A short run book is great for those authors who are attempting to break into the business and are considering self-publishing. Nicholas Sparks, the publisher of the novel "The Lucky One," tells of his experiences of trying to find a publisher. Before he was finally recognized, it took many years of rejections and disappointments. During that time, he was frustrated because he felt that the barrier of being accepted by the publishers was the only thing holding him back, and that he could have been famous a lot sooner if he had been given the chance.

Nicholas Sparks is undoubtedly right in his feelings. Many authors who have considered self-publishing have found that they were correct also. Preparing the book themselves for distribution is what numerous writers have done rather than wait on a publishers endorsement. They must eventually establish a distribution channel for their publications, a way for their readers to find them. Often an online bookstore will give them a chance through advertisement and self-fulfillment of the order. In other cases, physical bookstores will be willing to risk some shelf room for a local author. Nevertheless, the first task is to arrange for publishing a short run of books.

Generally large publishing houses have a preferable place they print their books. Exclusive relationships exist between these publishing houses and book printers. They guarantee the work they do and schedules in exchange for the large, guaranteed business. Accepting orders from other sources if often impossible since their time is taken. Even if the work is accepted, it may not be worth it for them to do short orders for an undiscovered publisher that would bring in no more business than they already have.

Printing a run of publications has some setup expenses. With a significant run, these costs can be small. For the typical run of a major release, the amortized setup cost per book could be only pennies. Conversely, the average setup costs for short run books could be about a dollar per book. The final price of the book could be influenced by this cost significantly. Because the book will be self-published from an unfamiliar author without a publishing house, this could be a hindrance due to it costing more. Concerns like these are usually very important and need to be handled by self-publishers. One way to do this is to find a printing house that is willing and able to do the job for a short run book. They will handle the costs and make sure that there are no hidden fees waiting for the client.

Those who accept the job will be the best printing houses for short run books. They will be happy to work with their clients, not treat them like poor cousins. They will give them all of the information they require, as if they were a well-known big run client. Pre-prints are just one of several services they supply, where a few copies can be made showing how the whole run will turn out. This gives the author the opportunity to see the book precisely as it will look. Before giving the printing house the go ahead to perform the run, the author can look over the copies and make changes as needed. They are also prepared to perform the printing in digital format, to accommodate the newest distribution channels.

As a self-publisher, you should definitely contact a printing house that caters to short run books.

Author's Bio: 

Country Press, on the list of leading short run book printers, enables you to ultimately publish your book independently. For more information on Country Press, take a look at their website at http://www.countrypressinc.com/.