Self-publishing specialist distributor Draft2digital has expanded its print-on-demand service D2D Print internationally so authors outside the US can now order proof copies and author copies of their books without having to pay higher shipping costs.
D2D has set up printing solutions and support for an expanded array of regions worldwide.
The expanded international print support includes:
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovenia
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Sweden
- UK
Proof copies are vital for print books so you can check the layout and the overall quality of the cover, paper type, color reproduction and typography before publication.
As well as the visual layout aspects, proof copies are also a great final check on the text of the book. Even if you have had several rounds of proof reading electronically, you can often find further errors when you are reading a physical copy of a book.
You generally order a proof copy during the final pre-sale stage of set-up for your book. These don’t go on sale usually and will often have ‘proof copy’ stamped across the cover.
Print proofs ordered through D2D Print will be priced at a flat rate that includes rush printing and expedited shipping.
Author copies are similar but these are the same as your book after it has been published and made available for sale. You can buy a single copy or multiple copies, and you will pay the unit cost of the book, plus shipping, rather than the retail cost.
You can use author copies for events and signings, to sell directly to readers, give away, or to provide advanced reader copies (ARCs) to beta readers or book review services.
D2D Print is a print-on-demand (POD) service where your published book will be listed as in-stock through online booksellers and will be printed and shipped when a customer buys the book.
Your D2D Print book will be made available to Amazon and to all distribution channels served by Ingram, including Barnes and Noble and most independent bookstores in the US.
To help you plan your D2D Print book price, try the Print Price Calculator. The numbers presented on the calculator are estimates and actual costs and royalties may vary, but you can expect to make about 45% of the list price of your book minus the printing cost.
For example, with new pricing from October 1, the approximate unit cost for a 70,000-word print book would be $5.67 (US), £4.52 (UK), AUD 9.66 (Australia), or €5.26 (euro).
In February 2022, Draft2digital took over self-publishing pioneer Smashwords to combine the two distribution businesses.