- Books
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- The Nonfiction Journey: From the Idea to the Page
- Fitzgerald and Hemingway: The "Great" 1920s
- Fish Without Bicycles: The Second Women’s Movement in America, 1963-1983
- Hungry for Words: An Inquiry Into the Art of Food Writing
- Right Brain Writing: Guided Prompts
- Graham Greene’s Spy Trio
- Reading the Short Story
- Finding Your Narrative: A Poetry Workshop for Beginners and Intermediates
- Saul Bellow: Deconstructing a Great American Novelist
- Classes for Children & Teens
- Trips
- Summer Classes
- Book Printing
- Gifts | CDs | DVDs
- Membership & Community
- About Us
Packages
At Politics & Prose, we offer two set-up packages to meet all your printing and self-publishing needs. Set-up fees only cover initial preparation of your text. Additional costs depend on how many pages are printed. Other services such as editing, formatting, and design can be added to packages on an a la carte basis.
Uncertain about which package is right for you? We provide a free 20 minute consultation. Contact us at 202-349-1182 to schedule an appointment.
If you’re a small press or a magazine looking to print with us, please contact us directly at 202-349-1182.
Set-up Costs
The Basic
Printing Package

Price $49.00
For a one-time print run of twenty or fewer copies. Ideal for printing and binding art projects, theses, dissertations, guidebooks, books of your children’s stories, and more!
The Deluxe
Printing Package

Price $149.00
For businesses, schools, writers, and professionals seeking a professional quality project with the option of distribution beyond family and friends.
The Basic Package includes:
- Upload your work to Opus
- Half-hour of built-in phone and email support from trained Opus staff
- Review of prepared PDFs by Opus staff to ensure proper formatting
- Files retained indefinitely for an additional $25.00
The Deluxe Package includes:
- Upload your work to Opus
- 1 ½ hours of phone and email support from trained Opus staff
- Review of your files by Opus staff to ensure proper formatting
- Standard copyright page (optional)
- Files retained indefinitely for future printing if requested
- One proof copy
- Integration of up to 10 separate PDF files
- In-store placement on Opus Bookshelf (Available for P&P members only)
- Featured online placement on Opus Bookshelf webpage (Available for P&P members only)
- Preferred sign-up for annual in-store Opus author readings (optional)
- Package also includes: PDF text shift, PDF scaling and cropping/expanding, PDF pagination and header/footer creation
Print Costs
In addition to your setup package, we charge a print cost for each book printed. The print cost covers the ink, paper, and glue used in the production of your book. Print costs are $7 per book plus 3¢ per page before any volume discounts.
Number of pages |
50 pages |
100 pages |
150 pages |
200 pages |
250 pages |
300 pages |
350 pages |
400 pages |
450 pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Print cost/book |
$8.50 |
$10 |
$11.50 |
$13 |
$14.50 |
$16 |
$17.50 |
$19 |
$20.50 |
Order of 50+ copies (10% discount) |
$7.65 |
$9 |
$10.35 |
$11.70 |
$13.05 |
$14.40 |
$15.75 |
$17.10 |
$18.45 |
Order of 100+ copies |
$7.22 |
$8.50 |
$9.77 |
$11.05 |
$12.32 |
$13.60 |
$14.87 |
$16.15 |
$17.42 |
Order of 200+ copies |
$6.80 |
$8 |
$9.20 |
$10.40 |
$11.60 |
$12.8 |
$14 |
$15.20 |
$16.40 |
A la Carte Printing Services Pricing Guide
Prices subject to change. Last updated: 2/11/2013
ITEM |
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES |
PRICE |
|---|---|---|
Basic Template Cover |
• You select from our professionally designed templates and we format the cover (front, back, spine alignment) for your project. |
$15 |
Custom Cover |
• You give us elements for your cover (book description, author bio, author photo, quotes), and our designers create a custom cover. |
Prices vary |
Designer Cover |
• You consult with our designers on an individualized cover—from front cover illustrations/photos to unique spine elements to back cover layout. |
Prices vary |
Copyright Page |
• We create a standard copyright page for your project. |
$10 |
ISBN and |
• We place the ISBN and/or bar code on the cover. |
$10 |
ISBN and Bar Code Procurement |
• We sell you an ISBN and bar code. |
$75 |
Half-hour Instructional Support (phone or email) |
• For additional support formatting your files, troubleshooting, or working with our Opus staff. |
$30 |
MS Word Formatting |
• Our designers format the file to standard book layout (page size, margins, font & spacing, page flow, pagination, and simple running heads). |
Prices vary |
Combining Multiple PDF Files |
• We combine separate PDFs into a single, print-ready file. |
$2 per file |
PDF Text Shift |
• We shift the text out of the gutter, or up or down on the page to make a print-ready file. |
$2 per file |
PDF Scaling, Cropping, and/or Expanding |
• We scale pages to your specifications and to make a print-ready file. |
$10 |
PDF Pagination and Header/Footer Creation |
• We add page numbers to your project file. |
$10 |
Table of Contents Formatting for Print |
• Our designers format your table of contents to your projects pagination and prepare a print-ready file. |
Prices vary |
In-text Photo Placement |
• We insert photos into your text block. |
$5 per image |
Formatting Services |
• Our designers format your project into a print-ready, professional-grade file. |
Prices vary |
Editing Services |
• Our professional copy editors line edit your project, checking for grammar, spelling, and typographical errors. |
Prices vary |
Cover or Block Text Revisions |
• We upload changes made to either your text or to your cover. |
$10 per upload |
Rush charge |
• If your files are print-ready and you need 1-5 copies within 24 hours, we may be able to schedule rush printing (not available on weekends). |
$25 per project |






