POD People: What You Should Know About Print On Demand Publishers

I saw a blog here a few days ago on self-publishing. While that itself wasn't a problem, I also noticed that self-publishing and print on demand started being used interchangeably later in the blog. This is a common mistake I see on writing forums and hear in conversation, and I used to make the same mistake myself. Self-publishing and print on demand (POD) are not the same thing. This is information I've learned from other authors and from publishing industry research I've done for my own benefit.

"Print on demand" is literally the digital printing technology that allows a full length book to be printed and bound in just minutes. This technology is especially economical when printing a small quantity of books. The POD publishing that has become so widespread is the fee-based print on demand service providers that offer services resembling, but not the same as self-publishing. The following are some major differences between self-publishing and POD:

*Money: Money is an issue for many writers, and one reason why some authors choose the self-publishing route is because they get more money from book sales than they would with a commercial publisher. The writer takes home all the proceeds. However, POD publishers pay the author in the form of a royalty. Hence, you pay the publisher twice: first with the upfront fee and again when the book sells.

*Author's control: With self-publishers, the author has control over every aspect of the publishing process. With PODs, your choices are limited to the service package you receive based on how much money you pay upfront.

*Rights: The writer owns all of the rights with a self-publisher. However, with some print on demand publishers, the publisher may claim the rights.

There are also a number of characteristics or flaws associated with print on demand publishing and some of them are fairly well-known in writing circles. Some of them include little or no editing (if editing is available, there is a fee for it), not accepting returned books (This is one major reason POD books don't make it into bookstores. If they order books that don't sell, they're stuck with them), little or no marketing of publications (the writer is responsible for all marketing), and poor print and formatting quality. This is not necessarily characteristic of all publishers, but anyone preferring the print on demand method should find out as much about the company you are working with as possible.

The purpose of this blog is not to "bash" all print on demand publishers and the authors who work for them. There are situations where POD might be the best option like for a personal book where the writer may only want to print a small quantity for friends and family or an author wanting to meet demands for a book that is out of print. There are POD publishers who are honest about their services and don't charge enormous amounts of money upfront. I know from authors who worked with some of these companies that this is not necessarily the case. If you choose the POD method, find out as much information as you can about the company and their work. Make sure you examine a copy of a book the company has printed. This can tell a lot.

Best of luck to everyone with their publishing experiences, and enjoy writing. That's the most important part.