Always wanted to write your own book? Self-publishing with a print on demand book service can make that dream a reality more easily than you may think. Though it may not seem as glamorous as traditional publishing, it can be a great choice for indie authors.
We’ll break down how print on demand for book publishing works, advantages of using it, what to look for in a print on demand company, and the ten best print on demand companies for self-published authors.
Print on demand , also known as POD, is an order fulfillment method where items are printed and shipped when a customer orders them. The term is used both for book publishing and selling merchandise. This post will focus on print on demand for publishing, however, we do also have further reading about selling print on demand merchandise.
Print On Demand gives authors the ability to market and sell their books in major retailers, small bookstores, and online without having to worry about storing, shipping, or stocking their books. It also gives authors more control over the publishing process for less money.
Now let’s break down some details about how print on demand works for book publishing.
People purchase your book online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or other online stores.
The POD provider prints, binds, and packages the order, even if it’s just one copy.
The POD company takes care of shipping the printed books to the retailer or wholesaler for fulfillment.
The provider collects the payment, deducts the printing and selling costs, and pays you the net sales.
Print on demand is an appealing business model for many new authors and entrepreneurs because it’s easier to manage than working with traditional publishers. These include:
With Print on Demand, books are printed one order at a time and the provider takes care of all of the production and shipping.
Printing on demand leads to less waste. If environmentally friendly, sustainable practices are important to you, using print-on-demand is a no-brainer.
Finding and working with traditional publishers can be difficult. If you already have an audience to promote to, self-publishing with a print on demand service provider is an easier route.
Book distribution networks vary by provider, but most POD providers distribute to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers large and small.
There are several traits you should consider when you choose a print on demand, most importantly:
Like any online service, you want to commit to one that’s easy to use. The process of uploading your manuscript, reviewing it, publishing, and distribution should be straightforward and easy to follow.
No one wants their book to look cheap. Before you commit to a POD company, confirm that they print high quality books. The best way to check this is to order proof copies before distribution starts, but you can also get a good idea from the customer reviews.
The two types of upfront costs for print on demand are setup fees and cost per unit. Not all providers charge a setup fee, but most charge an upfront fee for each book you sell. The rates typically change depending on the volume.
There are two timelines that you have to pay attention to with print on demand: production time and shipping time. The faster the shipping time, the better. Ideally, you want production times that are fast without compromising quality.
If your book has specific needs, for example, full-color illustrations, hardcover and softcover options, or specific binding needs, you’ll need to make sure your provider has them as options.
Royalties are the percentage of the sales that the author gets of the sales after the production costs are subtracted. Most providers have a pricing calculator on-site that will add up all of the costs and what you’ll get in royalties.
A print on demand provider’s distribution network controls which retailers keep your book in stock. Some providers have wider networks than others. For example, Amazon KDP is popular because of its affiliation with Amazon, but they make it harder to distribute your book to other non-Amazon retailers.
Problems happen with publishing and ecommerce. You don’t want to find out when there’s a problem that your provider doesn’t have adequate customer service availability.
Without further ado, here are the best print on demand publishing providers for self-published authors and entrepreneurs:
We’ll cover each providers
None
Orders shipped within 72 hours
None
Ebooks hit the Kindle store in 24-48 hours
None
Production takes 4-5 business days
None
Not listed
None
None
Ebooks go live in 2 days
None
Turnaround in 3-5 business days
None
Production takes 24-48 hours
10 books
Not listed
None
Printing in 48 hours
24 books
The best print on demand provider depends on what you need. For authors who are only interested in selling their books on Amazon, Amazon KDP is the best choice. If wide distribution is your highest priority, IngramSpark is the way to go. If your book cover design is intricate or your book has a lot of illustrations, Blurb will make them sing.
Though the Kindle store is what most people think of for Amazon book services, they do print physical books on demand as well.
Costs vary widely between providers. The figures you’ll want to pay attention to are the upfront fees (including set-up fees and per unit costs) and royalties.
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