<$BlogRSDUrl$> Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Internet Happenings, Events and Sources


Thursday, October 07, 2004  

Instant Books
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2004-09-21-instabooks_x.htm

On-demand printing is still a small fraction of the overall book industry, but it's allowing authors to bring books to market quickly, directly and sometimes cost-free. Professor Frank Cost of Rochester Institute of Technology thinks it might even cultivate book-writing, the way Kodak opened photography to amateur picture takers nearly a century ago. "Everyone is starting to realize this works," Cost said. The list of on-demand book publishers includes iUniverse.com, AuthorHouse.com, Xlibris.com, CafePress.com, uPublish.com and Lulu.com. While prices vary widely depending on the services offered, most work in similar ways. Authors write their texts, sometimes including photos and illustrations, then upload the book via the Internet to the publisher. Some publishers list the books directly with Internet retailers such as Amazon and Borders.com. IUniverse.com, for example, is partly owned by Barnes & Noble and has positioned itself much like a traditional publishing house, requiring the author to go through copy editing and review. It also offers layout and cover design for a flat fee. On-demand printing makes it possible to produce even one copy of a book profitably. It may also mean a book never actually goes out of print, since publishers and authors could print small batches of books as needed. "There were a lot of early abortive efforts to try this," said one analyst. "But we are in a very creative phase now and it's very exciting."

posted by Marcus Zillman | 4:20 AM
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