Printing Services in China for Self-Publishing Authors
Many self-published authors who are in need of a large print run of their books are turning to China for fulfillment. The production costs are much lower than doing so elsewhere, but can be offset by the shipping costs. If you are an author selling directly to your readers and handling distribution/fulfillment yourself, a large print run from a service in China may be the best option.
China has become a hub for high-quality, cost-effective book printing, offering several print-on-demand (POD) services tailored for self-publishing authors. Concerns related to the quality of the product, customer service, language barriers, and long shipping distances, have all been largely resolved over the last few years and now many indie authors regularly utilize services in China for large print runs.
Below are three of the top POD
providers in China, each with unique strengths to cater to various publishing
needs.
1. QinPrinting
QinPrinting is renowned for its high-quality printing and personalized customer support. They cater to a wide range of book formats, including custom sizes and complex projects. They also provide items such as boxes, cards, and calendars if you need promotional items to go with your books. With offices in the USA, Canada, and Australia, they are one of the largest companies catering to self-publishers.
Pros:
- Exceptional print quality, suitable for detailed illustrations and high-resolution images.
- Offers a variety of binding options and paper types.
- Responsive customer service with English-speaking representatives.
Cons:
- Shipping times can vary depending on destination and order size.
- May have higher costs for very small print runs.
Minimum Print Run: No strict minimum; flexible for both small and large orders.
Quality Reports: Consistently positive feedback on print clarity and material durability.
Printing Size Options: Custom sizes available; supports various formats including hardcover and paperback.
Shipping Times: Typically ranges from 1 to 7 days for production, plus shipping time depending on location.
Customer Service Reviews: Praised for attentive service and clear communication throughout the printing process.
QinPrinting’s website opens right to the quote page and it was simple to choose options, including dust jackets and customized items, and get a quote immediately on the screen. The variable is shipping costs but they provide a calculator to help with this.
I punched in a 6.6 x 10.25 jacketed hardcover with 250 pages, selected cloth in the color I preferred, 3.5 flap width, with a print run of 1,000 books and the estimate minus shipping was $5,430. Reducing the print run to 500 books gave me a cost of $3,959. Obviously, the more books you print in a single run the cheaper the cost per book.
I was unable to determine the companies breaking point as to POD vs an offset print run. Offset is cheaper, but usually requires a minimum of several hundred copies in order for it to be profitable for both the author and the printer. Finding that breaking point can greatly influence the number of copies you order and the cost to produce them.
Qin has a good reputation among authors of children’s book. Color control for illustrated books is a challenge for many companies but Qin seems to have it figured out. Variations from one print run to the next seem to be minimal. One would assume the same would apply to cookbooks, art books, graphic novels, and comics as well. Qin offers calculators for the most common sizes in all of those categories.
2. BookPrintingChina
While the simply named BookPrintingChina claims to offer a “comprehensive range of printing services with a focus on affordability and quality”, to actually see what those costs are they require you to contact them for a quote. After a visit to Qin and their excellent onscreen quoting tools this was a bit of a letdown. I was however to dig up several reviews and examine the list of their capabilities and they offer quite a lot of options (pop-up books!) and have a good online reputation. Based on their list of options they are well-suited for authors seeking cost-effective solutions without compromising on quality.
Pros:
- Competitive pricing, especially for bulk orders.
- Wide array of printing options and finishes. I found everything from burlap to leather in the cover options alone. Sizes were standard as were binding options and custom addons such as foil, die-cutting, embossing, ribbons, and more
- Strong emphasis on customer satisfaction including English speaking service reps.
Cons:
- Standard shipping times may be longer for certain regions.
- Limited express shipping options.
Minimum Print Run: I was unable to determine a minimum order size. They simple state “Flexible; accommodates both small and large quantities.”
Quality Reports: High marks for color accuracy and binding strength. Like Qin they offer a variety of color heavy print options such as childrens books and cookbooks. These speaks to the machinery they have onsite and its capabilities.
Printing Size Options: Offers various standard and custom sizes, with multiple binding styles.
Shipping Times: Production typically takes 1 to 7 days; shipping duration varies by destination.
Customer Service Reviews: Noted for proactive communication and helpful guidance throughout the printing process. Yes, they speak English.
While I wasn’t able to answer all my questions from their website, the reviews I read stated that their pricing was competitive and their customer service was on par with what they expected. Print quality was good and consistent. The most often read complaint was shipping damage but that is not uncommon when you consider the number of miles the books are traveling to get to you. As with most Chinese companies shipping times were variable in both cost and time.
BookPrintingChina looks to be a viable option for self-publishing authors. Without a quote it is difficult to compare their services with others, but based on reviews alone they are a reputable company with several years of service under their belt.
3. Call2Print
While started and headquartered in China, Call2Print is a world-wide company that specializes in book printing and binding, offering a variety of styles and a history of reliable service. They are known for accommodating both large and small print runs. Unlike BookPrintingChina they offered so much information on their website it was a task to absorb it all.
The first thing I noticed is that they leave no mystery as to POD vs Offset print runs. To quote their website: “Printing by offset means you need to order at least 1,000 copies hardcover or 2,000 copies soft cover at once in one project. (Call2Print can accept 500 hardcover and 1,000 paperback as a good start.” They then go on to explain WHY offset might be a better choice for print runs of that size vs the cost of Print-On-Demand. It was refreshing to see a company explain the WHY, as most do not. Their website was not only informative but educational as well.
That said, they failed me when it came to costs. Like BookPrintingChina they require you to email them for a quote and promise to “Get back to you within 4 hours”. This was disappointing to say the least after using Qin’s onscreen quoting tool.
What I was able to glean from their website alone was that they offer every option and customization their competitors do with the added bonus of marketing materials and promotional items. If you’re an author ordering a large print run for a conference you can get your banners, pop-up display, business cards, stickers, and giveaways all in the same order.
Pros:
- Diverse binding options to suit different book types.
- Ability to handle urgent orders with fast turnaround times.
- Experienced in managing both simple and complex printing projects.
Cons:
- May have limited customization options compared to other providers.
- Shipping costs can be higher for expedited services.
Minimum Print Run: Strict minimums, but they support various order sizes.
Quality Reports: Reliable quality with consistent print and binding standards.
Printing Size Options: Supports a range of sizes and formats, including special requests.
Shipping Times: Offers expedited printing services; shipping times depend on the chosen delivery method.
Customer Service Reviews: Recognized for accommodating urgent requests and providing clear timelines. English speaking reps.
My Takeaway:
Utilizing a printer in China should be considered only if you are in need of a large volume of printed books with no urgent delivery times.
The cost savings seems to come into play around the 500 book mark. This is the point where the production costs AND shipping costs offset having the same print run performed in-country. This seems to be the breaking point for most companies where they switch from print-on-demand to offset. Some experimentation with the quoting tools they provide will tell you where the switch happens. The best option would be to just ask what the companies minimum offset limit is during the quoting conversation.
Shipping quotes are all over the place. One order may quote a shipping time of 3 weeks while another similar quote may take 3 months. Pricing does not seem to change much due to the length of the shipping time. As mentioned earlier, China is best for people who are not in a hurry.
If you are selling books via your own online store and handling fulfillment yourself, or maybe even using a vendor to do this for you, an offset print run from a Chinese company may be just the thing for you. With the arrival of TikTok Shop many authors are in need of such services and China has adapted quicky to fill that need. The three companies mentioned here all provide the necessary options and customizations to fill every authors need.
EDITED TO ADD
The recent tariff wars sparked by the trump administration have thrown the China option into disarray. Authors using these companies will need to use caution and explore all options when it comes to both printing and shipping large orders from China.
Until this issue is resolved its advised to consider options and perhaps overstock to safeguard a projected disruption of Chinese printing services.
