For authors: PDF interior, cover file, page count, trim size, paper, binding, colour/black-and-white, quantity, city, deadline, and delivery needs. For printers: equipment, minimum viable run, idle windows, paper options, finishing, pickup/delivery radius, and proofing process.
Print marketplace
Dead press time becomes short-run books
A 25, 50, or 100 copy run should not be punished by an industrial system built for thousands. Match the job to idle capacity.
Author
Small batch
Upload print-ready interior, cover, trim size, binding, quantity, and deadline.
Printer
Idle capacity
Offer spare time, paper stock, binding options, location, and turnaround.
Press
Match and QA
Coordinate quote, proof, payment, delivery, and quality expectations.
Outcome
Sub-market price
The printer earns from dead time; the author gets copies without warehouse economics.
What to collect first
Marketplace discipline
Start with quotes by hand. Once enough jobs repeat, automate only the stable pieces: quote request, printer availability, proof approval, order status, invoice, and payout. Keep quality control human until the supplier network is proven.