Compare PODs then choose wisely!
Technology has advanced in the publishing world. I’m lovin ‘it! They have helped me a lot to realize my editorial dreams. I think it’s wonderful that aspiring authors have a greater variety of options. Now you can opt for traditional publishing or the quantum leap to self-publishing. Some might never have the chance to see their work professionally printed without the advent of on-demand publishing, or POD Publishing. Print on demand means exactly what it implies: the company prints the books as they are requested. They use modern technology to store and print your book electronically, eliminating the need for a warehouse and large print runs.
In my opinion, the POD publication does not replace its proud big brother “Traditional Edition”. As with anything, there are pros and cons to each method. With that said, I won’t try to convince you if POD posting is a good fit for you. There are plenty of good reports on that topic.
In 2002, when I decided to self-publish my first book, I compiled a report comparing the top 3 companies. He helped me make my decision. I have reviewed that report for you and offer it free at the end of this article. If you’ve decided to publish POD, here are five of those top ten things to consider and compare.
1. Cover? Covers sell books! Of course, it’s not the only selling aspect of your book, but it’s one of the most important. All you get is a chance to make a good first impression to capture the interest of your potential reader.
Author’s note: Look at their covers in online bookstores: In 2002 I liked what various companies offered, but the covers of their existing author’s books looked like crayon drawings. Most companies have improved since then, but I still think it’s one of the main points to consider. You are looking for bookstore quality or trade quality.
2. Contract? – Most Publish-On-Demand or print-on-demand companies do not consider themselves publishers but publishing service companies. Therefore, you must expect a non-exclusive contract period.
3. Setup fee? If you’re like most self-publishers, you’re budget-conscious about the initial fee for creating your book. The basic package of the 4 leading companies that I researched averages $500. For my first self-published project, I let the other options determine my decision more, since the basic package of my 3 contenders was more or less the same.
4. Distribution? – Make sure they list your books in the database of leading wholesalers as part of the package or at least have an additional option to list and distribute them through the two leading book wholesalers in the United States: Ingram and Baker & Taylor.
5. Royalty payments? – You may be wondering, as an author friend of mine asked, “Shouldn’t royalty be the first thing you should ask about?” Not necessarily, the traditional publishing industry standard is 5-8% quarterly or semi-annually. The industry average for POD companies is about 15-20% at the time of writing. Even so, it’s good to know when to expect your royalty and how much. Most pay quarterly or monthly.
6. Price of the book? Find out if they are pricing their books at a competitive market price. It will probably hurt your sales if your book is priced too high above your competitors.
7. Do I support the author? Know what kind of support the company you contract with will provide. One-on-one support, assigned representative, phone support, email support are among the options. Educate yourself so you know what to expect. Make sure you’re comfortable with what they’re proposing to provide if you run into any issues in the publishing process.
8. Test ready? Although most POD companies offer much more advanced testing than the traditional 1-2 year release standard, it’s still good to know.
9. Returnable and discounted books in bookstores? Do you plan to sell a lot of books at the bookstore? Books don’t automatically get stocked on precious bookstore shelves, you know? You should know up front, if you post POD, your books will most likely not be returned.
Author’s note: Although that is changing rapidly, there are still many companies that follow this policy in their contracts.
Why is this important? Bookstores expect a full trade discount and anticipate the purchase of returnable books. This includes museums, gift shops, libraries, schools, etc.
10. Author purchase discount? This is important for your marketing campaign. Yes, you have to market your book. With any desktop publishing project, all marketing is considered your responsibility. Even with the savings from traditional publishers, you only get a fraction of your publisher’s attention (may be assigned to 10-100 authors) for about 30-90 days.
Author’s note: Let’s say you’re an excited author who just finished your book, your labor of love, you decided to self-publish it, you saved $2500 but you’re intimidated by all the things you have to learn to self-publish. Things he needs to do, like hire a cover designer, a book publisher, someone to professionally design his book, hire a printer, buy barcodes and isbn numbers, etc. We haven’t even gotten to the marketing job yet. Why not consider a POD editor that handles all those stages and steps for you? You only have to invest in your book at the lowest possible price to resell it to your readers at the price that the market supports.
I hope these thoughts are useful to you. It helped me make an informed decision when I knew nothing about the publishing industry. For the success of your book publishing dreams!
