Blurb

Tips and Tricks to Save Money at Blurb

With many photo book printing sites to choose from, Blurb sets itself apart with unique offerings for all kinds of self-publishing. Most users like Blurb because of its ease of use, but the site also offers plenty of great deals. Although coupon codes aren't as prevalent for Blurb as they are for other photo book sites, there are several ways to save on the perfect customized book.

How to Get the Best Deals at Blurb

• Order a swatch kit. Make sure you don’t waste money on your project; order a swatch kit before you begin. Swatch kits contain all of the paper options and showcase different printing samples to help you choose the upgrades that are best for your book. The kit costs $7.95 (including shipping), but it comes with a code that takes the cost of the kit off the price of your next order.

• Sign up for emails. Blurb occasionally runs deals for new customers where you get a discount just for signing up. Other times, they send out exclusive sales and inspiration to email subscribers.

• Refer a friend. Invite a friend to Blurb and you’ll get a $20 credit each time they make a book. The credit can be used as it is earned or pooled until you reach $100 in credit.

• Follow on social media. Blurb often runs flash sales that last only a few days. These sales are first announced on Facebook and Twitter, so following on social media gives you a leg up on ordering before time runs out.

• Use a coupon code. Blurb occasionally has a coupon code available, typically for a percentage (20-30%) off your entire order. Anything over 30% off your order is a fantastic (and rare) sale. Visit CreditDonkey.com for a list of current coupon codes. Note that you can only use one coupon code per order, and if you are paying by gift card and using a coupon code, you’ll need to call the company to place the order.

• Go through a cash back site. Create a free account at a cash back site to earn a percentage back on everything you order from Blurb. Cash back rates can change, but Ebates typically gives 7.5% cash back on all Blurb orders.

• Bundle orders. It is cheaper to ship multiple books at the same time than to order them one at a time. For example, a typical standard shipping rate for one book is $5.99, but it is only $7.98 for two books and $13.98 for five books. If you want to design multiple books, be sure to do it in the same order.

• Order in bulk. Blurb is a unique service in that it also serves as an outlet for selling books, and people often order in large quantities. The more books you order, the greater the discount. For example, ordering 10-50 books gets you 10% off and ordering 51-100 books gets 15% off. Orders of 300 books or more are paired with a project consultant for a customized quote.

• Return carefully. Blurb will take returns within 14 days of your order only if it’s because of mistakes like printing defects or a poorly printed image. If you made a typo or you just changed your mind about your project, you will be out of luck and won’t get a refund. Save yourself some money by double-checking the book before you order.

When to Shop at Blurb

• Mid-June. The Blurb summer sale runs for around 3 weeks starting in the middle of June. During the sale, new customers get a code for 25% off their order and existing customers get 15% off everything.

• Weekends. Blurb runs sporadic flash sales with discounts of 20-30% off the entire site. These sales, which don’t follow much of a pattern, are first announced on social media. If you can catch a flash sale, you can get a custom book at a big discount.

What to Buy at Blurb

• Paper upgrade. Blurb’s base price is on the low-average side of comparable products from other sites, which gives you wiggle room for upgrades. Blurb offers a variety of premium paper options, which are definitely worth the small extra price. Order a swatch kit to see samples of the premium paper and decide which is best for you. Premium lustre (the middle upgrade level) is the most popular and adds only a few extra dollars to the cost of your book.

• ImageWrap upgrade. Blurb offers two kinds of hardcover options: dust jacket or ImageWrap. Dust jacket is good for professional books focused on photography or design, but most people opt for ImageWrap for personal use. For just a few dollars more than the dust jacket, you can get a beautiful matte finish cover with your chosen image perfectly stretched across the entire front of the book.

• Unique sizes. Blurb offers book sizes that can’t be purchased anywhere else, such as the 7x7 softcover book. Its other sizes, such as 8x10 and 11x13, are unusual but can be found at a few other competitor’s sites.

What Not to Buy at Blurb

• Fine art books. Although Blurb has relatively good print quality, it isn’t good enough to put together a commercial-quality fine art book. If you are looking to print your personal artwork or other pieces, it is worth spending more money to go through a fine art printing service.

• ProLine end sheets upgrade. For an extra $3, you can add a heavy paper attaching your book’s pages to the inside covers. Although the cost is small, most people agree that this is an unnecessary upgrade unless you are printing a very special or professional book.

Note: This website is made possible through financial relationships with some of the products and services mentioned on this site. We may receive compensation if you shop through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do.