book held open to show individual leafs on blue background

self publishing

how to print a book you wrote

self publishing

how to print a book you wrote

what is self-publishing?

Self-publishing means publishing your work without the help of a traditional publisher. It allows you to keep control of creative decisions, such as how your book will be formatted and bound, as well as the costs and royalties. When you self-publish, you own the entire publishing process, from editing and proofreading to design and printing.

self-publishing a book

Want to find somewhere to print your own book? You're in safe hands. We make self-publishing easy and work with first-time authors as well as experienced self-publishers, printing hundreds of titles and thousands of books every year.

e-commerce masterplan - a self-published book

Death at Bishop's Rock - a self-published book

We print books of all shapes, sizes and styles, including novels, memoires, special interest books, recipe books, poetry collections, children’s book, photobooks, and art catalogues. Modern printing techniques make it easier than ever to self-publish, and we can work with you and your budget to achieve stunning results at affordable prices.

“I wrote a little story for my kids to remember the big 2020 pandemic and decided to get it printed. It was my first time putting pen to paper and I had no idea how to shape it into a book. But sending it to the experts at Holywell took away the need for me to do this. They designed it and crafted it, and made it look like a proper book.”

Tom Sprent

how to print a self-published book

Digital printing is cost-effective option for small print runs or text-heavy books, while litho printing is better for larger print runs or books where images are all important. We offer both digital and litho printing inhouse and can recommend what’s best for your self-published book. Unlike online book printing and publishing services, we work closely with you at every step, so the results you want are the results you get. We can even help with an ISBN number for your book - check out our handy guide to isbns.

what's the best format for a self-published book?

Whatever you're writing, it's a good idea to start thinking about your book design and format early in the process. Try to find a book you love the look and feel of, or a style of book you want to emulate.

Not sure what format is best for your book? We’ll explain the options and cost implications of book size, paper choice, page layout, print finishing, and book binding. We can also show you examples of books we've printed to help you decide. We make self-publishing easy and will take time to ensure you create a book to be proud of.

“Ben took the time to show me some of the other books that Holywell had printed. I was impressed but, rather foolishly, assumed I’d get the same results from another printer.

I would have saved myself a lot of time and money had I chosen to work with Holywell from the outset. The personal touch and handholding I received was fantastic. There was no judgement, just a clear commitment to print my book to the highest quality.”

Diana Beckett

book binding options

There are hundreds of ways to bind pages to create a book. Book binding is often a balance between aesthetics, practicality and budget. We're always happy to advise self-publishing authors on how to get the balance right and our guide to binding gives a quick overview of each option.