How print on demand enables self publishing

Print on demand has been designed so that authors can price books competitively for the customer (the reader) and offer the book trade an acceptable discount and a timely delivery service. POD is lean and just-in-time manufacturing which works for both author and bookseller. So the author can concentrate on the fun of creating content and invest any budget in book promotion. Authors don't need to tie up resources in the heavy lifting. POD takes care of the manufacturing and the logistics. In other words, POD makes and ships a book when an order (demand) is received. Zero demand = 0 books. Demand for 1 book = 1 book, demand for 2 books = 2 books etc. The press prints from a library of PDF artwork, which Into Print prepares in industry-standard typesetting software. The POD press references the PDF artwork to print the sheets, cut them to size and bind the sheets into a cover board to make a book. The factory line packages the book(s) and sends them out to the purchaser – usually a bookseller.

Print on demand widens availability

The print on demand ecosystem goes much further than just printing. It includes electronic ordering from book wholesalers and retailers. When a bookseller gets a customer order, it sends an electronic message to the POD factory. The message contains the unique ISBN associated with the PDF artwork for that book title. The order triggers the printing and binding of that book, its packing and shipping to the bookseller's address. When you work with Into Print, we hold your hand and show you how it works; so you can decide how to use it most effectively for your book project.

Print on demand is economic and green

POD means no-risk selling for authors — you don't have to commit to buying stock in order to drum up business. Instead we create a package of materials for booksellers to help them convince readers to buy your book, and only after a reader has bought your book do we print it, on demand. You benefit from worldwide exposure and availability: booksellers everywhere get data about your book. There's no need to ship long distances — instead we print and ship from our nearest factory, for example Australia for Australasia, USA for North America, UK for UK and parts of Europe. Partner factories in the Middle East, Brazil, Poland, South Korea, Germany, China, India, Italy, Spain, Singapore, Japan, South Africa, and Turkey make delivery even more local. POD also facilitates other author activities: low-cost fulfilment of legal deposit copies, organising a launch event with books shipped directly to the venue, sending signed review copies, and selling to specialist booksellers with Into Print shipping directly to them.