Comments on: In the era of the Espresso machine, will bookstores turn into POD publishers? And perhaps try e-books, too? http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/in-the-era-of-the-espresso-machine-will-bookstores-turn-into-pod-publishers-and-perhaps-try-e-books-too/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:23:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mike Perry http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/in-the-era-of-the-espresso-machine-will-bookstores-turn-into-pod-publishers-and-perhaps-try-e-books-too/comment-page-1/#comment-1072841 Mike Perry Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:48:21 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/03/in-the-era-of-the-espresso-machine-will-bookstores-turn-into-pod-publishers-and-perhaps-try-e-books-too/#comment-1072841 The real usefulness of POD machines like the Expresso isn't local. Most of the time when someone wants a book, getting it in a week or so is fine, and if not, they can order online and pay to have it shipped overnight. The real benefit comes from having these machines in countries that have many English-speaking people, but that are far removed from the US, Canada, and the UK, where most English-language books are printed. Bestsellers can fill the supply by shipping books to countries such as Australia in advance. But for books with limited demand, POD inside the wholesale distribution system of the country makes more sense. Also, jump-starting POD in a country with Expresso could lead eventually to large, commercial POD facilities like that run by Lightning in the US and UK. Instead of mere POD, we would have PODATW--Print on Demand Around the World. Even minor authors could publish a book and see it acquire near-global distribution within a few weeks. And no, ebooks aren't going to get rid of printed books any more than TV eliminated radio, Both formats have their advantages and will live side-by-side long after all of us are gone. The real usefulness of POD machines like the Expresso isn’t local. Most of the time when someone wants a book, getting it in a week or so is fine, and if not, they can order online and pay to have it shipped overnight.

The real benefit comes from having these machines in countries that have many English-speaking people, but that are far removed from the US, Canada, and the UK, where most English-language books are printed. Bestsellers can fill the supply by shipping books to countries such as Australia in advance. But for books with limited demand, POD inside the wholesale distribution system of the country makes more sense.

Also, jump-starting POD in a country with Expresso could lead eventually to large, commercial POD facilities like that run by Lightning in the US and UK. Instead of mere POD, we would have PODATW–Print on Demand Around the World. Even minor authors could publish a book and see it acquire near-global distribution within a few weeks.

And no, ebooks aren’t going to get rid of printed books any more than TV eliminated radio, Both formats have their advantages and will live side-by-side long after all of us are gone.

]]> By: Steve Jordan http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/in-the-era-of-the-espresso-machine-will-bookstores-turn-into-pod-publishers-and-perhaps-try-e-books-too/comment-page-1/#comment-1072243 Steve Jordan Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:15:46 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/03/in-the-era-of-the-espresso-machine-will-bookstores-turn-into-pod-publishers-and-perhaps-try-e-books-too/#comment-1072243 I did say there was a potential for POD. I just don't see it as being very large, for the reasons I outlined above. Small print runs of popular titles? If the titles are popular, the major publishers will probably be printing them already, so POD will not likely get much business that way. It will be mostly from unpredictable one-offs... and I realize how absolutely pathetic it sounds, but you are still going to have trouble with customers who just refuse to wait there for a book to print. And when you come into the store, and there are 5 books being printed ahead of yours? Get ready for the howling... Anyway, if my choice was to wait for a POD book, or download an e-book right now for a fraction of the cost, I know which one I'll take. And I think I know which one more and more customers will opt for, relegating POD to a boutique industry for the foreseeable future. But, I could be wrong (as the BMW C1 Executive model on my desk will gladly attest). I did say there was a potential for POD. I just don’t see it as being very large, for the reasons I outlined above.

Small print runs of popular titles? If the titles are popular, the major publishers will probably be printing them already, so POD will not likely get much business that way. It will be mostly from unpredictable one-offs… and I realize how absolutely pathetic it sounds, but you are still going to have trouble with customers who just refuse to wait there for a book to print. And when you come into the store, and there are 5 books being printed ahead of yours? Get ready for the howling…

Anyway, if my choice was to wait for a POD book, or download an e-book right now for a fraction of the cost, I know which one I’ll take. And I think I know which one more and more customers will opt for, relegating POD to a boutique industry for the foreseeable future.

But, I could be wrong (as the BMW C1 Executive model on my desk will gladly attest).

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/in-the-era-of-the-espresso-machine-will-bookstores-turn-into-pod-publishers-and-perhaps-try-e-books-too/comment-page-1/#comment-1071959 David Rothman Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:17:12 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/03/in-the-era-of-the-espresso-machine-will-bookstores-turn-into-pod-publishers-and-perhaps-try-e-books-too/#comment-1071959 Steve, it's gonna take a <em>lot</em> of funerals before interest in print vanishes, so there is a role for POD. What's more, there could be small print runs of the more popular titles to avoid the wait. Quality? It is or soon will be comparable to that of "regular" books. In the case of POD titles printed by Ingram and the like, it's hard to tell the difference. As for e-books--well, the bookstores could distribute them online. Publishers? They'd better get used to the idea of local bookstores doing some POD, if that's what it takes to keep them alive. They could still carry titles from traditional publishers. Thanks, David Steve, it’s gonna take a lot of funerals before interest in print vanishes, so there is a role for POD. What’s more, there could be small print runs of the more popular titles to avoid the wait. Quality? It is or soon will be comparable to that of “regular” books. In the case of POD titles printed by Ingram and the like, it’s hard to tell the difference.

As for e-books–well, the bookstores could distribute them online.

Publishers? They’d better get used to the idea of local bookstores doing some POD, if that’s what it takes to keep them alive. They could still carry titles from traditional publishers.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: Steve Jordan http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/in-the-era-of-the-espresso-machine-will-bookstores-turn-into-pod-publishers-and-perhaps-try-e-books-too/comment-page-1/#comment-1071941 Steve Jordan Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:41:04 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/03/in-the-era-of-the-espresso-machine-will-bookstores-turn-into-pod-publishers-and-perhaps-try-e-books-too/#comment-1071941 This sort of reminds me of a time when the music shops were reportedly considering setting up CD-burners in the shops, to allow customers to order music and have it burned onto a CD in any order or grouping. Needless to say, it never took off. Time involved, cost per song, and copyright issues effectively killed it. POD being a bit more involved, I can see it becoming more of a promotional item for bookstores, especially if back catalogs ever get freed up for POD markets. But I fear that the time needed to print a book will be more than the average consumer will accept, especially when you consider that POD products are considered (wrongly, to be sure) to be of necessarily lesser quality than a book you'd get from the publisher, but will probably cost the same or more than a comparable publisher's book at the cashier. I also expect that publishers will dislike this in-store competition to their current catalogs and resist it viciously, essentially keeping them out of the major chains under penalty of being cut off from distribution of their current books. So if POD takes off, it will likely be somewhere--anywhere--<em>other</em> than a first-run bookstore. This sort of reminds me of a time when the music shops were reportedly considering setting up CD-burners in the shops, to allow customers to order music and have it burned onto a CD in any order or grouping. Needless to say, it never took off. Time involved, cost per song, and copyright issues effectively killed it.

POD being a bit more involved, I can see it becoming more of a promotional item for bookstores, especially if back catalogs ever get freed up for POD markets. But I fear that the time needed to print a book will be more than the average consumer will accept, especially when you consider that POD products are considered (wrongly, to be sure) to be of necessarily lesser quality than a book you’d get from the publisher, but will probably cost the same or more than a comparable publisher’s book at the cashier.

I also expect that publishers will dislike this in-store competition to their current catalogs and resist it viciously, essentially keeping them out of the major chains under penalty of being cut off from distribution of their current books. So if POD takes off, it will likely be somewhere–anywhere–other than a first-run bookstore.

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