Print-On-Demand Publishing
We help you self-publish using the print-on-demand route. So what is print-on-demand and why should it concern you?
print-on-demand (pod) is printing technology that allows a complete book to be printed and bound in a matter of minutes thus making it possible to produce books one or two at a time and delay printing until after the book is ordered.
consequently, you can
#publish your own novel or book of poems and distribute it among friends
#have your say in both content and design
#rid yourself of worries about large printing costs and unsold copies
#rest assured that your book will never ever run out of print
#set your own price and receive handsome royalties on each sale
#address niche audiences with your book
#bring your book to market almost immediately
#customize every single copy you sell
Here are some of the advantages that you, as an author, can avail of while self-publishing using print-on-demand:
1. You have total control over your book. No one is going to edit your work, omit your personal "style" or remove sections you deem important.
2. Your book is available for sale within 90 days or less, starting from the conceptualisation of the book to receiving your printed copy. Compared to the "old time" methods of publishing, even if a publisher accepts your book, it is normally not available for sale for almost a year or later. When you self-publish, your book gets published on your timetable, not that of a traditional publisher who may or may not have your best interests at heart.
3. On each book you sell, you can earn up to 80% of the profit. Compare this to traditional publishers who only pay the writer an 8% to 10% commission. You can set up a web page to sell your book, take orders and purchase the amount of books your need to fill the orders or use our online bookstore to sell your books. This option is not possible with standard publishers who purchase the exclusive rights from a writer, thus not allowing the writer to sell their books on their own. Most importantly, you retain all rights to your book.
4. Your POD vendor will also edit and market your book for you for a small fee and help you market your book yourself through blogs and such.
5. You choose what you want for the cover art of your book, you don't have to rely on someone else's idea of what artwork best describes the contents of your book.
6. Your book gets printed only if someone orders it, you don't have boxes of your book sitting in your basement or attic getting eaten by moths or mice or destroyed by mold or mildew. Thus, you don't have to put out a large amount of money printing copies of your book.
Here are just some of the disadvantages of print-on-demand publishing:
1. You are 100% responsible for marketing your book. No one else will do it for you, including your POD publisher. So, you must be willing to educate yourself on the finer points of marketing a book both on and off line.
However, at CinnamonTeal, we will introduce you to marketing agencies who will provide you with services that fit your budget.
2. You are responsible for providing review copies of your book to reviewers, and for getting it to them within their time frame. Some will only accept copies of books that are about to be released, or have been released within the past three months. And some will only accept a print version rather than an e-book version.
3. You are responsible for setting up book signings, and other such events. If you want to add these kinds of events to your marketing plan, you have to be willing to approach bookstores and be confident while selling your book to the people concerned.
4. You are responsible for creating, designing and printing your own marketing materials such bookmarks, business cards, brochures etc.. However, at CinnamonTeal Publishing Services, we will help you design and print all of these marketing materials for a reasonable fee.
If you are someone who doesn't mind spending some money on your book for marketing, and education and you want to have total control of your book then POD can be a great solution to getting that completed manuscript out of your drawer, box, or computer and getting it out to the world. With POD, you also need to be totally involved with your book, especially when it is being written. No audience will take to typographical and grammatical mistakes too kindly.
Before you decide to publish your book using the POD format, ask yourself what you hope to achieve through publication. If your goal is to produce an attractive, professionally produced book, POD technology can provide it. If, however, your goal is to see your book on bookstore shelves and in the hands of thousands of readers, POD is probably not the way to go. POD is a relatively inexpensive way to get your book in print - but the rest is up to you!
Possible Uses of Print-On-Demand
a. Translation of works from regional languages to English and vice-versa
b. Books with (limited) regional appeal, for reaching new markets with new and niche content
c. Publication of out-of-copyright works that are difficult to obtain
d. Personalized gifts for your loved ones e.g. a smartly-produced collection of your dad's poems
e. An album to preserve and showcase cherished photos and mementos
f. Customized/personalized business presentations
g. An easy way for publishers to ensure that books remain "in-print" without having to invest in costly inventory
h. Publication of theses by graduate students
i. Bound manuscripts that novelists could use to show agents and editors.
j. Compilations - of recipes, essays, weekly columns, short stories or poems.