Print on Demand.

[The Blue Lotus]

How does this work and has anyone used this for their own work? How did it go over?

 

[Addison]

I haven't done self-publishing myself, although if things don't go as planned (traditional publishing) then I'll be using it. But I did buy a print on demand book once. It was good, a shame it didn't get greater notice it could have gone far. Personally I think print on demand could better the chances because when I see a book that's "out of stock" I pass it over. But if I see it's a "print on demand" I buy it.

I've come across ads for Diggy Pod printing (I think that's the name, the ad is kind of annoying so I don't notice), look them up, maybe they can help.

 

[TWErvin2]

How POD goes over depends on your readership, and possibly your marketing efforts.

For Print on Demand, my publisher uses both Create Space and Lightning Source. There is also Lulu.com, but I think it's not the best option, seeing that the books tend to be higher priced, especially on Amazon and B&N. A self-publishing author can use any of these to print novels. I've not heard of Diggy Pod mentioned above, but I'm sure they have a website.

In my experience both Create Space (owned by Amazon) and Lighting Source produce decent products. LS is slightly better quality than CS, but CS is a little cheaper, thus potentially a little more profit per book sold.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

Thanks, I'll have to research it a bit before I start making any decisions.

 

[acapes]

Hey Blue Lotus, two of my publishers use POD (one Createspace & one Lightning Source) and I'll be using LS myself this year - I like it in terms of their support and flexibility, and their distribution.

I remember reading this comparison (among others) which was a nice starting point:

Terri Giuliano Long: Paperback Distribution: Createspace vs. Lightning Source

 

[The Blue Lotus]

Hey Blue Lotus, two of my publishers use POD (one Createspace & one Lightning Source) and I'll be using LS myself this year - I like it in terms of their support and flexibility, and their distribution.

I remember reading this comparison (among others) which was a nice starting point:

Terri Giuliano Long: Paperback Distribution: Createspace vs. Lightning Source

Thank you for the information and for sharing your experience. I appreciate it.

 

[acapes]

Glad it helped! I'll try find a few other links soon, there was one more I found really useful, just gotta find it

 

[Julian S Bartz]

I use Createspace for my paperback in print on demand. It has worked really well for me. Quality of the books is very high and the copies are affordable.

When I am having an event it is relatively easy for me to order a bulk purchase.

And friends who have purchased online say they are happy with the copies.

I would love to be traditionally published. But as an alternative I have no real issues.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me. It helped me narrow down the pros and cons a bit.
You all rock!

 

[MichaelSullivan]

I concur, print on demand is great. Good quality and decent pricing. I've used both CreateSpace and Lightning Source for years and I've never had any problems with either of them.