| For small book sellers, authors, companies looking | | | | book printing machine from Lightning Source. Such |
| to cut down on back stock, or sellers who want | | | | machines, stationed within a book store, offer the |
| to offer options when it comes to out of print or | | | | opportunity to booksellers to print books on |
| out of stock books, print on demand can be an | | | | demand from a catalog. These machines are small |
| excellent resource. In many ways, print on | | | | enough to fit in an office and allow you to print |
| demand technology has revolutionized the way in | | | | your own book in less than two minutes and in a |
| which the publishing industry operates. If you have | | | | wide range of sizes. The machine handles |
| plans to print your own book, here are a few | | | | everything from printing, to binding to trimming. It |
| things to think about. | | | | can even print the cover and provide you with |
| Consider what happens among books sellers with | | | | excellent library quality paperbacks. The catalog |
| traditional printing options. Most publishers have a | | | | provided by Lightning Source and the Espresso |
| minimum order requirement with any particular | | | | Book Machine offer instant access to hundreds of |
| printing, which of course makes printing more | | | | titles. |
| cost effective. However, what happens when | | | | From the perspective of an author, the |
| those books get to the sellers? They end up as | | | | development of POD machines is fantastic |
| back stock, taking up valuable space. And then, if | | | | because it means that you have the potential for |
| they do not sell well enough in that particular | | | | wide and even global distribution without having to |
| market they end up as bargain books and wind | | | | print hundreds of thousands of copies. Frankly, |
| up being a lost investment. | | | | this will likely change the landscape of the |
| With print on demand, you as an author will be | | | | publishing business forever. |
| able to much more effectively manage risk by | | | | Print on demand can be a great way to publish |
| printing smaller quantities of books as they are | | | | small quantities of your book at a time, and can |
| required. This is a much more beneficial | | | | even handle your needs as your book sales and |
| arrangement especially if you're a beginning author | | | | distribution require that higher quantities be printed. |
| who must fund the cost of printing out of pocket. | | | | POD providers like Lightning Source can also ship |
| It allows you to get started on a reasonable | | | | to any location and require less turnaround time |
| budget, begin to generate book sales, and then | | | | than standard publishers. Print on demand can be |
| scale up keeping pace with demand. | | | | a great way to publish your books, obtain |
| One of the advances in technology that has made | | | | professional quality books for your business, or |
| print on demand possible is the availability of | | | | simply ensure that you never run out of copies |
| compact print machines, such as the Espresso | | | | when you need them most. |