I have a 295 page book in production. The print cost for paper bound is $5.46 for case laminate $10.02. Contrary to what you may think, print costs are not going to limit $0. Quite the other way, they have risen over the past seven years from $4.72 and $9.82 (roughly inflation for the paper bound).
This is what has annoyed me about pulp paperback fiction. They skyrocketed from $5 to $15 in 15 years. Then you can buy the eBook for $12 and feel like you're getting a "deal" on a product with near zero production costs.
