Quick Answer: This book printing guide covers the essential steps: finalise your manuscript, format the interior file, design a cover sized to your exact spine width, decide whether you need an ISBN, choose short-run or print-on-demand printing, and review a physical proof before approving the full run. Getting each step right avoids costly reprints and delays.
Why the Printing Process Matters for Self-Published Authors
A manuscript represents months or years of work, and the printing process is what turns it into something a reader can hold. Rushing file setup or skipping a proof is the most common way authors end up paying for a reprint, so it is worth understanding each step before you submit anything to print.
Step 1: Finalise Your Manuscript
Complete your edits, proofreading and formatting before touching print files. Once a manuscript is laid out for print, changing the page count can shift your spine width and undo cover work already completed, so this step should be locked in first.
Step 2: Format Your Interior File
Export your interior as a single, print-ready PDF with pages in consecutive order, correct margins, and bleed where needed. Most authors use InDesign, Affinity Publisher or a formatting tool built for print. If you are not confident preparing the file yourself, our artwork and graphic prepress team can check or prepare it for you.
Step 3: Design a Cover Sized to Your Spine Width
Your cover file needs a front, spine and back designed as one continuous piece, and the spine width depends on your final page count and paper stock. Confirm your page count before finalising cover artwork, since a late page-count change is the most common reason a cover needs to be redone.
Step 4: Decide Whether You Need an ISBN
An ISBN is not required if you are printing for personal use, events or gifting, but it is needed for retail and library distribution. In Australia, ISBNs are issued through an Australian ISBN Agency, and a barcode encoding your ISBN is generally added to the back cover for retail sale.
Step 5: Choose Short-Run or Print-on-Demand Printing
Short-run digital printing suits authors who want a set number of copies on hand for events, sales or gifting, without committing to a large offset print run. Print-on-demand suits authors distributing primarily online, where copies are printed one at a time as orders come in. The right choice depends on how you plan to sell or distribute your book.
Step 6: Choose Your Binding Format
Most novels and nonfiction titles are perfect bound as a paperback, while special editions or gift books may suit case binding as a hardcover. Confirm your binding choice before finalising your interior page count, since some formats have minimum or maximum page requirements.
Step 7: Review a Physical Proof Before Printing
Always request a physical proof copy before approving a full print run. A proof lets you check page order, colour, margins and spine alignment on the actual paper stock, while changes are still inexpensive to make. Once you approve the proof, your book moves to the full run and finishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an ISBN to print my book?
Only if you plan to sell through retail or library channels. If you are printing for personal use, events or gifting, an ISBN is not required. Australian authors can purchase one through an official Australian ISBN Agency.
What file format do I need to print a book?
A print-ready PDF is standard for both the interior and the cover, with the cover built as one continuous file covering the front, spine and back.
How many copies should I print for a first run?
Many first-time authors choose a short-run digital print of a modest quantity to gauge demand before committing to a larger order, rather than printing thousands of copies upfront.
What happens if I skip the proofing stage?
Skipping a proof risks discovering layout, colour or spine issues only after the full run is printed, which usually means paying for a reprint. A proof is the cheapest point in the process to catch a mistake.
Get Your Book Printed with Eplot
From file checks to proofing and binding, Eplot can support your book through each step of the printing process. Visit our book printing page or request a quote from the Eplot team to get started.
