At Stories To Tell we believe that print-on-demand publishing for your memoir or personal history book offers the most wonderful opportunity to come along since the printing press. (We suffer from an occupational bias.)
Traditionally, memoirs or family history books intended to have a very limited distribution were, for most people, prohibitively expensive to produce. They required a complex layout process, and printers required payment of set-up fees running to several thousands of dollars. In addition, because of the complexity of the set-up process, printers usually required a person to order the printing of a minimum number of books, often running into the several hundreds. There are families all over America with stacks of unused books in their attics, basements or garages.
Digital publishing changed all that. With this new technology there is no type to be set, photo plates to be created, or complex layout processes requiring the expertise of a highly skilled printer.
Print-on-demand, the opportunity to have single copies printed as they are ordered, was devised after digital printing became available to the general public. These commercial printing presses operate just like your home computer’s printer. You send them a file and they print out your book at a high level of quality we could only dream of a few years ago.
Print-on-demand means that your book project is affordable. It is possible to print a single copy of a quality, hardcover book illustrated with photographs for as little as $40-$50 dollars. Without set-up fees and considering that you are only buying the number of books you really need, you can save a great deal of money. Print-on-demand also allows you to order additional copies of your book at any time for the same low cost.
There are a number of publishers who provide print-on-demand book publication. Their cost and services are shaped by the client base they are designed to serve. BookSurge.com, created by Amazon.com, offers a variety of publishing packages, most of which are designed for people who are interested in commercial distribution of their books. Lulu.com offers a somewhat less deluxe package of services for both commercial and private distribution. Blurb.com specifically designs its services for people seeking to publish very limited printings of books, often for private distribution.
These and other print-on-demand publishers operate in essentially same way. They require clients to submit digital files, sometimes with the understanding that the publisher will provide book design services and at other times allowing clients to submit fully designed books for publication. Blurb.com offers its own BookSmart software for free client download.
The difference between these print service providers is the terms of sales and distribution. If you wish to profit from book sales, you may choose to pay a percentage of sales in exchange for the visibility of an online bookstore such as amazon.com. Or you may prefer to seek bulk discounts, such as those that can be found at Lulu.com.
Consider the size of your expected distribution. In general, if you wish to mass-market your book, the price (and quality) must be lower. For limited distribution to family and friends, the quality of your book can be much higher. These choices determine which of the available print-on-demand publishers you should select.
As always, our editors will help you to consider your printing options. Stories To Tell designs books for any and all printers, and does not charge any printing fees. We submit your correctly formatted book files to the printer that is best for you.
