You may have read this in my previous entry and you may have already gotten the picture as to what print on demand means. In this article, however, not only will I elaborate on this kind of technology, but I will also include some advantages as well as disadvantages, when you go with print on demand.

The simple definition of print on demand (POD) is to print or publish copies of a book when there is an order made. That means, the books are not printed in large quantities and there is no need for a warehouse full of stocked books. Print on demand is also called digital printing, because unlike offset printing where there is a need for plates, this technology uses a digital file for both the interior and the cover of the book. Once the books are set up in a digital format, the files are then stored in a database, that is linked to its online channels and resellers. When an order is made on a particular book, the file is then forwarded to the printer. The book is then printed, bound and shipped to whoever made the order. If an order of 500 copies or even 1 copy of a book is made, it can be done easily because of this print on demand technology.

I have listed some advantages as well as disadvantages with this technology. Let me start with the advantages:

- Given that there are no plates needed and the books are printed directly from a computer file, this allows the printer to save time and money by not needing to create plates, a faster set-up time and the cost of labor is far less than offset printing.

- There no need to keep inventory.

- The books never go out of print.

- No need to come up with an upfront investment to cover the cost to print a warehouse-full of books.

- Books are reasonably priced if it is for a specialized market (niche).

- Booksellers can present more titles without the need for warehouses.

- Eco- friendly because, less books means less need for papers; less need for papers means less need to cut down trees.

Now for the disadvantages:

- The cost of producing a single book is higher than the cost of per book for a mass printing of thousands of copies at once.

- The print quality of the book may not be as good as the offset printing.

- Bookstores will not stock print- on- demand books on the shelves. There may be books that are tagged as returnable (meaning, if there are unsold copies of a book, the bookstore can return it to the distributor for a refund) but will not always be a guarantee that bookstore owners will want to display the book.

- Print- on- demand publishers will require you to pay more money to market and promote your book. Otherwise, you have to set up your own way of marketing and promoting your book.

If you are an author wanting to self-publish a book, and is on a careful budget, then you may want to consider this print on demand technology. It has its own pros and cons, but so as with any other industry. What’s important is that you are secured with your decision, after careful analysis has been made.