then multiplies it by the author copies you plan to buy.
Common questions
How much does it cost to print one copy of a book?
On Amazon KDP, a black-ink paperback in a regular trim costs $2.30 up to 108 pages and $1.00 plus $0.012 a page above that, so a 200-page book costs $3.40. Color interiors and large trims cost more.
How much do author copies cost on KDP?
The print cost times the number of copies, plus shipping and any tax. KDP says the author price is the lowest it can offer and it cannot give further discounts. Author copy orders do not qualify for free or Prime shipping.
Is offset printing cheaper than print on demand?
Per copy it can be: Reedsy puts wholesale paperback printing at about $2 to $5 a copy depending on volume and specs. But you pay for the whole run upfront and take on shipping, storage and fulfillment, so it only pays off when you have a confirmed way to move the copies.
What does a hardcover cost to print?
On KDP, a black-ink hardcover costs $6.80 for 75 to 108 pages, and $5.65 plus $0.012 a page for 110 to 550 pages in a regular trim. A 300-page hardcover costs $9.25.
Sources, checked October 20, 2026: Amazon KDP help: Paperback Printing Cost, Hardcover Printing Cost, Paperback Royalty, proof and author copy cost, shipping; IngramSpark; Reedsy, 2026 cost guide; Scribe Media success stories for Michael Erath and Mario Simonyan. Published by Scribe Media.