Short answer: Pick the quantity that covers the next 6 to 12 months of realistic sales, then check the price of the next step up: on offset, a larger run often costs only a little more in total, so the extra copies can be nearly free.
Choosing a quantity is a trade between cost per copy, cash tied up in inventory, and the risk of running out. A short method keeps the decision honest.
Start from demand, not from price
- Estimate 6 to 12 months of sales, using pre-orders, a mailing list, event sales, or the last book's sell-through.
- Add copies for review, marketing, and library or retail samples.
- Subtract what you already hold.
That is your base quantity. Reprint planning comes next: how long it takes to restock matters. On an overseas order, production plus freight is a few weeks by air and about 35 days by ocean, so reprints cannot be last-minute. See how long overseas printing takes.
Then price the step up
Offset printing has a fixed setup cost paid once, so cost per copy falls as the run grows. Ask for several quantities side by side, for example your base number and the next one or two steps. Often the total rises by far less than the number of copies does, so the extra copies cost little. The instant quote shows ten quantities in one table.
Rules of thumb
- Below a few hundred copies, digital printing or print-on-demand may be cheaper. See offset vs. digital printing.
- If the title sells steadily and you reorder often, a bigger run usually lowers cost per copy and saves reorder freight. See moving from print-on-demand to offset.
- If the content will date quickly (annual reports, seasonal catalogs, editions that change), print closer to your base quantity.
- Minimums: Printseoul accepts 100 copies (200 for hardcover), but small runs carry a high cost per copy because setup is a large share of the price.
Check the whole cost, not only the print price
Add freight and storage. Heavier runs by air cost more; ocean makes a large run economical per kilogram. A split shipment sends part by air for launch and the rest by ocean. See air vs. ocean freight.
Frequently asked questions
How many copies should I print for the first run?
Enough to cover roughly 6 to 12 months of realistic sales plus marketing copies. Then compare the price of the next quantity step, because on offset a larger run often costs only a little more in total.
Is it cheaper to print 1,000 books than 500?
Per copy, yes: the one-time setup is spread across more books. The total is higher, so the decision depends on demand and cash. The Printseoul quote shows price per copy at each quantity.
Related reading
- How Print Quantity Affects Cost per Copy (With Reference Numbers)
- Offset vs. Digital Printing: Where the Break-Even Falls
- Moving from Print-on-Demand to an Offset Print Run: A Guide for Self-Publishers