| The book publishing industry is in trouble, plain and | | | | and never miss a sale. |
| simple. It is an antiquated business that is does | | | | Print on demand is still young, and there are still |
| things basically the same way it did a century ago. | | | | technological innovations to come that will make it |
| It's a dying industry that has held fast to its old | | | | even more attractive. Print on demand is such |
| ways. In the business environment of the | | | | that the quality of the books is very much equal |
| twenty-first century, you have to be fast, and | | | | to books manufactured using traditional offset |
| you have to be efficient. Publishing is neither. | | | | methods. And with print on demand, publishers |
| However, there is hope for this beleaguered | | | | are not even bound by the format of the |
| industry, and its' name is "Print on Demand," also | | | | product. Books can be printed in large print, in |
| known as "POD." | | | | foreign languages, or just about any configuration |
| Print on demand is a process in which books are | | | | you can imagine. They can even be made into |
| printed on an individual basis as orders come in, | | | | digital format, which gives publishers yet another |
| rather than printing in bulk all at once. In other | | | | way to offer their books to the public. Giving |
| words, if one person orders a single copy of a | | | | more options to consumers and more flexibility to |
| book, a POD company would print and bind a | | | | publishers is a winning situation for everyone |
| single copy of the book for shipment to that one | | | | involved. |
| person. | | | | An up and coming variation of print on demand |
| There are many benefits to using a print on | | | | may involve machines installed in bookstores that |
| demand company for publishing, including: | | | | allow them to print basically any book the |
| 1. Compared to the cost of configuring and | | | | customer wants. This will remove the limitation on |
| printing a large number of books at once, the | | | | the number of books that a bookstore can offer |
| cost to set up a book for individual printing | | | | because of space limitations. While this technology |
| through a POD company is very small. | | | | is still in development for mass production, it is |
| 2. The ongoing economics work much more in | | | | going to cause sweeping changes to the business |
| your favor. Smaller quantity book orders, even | | | | of selling books in just a few years. |
| down to a quantity of one, equal one printing. You | | | | In the hyper competitive 21st century business |
| don't have to worry about having hundreds or | | | | environment, doing more with less is more |
| thousands of books lying around collecting dust in | | | | important than ever. Print on demand lets you do |
| a warehouse. Books lying around cost money. | | | | just that. It is an immensely efficient way of |
| 3. Print on demand offers great flexibility to | | | | doing business that levels the playing field for all |
| publishers. POD is a unique business model that | | | | sizes of publishers, giving all the chance to |
| allows publishers to explore new revenue | | | | compete in the publishing arena. |
| streams, reduce costs, increase market exposure | | | | |