What is Short Run Book Printing in Australia?

If you've ever dreamed of holding a printed copy of your own book, short run printing is probably why that dream is achievable and can easily come to reality. But what exactly does "short run" mean, and why has it become such a game-changer for authors and businesses, especially self-published authors across Australia? Let's unpack it.

‍

A Little History First

Traditional book printing has commonly had a core economic principle, which is that the more copies you print, the cheaper the cost per book becomes. This is based on economies of scale and stemmed from the first offset printing presses that revolutionised mass print production. Offset printing is still widely used across the world today, and championed this principle as it is more expensive to set up, therefore printing thousands of units at cheaper rate made it more cost-effective. Digital printing, while it is more cost-effective to print more, it’s up to a point. You can read all about the differences between offset and digital printing in our dedicated article on this. 

So anyway, for decades, offset printing was largely used by major companies. When it comes to book publishing, traditional publishers were those major companies who could afford to print thousands of books for an author they deemed to have great selling potential, with the goal of making a profit. Therefore, unless you had some serious cash or were picked up by a publisher, it was difficult to print copies of your book. This was the case for most independent authors, until digital printing changed it all.

With digital printing, came the ability to print smaller quantities. That is exactly what short run printing is! It’s when a printer can print smaller quantities of below 500, up to a few thousand, which is much more affordable for indie authors and more accessible for smaller businesses too. However, it shouldn’t be confused with print-on-demand, which often prints a single copy of different books at a time, when these books are ordered by customers online.

‍

Why Short Run Printing Works

Short run printing is what initially made self-publishing genuinely accessible. Yes, it still costs a bit more upfront to print 50 to 2500 copies, but it certainly doesn’t cost as much as long run printing with an offset printer where minimums are often 2,500-5000 or more. At our Melbourne-based print factory, we work with authors who need just 30 copies for a book launch, 50 for a local market stall event, or 100 for their first print run after getting enough pre-orders on their website or kickstarter campaign.

Tip: if you’ve ever wondered why printing is described as a ‘run’, i.e. short print run, or long print run; it’s because once the machines are set up, they operate or run continuously!

What’s made this such a great option for authors too, is that short run printing doesn’t mean that your books are printed at a lower quality either. Modern digital printing produces sharp, vibrant results that can often be indistinguishable from offset printing to most readers, and still gives you the flexibility to design and have your book produced exactly as you want it.

‍

A More Sustainable Way to Publish

One of the quieter benefits of short run printing is its environmental footprint. When you print only what you need, you dramatically reduce the risk of unsold stock ending up in landfill and print factories end up using fewer materials and less energy to produce them too. This is why it’s also more sustainable to choose a responsibly-sourced new paper stock when printing something meant to last over a lifetime, or choosing a recycled paper stock to reduce landfill waste as well. This will depend on the project too, because recycling paper is a process that uses up a lot of energy alone and might not offset the lifetime usage of the books you’re looking to print.

Rather than committing to 5,000 copies and hoping for the best, authors who pick short run printers can start with 50-100 copies, gauge interest, focus on marketing to a niche audience in their community, and fund their second or third print runs when stock runs low. It’s a lot less waste and overall, a more considered approach to bringing a book into the world.

‍

So, Is Short Run Right for You?

If you're an author, educator, business owner, or creative with a book project in mind, you do not need a major traditional publisher to share your work. There are many services and professionals that can assist you in the process of putting your book together, including us, when you’re ready to print it.

Whether you need 50 copies or 500, short run digital printing gives you a professional result without the same cost, commitment, or minimum quantities you’d normally have.

When you’re ready to hit ‘print’ or would like a recommendation on professionals to help you get there, get in touch with us and we’ll print your books with expertise and genuine care. 

‍