How to Choose the Right POD – Print on Demand Company
How to Choose the Right POD – Print on Demand Company
Print on Demand (POD) is a great way of getting your self-published book into the print marketplace. There are many firms who are offering this but although some of them are very good, there are many which aren’t. The following are some tips to watch out for when choosing the company you are going to use for your POD book.
After years of toil and editing and re-writing, you’ve finally written the great American masterpiece. You’ve shared this tome with friends and family, and you’re nearly as excited as you were on your wedding day. But now that your heart rate has settled and blood flow has returned to normal, you face a dilemma: you’ve already made the decision to self-publish through the process known as Print on Demand (POD), but which POD publisher should you choose?
Let’s analyze why you chose Print on Demand in the first place.
The traditional publishing road is pockmarked with rejection slip after rejection slip, and this is often disheartening. Once lucky enough to acquire an agent and a publishing deal, it often takes a couple of years before your book makes it to a bookstore or library. Assuming you’ve made it into Barnes & Noble – and you even sell a few copies – royalties are not excessive; in other words, most authors don’t get rich through publishing.
Therefore, you chose the POD route because you want to see your book in print regardless, and you don’t want to have to deal with agents and all the politics behind some stuffy editor’s insight into revising your gem. With a POD, you have complete control.
There are roughly 50 publishers on demand vying for your business. From Author House to Xulon Press, all claim to fill a niche. The task of deciphering which one is best suited for your needs is daunting, so consider the following criteria when making a decision:
1. What kind of contract am I signing? You have a choice of two: exclusive or non-exclusive. Since you’ve chosen the POD route, you definitely want a non-exclusive contract. This allows you full control of your manuscript should you be unhappy with service down the road, or should you prove lucky and land an agent and a traditional publishing deal.
2. How will my book be distributed? Most PODs offer distribution through their site a single copy at a time. Not all do. The minimum order through some is 25 copies. Many PODs also offer distribution through online retailers such as B&N and Amazon.
3. What is the basic paperback fee? And what is the top-end fee? In order to get your masterpiece published, you can expect a minimum of $99. Many basic fees start at $499. This is simply for the basic, no-frills service. For all the bells and whistles, expect a range from $599 to just under $15,000. Yes, just under $15,000! What are the bells and whistles? Editing services, marketing and advertising services, press releases complete with 1,000 decorated bookmarks and 50 decorated posters, websites with your own domain, book review campaigns and more.
4. What is the fee for producing my book in hardcover? If you’re set on a hardcover version of your manuscript, this will eliminate many of the 50+ PODs immediately. It’s more costly to produce a small run of hardcover books, so be prepared – and not shocked – at the expense.
5. Can I include color graphics or text as part of my manuscript? Most PODs have upgraded to include color as an option, but be prepared to pay for it. Color is not cheap in small quantities. Unless it’s vital to your book and you can’t live without it, print in black and white.
6. Do I have a choice of cover templates, can I submit my own artwork for the cover, or will they custom-design my concept? Overwhelmingly Yes to all three parts. The majority of PODs have templates from which you may choose, or for a small fee (usually in the area of $50), they’ll custom-design a cover from your concept or even utilize your artwork if it’s printer-ready.
7. Always get someone to edit your book before it goes to the POD publishing company. Another pair of eyes will pick up the little things that you are too close to see. If the book is edited by a writer/editor you trust, then this is the best way of finding out if your book really is ready to enter the self publishing stage.
8. Never sign a contract with the first POD publishing company you read about. It’s worth the time researching to ensure that you get the best deal possible for your book. One of the best things about self publishing is that you get to choose the best deal for you.
9. Choose a POD company who will listen to you. This is your book and if one company doesn’t allow you to bind the book in the way you want it done, another one will. If one company doesn’t give you an inspection copy of your book, another will. Make a list of what you want from your POD company before you start researching what’s available, and then choose the companies that offer the services you need to investigate further.
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