A guide for UNSEENPRESS DISTRO-CLUB MEMBERS
If you sell the same book in more than one form — hardback, softback silk, softback matte, or any other edition — here’s how to list them as one product with a picker, instead of duplicating the listing.
Start here: one listing with options, or separate listings?
WooCommerce calls a product with pickable options a Variable product. It’s the right tool when your editions are basically the same book with the same postage class — but if one edition posts very differently from another, keeping them separate protects your shipping fee. Check this before you build anything.
Use one variable product — Editions are the same trim size and roughly the same weight/thickness. Example: Softback (Silk) vs Softback (Matte), where only the paper finish differs.
Use separate listings — One edition is meaningfully thicker, heavier or boxed. Example: a case-bound Hardback that no longer fits as a Large Letter while the softback does. Give it its own listing so its own postage fee applies reliably.
1. Switch the product to Variable
On the Add/Edit Product screen, change the Product Type dropdown (near the top of the product box) from Simple product to Variable product. This adds two new tabs: Attributes and Variations.
2. Add the Edition attribute
Open the Attributes tab. If Edition already appears in the attribute dropdown, select it and tick the terms that apply to this book (e.g. Hardback, Softback (Silk)). If it isn’t there yet, add a new custom attribute:
- Name it Edition (or Format).
- List your options separated by a pipe:
Hardback | Softback (Silk) | Softback (Matte) - Tick Used for variations — without this, it’s just descriptive text and won’t generate a picker.
- Tick Visible on the product page so buyers can see it.
Click Save attributes before moving on — the Variations tab reads from whatever’s saved here.
3. Generate the variations
Switch to the Variations tab. Click Generate variations — with one attribute this creates one variation row per option (three rows, for three editions). Expand each row to fill it in:
- SKU — give each edition its own, so you can tell them apart in orders and stock reports.
- Regular price — editions are usually priced differently; set each one here rather than on the parent product.
- Manage stock? and Stock quantity — tick and enter the number of copies of that specific edition you have. Each variation tracks its own count independently.
- Image — optional, but useful if the hardback and softback covers photograph differently.
4. Set weight & dimensions per edition
Inside each variation row, open its Shipping sub-section and enter that edition’s own weight and packed size (L × W × depth). This matters more than it looks: a hardback is usually thicker and heavier than a softback of the same title, which can be the difference between posting as a Large Letter and needing a parcel. Getting this right per variation keeps your postage costs accurate even when the listing is shared.
5. Save, then check the front end
Save the variations, then view the product on your store. You should see an Edition dropdown above the Add to Basket button — picking an option should update the price and, if you set them, the stock status and image.
Check this: The shipping fee you set under the product’s own Shipping tab applies at the parent productlevel, not separately per variation — it isn’t guaranteed to change automatically between editions. Add each edition to a test order and check the shipping total at checkout before publishing, exactly as you would for a bundle. If it’s charging the wrong amount for one edition, that’s the signal to split it out into its own listing instead (see the decision panel above).
Reference: Variable vs. Simple, at a glance
| Simple product | Variable product | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One price for the listing | Set separately per edition |
| Stock | One stock count | Tracked separately per edition |
| Weight / size | One set of dimensions | Can differ per edition |
| Shipping fee | Set once, on the product | Still set on the parent — see the warning in step 5 |
| Buyer sees | Straight to Add to Basket | A dropdown to choose an edition first |
Worked example: A photobook sold as Softback (Silk) and Softback (Matte) — same trim size, same page count, same weight, only the paper finish differs. One variable product, two variations, one shared shipping fee. If a Hardback edition is added later and it no longer fits a Large Letter, that one gets its own separate listing rather than a third variation.
Checklist
- [ ] Default Product Form is set to Standard (WC Vendors → Settings → Forms → Product)
- [ ] Variable product isn’t hidden from vendors (WC Vendors → Settings → Capabilities → Products → Product Types)
- [ ] Attribute saved and Used for variations ticked before generating variations
- [ ] Price, stock, weight and dimensions filled in on every variation, not just the first
- [ ] Test order placed for each edition to confirm the shipping charge is correct