Romance Book Printing
Romance novels and collector editions printed with matte covers, cream paper, and premium finishes for series consistency.
Why Print Your Romance Novel With Us
Matte Cover Standard
Matte lamination produces the smooth, contemporary appearance that dominates current romance publishing and photographs well for social media.
Collector Editions
Hardcover binding with foil stamping, 3D Spot UV, and custom endsheets for special editions that readers collect alongside standard printings.
Series Consistency
Origin Books stores specifications from previous orders to maintain uniform trim, paper, and cover finish across every volume in a series.
Cost-Effective Runs
Black-and-white interiors at standard trim sizes are among the most affordable books to print. Free shipping on 100+ copies.
Origin Books prints romance novels in softcover and hardcover formats in runs of 25 to 5,000 copies. Matte cover finishes, cream interior paper, and premium options for collector editions suit a genre where physical presentation and series consistency drive reader purchases.
Recommended Specifications
Standard Romance Novels
- Binding: Softcover (perfect bound)
- Page count: 200—400 pages
- Interior: Black-and-white on 60lb uncoated paper
- Paper color: Cream (standard for fiction)
- Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches (most common for romance)
- Cover: Matte lamination
Matte lamination is the dominant cover finish in current romance publishing. It produces a smooth, contemporary appearance that photographs well for social media and online retail listings.
Special and Collector Editions
- Binding: Hardcover (case bound)
- Page count: 200—400 pages
- Interior: Black-and-white, with optional interior art or illustrated chapter headers
- Cover: Foil stamping, 3D Spot UV, or custom endsheets
Collector editions are a growing format in romance publishing. Readers purchase special editions of titles they already own in other formats. Premium finishes --- foil, Spot UV, and illustrated endsheets --- differentiate collector editions from standard printings.
Series Consistency
Authors publishing a series maintain uniform specs across all volumes: same trim size, paper stock, cover finish, and spine design. Origin Books stores file specifications from previous orders to maintain consistency on reorders and new volumes.
For the full selection of paper options and weights, see Paper and Materials.
Pricing
Romance novels with black-and-white interiors and standard trim sizes are among the most cost-effective books to print.
For a 6 x 9 softcover with a black-and-white interior:
| Pages | 100 copies | 250 copies | 500 copies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | $6.72/book | $6.07/book | $5.57/book |
| 300 | $10.38/book | $9.61/book | $8.95/book |
A typical 250—350 page romance novel falls between these rows. Pricing for the 5.5 x 8.5 trim is comparable. The pricing calculator shows exact per-book pricing for any trim size and page count. No account required. Orders of 100 or more books ship free.
For a full breakdown of all publishing costs, see Cost to Self-Publish a Book.
Cover and Premium Features
- Matte lamination is the standard cover finish for romance novels, producing a smooth contemporary appearance.
- Foil stamping applies metallic foil to titles or design elements on hardcover collector editions.
- 3D Spot UV adds raised, glossy texture to selected cover elements.
- Custom endsheets (hardcover only) add illustrated or colored pages inside the covers --- a common feature in special editions.
- Spine text displays the title and author name on books at 150+ pages.
Origin Books offers these options on every order at any quantity.
Design and File Preparation
Romance covers must match subgenre conventions. Contemporary, historical, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance each have distinct visual expectations that affect cover design.
- Fonts embedded in the PDF
- Consistent margins, headers, and page numbering
- Chapter openings styled consistently throughout
- Front matter and back matter included in the page count
Origin Books offers cover design starting at $89 and interior design starting at $399. See Design Services for tier details.
For authors preparing files independently, Origin Books provides templates and a spine width calculator. Full specifications are in the file preparation guide.
Selling Your Romance Novel
Direct sales. Sell directly through your own website, at events, or through bookstores. Romance conventions, book signings, and reader events are high-volume sales channels for the genre.
Retail and library distribution. Each format requires its own ISBN. See the Distribution Guide for channel details and the ISBN guide for purchasing.
Series strategy. Romance readers who discover a series tend to purchase all volumes. Short-run printing allows reorders of earlier titles as new volumes drive backlist sales.