Workshops
Print on Demand: What You Need to Know
By Michael Tardif, WIW member
The terms “print on demand” (POD) and “self-publishing” are
not synonymous, though they are often used interchangeably. One is a
printing technology that dramatically lowers the capital needed to publish
a book, while the other is an alternative method for authors to publish
their own works, either through conventional, print on demand or e-publishing
methods.
Print on demand technology can be used by anyone—major publishing
houses, small presses and independent writers—to dramatically reduce
the cost and risk of large print runs and managing inventory. POD books
are printed only when ordered by a customer and only in the quantity
ordered. Indeed, according to Joseph Barbato, WIW president
and moderator of the September 29 workshop, one in four of the 195,000
titles published in the U.S. in 2004 was a POD book. Only some of these
titles, however, were self-published. A conventional publisher might
choose to distribute a book using POD, and the author might not even
know the difference.
But for independent writers, POD makes self-publishing easier, by lowering
the cost and risk of publishing just as it does for commercial publishers.
For many authors, POD makes self-publishing a genuinely viable option
for the first time. For workshop panelists Austin Camacho (www.ascamacho.com),
Jane Frutchey (wjfrutchey@adelphia.net)
and Cindy Gallagher (www.cynthiapolansky.com), POD
is just such a means to an end—a way to get their works published
professionally and economically without having to run the gantlet of
the commercial publishing industry.
Camacho turned to POD after many years of being unable to publish his
mystery novels conventionally. Gallagher (who writes under her maiden
name, Polansky), a first-time author of the historical novel Far
Above Rubies, “floated into” POD publishing four years
ago, but is now seeking to publish her second novel conventionally. Frutchey,
a freelance writer, poet and editorial consultant, publishes her POD
book Seven Steps to Starting and Running an Editorial Consulting
Business in connection with seminars that she conducts on the same
topic.
Independent writers are the target market for many POD publishers, and
providing publishing services to authors is the most common business
model for the industry. This is both good and bad. Authors retain full
rights in their works, can exercise greater control over the content
and design of their books, and can derive a greater share of the sale
price of each book. However, with authors as their primary customers,
most POD companies are not focused on marketing and selling books. And
in the highly regimented publishing industry, POD publishing is considered
an anomaly. Though the industry is slowly changing, it can be very difficult
to distribute POD books through the conventional channels—major
distributors and bookstore chains—or to have a POD book reviewed
by a major reviewer.
Camacho published his first POD books through InfinityPublishing.com;
after establishing his own imprint, he switched to POD printer publishinggold.com.
Frutchey first published her book with Unlimited Publishing, and subsequently
switched to Lighting Source, the POD printer for Ingram. Gallagher published
her novel through Booklocker.com. Comacho noted that among the benefits
of POD publishing are speed, control and the certainty that your book
will be published, but that the most significant challenge is that authors
need to be very knowledgeable about marketing and distribution.
The panelists had a number of recommendations for authors considering
POD:
- POD publishers offer a variety of services; before entering into
an agreement with a POD publisher, learn as much about the industry
as you can. Compare the services offered and costs. Determine which
services you want or need.
- For POD publishers who also sell/distribute through their own Web
sites or conventional distribution channels, review royalty terms carefully.
A thirty-five percent royalty may seem like a windfall, but as with
conventional publishers, the royalty is based on the net revenue earned
by the publisher, not the retail price of the book. If the book passes
through several middlemen before reaching the retail customer, the
actual royalty may be a tiny fraction of the final sales price. Since
the author pays the upfront cost of publishing the book, this may not
be such a good deal. Some POD publishers pay royalties of fifty percent
or more; negotiate the highest royalty possible.
- Frutchey recommends a comparative database of POD publishers that
can be found at www.dehanna.com/print_on_demand.htm.
The owner of the Web site, Dehanna Bailee, is also
the author of a helpful book, The ABC's of POD: A Beginner's Guide
to Fee-Based Print-on-Demand Publishing. Another useful online
resource recommended by Frutchey can be found on the Web site of the
Science Fiction Writers of America at www.sfwa.org/beware/printondemand.html.
- Some, but not all POD publishers have distribution agreements with
major book distributors such as Ingram or Baker & Taylor, or online
retailers such as Amazon.com. If your goal is to sell your book through
conventional mass-distribution channels, these relationships are essential.
- Many POD publishers have a “no return” policy. This is
a major barrier to entry in the highly regimented commercial publishing
industry, where returns are the norm. Most major book distributors
or retailers will not purchase books on these terms. So again, if your
goal is to see your book in the major bookstores, confirm that your
POD publisher will accept returns—and find out whether you will
be expected to assume any risk related to returns.
- To increase the appeal of your book to the publishing industry, offer
it as a “small press” imprint rather than a self-published
book. Camacho self-publishes under his own imprint, Intrigue Publishing.
According to Camacho, “Published by Intrigue, distributed by
Ingram, and returnable; that’s what bookstores want to hear.”
- Most POD publishers provide very limited editorial services. “Not
much more than spell-checking,” according to Frutchey. Camacho
recommends that you not release a book without retaining the services
of a professional editor and proofreader. Find the talent you need
through the WIW Job Bank or the membership directory of The Editorial
Freelancers Association (www.the-efa.org).
- All three panelists reported unsatisfactory experiences with cover
design, paper quality, font type and size, or page layout and design.
Make no assumptions about the quality of these items. Negotiate explicit
standards of quality and right of approval, including the right to
approve the cover design, page proofs, cover stock and paper stock.
- While some POD publishers provide templates for cover design, Camacho
recommends contracting separately with a cover artist. Some POD publishers
will also accept designed book pages prepared by the author (or someone
hired by the author independently). These design and production services
are typically included in the package of POD services, so authors who
elect to perform these tasks should negotiate a credit.
- If you choose to design/layout pages yourself, learn enough about
book design to produce a professional result. Small details such as
extra line spaces between paragraphs and odd-sized margins immediately
telegraph to booksellers that the product was not professionally produced.
Camacho recommends studying the page design of published books closely.
- Keep in touch with the publisher during production. Many POD publishers
hire freelance production staff, which can adversely affect production
schedules, communication or quality. Make sure you can communicate
directly with the production editors and designers throughout the process.
- Most POD publishers will handle logistical/technical items such as
ISBN registration and bar coding. All three panelists cited this as
a significant value-added service of POD publishing, as completing
these items independently can be extremely time-consuming and costly
for authors.
- Most POD publishers set a minimum retail price for a book based on
production cost, but the author can elect to set a higher price.
Barbato recommended several titles on self-publishing that also include
useful information on POD:
- The Self-Publishing Manual, by Dan Poynter
- The Complete Guide to Self Publishing, by Tom and Marilyn
Ross
- How to Get Happily Published: The Case for Doing It Yourself, by
Judith Appelbaum
Michael Tardif is a freelance writer and editor specializing in
architecture and design. He is a regular contributor to New Old
House magazine (www.newoldhousemag.com) and
the editor of ArchitectureDC, a consumer-oriented quarterly (www.aiadc.com).
His article “What Style is Your House?” will appear in
the November/December issue of Bethesda Magazine.
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