Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Printing
Sci-fi and fantasy novels printed with optional interior maps, collector edition finishes, and consistent series production.
Why Print Your Sci-Fi or Fantasy Book With Us
Interior Maps and Art
Include full-color or black-and-white maps, frontispiece art, and chapter header illustrations alongside standard text pages.
Collector Editions
Hardcover binding with foil stamping, 3D Spot UV, metallic printing, and custom endsheets for limited-run special editions.
Series Consistency
Origin Books stores specifications from previous orders to ensure uniform trim, paper, and finish across every volume in a series.
Higher Page Counts
Handles novels of 200 to 500 pages. Thick spines display well on shelves and accommodate title, author, and series number.
Origin Books prints science fiction and fantasy novels in softcover and hardcover formats in runs of 25 to 5,000 copies. Longer page counts, optional interior maps and illustrations, and collector edition finishes suit a genre where readers value series consistency and physical presentation.
Recommended Specifications
Single Novels
- Binding: Softcover (perfect bound)
- Page count: 200—500 pages
- Interior: Black-and-white on 60lb uncoated paper
- Paper color: Cream (standard for fiction) or white (for books with maps or illustrations)
- Trim size: 6 x 9 inches (standard for genre fiction)
- Cover: Matte or gloss lamination
Science fiction and fantasy novels tend toward longer page counts than other fiction genres. A 400—500 page book produces a thick spine that displays well on shelves.
White paper suits books with interior maps, chapter illustrations, or frontispiece art, where higher contrast improves image clarity.
Collector and Special Editions
- Binding: Hardcover (case bound)
- Page count: 200—500 pages
- Interior: Black-and-white, with optional color map or illustration pages
- Cover: Foil stamping, 3D Spot UV, metallic printing, or custom endsheets
Collector editions are well-established in science fiction and fantasy. Readers purchase special hardcover editions of titles they own in other formats. Premium finishes and limited print runs (50—500 copies) serve this market.
Series Volumes
Authors publishing a series maintain uniform trim size, paper stock, and cover finish across all volumes. Origin Books stores specifications from previous orders to ensure consistency on new volumes and reorders.
For the full selection of paper options and weights, see Paper and Materials.
Pricing
Science fiction and fantasy novels with black-and-white interiors remain cost-effective to print despite higher-than-average page counts.
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 |
Novels in the 400—500 page range cost more per unit than 300-page books. The pricing calculator shows exact per-book pricing for any page count. No account required. Orders of 100 or more books ship free.
Interior maps or color illustration pages add approximately $0.08—$0.15 per color page depending on quantity.
For a full breakdown of all publishing costs, see Cost to Self-Publish a Book.
Cover and Premium Features
- Foil stamping applies metallic foil to titles, author names, or design elements. Common on hardcover collector editions.
- 3D Spot UV adds raised, glossy texture to cover elements --- swords, runes, spaceships, or title text.
- Metallic printing integrates metallic toner into the cover design for a distinctive shimmer.
- Custom endsheets (hardcover only) add illustrated maps, world-building art, or colored pages inside the covers.
- Spine text displays the title, author name, and optionally a series number on thicker spines.
Origin Books offers these options on every order at any quantity.
Design and File Preparation
Science fiction and fantasy books may include elements beyond standard text:
- Interior maps at 300 DPI in black-and-white or color (CMYK)
- Chapter header illustrations or decorative elements
- Frontispiece art
- Series title pages and volume numbering
- Fonts embedded in the PDF
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 Science Fiction or Fantasy Book
Direct sales. Sell directly through your own website, at events, or through bookstores. Genre conventions and author events are high-engagement sales channels for science fiction and fantasy.
Retail and library distribution. Each format requires its own ISBN. See the Distribution Guide for channel details and the ISBN guide for purchasing.
Series and collector strategy. Short-run printing supports limited collector runs alongside standard editions. Authors publishing a series can reorder earlier volumes as new installments drive backlist interest.