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Print-on-demand companies for indie authors

17/3/2019

1 Comment

 
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If you are indie publishing, print-on-demand is probably the best option for you to start out. You may switch to offset printing once your sales pick up. With print-on-demand you have companies that are connected to distributors or the option of printing with you handling the distribution. Let’s look at some popular companies.
 
CreateSpace
If you’ve been researching POD (print-on-demand) services, you’ve surely heard of CreateSpace. Sadly, CreateSpace went out of business in 2018. They merged with KDP.
 
KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
https://kdp.amazon.com
KDP is Amazon’s newer printing service that is for both e-books and paperbacks. They are free to join, free to publish with, automatically connected to Amazon, and you have the option of connecting to expanded distribution which makes your books available to bookstores both in store and online. One thing different about KDP versus CreateSpace is you do not have the option to print books without distribution (example, family photos or personal stories). All books printed with them are automatically on Amazon.
 
IngramSpark
www.ingramspark.com
IngramSpark is the POD service of the popular book distribution company, Ingram. This is probably the best service to be connected with for distribution to bookstores. You can publish paperbacks, hardcovers, and e-books with them. They do have more fees than other POD companies.
 
Barnes and Noble Press
https://press.barnesandnoble.com
This is Barnes and Noble’s POD company quite comparable to Amazon’s POD company, KDP, and former company, CreateSpace. They are free to join and publish with. The catch is they only distribute on B&N’s website. They are not connected to Amazon or other bookstores. You also have the option of printing books just for you and doing the distribution yourself.
 
Lulu
www.lulu.com
Lulu is one of the early POD companies that’s still around. They offer paperbacks, hard covers, e-books, photo books, and calendars. They are free to join and free to publish, but they are on the expensive side when it comes to author copies. The cost to the author is nearly what retail value is. That leaves little room for profit.
 
The Book Patch
www.thebookpatch.com
It’s free to join, but be aware that the printing costs are quite high.
 
Blurb
www.blurb.com
Blurb is a bit pricier than the above mentioned options, but seems to be popular.
 
Book Baby
www.bookbaby.com
This one seems to be popular, but oh my is it expensive. You also have to order at least 25 books with every order.
 
D2D Print
Draft 2 Digital is currently in beta phase for print books.
 
There are a lot of websites out there that mention they are print-on-demand. Be wary of any site charging $$$+ for their packages or membership. Reputable printing companies will not have high membership fees. Many of the popular companies are free to join. Assess their website and how professional it is. If they list any books they print, order copies of a few different books to assess quality.
 
Another option is to find local printing companies that will print your books. This requires you to distribute copies on your own and connect to distributors.
 
 
Compare the following when you are researching POD companies.
  • Types of books offered: paper books, e-books, etc…
  • Types of covers available: paperback in glossy or matte, hardcovers, dust jackets, spiral
  • Page sizes offered
  • Types of paper offered
  • Cost to sign up with them
  • Any yearly fees for being a member
  • Cost of publishing with them
  • Cost of ordering proof copies
  • The percentage they keep for printing and distributing
  • Cost to the author for ordering copies of their published books
  • Any fees for making changes
  • Ability to set the price for your book + the ability to change the price if you decide to
  • Distribution channels they are connected with
  • If they allow bookstores to return books (and what happens to returned books)
  • Royalties
  • Frequency of royalty payments
  • Any thresholds to meet before receiving a royalty payment
  • Where the books are printed        ˜ Choose an American company ˜
  • Quality of books they print
  • How long it takes orders to be printed and delivered
  • Availability and quality of customer service
  • Ease of use
  • Reviews from users
  • How well the company is doing
 
Which companies would I recommend you consider?
  1. KDP
  2. IngramSpark
  3. Barnes and Noble Press (which does require you do the distribution work)
 
 
For more information about writing, indie publishing, and marketing, read my book Lessons on the Author Life. Click on the title to learn more. 


1 Comment
Daniel Wright link
28/12/2021 16:04:43

In this article you have shared with us the various print on demand companies for authors. This article is really very useful for me as an author. This article was really very interesting to read. Thank you for sharing this article with us.

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  • Home
  • About Leanna
  • My books
    • where to purchase
    • Happily Frugal
    • The Subject of Salvation >
      • bible study
      • Bible reading schedules
      • My faith journey
    • Lessons on the Author Life >
      • Book coaching
    • Lactation Lessons From Leanna
  • My blogs
    • blog topical directory
    • blog timeline directory
    • the scroll
  • Recommended reading
    • request a book review
  • Maternal Infant Wellness Education
  • Classes I teach
  • Birth & Breastfeeding Support
  • Christian Birth and Breastfeeding Professionals
  • Contact
  • Donate