Your own edition of a book people already love.
One contact who works with every publisher's special markets team. Put your name, your letter or a new format on a book your customers, members or employees already want, and we handle the publisher for you.
See the five edition typesStart your requestCall 866-522-6657
- One contact for every publisher
- Publisher approval handled for you
- Delivered to 46+ countries
- 5Ways to make an edition yours
- 5,000+Copies: where publisher minimums usually start
- 12–16 wkPlan for brief to delivery
- 46+Countries we deliver to
Pick the change that fits your program.
A custom edition is a new printing of an existing book, made with the publisher and kept to your specifications. Some changes are simple and some need the publisher's design team; a specialist tells you which before you commit.
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Edition type 1
A co-branded cover
Your logo, or new cover art, on a book people already know. A co-branded edition for customers, members or employees.
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Edition type 2
Your foreword or CEO letter
A foreword or a letter from your CEO, plus mission or values pages, bound into the book itself. Added pages are set with the publisher.
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Edition type 3
A new format
A hardcover reprinted as an affordable paperback, or a smaller trim sized to fit your packaging. Same story, a price and shape that suit your program.
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Edition type 4
Bind-ups
Two or more titles in one volume: a series opener and its sequel, a themed pair, or a season of reading in a single book.
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Edition type 5
An abridged gift-with-purchase edition
A shorter edition made to go with a purchase or a campaign, so every customer takes home a real book that carries your name.
Built for the way you plan to use it.
Publishers call this special markets, special sales or premium sales. Whatever the label, it works for the five jobs below, and a specialist helps you match the edition to yours.
- Employee gifts and onboarding
- Customer promotions
- Gift with purchase
- Retail resale under your brand
- Literacy and nonprofit programs
What a custom edition looks like at scale.
H-E-B and Kellogg's: 60,000 copies of three children's books from three publishers, reprinted as affordable paperbacks with H-E-B worked into the cover art, and one BookPal contact for all of it.
Three publishers, one contact. Puffin, Tricycle Press and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt each approved and printed their edition, and each worked the H-E-B brand into the art itself: on the tote bag, the jalapeño and the grocery bag. BookPal ran the whole project as one order.
One brief, the publisher's approval, and one delivery plan. Tell a specialist what you have in mind and we will tell you what the publisher allows.
From first idea to boxes at your door.
A custom edition is a print run, so the order of steps matters. We run each one with the publisher and keep you in the loop. Tight on time? Tell us your date at the start and a specialist will say honestly whether it is realistic.
Brief
The title, the change you want, how many copies and the date you need them. Rough is fine.
Publisher approval
We take your brief to the publisher's special markets team for approval of the cover, added pages and terms.
Proofs
You review and approve proofs before anything is printed, so there are no surprises.
Print
The publisher prints your edition. Allow several weeks after approval, depending on the title.
Delivered
To one address or many, in the US or to 46+ countries, tracked by your BookPal specialist.
Tell us about the edition you have in mind.
A specialist who knows the publishers reads every request and replies in one business day. Only the fields marked with an asterisk are required; we will ask for the rest.
Request a custom edition
Thank you. Your request is with our specialist team.
A specialist who works with the publishers will reply within one business day to . We are here Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm PT. Your reference is .
While you wait, see what else we can add to a book.
We couldn't send your request just now.
Nothing is lost: your answers are still in the form above. Email them to [email protected] or call 866-522-6657 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm PT), and a specialist will take it from there.
What happens next
- A specialist reads your request and replies in one business day.
- We confirm what the publisher allows for your title before you commit.
- You get one written quote with the per-copy price, timing and terms.
Prefer to talk?
Call 866-522-6657, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm PT, or write to [email protected].
What planners ask before they commission one.
Something we have not covered? Ask a specialist on the request form, call 866-522-6657 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm PT) or email [email protected].
How many copies do I need for a custom edition?
Publisher minimums usually start around 5,000 copies, and each publisher and title is different. With fewer copies, bookplates, bands and insert letters on existing books work at almost any quantity. A specialist can tell you what a particular publisher allows.
Can custom editions be returned?
No. Custom editions are nonreturnable because they are printed for you. We confirm the terms before you approve proofs, and a specialist is glad to walk through them.
Does a custom edition need a barcode?
Only if the books will be resold. Books given away usually do not need one. Tell us at the start whether you plan to resell, and a specialist will set it up with the publisher.
Does the publisher have to approve our edition?
Yes. A custom edition needs the publisher's approval, including the cover, any added pages and the terms. We take your brief to the publisher's special markets team and manage the approval for you. If you want to know how likely approval is for your idea, ask a specialist.
How do payment terms work?
Terms vary by publisher, and some ask for prepayment before printing. We confirm the exact terms in your written quote before you commit. A specialist can explain them for your publisher.
How long does a custom edition take?
Plan for 12 to 16 weeks from brief to delivery. Printing alone often takes several weeks after approval, depending on the title. Tell us your date at the start and a specialist will say whether it is realistic.
Which publishers can you work with?
We work with the special markets and premium sales teams at publishers large and small, so you have one contact instead of several. Whether a given title is available as a custom edition is the publisher's decision, and a specialist will check for you.
Tell us the book. We'll talk to the publisher.
The title, the change you have in mind, how many copies and your date. A specialist confirms what the publisher allows and puts the cost on one quote.