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How to Fulfil Personalised Books With Bookvault
Learn how to fulfil personalised books with Bookvault using transient titles and the Bookvault API, including how to create a product SKU, submit files and test your orders.
Bookvault can fulfil personalised books where a different print file is supplied for each order.
This is handled using a transient title through the Bookvault API.
What is a transient title?
A transient title is a temporary book specification used when you need to provide new files for every order.
Instead of creating a completely new Bookvault title each time someone orders a personalised book, the transient title acts as a placeholder for the book's specifications.
You then provide the personalised files when submitting each order.
There is no title upload fee for transient titles, and they won't appear as normal titles within your Bookvault account.
Currently, transient orders can only be fulfilled in the UK.
How do I submit a personalised book order?
Transient orders are submitted using the Bookvault API.
1. Set up API access
First, you'll need API access enabled for your Bookvault account.
KEEP the existing API setup guide link here.
If you're working on a larger personalised-book project, you can also contact the Bookvault team to discuss your requirements.
2. Generate your Product SKU
Each transient title is defined using a Product SKU containing the specifications needed to manufacture the book.
For example:
150CWMSB234H156W
The SKU is made up of the paper stock, lamination, binding and finished book size.
Paper stock
| Paper | Code |
|---|---|
| 70gsm Cream | 070UC |
| 80gsm White Bond | 080UW |
| 80gsm Premium Cream | 080UC |
| 100gsm Coated | 100CW |
| 115gsm Coated | 115CW |
| 150gsm Coated | 150CW |
| 170gsm Premium Bond | 170UW |
Lamination
| Lamination | Code |
|---|---|
| Gloss | G |
| Matte | M |
Binding
| Binding | Code |
|---|---|
| Paperback | PB |
| Hardback | HB |
| Spiral Bound | SB |
| Wire-O-Bound | WB |
| Saddle Stitch | SS |
Book size
The final section specifies the book's finished dimensions in millimetres.
For example:
- 234H156W = 234mm high × 156mm wide
- 210H210W = 210mm high × 210mm wide
- 210H297W = 210mm high × 297mm wide
Each dimension must contain three digits, so a measurement of 99mm would be entered as 099.
Before creating your SKU, use the Bookvault Quote Tool to make sure your required book size and specification are available.
3. Place your transient order through the API
A transient order is submitted similarly to a normal Bookvault API order. Instead of supplying an ISBN for the order line, you'll provide a TransientRequest containing the specification and files.
Url
POST https://api.bookvault.app/v3/Order
Headers
Authorization: basic bv_YOUR_API_KEY
Body
The important fields are:
- ProductSku – the specification SKU created above.
- MonoPages – number of black-and-white pages.
- ColPages – number of colour pages.
- LineTitle – the title you want associated with that individual order.
- Files – the cover and interior files for that order.
Your MonoPages + ColPages must equal the total number of pages in the interior file.
The cover and text file URLs must also be publicly accessible so Bookvault can retrieve them.
Do I need to supply the files for every order?
Yes.
Transient titles are designed for personalised products, so the required files must be supplied for every item on every order, even if one of those files hasn't changed from a previous order.
How do I test a personalised order?Once you've submitted a transient order, it will appear on your Bookvault dashboard.
Open the order and you'll be able to see the submitted order lines and an outline of the specifications Bookvault received.
If you're unsure whether your order or files have been submitted correctly, contact the Bookvault support team for assistance.