Home › Blog › What Is Print on Demand
Publishing essentials, October 2026
Print on demand prints one copy of your book each time a reader buys one. There is no upfront print bill, no boxes in the garage and no minimum order. This guide explains how it works on Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, what you earn on each copy, what the quality is like, and when an offset print run is the better choice.
Want to see your own pages set to KDP and IngramSpark specifications before you commit? Ask for a free formatting sample and a written price, with no obligation.
By Gia Kahn, Lead Editor · Updated October 27, 2026
The short answer
Print on demand (POD) is a publishing model in which each copy of a book is printed only when a reader orders it, so there is no upfront print run and no inventory. Amazon KDP prints and ships copies for Amazon customers, and IngramSpark makes the same book orderable by more than 40,000 retailers, libraries and wholesalers. The printing cost is deducted from each sale before your royalty is paid. Most self-published authors use both platforms together. Columbia Publication sets up both, in your own accounts, in every publishing package from $1,499.
Prices checked October 27, 2026 · Reviewed by Gia Kahn, Lead Editor · Next review November 2026 · How we check
Is this you?
Most first-time authors either overspend on stock or set up print on demand in a way that quietly stops sales.
The old route meant ordering 500 to 3,000 copies, paying for all of them upfront and storing what did not sell. Print on demand removes that risk, but it brings its own traps: a wholesale discount set too low so bookstores cannot order, a cover built to the wrong size, or a free KDP ISBN that blocks the IngramSpark edition. Each one is invisible until a sale fails.
This guide covers the model, the money and the setup mistakes in order. Use it to set up the book yourself, or let us prepare the files and both platform accounts while you approve each step.
Side by side
Both produce professional books. The difference is when you pay and how many copies you need at once.
| Print on demand | Offset print run | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | None; the print cost comes out of each sale | The whole run is paid before printing |
| Minimum quantity | One copy | Typically 500 copies or more |
| Inventory | None; copies ship straight to the buyer | Copies stored until they sell |
| Cost per copy | The same at 10 sales or 10,000 | Falls as the quantity rises |
| Special finishes | Standard papers and laminates | Foil, embossing, spot UV, specialty paper |
| Best for | Most self-published titles sold online and through bookstores | Events, bulk and corporate orders, special editions |
Most books start on print on demand and add an offset run later for events or bulk orders. The same print-ready files can serve both if they are built correctly from the start.
How it works
When a reader orders your book on Amazon, a KDP print facility produces a single copy and ships it directly to the reader. You pay nothing upfront. The printing cost is deducted from the sale before your royalty is paid, and there is no stock to store, no unsold copies to write off and no minimum order.
That makes a printed book viable at any sales level. A book that sells 10 copies a month works on the same per-copy terms as one that sells 10,000. Full detail is in our print on demand guide.
The two platforms
Covers Amazon marketplaces worldwide, including the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Canada and Australia. Copies are printed and shipped within Amazon’s normal delivery windows.
Covers the rest of the book trade. Through Ingram’s wholesale network the book becomes orderable by more than 40,000 retailers, libraries, schools and distributors. Independent bookstores and library systems order from Ingram’s catalog.
Use both. KDP covers Amazon and IngramSpark covers everyone else. IngramSpark needs a wholesale discount that distributors can work with, typically 55%, and a clear returns policy. Getting those wrong is the most common reason a book appears on IngramSpark but cannot actually be ordered.
Print quality
KDP and IngramSpark print on digital presses at a quality that readers cannot tell apart from offset printing for most fiction, nonfiction, business and self-help titles. Black and white interiors are crisp and consistent, and full-color interiors reproduce well when files are prepared in CMYK at the right resolution.
Offset printing keeps a visible advantage in two cases: high-volume full-color books such as photography and coffee table titles, where large runs bring the unit cost down, and books that need special finishes such as embossed covers, spot UV or specialty paper. For those, see book printing services.
What you earn
| Platform | How the royalty works | Example: 250-page paperback at $14.99 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | 60% of list price minus the print cost, for paperbacks listed at $9.99 or more on Amazon.com; 50% below $9.99 | ($14.99 x 0.60) minus about $4.00 printing = about $4.99 per copy |
| IngramSpark | List price minus the wholesale discount you set, minus the print cost | At a 55% discount: $14.99 x 0.45 = $6.75, minus a print cost similar to KDP |
On both platforms you earn more per copy than a traditional publishing royalty at the same price. For the full cost and earnings picture, see the self-publishing cost guide.
Want the files and both platforms set up for you?
Get My Publishing QuoteBefore you publish
When to print in bulk
Print on demand suits most self-published books. An offset run is worth pricing when you need 500 or more copies at once, where the unit cost drops below print-on-demand rates; when the book needs special production such as embossing, specialty paper or French flaps; or when you need copies in hand for events, conferences or corporate distribution.
Many authors use both: print on demand for everyday retail sales, and a short offset run for launch events or bulk buyers. See book printing services for bulk quotes.
Publishing packages
Every package builds print-ready files for KDP and IngramSpark and sets both up in your name, quoted first.
Manuscript edited
$1,499
Cover, print and ebook interiors built to KDP and IngramSpark specifications, ISBNs, and your book set up on both platforms with a correct wholesale discount.
Files that pass both platforms the first time, and a book orderable on Amazon and by bookstores from day one.
4 to 5 weeks
Get My Publishing QuoteMost chosen
$2,499
Everything in Global Publish plus a proofread of every page, a final proof review and one project manager who handles both platform accounts.
A proofread print-on-demand edition and one person who deals with KDP and Ingram for you.
7 to 9 weeks
Get My Publishing QuoteBuilt to sell
$4,999
Full Production plus a copyedit, Amazon keyword and category research, an author website and a press release for launch.
Print on demand with the discoverability work that turns a listing into steady sales.
Schedule in your written quote
Get My Publishing QuoteWhat protects your print-on-demand setup
The KDP and IngramSpark accounts are yours, and every royalty is paid to you by the platforms. Paid in full upfront once you approve the written quote.
What you can count on
How it runs
We’ve started with Publishing & distribution. Add anything else your manuscript needs, and a specialist sends an itemized quote within one business day. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Written quote within one business day. Nothing is charged until you approve it. 100% of your rights stay yours.
Questions
A model in which each copy of a book is printed when a reader orders it. There is no print run and no inventory, and the printer ships each copy directly to the buyer. The author pays no upfront printing cost.
Yes. KDP and IngramSpark print at a quality readers cannot tell apart from offset printing for most genres. Offset still wins for large full-color runs and special finishes such as embossing or specialty paper.
KDP sells through Amazon marketplaces. IngramSpark makes the book orderable by more than 40,000 retailers, libraries and wholesalers. Most self-published authors use both at the same time.
Nothing upfront. For a 250-page black and white paperback on KDP, printing costs about $4.00, deducted from each sale. At a $14.99 list price the author earns about $4.99 per copy.
No. KDP states that its free ISBNs can only be used on KDP. If you want your book on both platforms, use an ISBN you own or one from our Bowker block, which is included in every package.
When you need 500 or more copies at once, special finishes, or stock in hand for events and corporate orders. Many authors use print on demand for retail and a short offset run for events.
Tell us about your manuscript and the trim size you want. We reply within one business day with a formatting sample offer and a written price.
Get My Publishing QuoteWe use cookies to measure visits and the performance of our ads. You can accept or reject them. Privacy policy
