What Is Print on Demand (POD)?

As we all know, the publishing industry has changed and it's no secret that, for many authors, the traditional publishing process isn't working anymore but, what does "traditional publishing" mean? Traditionally, if you wanted to get your book out there into the world, you had to publish it through a publisher. Because publishers had to print books in mass quantities before selling them, authors were paying for all of these copies of their book upfront, even though most of those would sit on shelves or in warehouses until they Could See them. Yet times have changed! Nowadays? Authors can publish their books and print them on demand, meaning they only pay for the printing once someone buys a copy! So, what does this mean for us? Well, it means we can write whatever we want without waiting for a publisher or going through any red tape and immediately getting our books into people's hands! Print on demand (POD) has revolutionized publishing. Not all publishers use POD, but many see it as a way of continuing to make older and low-demand books available without incurring printing and warehouse storage costs, providing dramatic cost savings for publishers. It is because when you use POD, the book is printed only when the customer orders it. Publishers can keep their inventory down to a minimum, saving them money on warehousing and shipping. They also don't have to invest in large print runs that might not sell out quickly enough, so they're not paying for unsold copies of books they've already printed! If you're unfamiliar with Amanda Hocking, you're missing a lot. She's a self-published author who was rejected by the traditional publishing industry because of her unique niche: paranormal romance short stories for young adults. That's where Print on Demand comes in. Because conventional publishers were unwilling to risk Hocking's work, she took matters into her own hands, using Print on Demand to publish her books and reach an audience that may not have been able to find them otherwise. It isn't a new phenomenon either. JK Rowling was rejected by 12 publishers before finally being picked up by Bloomsbury Children's Books, and now we all know who she is!