Online Book Publishing: Print On Demand Will Double Your Sales

Website design By BotEap.comThis is another in my series of articles explaining the online publishing model and how small-time authors and/or self-publishers can use OPM as a more lucrative alternative to the traditional, often archaic and dysfunctional book publishing model. . In short, by using OPM you will make more book sales and profits, faster.

Website design By BotEap.comTypically, you will create your book/e-book in a word processing program such as MS-Word or WordPerfect. Once you’ve converted it to PDF, you’re ready to start selling it through the three main channels that make up the online publishing model: 1. Mini-Sales Sites, 2. Digital Download Distributors, 3. Print online. Distributor on Demand (POD).

Website design By BotEap.comThis article explains channel 3 of the OPM distribution, Print-On-Demand (POD).

Website design By BotEap.comI have to tell you, I was already pretty excited when I found out about OPM Channel 2, the digital compliance channel. However, when I found out how I could ALSO take advantage of Channel 3, the print-on-demand channel, I was thrilled!

Website design By BotEap.comPOD COMPLIANCE: DEFINITION

Website design By BotEap.comIt’s important that you understand exactly what I’m talking about when I use the term “POD compliance” as opposed to “digital compliance” which I explained in another article I wrote about OPM.

Website design By BotEap.comPrint-on-demand (POD) fulfillment refers to when your book is delivered to the customer strictly on printed paper as a standard book. With POD, when a single order (or low-volume order) of your book is placed, your POD fulfillment company prints, binds, and directly ships that small quantity directly to the customer. Hence the term, print on demand or POD as it is widely known.

Website design By BotEap.comA typical example of POD fulfillment in action would be when you provide your electronic POD files to a digital fulfillment company that distributes POD books to bookstores like amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com, for example. Those booksellers would then offer your POD book in paperback to those of their customers who prefer a standard print version of their book.

Website design By BotEap.comWHY CHOOSE POD COMPLIANCE?

Website design By BotEap.comAs explained above, when people order a print-on-demand book, they get an actual hard copy paperback that they can hold in their hands.

Website design By BotEap.comBut why choose to produce a POD version when you already offer an eBook version? This is a good and logical question.

Website design By BotEap.comThe main answer is this: an e-book is NOT a perfect substitute for a print book.

Website design By BotEap.comThis becomes particularly clear when the two products are marketed through an online bookstore like amazon.com. It turns out that even when Amazon offers a 30% discount on the digital download eBook version, roughly 50% of buyers of the same title still choose the more expensive POD paperback version.

Website design By BotEap.comTherefore, these people are not only willing to pay more, but they are also willing to wait 5-7 days for the POD book to be shipped directly to them.

Website design By BotEap.comThese are the people who buy traditional books. They want a conventional paper book that they can hold in their hands. They want to be able to turn the pages. Many of these buyers don’t really understand what an ebook or digital download is all about.

Website design By BotEap.comAnd even if they understand the “e” part of the eBook, they don’t want anything to do with something that sounds so “techie.”

Website design By BotEap.comClearly, if you don’t provide a mainstream paperback option through POD for these traditional book buyers, you’re leaving that money on the table. Those people will NOT buy your digital download products.

Website design By BotEap.comTHE PODS LOOK AND FEEL LIKE REAL BOOKS

Website design By BotEap.comSo what does a POD book look like?

Website design By BotEap.comThe quality of my POD books when printed is very acceptable. The full color glossy cover is printed on standard cover stock and the book is perfectly bound. The interior is made of standard 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper, printed on both sides. It’s like high-quality Xerox work between professionally designed, full-color glossy covers. Therefore, people who order them get a paperback of equivalent quality to what would normally be found on the shelves of a bookstore.

Website design By BotEap.comThat’s just the format I use for my instruction books. You can also produce PODs in all kinds of sizes, shapes and bindings, including hardcover books!

Website design By BotEap.comBOTTOM LINE IN POD BOOKS

Website design By BotEap.comIf you want to sell books to the traditional book-buying public, you have to give them what they want: a printed book. Print on Demand (POD) is a technology that allows you to do exactly that – one copy at a time.

Website design By BotEap.comThe really exciting thing about these POD sales is that, as I explained above, they are IN ADDITION to any sales you make through the website or digital fulfillment channels. It really is like “found money”.

Website design By BotEap.comThat’s what makes using the online publishing model so exciting; gives you three equally productive sales channels for your books and/or e-books.

Website design By BotEap.comCopyright © Shaun R. Fawcett. All rights reserved.