In this blog post, I ask ChatGPT about how many physical books should I print.
What ChatGPT said
For self-published authors, deciding how many physical books to print is a big question—and an easy place to lose time, money, or momentum. Whether you’re launching your debut novella or managing stock for an event, the answer depends on your goals, your budget, and your audience.
1. Start Small: Print What You Know You Can Sell
Unless you’re a public figure or have a large, proven audience, don’t start with hundreds of copies. A first run of 20–50 books is often enough to:
- Test quality and format
- Fulfill early supporter or review copies
- Sell at local events or direct through your website
If you’re planning a launch, know how many people are likely to attend, how many stockists (if any) are lined up, and what your follow-up sales plan looks like.
Example: If 30 people are coming to your launch and five indie bookshops have taken 2–3 copies each on consignment, 50 books is a safe place to start.
2. Know Your Print Options: POD vs Bulk Printing
Self-publishers have two main options:
- Print-on-Demand (POD): Services like IngramSpark and Amazon KDP print each book only when ordered. It’s more expensive per unit, but no upfront cost, no storage, and no waste. Great for long-tail sales or international reach.
- Bulk Printing: Using a local printer or offset service gets you lower per-unit costs if you print 100+ books at once. But you’ll need to store, sell, and ship them yourself.
Tip: Many authors use both. For example, they print 50–100 copies for events and local sales, and let POD handle ongoing online orders.
3. Plan Based on Purpose
Ask yourself: What are these books for?
Here are a few examples of smart print strategies:
- Events and Markets: Bring 10–30 copies depending on foot traffic and price point. You don’t need a stack. One display copy and a box of stock is fine.
- Libraries and Bookshops: Start with 5–10 for local libraries and stockists. Check if they prefer to buy through distributors or directly from you.
- Gifts and Giveaways: Always have 5–10 spare copies for giveaways, reviewers, or surprise opportunities.
- Crowdfunding or Pre-orders: If you’ve sold 75 books through a presale campaign, you can safely print 100–150 to cover those sales and a few extras.
Printing fewer books first allows you to adapt based on demand, get feedback, and correct any formatting issues before committing to a bigger run.
Final Thoughts: Your First Print Run is Just the Beginning
Print what makes sense for your current audience—not the dream audience you might have one day. You can always print more later. Your energy is better spent reaching readers, not wrangling boxes of unsold books.
And remember: Every book you sell is a win. Start there.
What Anna Says
This is actually really good advice. The numbers are spot on, based on my experience.