Is POD Right For Me?

Print on Demand technology has transformed the publishing landscape. No longer do authors need to print tens of thousands of books to sell - authors and publishers can print single books at an affordable cost. Print on demand is commonly now associated with "vanity press" - publishers who accept any submissions and publishes them. Unfortunately, this stygma has caused POD publishers to have a difficult time having their books carried by retail stores. However, with Internet retailers displaying POD books right alongside the latest Stephen King bestseller, POD books can be a small success.

Some small publishers who use POD technology also aggressively market their books, helping this "reach the masses" through large retailers. Through the right mix of promotion and marketing, your POD book can be a success!

There are many benefits to using a POD publisher. Typically, getting published with a POD publisher is very easy. Traditional publishing houses won't review your manuscript unless it is submitted by an agent - and typically you can't get an agent without being published first.

Another benefit with a POD publisher is quick publishing. With POD publishers, you can typically get published in 60-90 days. From experience with traditional publishers, it can take a year or more to have your book publisher.

POD publishers also allow you to have more control over the design of your book. Traditional publishers take almost complete control over the book from the title chosen to the layout of every character in the book. Many POD publishers allow you control the cover design and/or typesetting of the book.

There are, of course, downsides to publishing with a Print on Demand publisher.Your book will be labeled with the "vanity press" tag which can make it more difficult to have it reviewed, purchased, carried in bookstores, or picked up by a traditional publisher.

Traditional publishers spend thousands of dollars marketing and promoting a book it has invested in. With most POD publishers, the author is responsible for all promotion. This is a very expensive and difficult process for most authors.

Most traditional publishers offer a 40-55% discount to booksellers on their books. Some POD publishers offer a much lower discount rate - some as low as 20% - making it very difficult to sell your book. At this discount level, some stores won't even "special order" your book for customers.

With a POD published book, you will probably have very low sales. Since most retailers won't carry POD books, your sales will almost entirely be limited to online booksellers. Online booksellers only hold a very small percentage of the market. Even the most popular POD books may only sell a 1,000 copies.

Is POD right for me?

Publish on Demand may be right for you if your book meets these criteria:

• You don't want to go through the years of submissions and possible rejections from traditional publishers
• You know your book is so specialized it won't get picked up by a traditional publisher
• You have a marketing vehicle for your book
• You want to control the layout of your book

Find a Print-on-demand publisher through this site that meets your requirements.

by Jeremy Reis

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