The Down-and-Dirty upon Publishing’s Over-Promoted Technology
(Adapted from The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book in to the Full-Time Living, by Peter Bowerman. Fanove, 2007. www.wellfedsp.com).
In the latest year, Xlibris, the single of the large names in POD (Print-on-Demand), distinguished profitable out their one-millionth dollar in royalties. The prior to year, they helped authors tell some-more than 7,000 titles as great as sell over 300,000 books. Impressive, huh? Well, let’s do the math. $1 million for 7000 titles comes out to an normal kingship of $149 each. Not usually value showing off about…
How POD Works
In the past couple of years, POD has generated the outrageous hum in the industry, earnest to “provide the keys to the critical edition dominion for all those authors once sealed out of the game” as great as alternative highly evolved claims. Not really. Remember, POD isn’t the little “miracle” or the “publishing revolution”; it’s usually the copy technology, zero more. Let’s try to apart the being from the hype…
With POD, we contention your book to the POD edition house (AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris as great as PublishAmerica have been large players) in an electronic format, compensate the price (typically $400-1500 depending upon the association as great as the selling options selected; see below), they’ll “produce” your book as great as bucket it onto their system. No earthy books have been printed until someone orders the single (i.e., by the bookstore).
POD – THE UPSIDES
POD creates clarity for 3 sold scenarios:
1) Authors whose goals have been to get in print, contend “I’m an author” as great as have the book accessible for friends as great as family, though though the supports to monetary an equivalent imitation run.
2) Authors receiving the prolonged view. Meaning, they in law wish to be the successful writer, know full great the stipulations of the POD model, though know how tough it is to capture the publisher, as great as wish to begin structure the height for themselves. In those cases, they operate POD to emanate the most appropriate (aesthetically speaking) probable book they can, meaningful that it competence take 2, 3 or 4 books to eventually set up up the name (and maybe capture the publisher). And POD can assistance them cut to the chase.
3) Larger publishers with out-of-print titles that now, interjection to POD, can be reactivated as great as begin earning latest income streams.
POD – THE DOWNSIDES
The POD Business Model
By definition, required publishers have to be resourceful about the books they take upon since their boon doesn’t come until they sell the bunch. By contrast, since POD publishers have the lion’s share of their income upon upfront fees – as great as since web space isn’t usually in reduced supply – they have any inducement to pointer up as most authors as possible, in any case of edition quality, as great as once sealed up, probably no inducement to foster them. Heck, they’ve finished their money! They know most of the books won’t be successful, so because squander most some-more bid when the earnings will expected be minimal?
The Marketing Hype
POD publishers will positively representation we upon their assertive devise to marketplace your pretension – during an additional cost, of course. Don’t get your hopes up. It’ll be an considerable sounding menu of window-dressing. They’ll guarantee to send the press recover to thousands of potentially meddlesome parties – the customary cookie-cutter piece, mass-mailed to people who get distant as well most anyway. Even if they do examination it, once they figure out it’s the POD book, unfortunately, that’ll work opposite you. And here’s why…
No Respect
Why have been most POD books not taken severely by bookstores, media as great as reviewers? For starters, with typically aloft copy costs, reduce imitation peculiarity as great as customarily the “no-return” policy, (i.e., reduction increase as great as some-more hassles), the large bookstore bondage aren’t usually descending all over themselves to lift POD books. More importantly, POD is noticed as comparatively “barrier-free” publishing.
Let’s inspect the hierarchy. At the tip is the conventionally published book. A book with the creditable edition house’s imprimatur has jumped by most hoops prior to eventually origination the grade. The “book-sales-before-profits” equation ensures usually the most appropriate survive.
One step down is the book identical to cave – “conventionally” self-published (i.e., I’ve paid for design, typesetting, equivalent printing, etc.) Yes, as the author, there’s no screening routine alternative than my preference to publish, but, upon the as well as side is this: the self-publishing writer has to all monetary the try – typically, $8-12K to move the 2500-5000-unit copy to market. Presumably, that implies an during slightest extrinsic hold upon reality. Few people will dump that kind of mix upon the whim unless they know they’ve got the great product.
Then, there’s POD publishing: the edition preference left utterly to the writer as great as the single with the minimal monetary investment. So, utterly legitimately, the pass reviewers as great as bookstore bondage ask, “What’s interlude any Tom, d*** or Harriet from removing published?” Not most anymore. Hence, low separator = low respect.
Self-published books – even finished the high-end approach – already quarrel an ascending conflict for apply oneself as great as credibility. Why? Because, in truth, most have been defective in calm as great as prolongation quality. With POD, it’s the double-whammy.
Royalties, Not Profits
In self-publishing as we do it, after expenses, all increase have been mine. By contrast, most POD publishers will have we pointer the stipulate that pays we royalties as great as in most cases, has we spin over the rights to your origination – during slightest for the sure duration of time. And those royalties have been mostly formed upon net deduction (after discounts to wholesalers, etc.), not sell price, shortening them even further.
Not YOUR ISBN
When we self-publish the book, we wish to be the “publisher-of-record.” If you’re not, afterwards that book wouldn’t technically be self-published, would it? You’re the “publisher-of-record” usually if we own your ISBN number. Most POD publishers own the ISBN numbers for their authors’ books, so they’re the “publisher-of-record.” Which, incidentally, is the usually reason they can get divided with job themselves “publishers,” as great as in the process, upset gullible authors in to meditative they’re “publishers” upon the standard with the genuine one.
You NEED Cheap Books
Commercial success with your book final the LOT of book selling as great as graduation as great as that equates to promulgation out LOTS of examination copies. With POD, shopping your own copies of, say, the $20 sell book, will price we rounded off $8-10 any (similar, incidentally, to required publishing, where authors typically buy their own books for 50% off retail). Add about $3 some-more for press kit, mailer as great as postage as great as we could go pennyless in the hurry. My books? About $1.50 each, origination the full examination package reduction than $5 each.
Not to discuss you’ll skip out upon all those luscious personal book sales during events, seminars as great as out of the case of your car. With book costs around $2 each, we can means to bonus books 25-50% as great as still have the great profit. With POD, no can do.
Depending upon your goals, POD competence be usually the sheet or it could be the dead-end. Do your homework. Understand the stipulations as great as be picturesque about the potential. Read contracts delicately as great as ask questions about royalties, rights, smallest book purchases as great as inventive control. You could save yourself the truckload of disappointment. And keep in mind: if we usually wish the POD technology, reduction the hype, you’re improved off with the digital printer identical to Fidlar Doubleday (fidlardoubleday.com).
***********
Got the book in you? Can’t land the publisher? Why not do it yourself, as great as have the vital from it? Sound good? Then, check out the giveaway inform upon self-publishing during www.wellfedsp.com, the home of the 2006 recover The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book in to the Full-Time Living. Author
Author Peter Bowerman is well known for the award-winning (and self-published) Well-Fed Writer titles (on the remunerative margin of blurb freelancing), that have supposing him with the full-time vital for over 5 years. (www.wellfedwriter.com).
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This post on the Book Publishers Association came upon across our reader today and makes arguments against Print on Demand (POD), a technology The Way Things Are uses as part of its mission to publish responsibly. The trouble is, that the author of the post is coming out against vanity presses, but calling it POD. Following was our response to the post (that when approved will appear with the original blog as well):
I do not reason this post objectively addresses the “pros as good as cons” of fabrication on direct publishing. Firstly, the bard focuses on self-centredness presses which work fabrication on direct as good as neglects to residence or admit the taking flight direction of micro-publishers as good as tiny eccentric publishers regulating the technology, as good as additionally fails to commend the vital book houses which have been additionally jumping on board. There is good reason as good – POD record is revolutionizing how the attention functions. When used as partial of an operations plan, publishers do not need to lift inventory, nor do they need to be concerned about overprinting on ultimate titles – scarcely expelling their risk.
I’d identical to to criticism on the small finer points in this post:
In the ultimate year, Xlibris, the singular of the vast names in POD (Print-on-Demand), renowned essential out their one-millionth dollar in royalties. The before to year, they helped authors discuss it some-more than 7,000 titles as good as sell over 300,000 books. Impressive, huh? Well, let’s do the math. $1 million for 7000 titles comes out to an normal the crown of $149 each. Not entirely value display off about…
Xlibris is the self-centredness press, not the publisher. This is no denote of POD’s value proposition. A improved indicator would be the normal book residence which uses POD record as good as net the assets in register costs as compared to those which need to lift inventory. Xlibris, PublishAmerica, Lulu as good as friends have been do-it-yourself presses which implement POD record (sometimes unscrupulously as good as with the tall price), not POD publishers. Our company, for instance, is the normal book residence which uses POD. We oldster authors shaped on queries, give them royalties, recompense for offered as good as editing, work placement channels, control media family campaigns, etc. The entirely disproportion in in between us as good as Random House (apart from revenue!) is the welfare in printing technology. We do it this approach to not entirely save costs as good as register overflow, yet additionally since you reason in obliged book as good as not wasting some-more books than is already being squandered by normal methods.
In the past integrate of years, POD has generated the vast sound in the industry, aspiring to “provide the keys to the vicious book control for all those authors once hermetic out of the game” as good as pick rarely developed claims. Not really. Remember, POD isn’t the small “miracle” or the “publishing revolution”; it’s entirely the duplicate technology, 0 more. Let’s try to detached the being from the hype…
Technically, homogeneous duplicate is additionally “copy” technology. The disproportion is, POD is digital as good as homogeneous is not. Its palliate of use, low cost, as good as peculiarity prolongation (it wasn’t regularly tall quality, yet it is now) have it the loyal viable choice for those which cannot equates to the upfront price as good as register compulsory in homogeneous printing. There have been not as many choices with POD (including embossing, paper type, etc), yet to the consumer there is no distinct disproportion in peculiarity as good as it is which reason the attention is “hyping” it. More as good as some-more houses have been branch to it since it creates commercial operation sense.
The direction is such which inside of the dozen years, POD will be the prevalent as good as homogeneous will modify to digital. It’s happened in any alternative form of media as good as it will occur in fabrication too. Back in 1996 the people who announced about the peculiarity disproportion in in between digital cameras as good as analog cameras have been the same people selling the same $7,000 SLR digital camera which AP photographers use. Music? Video? Television? Yes, fabrication will turn digital too. It creates clarity for publishers to proceed converting right away as good as reap the benefits of the speed, potency as good as assets in price whilst their foe are.
Vanity presses will regularly exist, as good as entirely since they work digital collection does not have the apparatus nonviable for normal publishers.
With POD, you row your book to the POD book residence (AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris as good as PublishAmerica have been vast players) in an electronic format, recompense the price (typically $400-1500 depending on the organisation as good as the offered options selected; see below), they’ll “produce” your book as good as bucket it onto their system. No worldly books have been printed until someone orders the singular (i.e., by the bookstore).
This is self-centredness printing. They do it with homogeneous too.
1) Authors whose goals have been to get in print, contend “I’m an author” as good as have the book permitted for friends as good as family, yet yet the supports to financial an homogeneous fabrication run.
I assure you, bard Kathleen Kaufman as good as environmental 40-year columnist Edward Flattau on this year’s list for the publications will be some-more than showing off about “being an author” to friends as good as family. They will be usurpation kingship checks from nationally distributed books. And all they had to do was write them. We did all else. Just identical to unchanging publishers.
2) Authors reception the enlarged view. Meaning, they in law instruct to be the successful writer, know full good the prerequisites of the POD model, yet know how difficult it is to constraint the publisher, as good as instruct to proceed have up the tallness for themselves. In those cases, they work POD to begin the many suitable (aesthetically speaking) illusive book they can, suggestive which it cunning take 2, 3 or 4 books to in the destiny set up up the name (and might be constraint the publisher). And POD can benefit them cut to the chase.
It’s the good format for self-publishers. Self-publishers, however, have been not the entirely ones regulating it.
By definition, compulsory publishers have to be quick about the books they take on since their bonus doesn’t come until they sell the bunch. By contrast, since POD publishers have the lion’s share of their income on upfront fees – as good as since web space isn’t entirely in marked down supply – they have any provocation to pointer up as many authors as possible, in any box of book quality, as good as once hermetic up, substantially no provocation to encourage them. Heck, they’ve accomplished their money! They know many of the books won’t be successful, so since exhaust many some-more bid when the gain will approaching be minimal?
This is the self-centredness press commercial operation model. For us, it is really critical to be quick since you have been profitable for offered as good as distribution. Taking out upfront fabrication costs equates to you can put some-more income in to offered as good as distribution, however, you have been no rebate “out of pocket” than the unchanging press, you entirely get to keep the income flow. Our books price the same as homogeneous does when duplicate rebate than 5,000 copies. And no micro-publisher is starting to fabrication some-more than 5,000 copies with an homogeneous printer. Costs have been the same as good as so resourcefulness is additionally the same.
POD publishers will definitely illustration you on their noisy digest to marketplace your due – during an the singular some-more cost, of course. Don’t get your hopes up. It’ll be an substantial sounding menu of window-dressing. They’ll pledge to send the press redeem to thousands of potentially prying parties – the prevalent cookie-cutter piece, mass-mailed to people who get detached as good many anyway. Even if they do hearing it, once they figure out it’s the POD book, unfortunately, that’ll work conflicting you. ..
Why have been many POD books not taken exceedingly by bookstores, media as good as reviewers? For starters, with typically aloft duplicate costs, revoke fabrication peculiarity as good as entirely the “no-return” policy, (i.e., rebate enlarge as good as some-more hassles), the vast bookstore subjugation aren’t entirely forward all over themselves to lift POD books. More importantly, POD is beheld as partially “barrier-free” publishing.
Again, self-centredness presses do this as good as normal publishers demeanour down on it. However, for the small authors that’s precisely what they have been seeking for. POD distributors will happily do returnable programs, which is not the duty of POD technology. However, non-returnable programs have been apropos increasingly critical for micro-publishers as good as even the large boys have been perplexing to vigour retailers in to non-returnable. Retailers will in the destiny have to. And for many reasons. Firstly, it is an astray attention bonus which booksellers do not reason the risk of the sale – is there pursuit to sell the book, not the publisher, as good as thus the book residence should not have the solitary weight of risk.
Secondly, there is no alternative commercial operation indication out there (apart from magazines as good as dairy products) where retailers can sequence whatever they instruct as good as lapse whatever they do not sell. It is an primitive complement combined primarily to foster the sell of books in section as good as trebuchet stores during the Great Depression. Now with publishers starting underneath since large subjugation have been offloading their register in light of the Recession, the attention will have to compensate.
Thirdly, book earnings have been intensely dear as good as wasteful. Last year book earnings accounted for $10 billion value of squandered books. Out of any 10 books sole to booksellers, 4 were destroyed. We exclude to do returnable programs as good as when you discuss it booksellers why, they agree. We have copiousness of section as good as trebuchet placement as good as you do it by offsetting the price of non-returnable programs to the tradesman with the aloft discount. Cause you can equates to to. Cause 40% of the books have been not being returned. Retailers will have some-more income as good as minister to rebate rubbish if they go non-returnable as good as they entirely need to be told that. In the really reduced time, non-returnable will be the norm.
This is not the POD “gotcha tactic”, nonetheless I’m certain self-centredness presses do no returnable to, this is the destiny of the industry. The some-more publishers which put weight on booksellers (and prerogative them with tall discounts) the improved of the attention will be. This is the quickest as good as many in effect approach to retreat this plummeting downward income direction which is falling book publishers. Random House knows it as good as is the singular of many which have been pulling B&N in to non-returnable deals. It is good value the micro-publisher’s bid to quarrel for this. We have, as good as have found good success with it. It additionally fits in the goal to be responsible. Should the attention unexpected go non-returnable, that’s thirty million trees. No joke. And in the U.S. alone.
Then, there’s POD publishing: the book welfare left definitely to the bard as good as the singular with the minimal financial investment. So, definitely legitimately, the pass reviewers as good as bookstore subjugation ask, “What’s pause any Tom, d*** or Harriet from stealing published?” Not many anymore. Hence, low separator = low respect.
Plenty of reviewers have excitedly tackled the books. They do not caring the POD, since you have been the publisher. The tarnish of reviewers is some-more about self-publishers as good as not POD. It is the peculiarity of the product, not the technology, which matters. Make the tall peculiarity book, you will get reviews. Don’t as good as you won’t. Reviewers have been in the habit of to POD, they get them from the large boys too. Most galleys have been POD right away anyway.
In self-publishing as you do it, after expenses, all enlarge have been mine. By contrast, many POD publishers will have you pointer the outline which pays you royalties as good as in many cases, has you turn over the rights to your fad – during smallest for the certain generation of time. And those royalties have been often shaped on net rebate (after discounts to wholesalers, etc.), not sell price, cutting them even further.
For self-centredness presses maybe. We give the authors really inexhaustible royalties.
Not YOUR ISBN
When you self-publish the book, you instruct to be the “publisher-of-record.” If you’re not, thereafter which book wouldn’t technically be self-published, would it? You’re the “publisher-of-record” entirely if you own your ISBN number. Most POD publishers own the ISBN numbers for their authors’ books, so they’re the “publisher-of-record.” Which, incidentally, is the entirely reason they can get widely separated with pursuit themselves “publishers,” as good as in the process, dissapoint trusting authors in to pondering they’re “publishers” on the prevalent with the genuine one.
LSI, the personality in POD technology, uses whatever ISBN you give them. Vanity presses might allot ISBNs- that’s what they do, yet POD does not meant you do not own the ISBN. Again, you can select to go to the self-centredness press (who uses POD) as good as run in to these problems, or you can be picked up by the normal book residence (who uses POD) as good as not.
Commercial success with your book last the LOT of book offered as good as graduation as good as which equates to event out LOTS of hearing copies. With POD, selling your own copies of, say, the $20 sell book, will price you dull off $8-10 any (similar, incidentally, to compulsory publishing, where authors typically buy their own books for 50% off retail). Add about $3 some-more for press kit, mailer as good as postage as good as you could go pennyless in the hurry. My books? About $1.50 each, fad the full hearing package rebate than $5 each.
With LSI the paperbacks price rebate than $5 the piece. Hardcover $7. That’s what homogeneous costs underneath 5,000 copies.
I unequivocally reason this post needs to the small clever re-wording. The problems discussed here have been issues around self-centredness presses (whether or not they work POD), not POD – which is the viable, important, as good as increasingly mainstream technology. It’s the contrition which self-centredness presses have since the record such the bad name, yet rest assured, publishers identical to us have been regulating it to renovate the wasteful, non-profitable, as good as failing industry. It is critical as good as will increasingly be taken some-more seriously.
Mark Havenner
The Way Things Are Publications
November 1st marks the first day of 
