Print-on-Demand Publishing - What You Need to Know

by Helen Hecker

Back in the mid 1990s it was thought that the World Wide Web was the answer to finally getting one's book published. The reason: print-on-demand (P.O.D.) books.
Of course this never happened. Print-on-demand companies came and quickly went and by the year 2000 the print-on-demand moment on the Internet was over. Print-on-demand companies disappeared. Or almost disappeared. Today, there are still a few companies publishing books that are available on the Internet. Some are leaders in the pack.   

Pitfalls!

The problem with print-on-demand publishing is not writing your book, or putting it up on the Web, but selling it. Unless you have thousands of friends and fans who find it on the World Wide Web, your book won’t be sold. It's not available to seen or be thumbed through in a hard copy, and it won’t be read about in a Publishers Weekly or Library Journal book review.

Well known for it's book reviews, The New York Times and almost all newspapers won’t review a print-on-demand book. Bookstores won’t stock them on their shelves. So unless you promote it yourself through extraordinary promotional efforts, your book won't sell more than fifty copies.  And those will mostly be to friends, family and associates.

Very few books make The New York Times or other bestseller lists. More than 100,000 books are published every year.  Very few books sell enough copies to earn an income for their writers. And many of these are authors who own a small publishing company. If you publish by print-on-demand, it is ten times harder to get your book sold.

Why publish by print-on-demand?

Then why publish a print-on-demand book if the reality is that you can’t make money from having your book on the 'Net, and, in fact, it'll even cost you money?
Because the print-on-demand route is a relatively easy way to get published, and does provide you with a professional looking book.  Speakers and business owners have more credentials as authors, besides being  able to sell them on speaking engagements or through their place of business, for example.

What do print-on-demand publishers do?

For  a small amount of money in most cases, a print-on-demand publisher will professionally lay out your book, give you a selection of layout design, paper stock, cover design, size and binding, and arrange for the registration of an I.S.B.N. number which is used to list the book in databases used by traditional and online bookstores.
You get ten or more free copies and can buy additional copies for approximately 20-60 percent of the retail price, this varies with each print-on-demand company. Your book is never 'published' in the true sense of the word but it's there on the Internet if anyone wants to buy it. It lives forever in a digital file and is ready to print if and when someone finds it.

Some of the major print-on-demand companies

The following is a list of major companies that offer print-on-demand services and the approximate costs of publishing a book.  Options for support services and costs vary a great deal. Be sure to compare thoroughly, ask for samples, get references  and look for reviews of the company on the Internet, especially bad experiences anyone has had.

It's important in the end to remember that YOU must be in a position to market your print- on-demand book if you plan to sell more than a few copies! This means becoming a small publishing company-- going into business.  This is like starting up any other business. Know what you are going to do BEFORE you publish.

IUniverse
Fee: $159 to $949.
Royalties: 20 percent of retail price.
Rights: Author retains.
Services: Copyediting included at highest fee level.

1st Books Library
Fee: $598.
Royalties: 5 to 50 percent of retail price.
Rights: Author retains.
Options: Prints in variety of hardback and paperback sizes.
Services: Editing and promotional services available at additional charges.
Formats for sale: hard-copy printing; .pdf; eBook.

Greatunpublished
Fee: $99 to $299.
Royalties: 25 percent of retail price.
Rights: Author retains.
Options: various page layouts, cover designs, sizes
Services: Marketing assistance for extra fee.
Formats for sale: hard-copy printing, eBook.

Writers’ Collective
Fee: for membership, $175 first year and $100 in subsequent years, plus $50 and a $15 administrative fee per book title.
Royalties: 100 percent of sales price retained by author.
Rights: Author retains.
Options: hardcover and paperback
Services: accepts returns from bookstores.

Xlibris
Fee: $500 to $1,600.
Royalties: 10 to 25 percent of retail.
Rights: Author retains.
Services: Prints paperback and hardcover, including picture books; copyediting and marketing available for additional fees.

iUniverse and Xlibris are well-established companies along with Book Locker, Enovel and Bookstand.

Disclaimer: The mention of these companies is NOT an endorsement.  As always check on the company and their background before doing any business with them. These companies were picked at random.  Caveat emptor.

copyright©2006 Helen Hecker all rights reserved