The term ‘print on demand’ (POD) crops up on this blog from time to time. I’m also often asked questions about it at seminars. So to clear things up, what exactly is POD and what does it mean for authors?
Quite simply, POD is a process of printing which does what it says on the tin – it prints as many books as is required at any given time.
Some speculate that POD could change the way publishers do business.Traditionally publishers estimate the number of copies of a book that they think will sell and produce print runs accordingly. In order to be cost-effective print runs tend to be large (ie, into the thousands), but this also runs the risk that not all the books will be sold. Disappointing sales can leave the publisher with a deficit in their budget and storage costs for the unwanted stock, which may eventually need to be pulped.
POD is good news for the published author as it means their book can be made available to order a copy at the time - in effect, it need never go out of print (and the author continues to receives income from it). Readers, meanwhile, will always have access to a new copy of the book they want to read.
It’s not bad news for the aspiring author either. In theory because of the reduced financial risks for publishers, there might be an increased number of new books being taken on.
What to know more? Read David Taylor's article about print on demand in the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook.
Warm wishes, Jo
(Editor, Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook)
Hi everybody,
The popular cars sell because they have safety in design a moderate look and the engine that ticks underneath the bonnet. If this aspects are employed by POD then print on demand will soon give a run to normal publisher.
I understand what you mean, Cressida. Sometimes, I pick up a book with a bland, uninteresting cover and the contents turn out to be fascinating. I would never buy a book without being attracted to its contents. For some readers like myself, what's underneath the cover is what makes a book worth buying.
You’re description of POD Jo, reminds me of auto manufacturer Tesla. They make the car upon order. Period. And partly because they’re terribly expensive, you rarely ever see one on the road (only saw one once). A shame because I’ve heard they are one of the few ‘environmentally friendly’ sports cars.
One of the problems with POD is that it assumes the reader already knows of the books’ existence. Also it’s not available whenever the reader wants. I don’t think a passenger will wait at an airport kiosk for the postman to deliver their book. I don’t know about others, but though it may be good for some, don’t think I’d be too interested in a publishing process that would not be able to present my book to a widespread audience for instant availability.