What Are Author Copies?
Author Copies are your own professionally printed books, ordered at cost.
They’re perfect for:
Proofing your book before launch
Events, readings, or book signings
Review copies for media and marketing
Bulk or direct reader sales
Author Copies are printed and shipped from the same facilities that fulfil reader orders — the only difference is that you pay the wholesale print and shipping cost.
How do I order Author Copies
Log into your Books.by dashboard.
Select Author Copies from the left-hand menu.
Click Buy Author Copies.
Choose your book(s) and set the quantities. You can order multiple titles in one shipment.
Review the live pricing — you’ll see print and shipping costs before checkout.
Select Standard or Express shipping.
Place your order. You’ll receive a confirmation email and tracking once it ships.
To place an Author Copies order, you first need to submit the book for publishing.
Only published books can be ordered as Author Copies. Drafts and un-published books won't appear in the list of books that are available to order.
If your book doesn’t appear in the Author Copies list:
Check that it’s been fully submitted and published.
Make sure the files were validated and your ISBN and barcode were assigned.
Once a book is published, it becomes instantly available to order.
Note: We require books to be published before they become available to print, because publishing is the process that pre-flights and validates your assets, assigns ISBNs and registers your book in our printing network.
What if I need to order a printed proof, and don't want my book to be published yet?
This is a common scenario, and we have a workaround available that allows you to submit a book for publishing, but then immediately 'Un-list' the title to remove it from your bookstore.
To publish, and then 'Un-list' your book:
You must first submit your book for publishing
Once complete, navigate to your Books.by dashboard at https://books.by/app/bookstores
Under the 'Published Books' heading, click the '•••' three dots alongside your book's title, and click to 'Un-list Book'. This will remove it from your bookstore, and hide the listing from readers.
You can then place an Author Copies order
When satisfied with the results, or after making any updates to your book, you can 'Re-list Book' using the same process.
Pricing
Author Copies are charged at wholesale print cost — no royalties or markup.
Format | Base Cost (per book) | Per-Page Cost | Example Book | Total Cost |
Black & White Paperback | $1.26 | $0.016 × pages | 200 pages | $4.49 |
Standard Colour Paperback | $1.379 | $0.036 × pages | 100 pages | $4.99 |
Prices shown in USD and may vary slightly depending on printer location.
Shipping and Delivery
Author Copies are printed and shipped on the same timeline as customer orders:
Stage | Timeframe | Notes |
Printing | 3–5 business days | Monday–Friday only |
Standard Delivery | 3–5 business days | Depending on carrier and destination |
Express Delivery | 1-2 business days | Depending on carrier and destination |
Total | 1–2 weeks typical | Express shipping available |
Tracking is sent automatically by email and can be viewed in your dashboard.
Example Shipping Costs
As a bulk order, shipping costs are determined by the shipment weight, and the weight brackets set by the carrier. Shipping costs for bulk orders are substantially cheaper than single customer orders.
Here's a set of real example shipping costs for domestic US orders across common quantity tiers.
Quantity | Service | Approx. Cost | Typical Scenario |
1 copy | Standard | $5.22 | Single proof copy |
10 copies | Standard | $12.49 | Small restock |
20 copies | UPS Ground (Express) | $27.49 | Event order |
50 copies | Standard Ground | $45.99 | Bulk delivery |
50 copies | Express Overnight | $100 | Urgent shipment |
Please note: Shipping rates are based on weight and destination. These figures are typical examples only, and will likely vary based on your own destination.
Cancellations and Order Changes
Because Author Copies are printed on demand, orders begin production almost immediately once placed.
This means we can’t modify orders (e.g. change address, quantity, or files) after they’re submitted — we can only cancel if printing hasn’t yet begun.
If you contact us quickly after ordering, we’ll do our best to help.
If printing hasn’t started, we’ll cancel the order and issue a full refund.
If printing has already started, the order can’t be changed or cancelled, but you can reorder once your copies arrive.
Delivery Delays or Defects
Books can be delayed or lost within the delivery network. As part of our standard policy, we do aim to help with replacement orders in scenarios where books do not appear likely to arrive within a reasonable timeframe.
Typical orders are printed and delivered within 1-2 weeks, and we recommend allowing a buffer for remote locations. If your books haven’t arrived within 30 days of placing the order, or if any copies arrive defective, Books.by will resolve the issue at no cost to you.
For Delayed Orders
We’ll arrange a complimentary reprint if the book is deemed lost, excessively delayed, or unlikely to arrive 30 days after the order is placed.
For Defective Books
A book is considered defective if it’s not fit for retail sale (cropped pages, binding or print errors, damaged covers, etc.).
To help us verify quickly:
Email [email protected].
Attach photos showing the issue (cover and inside pages).
For author copy orders, include one photo with a small corner of the cover torn — this confirms the book can’t be resold.
We’ll send replacements or issue a refund for the affected order right away.
How Books.by Makes Money
Authors sometimes ask how Books.by profits if Author Copies are sold at cost.
The answer is simple: Books.by works like a membership model — similar to Costco.
Your annual publishing plan gives you access to wholesale printing, ISBN registration, storefront hosting, and publishing tools.
We don’t profit from printing — that’s a benefit of your plan.
Summary
Topic | Key Details |
Order availability | Only for published books |
Pricing | Wholesale print cost (no markup, no royalties) |
Delivery | 3–5 days print + 3–5 days shipping |
Cancellations | Possible only before printing begins |
Delays or defects | Complimentary reprint and refund |
Business model | Membership model — printing at cost |
Need More Help?
If you have any questions about ordering Author Copies, cancellations, or shipping, our Author Success team is here to help.
Email: [email protected]