THE OPTION OF CHOICE

Due to Amazon’s much publicized notice to their POD customers, much concern is being voiced regarding the validity of POD publishing.

Rather than brow-beat various entities I felt it better to present facts as to what POD is. Please note that this is general information. Any person opting to pursue this avenue for publishing should thoroughly research for themselves.

Due to the rising number of authors submitting books, limitations of what publishing houses can take in and a garden variety of other reasons, chief among them being finances; authors are looking for economical ways to publish. Print On Demand companies are advertising themselves as a viable answer to a need. For a certain fee they will assist you with publishing your book.

We are all looking for the better/best option for our situation. In this case I can only say – Buyer Beware. As with any business you must research the market, know its trends and most of all what predatory practices are legally in place to relieve you of your investment.

From a variety of conversations I have had with POD authors and through my own experience of being courted by such entities, few experiences have been positive. As a firm believer is sharing knowledge I have briefly outlined a bit of information for you.

About Print on Demand/Vanity Presses (POD)

It is not true independent publishing in that you are paying an entity a fee for services to have your book published. What is included in that fee varies from company to company

Via the POD route you may or may not be required to purchase ala carte services such as the purchase of your copyright and/or ISBN number. Check your sources. You may be better off purchasing independently.

What has been the most alarming complaint of POD authors has been:

Additional charges – Exorbitant fees being assessed to editing, typesetting, proof reading and other miscellaneous needs associated with the publishing of your book.

The Royalty Program – One of the top pitches given to me by a variety of POD representatives seeking my business is the – Royalty program. In a variety of ways they try to sway you into believing that you are in control of your profit margin. To a degree you are, but more often than not, in a self-defeating way.

Example: The average 300 page novel retails between $15 and $17. Your POD company charges you $10.00 to purchase from them (yes you must purchase your inventory from them – at the price they set). Taking the middle road you charge $16 retail, you are left with $6. This is what is in hand prior to deducting shipping and handling and the ever present tax liability. You are working at a constant deficit should you follow this plan.

With the Royalty Program you are at liberty to set your retail price highter. However, be aware that few people are willing to purchase a paperback book for $20 or more.

Non Returnable Items – Another concern you must consider is the returnability (I just made this word up) of your product. Most POD books are not returnable, this is a red flag booksellers. Most will not purchase inventory that cannot be returned.

I reiterate that the option of choice is yours. The information above is for those entertaining the option of Print on Demand. I recommend speaking to others who have used this service, researching a variety of companies offering this service and checking literary ‘watchdog’ services.

When I teach at writing events one thing I constant stress to aspiring and novice writers is this – Once you put the last punctuation on the page you must put on your business hat. If you have been called to write, there is a purpose behind it. You will know it all right out of the gate and you will make a few mistakes along the way. Determine to minimize those stumbles by purposing to know all you can about YOUR business.

Until next time, remember – There is no such thing as an acceptable loss in God’s Kingdom!


Linda!