Book & Publication Scanning

Scan books, magazines, and publications for preservation and digital access

Startup Cost
$25,000-$80,000
Difficulty
Advanced
Time to Profit
10-18 months
Profit Potential
$7,000-$33,000/month

Overview

Book scanning services charge $2-$15 per book or $0.15-$0.50 per page depending on binding removal requirements.

Scanning 500-2,000 books monthly generates $80,000-$400,000 annually with 55-70% margins.

In 2025, libraries, universities, authors, and publishers need book digitization for preservation, accessibility, and research.

Services include book and manuscript scanning, non-destructive scanning (keeps binding intact), OCR and searchable text creation, PDF and ebook format conversion, magazine and periodical scanning, and rare book handling.

Successful book scanning businesses invest in specialized book scanners (planetary scanners for fragile items), understand copyright considerations, handle fragile and valuable materials, provide high-resolution scanning, and work with metadata standards.

Can serve libraries, universities, genealogy researchers, authors (out-of-print books), and publishers.

Some specialize in rare books or family history documents.

Marketing through libraries, genealogy societies, university archives, and author communities.

Required Skills

  • Book Handling
  • Preservation Techniques
  • High-Resolution Scanning
  • OCR Technology
  • Copyright Law
  • Metadata Standards

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Specialized niche with limited competition
  • Libraries and universities ongoing clients
  • Work with interesting historical materials
  • Non-destructive scanning commands premium
  • Can add genealogy and family history scanning

Cons

  • Expensive specialized scanning equipment
  • Complex copyright considerations
  • Time-intensive per-book process
  • Small market compared to business scanning
  • Requires delicate handling skills

How to Get Started

  1. Invest in book scanner (flatbed or planetary)
  2. Learn copyright and fair use guidelines
  3. Develop careful book handling procedures
  4. Target libraries, universities, archives
  5. Provide samples and quality demonstrations
  6. Build reputation for careful preservation work
  7. Consider specializing in rare books or genealogy

Explore More Document Scanning & Digitization Ideas

Discover additional business opportunities in this category.

View All Document Scanning & Digitization Ideas →