Comments on: What are your recommendations for a free print on demand service? http://dwarfprinting.com/179/what-are-your-recommendations-for-a-free-print-on-demand-service/ Big Printing For Little Companies Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:15:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Andrew http://dwarfprinting.com/179/what-are-your-recommendations-for-a-free-print-on-demand-service/comment-page-1/#comment-538 Andrew Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:08:20 +0000 http://dwarfprinting.com/179/what-are-your-recommendations-for-a-free-print-on-demand-service/#comment-538 Lulu offers perfect bound (paperback) and hardcover. They'll set up an e-store to sell your book. There's also a $50 (or so) "distribution" option, but that's another topic. I believe CreateSpace only does perfect bound. They'll assign a free ISBN for your book, and set up an e-store. You can also sell it through Amazon if you want; Amazon will take a 40% commission. With a $40 pro account you can "buy down" the printing charges per book. If you have a low page-count and only expect to sell a few books it's probably not worth it. Otherwise it's worth calculating a break-even analysis. Cost depends on how many pages. Blurb is good for high-quality art books and coffee table books, but more expensive. They offer hardcover and paperback. Most local printers or copy centers should be able to make you a coil/spiral bound book, but you won't get good pricing by printing one at a time. Even in volume, I would think the cost of labor and materials is higher than perfect bound. The online POD companies are economical because they are streamlined (i.e. limited options). Because the orders are pooled together you get the benefit of high-volume cost efficiencies. The e-stores are convenient but the customer pays shipping. If your customers all live near you, they might prefer to by directly from you to avoid shipping charges. I have used CreateSpace, and my book is selling on Amazon. Lulu offers perfect bound (paperback) and hardcover. They’ll set up an e-store to sell your book. There’s also a $50 (or so) "distribution" option, but that’s another topic.

I believe CreateSpace only does perfect bound. They’ll assign a free ISBN for your book, and set up an e-store. You can also sell it through Amazon if you want; Amazon will take a 40% commission. With a $40 pro account you can "buy down" the printing charges per book. If you have a low page-count and only expect to sell a few books it’s probably not worth it. Otherwise it’s worth calculating a break-even analysis. Cost depends on how many pages.

Blurb is good for high-quality art books and coffee table books, but more expensive. They offer hardcover and paperback.

Most local printers or copy centers should be able to make you a coil/spiral bound book, but you won’t get good pricing by printing one at a time. Even in volume, I would think the cost of labor and materials is higher than perfect bound.

The online POD companies are economical because they are streamlined (i.e. limited options). Because the orders are pooled together you get the benefit of high-volume cost efficiencies.

The e-stores are convenient but the customer pays shipping. If your customers all live near you, they might prefer to by directly from you to avoid shipping charges.

I have used CreateSpace, and my book is selling on Amazon.

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