Print on Demand

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