Edinburgh has no shortage of writers, but turning a finished manuscript into an actual book is where most people get stuck. Traditional publishers move slowly, take a cut of everything, and often say no before they say yes. Print-on-demand feels easier, but the quality rarely matches what your story deserves, and you lose any real say over how it looks or feels.
That's the gap Ex Why Zed fills. We work with authors, artists, and creators across Edinburgh who want to self-publish without sacrificing quality or control, and we handle the printing side properly, so the book in your hands looks every bit as good as the one in your head.
We've helped Edinburgh authors bring all kinds of projects to life: memoirs, poetry collections, local history books, photography projects, and even children's stories. Every one of them mattered to the person behind it, and we treat them that way.
There's a moment when a file becomes a real, physical book for the first time. For a lot of Edinburgh authors, that's the moment everything feels real. We're proud to be part of getting them there.
Paper does more than you'd think. It changes how your colours look, how the pages feel under your fingers, and how the whole book feels the first time you hold it.
Most self-published books land on 115gsm or 130gsm, the sweet spot between feel, quality, and cost. Want something with a bit more presence? 170gsm gives your pages real heft.
Watch how Ex Why Zed brings books to life, the finishes, the paper, the small details that make a printed book feel worth holding.
Trim size changes the whole reading experience. A smaller book feels personal and pocketable. A larger one gives your photography, artwork, or layout room to breathe.
We also offer both portrait and landscape orientations, depending on how you want your content to be presented. Landscape formats are particularly popular for photography, artwork, and visually led books.
Most authors don't know their ideal trim size at the start, and that's completely normal. We'll help you land on the one that actually fits your story.
Binding isn't just functional; it shapes how your book feels the second someone picks it up, and it's a big part of staying in creative control of how your story comes across.
A strong book cover design is often what gets someone to pick your book up in the first place, and the right finish is what makes them want to keep holding it.
As independent authors, you don't need a big budget to get a print book that looks genuinely professional. Most specialist finishes carry a flat fee regardless of quantity, so they're just as achievable on a short run as a large one.
Explore premium finishing options
We've worked with InDesign veterans who send flawless press-ready files. We've also worked with first-time authors who built their entire book in Canva on a Sunday afternoon. Both are absolutely fine.
Don't worry if your files aren't perfect yet; what matters is that your content exists. We'll check everything carefully and tell you exactly what needs adjusting before a single page goes to print.
For the technical side, bleed, resolution, colour profiles, spine width, our File Set-Up Knowledge Base covers it all, across every major piece of software, in about five minutes of reading.
The part nobody warns you about: what happens after your books arrive. You've got 300 copies stacked in your living room, orders coming in from your website, and you're spending every evening at the post office.
There's a better version of this.
No two self-published books look alike, and that's the fun part. Every author comes to us with a different vision, whether that's a collectable hardback, a punchy comic, or a photography book meant to let the images do the talking. Here's a look at a few we've helped bring to life.
1. Victorian Writers Then and Now
Victorian Writers Then and Now is exactly the kind of book that makes you want to pick it up and never put it down. We printed it as a premium, heritage-style hardback, the sort of book self-publishing authors dream of holding.
What went into it:
2. It Came From Beyond The Stars
Comic book printing lives or dies on colour, and It Came From Beyond The Stars nailed it. Bold, vibrant, and finished to a clean, modern standard that lets the artwork do the talking.
What went into it:
3. Street Photography by James Parsons
Some photography books shout. Street Photography by James Parsons doesn't need to; the minimal, image-led layout gives every shot room to breathe, with rich tonal depth throughout.
What went into it:
These are just three of the self-publishing services projects we've helped bring to print.
View Our Book Priting Portfolio
Once your books are printed, you want them, not a tracking number that updates once a week. Every order ships with free, fully tracked UK delivery, so you'll know exactly where your books are from the moment they leave us to the moment they land on your doorstep.
No hidden delivery fees. No "where's my order" emails. Just printing you can trust and shipping that does what it says.
Browse through some of the books we've recently printed, in different formats, papers, bindings, finishes, and get a feel for what's possible before you plan your own.
"Ex Why Zed are an efficient and reliable printing team with a personal approach. I had no experience printing books, but Mike and Harriet guided with helpful communication throughout the process. They also sent us samples to judge paper quality before making a choice and committing and were patient with us in always nervous about printing so this was a great experience, I am very happy with the end result. 100% recommend!"
Dilan
We've heard most of them before. Here are the straight answers, no jargon, no runaround.
Scale isn't always better. Bigger printers process volume; we process projects. A real person checks your book before it prints, and we'll tell you honestly if something won't work.
Use our instant quote calculator for up to 20 copies. For larger runs, email us, and we'll send a custom quote the same day.
Saddle-stitched: 3 working days. Perfect bound: 5 days. Hardback or specialist finishes: 8–10 days. Edinburgh orders ship free, tracked, and reliably, just like anywhere else in the UK.
Both. Under 32 pages, saddle stitching works best. For novels and heavier titles, perfect or casebound binding gives a stronger, more professional finish.
Yes, it's one of our most popular categories. We handle careful colour management and the right paper weight as standard, so illustrations look exactly as intended.
From A6 (148×105mm) up to A4 (297×210mm), portrait, landscape, or square. Custom dimensions within those bounds are available, just ask.
Yes, foil blocking, blind embossing, debossing, and spot UV varnish are all available. Each carries a flat specialist fee regardless of your print quantity.
Not quite, the spine needs enough thickness to hold the adhesive. Under 32 pages, saddle stitching gives the same professional look for less.
Directly from Nielsen, the UK's official ISBN agency. Purchase your ISBN, download the barcode file, and add it to your back cover artwork.
Regularly. Many authors print companion pieces, newsletters, zines, or limited editions, alongside their main book as part of the same project.
Yes. Our white-label printing is built for agencies and designers needing discreet, high-quality output with no Ex Why Zed branding on the package.
Yes, launch flyers, bookshop pitches, concertina cards, and mailers, we print marketing materials to accompany your book order.
With traditional publishing, a publishing house controls your book design, your royalty rate, and your publishing journey. Self-publishing puts you in control of your book price, your book cover, and every step of the way.
Start with a complete guide to the publishing industry: finish your manuscript, decide on professional editing, then plan your book design and book distribution. We handle the printing once your files are ready.
We don't act as a book cover designer ourselves, but our print specs (foiling, embossing, spot UV) make sure your professional book cover looks exactly as striking in print as it does on screen.
That's part of the publishing process you'll manage separately, via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP Print), Kobo Writing Life, Barnes & Noble Press, or Ingram Content Group for wider online retailers and global distribution network reach. We focus on the physical printing, you focus on Amazon sales and where your book is listed.
We don't offer a full marketing strategy, but we can support marketing assistance for your launch, things like promotional flyers, mailing list materials, and launch-event print, alongside guidance from groups like the Alliance of Independent Authors on book marketing and social media for reaching potential readers.
No, but we'd recommend professional editors or beta readers before printing, since interior design and character development decisions are easier to fix before your file goes to print.
Self-publishing costs typically range from £500 to £5,000+, depending on editing, cover design, formatting, printing, and marketing. Costs vary based on the level of professional support required.
Look for transparent pricing, clear royalty terms, quality editing and design services, distribution options, author support, and genuine customer reviews from published authors.
Most self-publishing companies pay royalties based on book sales after production and distribution costs. Payment schedules, royalty rates, and reporting methods vary between providers.
Popular UK self-publishing companies include Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Matador, Troubador Publishing, and Bookvault, each offering different publishing, printing, and distribution options.
