The Pros
Print on Demand is a new technology allowing anyone, anywhere in the
world, to publish their book; for a price. The costs of POD are
minimal. In fact, it is possible to publish a book for as little as
$160 U.S., though most prices are closer to $500. This is considerably
cheaper than the thousands of dollars required by tradition vanity
publishers (publishers that publish for a price). Many POD publishers
sell their services and products online. Authors who are unable to
publish their books with traditional publishers turn to POD publishers.
It is nice for any author to see their book and to hold it in their
hands, something that can't be achieved with an e-book.
The Cons
Of course, the cheap price of POD publishing is obtained at the
sacrifice of many services. They do not do any editing for you, so you
are essentially self-publishing your book. Another problem is that
bookstores rarely hold POD books, because the POD publishers don't
offer a a return policy. (Traditional publishers allow the bookstores
to return unsold books.) Also, POD books
are not mass produced, which jacks up the price. Even a 200 page
paperback
can cost over $15. POD publishers don't market your book very much, if
at all,
so the author has to do a lot of work. The extra services that POD
publishers offer can add up to a hefty price that goes into 4 digits.
Though most POD publishers will live up to their promises, some
companies don't. Beware
small companies that have poorly designed webpages which only seem to
sell
their services, and pay no attention to helping their authors sell
books. A larger publisher may not necessarily
deliver better customer service, but at least they are probably not a
scam.
The potential customer should take a look at the company's bookstore
and
also order a few books to test the company's service. The company's
contract
is another thing a potential customer should examine very carefully for
flaws. Various complaints about the industry also include poorly
produced
books, delays in production and delays in delivery. The best way to
avoid
trouble is to do a little extra research on the publisher you are
interested
in. Don't be too frightened, generally most companies will deliver you
a good product. Just be careful to know what is going on.
So, who isnot suitable for POD?
Anyone who wants to sell their books in large quantities to the public.
POD books are expensive and hard to find in bookstores, so don't expect
massive sales if you publish with POD. If you are a professional
author, then don't publish with POD.
What options does the professional writer have? Traditional publishers
are a possibility, so start with that. A writer could also contact an
agent to help find a publisher, but the agent will also review the
author's work and won't always accept the job offer. An author can also
take his manuscript to a printing company (such as those used by the
publishers themselves). The company can print out a large number of
copies, but the author will
have to market his own book. This last option is essentially
self-publishing, but at least it allows for a cheaper unit price per
book than POD because of mass production, though it is more expensive
than POD overall. Lastly, there are certain POD publishers that operate
like traditional publishers and review books. These companies sometimes
also require a fee, but their selective process allows for assurance of
a good product.
Who is suitable for POD?
If you wrote a personal book that you wish to give to family and
friends, or just to live out the dream of being a writer, then POD is
for you. POD is relatively cheap, but one should be prepared for the
possiblity of sub-par service. (That does not mean you will receive
sub-par service, just be prepared for it) It is also faster than
traditional publishers, because no editing is done, so the author can
expect to receive his or her book in 1 to 4 months.
A good piece of advice for the non-professional writer would be to find
a cheap service with a larger POD company, and not to order any extra
features.
Also, sometimes you can find a special offer, such as extra free books.
Finally, always remember to ask questions before you pay them the
money. Bombard the publisher with questions or concerns while you still
have control.
If the answers don't live up to your expectations, or if you feel like
the
replier is lying, find another publisher. And as I'm sure you've been
told
by countless consumer shows, "If it sounds too good to be true, it
probably
is."
Note: Authors who wish to bring back an old out-of-print book can also
used POD effectively.
I published with a POD company myself. My book, History
of the World
, was written when I was only 15, and published when I was 16. I had no
intention
of selling millions, so POD was good for me. By the way, you can find
my
book at iUniverse.com's bookstore. If you are interested in iUniverse,
why
not order a copy of my book to test its services? I hope this website
has
been helpful for you.
Here are links
to other websites about Print on Demands
If you have any comments or questions, please e-mail me at:
twbellcan@yahoo.com
I will try my best to answer your questions, but please don't ask me
anything too specific.
If you like history, Visit my other site: History of the World
, which offers timelines, galleries and a sample of my book in .pdf
format
