Book Printing: A Big Decision for Authors

Writers today are increasingly taking charge of their work and publishing it independently. The surge in self-published authors also brings a rise in printing and book fulfillment services. They give you many excellent options and the ability to control your book project more fully. The other choice is going with print on demand, but then you're working inside the system of a large company and becoming one of their content creators. It is different from becoming a full-fledged author with books in print, ISBNs listing your work, and everything else that comes with it. It's wise to think carefully before making a decision.

One of the drawbacks of on-demand printing is you can't sell directly and have access to your customer's information. It makes marketing to your audience challenging, and you don't set your book's price. The print-on-demand company gets the customer data and price-setting ability, paying you a commission on each copy sold. If your book is a runaway hit, you'll profit less than had you printed it and used a book fulfillment service. There's also the question of merchandise. If you sell more than your book, printing independently, offset, or digital, depending on the print run size, gives you options.

Many authors today have eCommerce setups that sell books and other merchandise. You can do it easily when you use the right fulfillment house and have online sales channels. It's also worth mentioning that you can sell books in brick-and-mortar stores when you work with a regular printer. They can ship to any retailer, and you can work with a book distributor. It's wise to remember how many books sell through big box stores that maintain a book aisle. You may only be thinking of chain and independent bookstores, but distributors know of the other options. If you sell well in those channels, it can be profitable.

When considering how to print your book, thinking about the audience and looking at others in your genre can be helpful. For example, if you have photo-heavy pages, you'll want to print them on coated paper so they reproduce clearly. Photos may also indicate a large "coffee table" size hardcover book will sell the best. For others, like cookbook authors and companies publishing manuals, spiral bindings may be the optimal choice. These are all options with a full-service printer and may be sacrificed if you go with print-on-demand. Understanding your readers' preferences always helps.

Company Name: Acutrack, Inc

Address: 350 Sonic Ave, Livermore, CA 94551

Phone Number: 888-234-3472