Publishing is a very competitive, sometimes almost cut throat business. Agents and publishing houses hold out for the crème de la crème in manuscripts and most authors receive rejection letters, not book deals. For every Stephenie Meyer there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of literary hopefuls. But all is not lost.
With the advent of digital printing, there came a more cost effective way to publish books and other printed materials. Publishing on demand is just what it says it is. A book is not printed until an order is received. Unlike traditional printing methods which are both expensive and time consuming, digital printing costs less and is faster.
Having a book published by a traditional house has never been easy but with the economic downturn, publishing, like most other businesses, has had to tighten its belt. Most major publishers have downsized and cut back on their acquisitions, making the chances of landing a book contract more difficult.
Print on Demand Success Story: Lisa Genova
Rejections by agents and publishers can be daunting and many writers give up on their quest for publication. But others, like self published author Lisa Genova, do not. In an April 2009 interview with Elham Khatami for CNN.Com , she says, “If you believe in your book you should give it a chance.” Genova’s book, Still Alice, was published by IUniverse, Author Solutions self publishing arm, for $450. The investment paid off when the book was picked up by Simon and Schuster. It became a New York Times best seller. While Genova’s experience is not the norm, there are advantages to working with a POD publisher.
The Pros of POD Publishing
- POD is fast. Once the author has paid a fee and given the publisher a print ready manuscript, it can be turned into a hard cover or paperback book bound and ready to ship in the blink of an eye – digital printing turns out over 700 words per minute.
- POD allows the writer to print as many copies as he chooses. This is especially handy in instances where the book has been published with a certain number of readers in mind – a memoir for example, meant only for family members – or, if an author is selling her novel at a book festival or other event where having books on hand is imperative.
- POD allows the writer to retain the copyright of his book. Many traditional publisher work this way as well but there are exceptions and giving the publisher all rights to a book means the author no longer has any control over it.
- POD companies do the legal work involved in publishing a book. In her article, “The Pros and Cons of Self Publishing With Print on Demand,” for The 13th Story , Wendi Moore-Buysee explains, “…the book needs an ISBN for information on where to buy the book, the material needs to be copyrighted which is self-explanatory, and it needs a US Library of Congress number and Dewey Decimal system coding for library access.”
- POD publishing can be economical. Most POD publishers offer authors a range of packages, giving the writer an opportunity to choose one that best fits their budget.
POD self publishing is a good fit for some authors who have tried and failed to interest traditional publishers in their book. It is a way to get their work in front of the public who will ultimately decide if it is worth the cost.
 |
