| I'm Bruce Batchelor, the guy credited with | | | | would conform with the conventional publishing |
| inventing on-demand book publishing, also called | | | | industry by having ISBNs and copyright |
| print-on-demand or POD publishing. That's the | | | | registration and library cataloging, yet it would be |
| business process behind the services offered by | | | | different in a very important way. It would |
| AuthorHouse, BookSurge, Lulu, Xlibris, Spire, Agio | | | | conduct most of its business over the new |
| Publishing House, Trafford and other 'author | | | | Internet, and would use print-on-demand |
| services' companies. "Invent" is an odd term, since | | | | manufacturing to produce only as many books as |
| I didn't design any particular machine or gizmo, but | | | | needed. To keep costs to the absolute minimum, |
| rather I took existing devices and processes, and | | | | we would go one step beyond 'just-in-time' |
| recognized how they could be combined into a | | | | inventory to be totally 'on-demand', printing the |
| viable business. That portion of the book industry | | | | books only after an order came in. Most people |
| now generates about $200 million per year in | | | | thought I was nuts. |
| sales volume, and has enabled about 100,000 | | | | Within a year, Trafford Publishing had been |
| authors to be published since its inception back in | | | | formed in Victoria, BC, and we had our first |
| the mid-1990s. | | | | paying clients. These were pioneering authors who |
| Here's a bit of background to that invention ... | | | | were departing from the book industry's old |
| Probably just like you, I have had a lifelong love | | | | distribution model (of having preprinted books |
| of books. From following along as my mother | | | | sitting in warehouses and on bookstore shelves on |
| read to me as a toddler, through my pre-teen | | | | a consignment basis), for the novel concept of |
| years captivated by the Biggles and Hardy Boys | | | | promoting and selling books largely over the |
| books, I was mightily impressed with the printed | | | | Internet. |
| word. Then, while working on my high school's | | | | By 1996, had begun to popularize the notion of |
| yearbook, I discovered that one could create | | | | buying books over the Internet. As well, Baker |
| books simply by being so bold as to typeset the | | | | & Taylor, one of the USA's largest book |
| words and pay a printer to make bound copies! | | | | distributors, had set up POD equipment to print |
| After that, there was no stopping me. | | | | back-list titles for publishing houses, calling their |
| In the 1970s, I wrote, self-published and | | | | service Replica Books. Then Ingram Book, the |
| successfully marketed two bestselling books, | | | | USA's largest distributor, built a monster POD |
| doing so independent of any conventional | | | | printing factory in Tennessee beside their largest |
| publishing house, somewhat oblivious to how selling | | | | warehouse, so POD books could flow into |
| books was supposed to be so terribly difficult. | | | | Ingram's distribution system and out to |
| The marketing for those two titles was so | | | | bookstores and online retailers. Initially called |
| obvious and straightforward that I thought | | | | Lightning Print, this print service later became |
| marketing for all books would be as simple. I no | | | | Lightning Source Inc. (LSI). Soon other companies |
| longer believe that! | | | | opened and adopted Trafford's POD business |
| For the past 30 years, I've worked at editing, | | | | model of serving independent authors: Xlibris, |
| ghost-writing, publishing and marketing, sometimes | | | | iUniverse, AuthorHouse and dozens of others. |
| with conventional publishing houses and more | | | | Now some newer publishing services, such as and |
| often assisting the self-publishing authors who | | | | Blurb.com, offer on-demand book printing without |
| bravely live on the fringes of the book industry. | | | | book trade distribution. |
| During these three decades, my wife Marsha and | | | | During my 11 years as Trafford's founding |
| I also operated a communications consultancy. We | | | | publisher and CEO, it grew to become one of the |
| created marketing programs for business, | | | | world's most prolific publishing houses with more |
| non-profit and government clients. We designed, | | | | than 10,000 active titles from indie authors living in |
| typeset and pasted-up literally thousands of | | | | more than 100 countries. Currently, thanks to |
| books, magazine issues, brochures, technical | | | | Trafford and similar POD publishing services, over |
| manuals, reports, newsletters and ad campaigns. | | | | 30,000 new authors are published every year. |
| Generally, I was involved in the writing and editing | | | | Now we authors are entering a wonderful new |
| of each job to some extent and Marsha was the | | | | chapter in indie publishing, highlighted by |
| graphic designer. We won numerous awards - the | | | | ever-expanding distribution using eBook editions, |
| most gratifying ones were for the effectiveness | | | | audio books and truly global POD production. I call |
| of campaigns, rather than prettiness. I've taught | | | | this coming phase the multiple long tails era and |
| marketing at the college level, and also worked as | | | | predict that greater awareness and availability of |
| a newspaper journalist and magazine editor. When | | | | indie books will significantly boost the average |
| writing work was scarce I worked as a surveyor, | | | | number of copies authors sell, and quadruple the |
| fisherman and parks patrolman. Going way back, I | | | | count of new indie titles by 2010. |
| was a computer programmer/analyst, and earned | | | | Helping authors realize their dreams is magical for |
| an honors degree in pure mathematical | | | | me. In July of 2006, I left my leadership position |
| problem-solving. In the mid-1970s, I lived in a log | | | | at Trafford to return to working personally with |
| cabin in the Yukon, sometimes going on long | | | | authors, their manuscripts and those dreams. |
| winter camping trips with a team of sled dogs, | | | | Once again, as we did before launching the POD |
| and often just sitting and thinking. | | | | revolution, my wife and I are operating a small |
| That eclectic background provided me with a | | | | publishing company - Agio Publishing House ( I feel |
| unique vantage point in 1994 to foresee an | | | | very fortunate and privileged to be editing and |
| amazing opportunity emerging from the | | | | advising creative people. I recently interviewed |
| convergence of certain technologies and trends. | | | | top executives in the largest POD author service |
| Print-on-Demand (POD) equipment + the Internet | | | | companies and dozens of indie authors. The result |
| information super-highway + Internet search | | | | is my new book, Book Marketing DeMystified |
| engines + credit cards + e-commerce + desktop | | | | [Agio, ISBN 978-1-897435-00-7]. |
| publishing + email + Adobe PostScript(tm) + | | | | A big thank you to all the authors who embrace |
| authors anxious to be published ... I envisioned a | | | | print-on-demand publishing and who continuously |
| book publishing service that would help | | | | amaze the world with your writings and thoughts. |
| independent (or 'indie') authors everywhere. It | | | | |