By Dave Bailey, PPS Editor — Print-on-demand publishing alleviates upfront costs and can be a profitable model for both publishers and self-publishing authors.
What is print on demand?
Print on demand (POD) allows a company to manufacture a product at the time the product is purchased by a consumer. This means the company doesn’t have to manufacture products ahead of time and hold inventory for when consumers (hopefully) purchase the product. This reduces overhead. The only up-front costs are those associated with creating the designs (cover art, text formatting, etc.) and content that would be used for the manufactured product.
What are the benefits of print on demand publishing?
It’s quicker. Because printers only print a book after it is purchased, this saves time because the book isn’t waiting for giant print runs to finish before printing. The ability to print a single book and still make it affordable is due to the advent of digital printing technology.
It’s more cost effective. Because publishers aren’t spending a lot money on large print runs, storing the books in a warehouse, and then shipping cartons of books to a seller, this greatly reduces expenses. According to the blog on the Multi-Programming Solutions website, this is a great benefit for smaller companies and start-ups with less seed capital. Another benefit is that changes (fixing typos, swapping figures, etc.) can be easily fixed. If the author sees an error, they can easily fix it before the next copy is purchased and printed. This avoids having to dump entire print runs because of critical errors.
Another benefit is that books with smaller audiences can still be profitable for publishers. Because the initial expenditures are much lower, publishers can take more chances on books for niche audiences.
Where can I find POD publishers?
POD is available through most publishing companies as a cost-effective alternative to large print runs. POD is also available to authors outside mainstream publishing houses with companies like AmazonKDP and Lulu Press. They offer multiple options for product types (print book, ebook, magazine, comic book), printing options, and ways to sell, including global retailers such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Authors can also print any number of books and then take them to a signing or a convention, again for 100 percent royalties minus printing cost.
However, many authors prefer to use mainstream publishers to avoid any out-of-pocket expenses incurred when self-publishing. Mainstream publishers also handle all editing, design, manufacturing, and marketing efforts, relieving authors of all that extra work.
For many, POD can be a quick, cost-effective alternative to traditional printing.