What Is Print On Demand?

The advent of digital printing has revolutionized the publishing industry. This relatively new method of printing negates the previously labor-intensive process of typesetting traditional style presses. Now printing is much more streamlined, as the printer does not require any preparation when changing titles – all the setup is done via software.

This new ability has given way to a new business model – Print On Demand (or POD). POD is a method of printing and distributing books based on individual orders. So if any bookstore receives a request for your book, or decides that they want to stock your title, they can place an order with the supplier or publisher (such as Page Publishing).

The supplier then prints and ships only enough copies to fulfill the order. This method significantly reduces the cost of bulk printing and storing un-ordered copies of a book. The cost savings allow the author to offer their title at a reduced price and, as a result, sell more books. This drives sales exponentially as more people see your book and refer it to friends.