Print-on-demand online services reviewed

Feb 24, 2008

At Read/Write Web. If you don’t know what print-on-demand service is, it lets you get your books printed without having to approach a traditional publishing house. One of the oldest and famous print-on-demand services is Lulu.com. A print-on-demand service not only publishes your book — for a fee of course — it also helps you distribute it among the various book retailers and shops. Amazon.com too provides such a service.

I think for a new author it is a great opportunity, provided he or she has some money to invest. I remember a few years ago I tried to get in touch with such a company that had opened a new office in New Delhi. Right now I cannot recall its name but they were so unprofessional that they didn’t even reply. Back then we didn’t have Internet companies.

By getting your book published through a print-on-demand service you can avoid the hassle and the uncertainty involved in approaching a traditional publishing house. The traditional publishing houses are not only overbooked and choosey they also take a very long time in selecting the book, getting it edited, publishing it and then finally marketing it. Hopefully by the time I finish my first book I will have enough money to afford a print-on-demand service.