Print on Demand

Anyone have any experience with using
a POD? Or, know of a good discussion
forum for self publishers - print
publishers, not ebooks?

I've been using "POD" for years.

When I get an order for one of my programs I usually "print up" (go to the copy shop) 5 or 10 copies of the printed manuals.

Even though we are in the "EBook" age, I have refused to go the "Ebook" Route for 2 Main reasons;

1) Too easy to copy and resell "Ebooks"

2) The "Perceived Value" is MUCH lower with Ebooks as compared to actual pieces of paper.

And...by adding 2 other "Physical" items to my printed manuals I am able to increase the "Perceived Value" Hugely.

A Printed Manual say, is selling for $97. The same manual converted to Ebook form you'd be lucky to get $39 for it.

Now...coupling the Printed Manual with a Floppy Doisk or CD and adding a Video...causes the combination to be worth considerable more and often TRIPLES the price because the "Perceived Value" triples.

Many yars ago I invented a burglar alarm product. This was when integrated circuits were first coming out.

My "Box" could do a lot of things because of the electronics BUT...it was housed in a pretty walnut box that was light as a feather when picked up.

So...in my first meeting with potential dealers, after explaining all the box could do...the first person came up to the table...looked at the controls on the front...pressed some buttons to test...then he PICKED THE BOX UP and said,

"Hey! There's NOTHING in this! I ain't payin $350 for THIS!"

So...INSTANTLY my mind reeled and I could see what had happened.

To the "Un-informed"...WEIGHT = VALUE

So...I immediately called a recess of the meeting,called my staff into my office and told them to go get some BRICKS and cement TWO BRICKS inside each box.

Thus...when they then lifted the box they "felt some heft" and the "weight" of the box told their brains that there MUST BE SOMETHING in there to cause all the stuff to happen.

It's the same thing with cars. Why do people KICK TIRES when shopping for a car? What do they expect to happen by kicking a tire? It's simply their way of telling themselves that, "If the tire seems HARD...the car must be OK!"

If the tire seemed SOFT they would then have a MAIN REASON to stop considering THAT vehicle. The soft tire would overshadow ALL the other features of that car...even though the tire could be inflated in a minute.

Samething with boxes at flea markets. Next time you go to flea market or garage sale where there's a box or closed trunk for sale...everyone HAS TO OPEN the lid and see what's inside.

What they expect to find...who knows BUT...if the lid does NOT open...they do not even consider buying the box or trunk. I know, I've helped my wife at many Antique Shows where she was selling her Antique trunks. If the lid did NOT open, the trunk did not sell even though it would be worth 2 or 3 times the other trunks.

So...us "Print On Demand" old timers are STILL getting good prices for our materials because they have some "HEFT" to them.

Don Alm




A "200page Printed Manual" describing 24 ways to make $50,000 starting with $50

I currently POD a couple of books. I do them myself as my orders come in. While it costs a little more than going with some of the large POD firms - there are a few added benifits. I can add color to the text and many of the PODs still require a minimum order to get that low price.

One avenue you might check into is your local printer. If they have one of the new, digital printing presses, they can do small runs for decent price (and with color) - some of them even bind books. And, with digital printing, the set-up/design fee is minimal if you get the book to them in an electronic format that they can work with. I have considered outsourcing to my local printer since they have went digital.

Tam

Hi Kerrie,

A few years back when I started my mail order biz I wondered who was going to do my printing. The town I live in is fairly small, about 120 000 people, and it contains two or three major printers.

When I approached these establishments and explained I would be needing small quantities of manuals printed they didn't seem interested ... so I chose not to do business with them. Instead, I chose a reliable, but small desktop publishing business to do my printing and I couldn't be happier. I don't even go to his office, I just email him the file with instructions and he delivers it to my office when ready.

Because he is small, he can offer personalised service ... and the one or two thousand dollars or so I spend with him each month is a large account to his business. So when I need something in a hurry he delivers.

So try a few local printers, and maybe not the biggest establishments either ... you may get a pleasant surprise.

All the best,

Pete Godfrey

> Anyone have any experience with using
> a POD? Or, know of a good discussion
> forum for self publishers - print
> publishers, not ebooks?