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Comparison of Traditional Publishing to Print-on-Demand

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obarz

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I recently addressed a meeting of the Institute of Management Consultants in NYC. I was asked to present on the comparison between traditional publishing and the emerging practice of self-publishing and print-on-demand. The complete text appears at http://www.yourbookpublisher.com/talk_on_pod.htm

It includes a comparison of the economics and finances of the two methods and tackles the reasons for the traditional publisher's rejection of most manuscripts it considers. It should be useful to authors seeking to choose between the two methods.

I believe that as POD comes to be accepted by author, reader, and distributor as a legitimate way to produce and publish books it will grow more and more away from the appearance of vanity publishing among those POD publishers who are careful to adopt a policy that results in the positive quality of the content of the books they release--that the economies of POD provide the means by which the scope and number of titles made available to the reader will be far greater than now and that this greater number can actually be of higher quality than those which existed before POD.

The concept of an omniscient book editor who screens to discover and provide only the very best is a myth. My talk demonstrates the opposite--that books are chosen based only on their potential for sale in the greatest number. Authors discovered this some time ago and readers too are coming around to this realization in noting how limited their choices are becoming at their local book supermarket. It's a wonderful opportunity for POD to step in and save the day.

I'd love to hear your comments and discuss any questions that may arise. Thanks.
 
Interesting. I just wanted to point out to those previously unfamiliar with POD that it isn't limited to the definition Otto presents (see slide 19). Not all works that are POD are submitted by the author with payment for printing. I worked for a publisher of scientific books and journals. Often, works were POD, but the author didn't pay a penny. And a friend is an editor whose company (they mostly publish fiction but also some poetry) publishes some works on demand, again at no cost to the author. If they like a work, they'll still invest in it.
 
Quite so! Thanks for pointing this out. While it is the practice that POD publishers require payment, it is not necessary to the process.

Indeed, we publish a limited nunber of titles each year that are free from cost to the author (see "free ms. reading" on our website). While I say limited, it is not necessarily limited in number, but limited to those books we feel have particular merit and should see the light of publication even though the author may not be willing to risk the cost of publishing under this method. As I recall my presentation stating, until the full acceptance of this process occurs, the POD publisher has got to offer something that will build author confidence. If we're excited about an author's work we should be willing to invest in him or her, and do.
 
obarz, isn't there in the publishing industry, still, a stigma attached to vanity and POD publishing? It seems to be something like the perception of the students that got into Harvard purely because of their test scores and the ones that got in because they knew the right people. How would an aspiring author combat that if he did use POD?
 
>a stigma attached to vanity and POD publishing?<

Yup, and it's quite this image that POD publishing must overcome.

By stating that they will publish anything presented to them a POD publisher sends a message that any book purchased from them is going to be unreviewed and possibly unprofessional. It might be a potential bestseller or simply someone's wandering scribblings--no way to know.

A POD publisher needs to earn the respect of its marketplace just as regular publishers have done for years. It does this by choosing carefully those books it feels merit publishing. The bookbuyer comes to know which houses can be relied on.

It's important to note that in this early stage of POD's life, we are able for now only to identify those POD publishers who are publishing garbage. They're identified by the high number of books they produce and the shameless approach they take in seeking out the author. The reputation for quality will take longer to earn because it requires a long-term demonstration of persistent quality.

So how is the quality-oriented POD publisher different from the regular publisher? Why won't the quality-oriented POD publisher turn away a manuscript just as readily as the regular publisher? It's because the POD publisher doesn't have the same multi-thousand dollar investment in startup that the traditional publisher has. We can afford to publish many more books and sell many fewer of each title (of course, more is better<g>). I recommend to any who haven't yet done so to read the information found at http://www.yourbookpublisher.com/talk_on_pod.htm It explains at length the finances of how POD technology impacts on the cost of publishing.
 
So for the word to get out its probably going to take a large number of readers who are willing to bet the better part of a twenty dollar bill that your POD publishing house is printing a good book, right?
 
Sorry, didn't note 'til now that this message has been hanging out here awhile.

>>. . .willing to bet the better part of a twenty dollar bill that your POD publishing house is printing a good book, right?<<

Not really. The word usually gets around--good or bad. Hopefully, the word about us will be good.

And, taking a chance by purchasing isn't the only way to find out whether a book has potential. Amazon has something called "Look Inside the Book"--the ability to read a number of pages from the book by clicking selected pages. We're about to implement that for all of YBK's books. It's not quite the same as flipping through the entire book while standing in the bookstore, but it's not bad for the web. No one else seems to be doing that, but Amazon is certainly somewhere that lots of people go to look for and maybe even "at" books these days.
 
That is true. If you're publishing junk people will figure it out and if you're not people will know that too. (Word will get around one way or the other.) The Amazon thing sounds like a good idea if folks will use it. Are there any other outlets for viewing material before its "published" besides Amazon? I noticed that your company is on the web, does it offer something like that?

It sounds like you have a great set up for epublishing too since all of your books are in a data base. Have you done anything like that?
 
>>Are there any other outlets for viewing material before its "published" besides Amazon?<<

Not that I'm aware of. BTW, this is not "pre" publishing, it's only after the book is out--else it couldn't be available on Amazon.

>>I noticed that your company is on the web, does it offer something like that?<<

No. But, hmmm, why wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't we? I guess it's because we ain't thought of it yet. Thanks Prolixic!

>>...you have a great set up for epublishing too since all of your books are in a data base.<<

While that is true, we haven't yet embarked on that path. Though there's a lot of "noise" out there about e-books I'm not yet seeing enough activity. Also, there are presently too many different devices so that the very small market there presently is is even further fragmented. Something will eventually break out and perhaps that could be soon. When it does we'll jump on the bandwagon.

Have you read an e-book? Do you know anyone who has? Qualifier: I don't mean downloading a PDF and printing it out on your own printer.
 
>>Are there any other outlets for viewing material before its "published" besides Amazon?<<

Not that I'm aware of. BTW, this is not "pre" publishing, it's only after the book is out--else it couldn't be available on Amazon.
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Our book reviews library database has the ability to attach multiple items (eg pdf files or any type of file) to each book. Could be used for preview chapters etc... Obarz, contact me directly if this is something we could interest you in...

Have you read an e-book? Do you know anyone who has? Qualifier: I don't mean downloading a PDF and printing it out on your own printer.
Click to expand...
No, I tend to get eye strain if I stare at a screen too long. Plus it's too restricitive.
 
Publishing on Demand

After publishing three books through a traditional publisher and my most recent book throuigh Trafford and their P.O.D. services, I would never go back to traditional publishing. Their are major differences including 1. Retention of ownership by the author. 2. A far larger percent of sales income. 3. Marketing. This last item requires some discussion. A new and naive author might assume that the traditional publisher will promote his or her book. This will not happen unless the book takes off and shows sales that blip above the average. So don't expect any, or very much marketing promotion from your traditional publisher. With P.O.D. you are responsible for promotion from the get go. At least you know the score up front. You might get some help with some Internet promotion but you're your own marketeer. You are your best salesman anyway. And, at least if you make a sale you get a hefty chunk of the income. You might even make a buck or two.
 
>>I would never go back to traditional publishing.<<

As a P.O.D. publisher, that's certainly music to my ears (even if you did go with that other publisher ;) --but I guess you're to be forgiven: they're in Canada and you're in Canada).

Good luck, and good sales.
 
I have down-loaded an e-book to my hard drive. The question now is do I try to read it from my monitor screen, ( all eight-hundred odd pages) or do I print it out on my dot matrix printer and then read it?

I know that I could't read many pages at a time from my 19 inch monitor without suffering from the same problems as Darren above.

How many others out there would suffer from the same problem?

How does one pay for downloading e-books? My source talks about sending donations in dollars to an address in the States.

Is this the way forward for budding authors to get there work noticed, paid for, and offered to the public cheaper by cutting out the publisher? i.e by downloading the authors script. Is this what P.O.D. Publishing is?
 
It's definitely NOT what P.O.D. publishing is about, but, unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with e-book files. The format of what you've downloaded will dictate the method by which you view it. I'm guessing you've got a PDF file? If so, it will quite look like a real book page after you've printed it out of your printer--which I agree, would be the best way to deal with it.

As to just what is P.O.D., I refer you to our website, http://www.ybkpublishers.com which will bring you to our catalog. After that click to get to the homepage where you will find a "button" named "Discussion of P.O.D." that will fill you in.
 
The real target for ebooks is the notebook or handheld computer. There are may reader applications and file formats currently in use and there are many websites set up to provide (either free or pay) everything from dictionaries to novels.

I use a Handheld computer and use TomeRaider & MobiPocket (I could provide a full list of what is available if anyone is interested). Some applications are for use on both mobile computers and PCs.

However, I just don't like reading books on a screen and whilst lots of people say that they use ebooks in this way I have never seen anyone sitting on a train reading an ebook.

BTW ...... what an interesting thread this is :)

Dave B.
 
>>I have never seen anyone sitting on a train reading an ebook.<<

I live in New York City, 13 million I think is the listed metropolitan population. I travel both the subways and the commuter railroads and, I too, have never seen anyone with an e-book reader--using it or carrying it.
 
Do not confuse POD with E-books. they are two different things. A POD publication might involve e-book as well as print publications. My own POD book is available in both print and e-book formats. Those interested can go see how the book is offered at www.DrGeorgem.US

Personally I feel that POD is the future of publishing. It makes so much sense. What criteria a POD publisher takes to books selected for publication is again another issue. Putting POD down as vanity publishing is truly throwing the baby out with the proverbial bathwater.

Another advantage with POD that I failed to mention in my earlier posting is the speed with which the book is made available. With a traditional publisher my books took many months to appear. With POD my book was available in a few weeks.
 
I keep trying to stay out of this thread, as I have some issues with the information obarz presented. Some of it is in conflict with what I know of POD. So, let me address one recent comment: some POD is geared toward e-books. Again, the publishing house I worked for published some books on demand. For most, you could choose between e-book or hard copy. For our more technical books (a small percentage), you could even chose chapters from several books to create your own. The small press I know is doing exploring more and more electronic options.

So when I read a sweeping claim that POD is or isn't something, and my experience is different, I'd urge anyone with a genuine interest in POD to gather information from a variety of sources.

Sorry. I don't mean to be disruptive.
 
Sorry, I was taking P.O.D. to mean "Print on demand" where I would select a book, download it, print it out, and then read it.

Now I think that it means "Publish on demand" where I select a book, and the publisher prints me out a hard copy, binds it and sends it to me by post.

Am I right or am I thick?
 
Print on Demand

Ian I don't think you're thick I think that this is a very complex issue. To make it worse its weighted, off center occasionally, with emotions, I.e., authors who pour their hearts out onto paper and then try to get it published.

Writers, that said, Quinn is right:

So when I read a sweeping claim that POD is or isn't something, and my experience is different, I'd urge anyone with a genuine interest in POD to gather information from a variety of sources.
Click to expand...

Objectively checking out your sources is always a good idea, especially before you invest something like a manuscript--which may be a very valuable piece of intellectual property--into a publishing system. And don't just check the rosy ones either. Check out the authors who have been burned by POD. For example The Science Fiction Writers of America have a section on their website here: SFWA Writer Beware with a long list of warnings against POD and other horrors. I am sure there are other sites and sources. There are some pleasant ones listed on this thread that make POD sound pretty good.

Secondly, If there are folks who chose to use POD or had to resort to using POD, of course they are going to support it and of course they are going to have a positive opinion about it, so take that info with a grain of salt too.

Finally don't take discussions posted anywhere on the web too seriously. What matters as a writer is what you get on paper--I.e., a publishing contract. Until then most of what you are reading is BS so they--meaning any and all publishers of whatever type they claim to be--can lay hands on your work and see if it can make them some money and if you make some too thats incidental.
 
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