| Print On Demand is often misunderstood because | | | | printed on another machine, the two are put |
| the acronym (POD) has been used to | | | | together and the book is shipped out. |
| characterize an industry of subsidy prices which | | | | This whole process can be done done in under 24 |
| charge an author a fee of between five hundred | | | | hours guaranteed, allowing for virtual stocking. |
| and a thousand dollars in order to put their book | | | | Basically this means a book shows as always in |
| in print. This company then makes the book | | | | stock, it is never out of print because the book |
| available through Amazon or through special order. | | | | buyers know they can get the book within one |
| Those books do not sell on the most part, they | | | | day. |
| are not commercial products in the eyes of the | | | | Print on demand does not mean you can not get |
| publishing industry. However that is not the fault | | | | on bookstore shelves. The reason you go with |
| of the print on demand technology. It is also used | | | | print on demand in general is because you are |
| by the major trade publishers, academic presses, | | | | trying to reduce your risks. Why print ten |
| small publishers and self publishers who just do | | | | thousand books just to try and persuade book |
| not want to put a lot of inventory on a book. | | | | buyers that you are in fact serious about the title |
| There are some special advantages to the small | | | | when most of the time, they are not going to |
| publishers who do not have access to the | | | | stock the title anyway. Even if they do you are |
| distribution. The vast majority of these books are | | | | going to get it back |
| printed one at a time. The machines that do the | | | | So print on demand technology is a way to save |
| printing are not page fed printers, they print on | | | | a lot of trees. With offset printing returns could |
| large rolls of paper at very high speeds. The book | | | | go as high as 30 percent in a bad year. That is 30 |
| interiors are in black and white unless you opt for | | | | percent of the books being printed being pulped |
| the more expensive color paper. The covers are | | | | and reused. |