Print on demand, or POD, is a new digital technology that allows a writer to convert their book manuscripts into a printed, bound books in a matter of minutes using online services. These services make it economically feasible for a writer to produce their books one or two copies at a time or print them in small lots at a time. Conventional printers charge exorbitant amounts to produce short runs and some won’t print less than 500 copies at a time. Print on demand service providers offer services that run the gamut from bare bones services like those offered by Lulu.com to super fancy and extremely expensive packages that offer editing services, custom cover design, enhanced marketing, and other extras that are offered by traditional publishers. These services run the gamut from the free basic package offered by Lulu.com to packages that cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars upon sign up.
POD services do provide a form of self-publishing they aren’t true self-publishing services. Some POD publishers will allow you to put the name of your own imprint on the book, set your own cover price, percentage of royalty, etc there are still major differences between POD publishers and true self-publishers.
- With POD publishing, the writer lacks complete control over how his or her book is produced, whereas with true self-publishing the writer retains complete control of the process from start to finish and can be considered the publisher of the book. As Ron Pramschufer puts it, "If you are not the publisher…you are not a self-publisher, nor are you self-publishing." In actual practice, POD publishers more closely resemble Vanity Publishers, that’s the way most reviewers, readers, and booksellers look upon POD books.
- Revenue sharing is another area of major difference between true self-publishing and POD publishing. A true self-publisher keeps all the revenue that his or her books bring in whereas the revenue from a book published using a POD service is split between the writer and the POD service provider. With POD publishing the writer receives payment for his or her books sold in the form of a royalty with the biggest share of the cover price going to the POD service provider. In essence what this means for the writer is that he or she is paying twice for the service. Once up front, when he or she contracts with the service, and then again for each book printed.
- With true self-publishing, the writer retains full rights to the book, including its ISBN number. With POD publishing the publisher, the publisher owns the ISBN number and retains rights to digital and electronic publishing of the book.
There are many issues to consider if you are thinking about becoming a POD publisher.
- Most brick and mortar booksellers don’t like to deal with POD services. This is an important consideration because, contrary to popular belief, 90 percent of all new books purchased are purchased through brick and mortar bookstores. Only 10 percent of all new books purchased are purchased online. Brick and mortar booksellers are use to dealing with sellers that offer them a 40 to 60 percent discount with 60 to 90 days billing, most POD service don’t operate with those protocols so booksellers don’t like dealing with them.
- Books produced by POD services are very expensive to purchase for the reader, often costing twice as much as a book from a traditional publisher. Some POD publishers charge as much as $28 for a 25 page book. Lets be honest, would you be willing to pay $28 for a 25-page book that you could buy for $10 elsewhere?
- Although some POD publishers produce books of extreme high quality, quality that rivals that of traditional publishers, many do not. Many POD publishers skimp on paper, binding, inks, etc.
- If you use a POD service, your book will not be publicized. POD services are not publishers in the true sense but simply purveyors of printing services. How much publicity your book receives lies strictly with you and your efforts.
- As a rule books published using a POD service aren’t reviewed in professional journals like Publishers Weekly" and the Library Journal.
- As a rule, contracts with POD services are nonstandard contracts so the contractee needs to beware of that fact. The royalties being offered may not be as good as they appear at first glance because they may be based not on the cover price of the book but on the cover price minus the production cost. There may also be costs incurred that are not covered by the contract, so you need to have everything spelled out in the contract before you sign it.
Is there a POD service that is right for you? Only you can make that decision but it will never be an option for me. For another writer’s perspective on POD services, check out this very informative article The POD Quandary: How to Decide if Print-on-Demand Publishing Is Right for You.
If you decide to go with a POD service, do your research. To help with that research here is a link to a database that gives you a side by side comparison of all the most popular services.
About Jerry Walch I have been a professional freelance writer since the early 1970s. I started out writing fiction but soon moved into doing technical writing for hire. Having been an avid do it yourselfer for over fifty years, I now specialize in writing for the DIY markets. I have done everything from auto mechanics to wood working and my writing runs the gamut as well. Having worked in the electrical trades for over forty years, my work for hire involves doing technical manuals for equipment manufacturers. Did you enjoy this article?
