Should Your Book Be Print-on-Demand?

Print-on-demand works well for some books. It works badly for others. The difference comes down to three factors: how many copies you need, what quality standards your genre demands, and how you plan to sell.

This page walks through each factor so you can make the call yourself.

What This Decision Tree Measures

POD printing produces books one at a time (or in very small batches) using digital toner. Short-run offset printing produces books in runs of 25 to 5,000 using ink on press.

Neither method is universally better. POD carries no upfront inventory risk. Short-run printing produces higher and more consistent physical quality at a lower per-unit cost once you pass a modest volume threshold.

The right choice depends on your specific book, your sales expectations, and how readers and buyers will encounter it.

Work through the three sections below. Each one will point you toward a recommendation at the end.

1. Volume Questions

What are your expected first-year sales?

Under 50 copies. POD is a reasonable fit. The per-unit cost will be higher, but you avoid warehousing copies you may not sell.
50 to 200 copies. This is the gray zone. POD still works, but short-run pricing starts to become competitive around 100 units.
200 to 500 copies. Short-run printing will almost certainly cost less per unit. You also gain consistency across the full run.
500+ copies. Short-run is the clear economic choice. POD at this volume means paying a premium for every single copy.

How often do you expect to reorder?

Frequent small reorders (10 to 20 copies at a time) favor POD.
Occasional larger reorders (100+ copies) favor short-run.
A single print run that covers your full projected need favors short-run.

Do you plan to sell at events, conferences, or readings?

If yes, you will likely need 50 to 200 copies at once. Ordering that many through POD is slow and expensive.
Event sales also put books directly into readers’ hands, where print quality is immediately visible and comparable to whatever else they bought that day.

2. Quality Requirements

What genre is your book?

Literary fiction, poetry, art books, photography. Readers and reviewers in these categories notice paper feel, ink density, and binding quality. POD limitations are most visible here.
Nonfiction with a professional audience. Consultants, academics, and speakers need books that hold up to scrutiny. Flimsy production undermines the authority the book is meant to establish.
Workbooks, guides, reference materials. Functional quality matters more than aesthetic quality. POD can be acceptable if the binding holds up to repeated use.
Casual nonfiction, memoir for limited distribution. POD is often fine.

Do you have specific paper requirements?

POD providers typically offer one or two paper stocks. You get what they carry.
Short-run printing lets you choose paper weight, finish, and opacity. This matters most for books with images, books meant to feel substantial, and books where bleed-through would be distracting.

Does your interior include color?

POD color printing has improved but still produces less consistent results than offset, especially across large image areas and skin tones.
If your book has a color interior that readers will evaluate closely (photography, art, cookbooks, children’s books), test a POD proof carefully before committing.

What binding do you need?

Perfect binding (standard paperback) is available through both POD and short-run.
Case binding (hardcover) through POD is limited in options and often inconsistent in execution.
Specialty binding (lay-flat, spiral, French flaps) is generally not available through POD.

Does your cover finish matter?

POD covers are typically laminated gloss or matte with limited options.
Short-run printing offers soft-touch lamination, spot UV, foil stamping, and uncoated finishes. If your cover design depends on a specific tactile quality, POD may not reproduce it.

3. Distribution Path

How do you plan to sell?

Direct sales only (your website, events, hand-selling). POD can work. You control the presentation and can manage buyer expectations.
Retail distribution through bookstores. This changes the calculation significantly. See below.

Do you want bookstore placement?

Bookstore buyers handle hundreds of books. They compare yours physically to everything else on the shelf.
POD books often have lighter paper, thinner covers, and less saturated printing. Buyers notice.
Bookstores also need reliable fulfillment. POD fulfillment times vary. Short-run inventory ships on your schedule.

Are you targeting the library market?

Libraries require durable binding. Many POD perfect-bound books do not hold up to repeated circulation.
Library reviewers (Kirkus, Library Journal, Booklist) request advance copies months before publication. You need finished copies in hand, not a POD pipeline that prints on order.

How many review copies do you need, and when?

If you need 10 or fewer, POD can handle it.
If you need 25 to 100 advance copies for a coordinated review push, you need them printed, shipped, and in reviewers’ hands on a fixed timeline. A short run gives you that inventory. POD gives you a queue.

Reading the Results

POD is fine for your book if:

You expect to sell fewer than 100 copies in the first year
You sell direct only (website, hand-to-hand, events with small quantities)
Your genre does not carry high physical quality expectations
You do not need advance review copies in bulk
You have no bookstore or library placement goals

This is an honest, practical choice for many books. There is no shame in it.

POD is risky for your book if:

You want bookstore placement but are unsure of volume
You need 20 or more review copies on a fixed schedule
Your genre has moderate quality expectations (narrative nonfiction, business books, memoir for public sale)
You plan to sell at more than a few events per year

In this range, POD may work but could also create problems that are hard to fix after the fact. A short run of 250 copies often costs less than you expect and eliminates most of these risks.

POD will actively hurt your book if:

You write literary fiction, poetry, or art-adjacent work where production quality is part of the reader’s experience
Reviewers at major outlets will evaluate your book alongside traditionally published titles
You have an established readership that expects a certain standard
Your book includes color images that need to reproduce faithfully

In these cases, POD savings are false savings. A book that looks and feels inferior costs you readers, reviews, and reputation.

Short-run printing is the clear choice if:

You expect to sell 500 or more copies
You need retail distribution through bookstores or wholesalers
Your book requires hardcover, specialty binding, or specific paper stock
You need 25 or more advance copies for a review campaign
Physical quality is part of your book’s value proposition

Cost Comparison at Different Volumes

These are rough per-unit figures for a standard 250-page, 6x9 trade paperback with a four-color cover and black-and-white interior. Actual pricing depends on specifications.

Quantity	POD (per unit)	Short-Run Offset (per unit)
100	$5.50 - $7.00	$5.00 - $6.50
250	$5.50 - $7.00	$3.75 - $5.00
500	$5.50 - $7.00	$2.75 - $3.75
1,000	$5.50 - $7.00	$2.00 - $3.00

Notice that POD pricing stays flat regardless of quantity. That is its advantage at low volumes and its disadvantage at higher ones.

At 250 copies, short-run printing often matches or beats POD per-unit cost while delivering noticeably better physical quality. At 500 copies, the gap widens. At 1,000, you are paying roughly double per unit for an inferior product if you stay with POD.

Next Steps

If this framework points you toward short-run printing, you can request a quote with your book’s specifications. We will give you exact pricing, not ranges.

If it points you toward POD, that is a legitimate answer. Use it with confidence.