Self Publishing and Print on Demand (POD) – Learn the difference
Published By Casey Quinn • Dec 14th, 2008 • Category: Casey's CornerMany times I hear people use self publishing and print on demand interchangeably, they are not the same. Self publishing is a business model compared to traditional publishing. Self publishing involves the author putting up their own money and working on their own money and time to sell their books without any assistance, where as traditional publishing involves trying to get an agent or a publisher to take your writing and publish it for you on their expense.
Print on demand has nothing to do with the business side of publishing, it is simply a technology used in publishing. This involves the printer receiving the writing and storing it in electronic format. When someone puts an order in for a book, a copy is printed off at the time it is ordered, hence, it was printed upon demand. This is compared to the more traditional model where a publishing company will order a large number of books to be published at one time and books are printed in editions or series and stored by the distributor.
There are pro’s and con’s to any form of publishing and it really depends on what is best for you. Many self publishers use the print on demand (POD) technology because it requires no money upfront (in general) and also no room to store books. However, you earn less money per book if you go the POD route instead of ordering in bulk, but if you order in bulk, you need to put the money upfront for your order.
Like I said, there is no right or wrong way, just different ways but to keep apples to apples: POD is a printing technology and is an option compared to traditional printing - a set number of books printed in one edition upfront. Self publishing is a business model whereby the author publishes their own writing and tries to sell it on their own, compared to using a traditional publisher which handles everything from printing, distribution and assists with sales and marketing.
thanks for making that clear.
No problem Daryl,
I have found that many self publishers only use POD due to the no upfront costs, but in reality, there is more money to be made as an author using traditional publishing if you self publish. Again, the author has to be willing to invest in their own writing but if you are self publishing, and confident in your ability to sell your product, then that should not be a problem.
the main thing to keep in mind is that whatever method of publishing you choose (or are fortunate enough to use) you understand that this is A BUSINESS. in order to survive, books need to be sold. the author’s work doesn’t stop on getting that acceptance from a publisher…no, that’s when the real work begins. you’ve got to be able to separate yourself into two separate individuals…the “artist” and the business person. write the work. do the best work you possibly can…and then get that stuff SOLD. remember, you can produce the absolute best and most remarkable poetry or prose in the world…but until someone reads it…it just doesn’t exist.
john