What is POD?
POD stands for Print on Demand, sometimes called Publish on Demand.
It is simply a printing method, a digital technology that enables a book to be printed and bound very quickly. The unit cost is higher than other printing methods, but the initial setup is less, so small print runs (or even printing individual books) is now feasible.
Anyone - large commercial publishers, small press publishers - can use POD, but it's often used by so-called POD publishers. These companies charge fees, ranging from nominal to significant, to setup a book, then orders can be placed for any number of copies after that.
The quality of some POD books is excellent; the quality of others is poor; others are somewhere in the middle.
The main complaint with POD in general, though, is that POD books are usually not returnable. In the very unusual business model that is publishing, books are shipped to bookstores when they are ordered. But unlike other products, if the books don't sell, bookstores can "return" them for credit. Returning a book actually consists of stripping the cover and sending it back to the publisher and discarding the rest of the book. About one-third of all books printed every year end up in landfills!
Since most POD publishers don't accept returns, bookstores generally won't carry POD books ... so you can order books as you need them, but you can't sell them in a bookstore.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. has helpful information about POD at Writer Beware.
As with any kind of publishing, writers need to investigate carefully before choosing a publisher. You can check out publishers at Preditors & Editors.
It is simply a printing method, a digital technology that enables a book to be printed and bound very quickly. The unit cost is higher than other printing methods, but the initial setup is less, so small print runs (or even printing individual books) is now feasible.
Anyone - large commercial publishers, small press publishers - can use POD, but it's often used by so-called POD publishers. These companies charge fees, ranging from nominal to significant, to setup a book, then orders can be placed for any number of copies after that.
The quality of some POD books is excellent; the quality of others is poor; others are somewhere in the middle.
The main complaint with POD in general, though, is that POD books are usually not returnable. In the very unusual business model that is publishing, books are shipped to bookstores when they are ordered. But unlike other products, if the books don't sell, bookstores can "return" them for credit. Returning a book actually consists of stripping the cover and sending it back to the publisher and discarding the rest of the book. About one-third of all books printed every year end up in landfills!
Since most POD publishers don't accept returns, bookstores generally won't carry POD books ... so you can order books as you need them, but you can't sell them in a bookstore.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. has helpful information about POD at Writer Beware.
As with any kind of publishing, writers need to investigate carefully before choosing a publisher. You can check out publishers at Preditors & Editors.
posted by Lillie Ammann at 9:36 PM
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