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The paper was still expensive and there wasn't yet as much demand for books.

And Gutenberg still was shooting for the high-end of the market -- he had his printed Bibles touched up by artists (Illuminated capitals, some color added here and there), meaning his Bibles weren't much cheaper than hand-copied because he believed that nobody wanted just cheap, functional books.

Commoners weren't literate in those days, so I expect his literate customers would be wealthy and would be willing to pay for an illuminated book.

But as books proliferated, it suddenly became advantageous for commoners to learn to read (the Bible was the typical primer used), and a virtuous cycle began and revolutionized everything.

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