For self-publishing authors, the global distribution route once presented significant challenges and financial burdens. Navigating through the maze of distribution networks, bulk print runs, and fulfilling orders can overwhelm and consume time. But now there’s an easier, cost-effective way to get your book into the hands of readers: Print-On-Demand (POD) printing.
1. What is print-on-demand?
Print-On-Demand (POD) revolutionises printing technology by allowing you to print books only when ordered. Unlike traditional publishing, which requires printing thousands of copies upfront and storing them in a warehouse until an order comes through, POD prints books one at a time. This approach eliminates the hassle of unsold inventory and storage space. Simply upload your manuscript and cover to a POD service, and your book becomes ready for purchase!
POD services handle everything from printing to shipping. Whether your reader is in Australia or anywhere else in the world, they can order your book, and it gets printed and shipped directly to them without you, the author, having to lift a finger.
This technology greatly benefits self-publishing authors as it breaks down the barriers of traditional publishing and offers a flexible, manageable way to get your work into readers’ hands.
2. How print-on-demand saves you money
One of the biggest advantages of Print on Demand (POD) is cost savings. Usually, distributing your book requires a significant upfront investment, including expenses for large print runs, storage, and distribution. These costs can quickly add up and discourage many aspiring authors from self-publishing.
With POD, the upfront cost of printing is eliminated, allowing you to allocate those funds to marketing or even starting your next book. The flexibility of printing on demand makes self-publishing much more affordable and accessible.
POD also reduces waste by printing only what is needed, promoting an eco-friendly approach that not only saves you money, but also helps the environment by reducing unneeded resource consumption.
3. Avoid cluttering your home with hundreds of books
Imagine printing 1,000 copies of your book and selling only 100. What happens to the remaining 900 copies? Print on Demand (POD) resolves this issue by printing books as they are ordered. No more boxes of unsold books gathering dust in your living room! With POD, you maintain a clutter-free home while keeping your book available for sale.
Additionally, many POD services offer warehousing options. If you print a small batch, these services can store your books and handle the shipping for you, eliminating the need for home storage space.
4. Speed up your self-publishing timeline
Time is crucial in self-publishing. Unlike traditional publishing, which can take years to bring a book to market, self-publishing significantly speeds up this process, and using a POD printer makes this even faster, cutting out the wait time on a bulk print run. Once your print files are prepared, you can upload it to a POD platform and have it available for purchase within days. This rapid turnaround is perfect for self-publishing authors looking to get their work out quickly.
Moreover, POD allows for instant updates. If you find a typo or want to make changes, you can easily update the digital file. The next printed copy will include your revisions, enabling ongoing improvements without major delays.
5. Easily reach readers around the world
One of the most exciting benefits of POD is its global reach. Once upon a time, self-publishing often restricted distribution to specific regions or to where the author could reasonably travel their books. This made it challenging for self-publishing authors to reach an international audience.
POD platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and IngramSpark offer global print and distribution, allowing readers to order your book anywhere in the world. This expands your reach to readers you might not have accessed otherwise.
Global distribution with POD also creates more opportunities for marketing and promotion. You can launch international advertising campaigns and participate in global book fairs, significantly increasing your book’s visibility and sales potential.
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Interested in publishing your book but unsure where to start or what is even involved? Tell us about your project and we will post you a copy of our:
The Little Book of
Big Publishing Tips.
In just a quick 8,000 words, this little book will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully publish your book.
The Little Book of Big Publishing tips goes into the essentials of self-publishing a book, outlining the business and financial side of publishing, legal issues, design, editing, sales and marketing. There's even a section on how to identify a vanity-publishing scam.