Before publishing your book, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the different types of printing options available to you. The three most common printing options are digital printing, offset printing and print-on-demand (POD). For authors who are planning to go to a publisher, offset and digital printing are the preferred options, specifically for authors who want a large print run for their book. However, if self-publishing is what you have in mind, then look no further than print-on-demand (POD).
What is POD-
Print-on-demand is the technology and the business of printing books to order. This means that the printer prints books based on the order of the quantity received, even if the order is for a single copy. A few years before the introduction of POD, book publishers would declare titles out-of-stock if the sales didn’t guarantee a trip back to the printer for the minimum requirement of print copies through offset printing. This caused a sporadic demand of the retailers and libraries to go unfulfilled.
In turn, it necessitated a new age printing method. Enter POD.
The print-on-demand method produces books in response to an order rather than printing larger volumes of books in a single run. This benefits the indie authors the most. How? Well, the sales of indie books always fluctuate and as an indie author, you would always want to reach a new base of readers, and POD comes to your rescue. If you opt for the print-on-demand for printing your book, then your book’s availability is always guaranteed, both at regular book stores as well as online.
Ever since POD was introduced, it has revolutionized book creation and the publishing market. With sophisticated digital printers at hand, it is nearly impossible to detect the difference between a digitally printed book and a traditionally printed one. Moreover, POD has been a game-changer for indie authors since it enables publishers to print and deliver books whenever in demand.
Here’s why indie authors must consider print-on-demand:
Least Upfront Investment –
The only investments in POD are your time and the price of one book. That’s the beauty of print-on-demand. Books are printed as needed, so you don’t have to spend thousands to sell one book.
Faster & Efficient Printing –
Traditional or offset printing may vary anywhere from 6 months to a year. A lot of it depends on several factors such as proofing, editing, cover design, availability of date within a publishing calendar year etc. Now just imagine how long it would take for a larger order. Digital printing on the other hand, can do a small run within a week based on the quantity. But don’t mistake the faster speed for lower quality. Even for POD, print houses use professional-grade printers which can print up to 2400 dpi, with astonishing clarity, color saturation, and precise alignment. Though quicker, the digital print-on-demand process is still manually set and checked by a human at every step to ensure high quality and accuracy.
Greater Flexibility –
Digital print-on-demand reduces the risk and need for guesswork. Hence, you can print as many required copies at your convenience. If you wish to modify the content or change the cover design during the print-on-demand process, you can request to halt the print run instantly. You can then fix the errors, modify cover or change the content quickly and easily from the same file, at no extra cost. Using POD, indie authors can easily keep track of the total book sales that they made in a month or a year.
Collaborate with a Professional POD Publisher-
Though publishing your book traditionally may seem appropriate, very few authors get picked up by a publishing house. Even if you are one of them, you might have to wait at least a couple of months for your book to publish and probably another additional month for your book release. But if you’re an indie author who has just begun to consider selling your book, then starting with a POD printing is the best choice. Another best way is to collaborate with a publishing house that offers exceptional POD services. Indie authors must understand that print-on-demand stands as a unique benefactor in today’s technological growth and offers the lowest risk and greatest flexibility.
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