Most first-time authors in Nigeria should print 25 to 100 copies first, and decide the rest from real orders. Start at 25 copies if you are still testing demand, move towards 100 if you already have buyers lined up, and go to 300 or more only when you have confirmed orders for them.
The right number is the one you can sell in the next two or three months, not the number that gives the lowest price per copy. This guide shows how to work it out, with real prices from the Kobo Publishing calculator on 22 October 2026 for a 100-page A5 paperback in black and white on white paper with a laminated cover.
Step 1: Count the copies you are sure about
- Copies you have already promised. Family, friends, colleagues, your church or school, a launch event.
- Copies you will give away. Your own, reviewers, anyone who helped you.
- Copies you can sell in the first month through the people you can message today.
Add those up. That is your minimum realistic number. If it is below 25, a first run of 25 copies is still the starting point, because it is the smallest run Kobo prints.
Step 2: See what each number costs
| Copies | Total price | Per copy |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | ₦137,500 | ₦5,250 |
| 50 | ₦275,000 | ₦5,250 |
| 100 | ₦403,000 | ₦3,780 |
| 300 | ₦818,400 | ₦2,478 |
| 500 | ₦971,000 | ₦1,692 |
| 1,000 | ₦1,332,700 | ₦1,083 |
Notice that 25 and 50 copies cost the same per copy. Print 25 to test, or 50 if you are confident, and the price per copy does not change. The first real drop comes at 100 copies. Your own book will cost more or less depending on its pages, size and paper; open the instant price calculator and try your numbers.
Step 3: Match the number to your situation
You are testing demand: print 25
This is the lowest-risk start. You pay ₦137,500 for this example book, sell the run, and reprint. If you would rather not spend anything before you know, run a pre-order campaign and let your readers fund the 25 copies.
You have a launch or an audience: print 50 to 100
If you have a launch event, an active following, or a group that has promised to buy, 100 copies brings the cost to ₦3,780 a copy. Only choose it if you can realistically sell most of them within a few months.
You have confirmed bulk orders: print 300 or more
A school, church, company or event ordering in bulk justifies a larger run. At 300 copies the example book is ₦2,478 a copy; at 500 ₦1,692. Do not guess your way into 500 copies.
Step 4: Check your profit at each number
Work out what you keep on each copy at your selling price. If you sell the example book at ₦10,000 and the cost is ₦5,250, you keep ₦4,750 before Kobo’s 7% fee (₦700) and delivery, so about ₦4,050. At 100 copies the cost is ₦3,780, so you keep about ₦5,520. But 25 copies sold at ₦4,050 profit each earn you more than 100 copies left on a shelf.
Step 5: Plan for the next run
Do not wait until the last copy is sold. Check your stock every two weeks, note how fast copies leave, and reprint when you are about a month from running out.
- Printing is ready in 5–7 working days after file approval and payment, so reprint when you have about four to six weeks of stock left.
- Keep your print-ready files so a reprint takes minutes, not days.
- If you change the book, you start a new edition without old stock to write off.
Questions to ask yourself before you decide
- How many people would I be comfortable messaging this week?
- If only half of them buy, how many copies is that?
- Do I have a launch date, an event or a bulk buyer?
- Can I afford to lose the money I am about to spend if the books do not sell?
- Will the book change within a year (a new edition, new contact details, updated facts)?
If the answers point to fewer than 25 buyers, start with 25 copies or a pre-order page. If they point to more than 100 sure buyers, 100 or more is reasonable. If you are unsure, take the smaller number. A reprint takes 5–7 working days after approval and payment, so running out of copies is a better problem than owning too many.
What changes the cost of your own book
The table above is for one example. Your cost moves with the following:
- Pages. The same A5 book at 200 pages is ₦231,250 for 25 copies (₦9,000 a copy) and ₦673,000 for 100 copies (₦6,480 a copy).
- Interior colour. A colour interior is much more expensive: ₦543,750 for 25 copies of the 100-page book.
- Paper. Cream paper adds ₦6,250 to the 25-copy run.
- Binding. A hard cover is ₦175,000 for 25 copies of the same book.
- Size. A4 is ₦243,750 for 25 copies at 100 pages.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the cheapest price per copy. The best price per copy is the one that gets you to 1,000 copies, and 1,000 books are a heavy thing to carry.
- Forgetting giveaways. They are a real cost; count them.
- Ignoring pages and size. A 200-page A5 book is ₦231,250 for 25 copies, ₦9,000 a copy, so check your own numbers.
- Printing before you have sold anything. You can test the market first with a pre-order page.
A simple rule of thumb
If you have no confirmed buyers, print 25 or pre-sell. If you have a launch or a group, print up to 100. If you have confirmed bulk orders, print what is ordered. Then reprint from real sales. For how the cost changes between small and large runs, read print on demand versus bulk printing in Nigeria, and to sell your copies read how to sell your book online in Nigeria.
You can also join the waitlist for your own book page, or see our FAQ for answers on minimums, delivery and timing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the smallest number of copies I can print?
At Kobo Publishing the smallest print run is 25 copies. If you want to see a single printed copy first, you can order a sample copy.
Should I print 100 copies of my first book?
Only if you already have buyers for them. A 100-page A5 paperback is ₦3,780 a copy at 100 copies (₦403,000 in total) against ₦5,250 a copy at 25 copies (₦137,500). The saving per copy is real, but you pay about three times as much cash up front.
Can I pre-sell my book instead of guessing the number?
Yes. A pre-order campaign lets readers order first, and you print once 25 copies are ordered. If more readers order, the next run can be larger.
How many copies do authors usually give away?
It varies, but plan for a few copies for yourself, reviewers, a launch and anyone who helped you. Count them before you decide your run.
When should I reprint?
When your stock is down to the number you expect to sell in the next four to six weeks, since printing takes 5–7 working days after your files are approved and payment is confirmed.