Custom publishing

Can I print my book on Opus? How much would it cost? Any bulk discounts?

Yes you can print your book on Opus! Please see our self-publishing guidelines and our pricing guide.

How does it work?

·         Opus starts with PDF files provided by the author, the publisher or by another content aggregator.

·         The PDF files are either downloaded from the machine’s database or uploaded in the store.

·         The interior pages are printed, in black and white, double sided, on 8.5” x 11” paper, by a laser jet printer.

·         Simultaneously, the cover is printed by a full-color inkjet printer on a 17” x11” (tabloid) sheet of coverstock.

·         The interior pages and the cover are bound together using cool-bind glue.

·         The book is trimmed down to size, then slides out the chute, ready to be picked up and read.

Why choose Politics and Prose for my Self-Publishing Project?

Authors have options when it comes to self-publishing their work. The advantage of Opus is that it allows an author to retain complete control over the process. There are no minimums and no large upfront expenses. You can print exactly as many books as you need now, with the option of ordering more in the future. As author, you retain all rights to your book, including non-exclusive distribution rights, and modifications to your book are possible for a small fee. You set the sales price of your book, and have the option to offer it for sale on consignment in the store and on our website via our Print-on-Demand Consignment Program.

Further, by choosing Politics & Prose, you are supporting a local business that enriches the community, pays city taxes and provides donations and support to local organizations.  You will also be dealing with us personally, not a faceless website or corporation, and we will make every effort to provide the help you need to see your project through to a successful conclusion.

What size books can Opus produce?

Book size is determined by two factors; trim size and number of pages. The number of pages can range from 40 to about 800 pages. The trim size is infinitely variable between 4.5” x 5” and 8.25” x 10.5”. Most in-copyright books have standard trim sizes (between 5” x 8” and 6” x 9”), while Public Domain books vary widely. If you wish to print your own book, you can set your trim size to whatever suits you best (within the limits of the machine).

How much do the books cost?

 It depends on your needs:

-Our One-time set-up fee, which includes only a cursory review of your files to check their suitability for printing and uploading of your book to Opus, is $20.

-Our Basic set-up fee, which includes a review of files, converting your Word document to a pdf without major changes, and a template cover, is $99.

-Our Deluxe set-up fee, which includes most formatting help a customer needs to make a book, is $299.

-If you need specific, detailed, or "extra" help, we may be able to help you. Our rate is $35 per hour.

In addition to set-up fees, we charge printing costs for each book printed. Each book you print will cost $7, plus $0.02/page. For example, a 100-page book would cost $9 -- (100 x .02) + $7 = $9. Please see our pricing guide for more detailed information.

We do offer a consignment arrangement to members of Politics & Prose who choose to print their books though one of our custom printing packages. Subject to approval, we will shelve your book in our in-store self-published books section, and display it on our website, for 90 days. You set the sales price, and Politics & Prose will collect 20% of the sales price of any books sold. If your book sells, we will print another one for the shelf. We reserve the right to print multiple copies if we consider it necessary. After 90 days, we may choose to renew your contract, if we wish.

Click here for Submission Guidelines, including formatting and layout instructions.