Diamond Author
I am happy with my current publisher, a small, specialized house. But the publisher and I are not happy with the American economy. To remain financially stable, my publisher created a subsidiary company. This company publishes books if they meet criteria and if the author pays for printing. In return, the company maintains inventory, fills orders, and pays royalties.
According to the executive director, the subsidiary company is not a print-on-demand company. When I spoke with her recently, 10 manuscripts were ahead of mine, and she said she would not get to my book for months. But I'm senior citizen and grandmother, and do not have months to wait. So I contacted a print-on-demand (POD) company.
Dozens of reviews about the company are posted on the Internet and most are favorable. I emailed the company and asked for more information. A representative called the next day to explain the process and fees. I agreed to use the company's services.
Email instructions for uploading a manuscript were sent to me. The uploading took seconds. I had no sooner uploaded it, when I received a call from my production contact. Talk about speedy service! You can design your own book cover, but I hired a local graphic designer and found a royalty-free photo.
Print-on-demand publishing is a book industry version of "just in time" manufacturing and makes sense in this economy. In a CNN.com website article, "More Authors Turn to Web and Print-On-Demand Publishing," journalist Elham Khatami tells why. "As the economy takes its toll on traditional publishing houses... more authors are looking to online self-publishing companies."
According to Khatami, authors are abandoning the "vanity press" approach of buying books in bulk and selling them. Instead, they are turning to the Internet.
Brenda Rollins discusses the pros and cons of this publishing trend in her article, "The POD Quandary: How to Decide if Print-on-Demand Publishing is Right for You." Her article was published in "The Writer." While some POD companies offer marketing plans, Rollins says authors have to pay extra for them. Rollins thinks an author who opts for POD needs marketing savvy.
"Despite divided opinions and skepticism, on-demand publishing is growing," Rollins notes. She thinks authors who are looking for a wide audience "must be all business as they make their decisions."
Before I signed with the POD company I decided how much money I was willing to spend. I see this expense as an investment in my work. My new book is a collection of affirmations to help people cope with grief. Grief is a hard sell and I may not make enough money to cover publishing costs. Yet I will have the satisfaction of seeing it in print and helping others.
Are you an author caught in the recession quandary? Print-on-demand publishing may be the solution for you.
Copyright 2010 by Harriet Hodgson
About this Author
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 30+ years. She is a member of the American Societ of Journalists and Authors, Association of Health Care Journalits, and Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon.
Centering Corporation has pubished her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life" and a companion journal with 100 writing jump-starts. Hodgson is a monthly columnist for "Caregiving in America" magazine. She is also a contributing writer for the Open to Hope Foundation website. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
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