Change For Dollars

Desktop Publishing and Wholesale Bookbinding versus P.O.D. or Vanity Publishing

(NOTE: This is Part I of the Self-Publishing series.)

So you’ve devoted countless hours writing, proofing, editing, and revising a bestseller. Congratulations!  Now you’re ready to publish it.  Good for you!  However, you’re unsure of what to do next.

Do you seek out a literary agent to assist you in landing a book deal with a publisher?  You could, if you have the time to find an agent and you want to give up your copyright to a publisher.  Should you pay a P.O.D. (Print On Demand) or Vanity Publisher thousands of dollars to (professionally) package and advertise/market your book.  Sure, if you have the money to invest.  Or should you self-publish the book and possibly save an abundance of time and money by doing the following?

1. Purchase a simple (HP) desktop printer from Office Depot, Staples, any office supply store or even Walmart for under $400.  (If you can afford to purchase a commercial printer then, by all means, do so especially if you plan on printing other books.  You’ll save more money on the ink cartridges for the larger printers than you would on the desktop printers and in the long run the commercial printer will pay for itself ten times over because you would have essentially become your own P.O.D. publisher.)
2. You’ll also need a desktop printer that does borderless printing for your book covers, specifically if you are having your book perfect bound.  This printer should cost you less than $300, particularly if you make your purchase during the holiday season when you can get a bargain.  I suggest using a separate, borderless printer for your borderless printing needs, though you can use either type of printer suggested for all of your printing needs.
3. Get extra ink cartridges for your printer(s).
4. Purchase your regular printing paper.
5. Purchase heavy or cardstock, one-sided glossy paper for your book covers.
6. Print your book pages double-sided, in whatever size you like.
7. If this will be a perfect bound book (with a borderless print cover) and you want a spine to print a title on you must configure the layout for this and then, of course, print the cover with the image on the glossy side of your cardstock paper.  Otherwise, you can print your covers without a title on the spine.
8. Take your covers and (collated) copies to a local wholesale book binder and choose your binding options.  (I learned of a reputable wholesale bookbinder in my area by asking the manager of a small, campus copy center for a referral.  Small copy centers usually don’t provide extensive, in-house book binding services.  They contract with wholesale bookbinders.  So all you would have to do is find out who does their binding for them.  You can also do a Google search for wholesale bookbinders in your area.)

Depending on your computer skills, particularly in designing the book cover and especially in designing a cover where you can print on the spine, your book can look as presentable and professional as any book you see in the bookstores.  Just as important, you won’t have to spend thousands of dollars paying P.O.D.s to print and bind your book for you; you won’t have to give them a percentage of your earnings for each book they sell; and you won’t have to sign any contracts with them.

So, in summary, you do the printing.  The wholesale bookbinder does the binding.  And wah-lah—your copyright-owned book is ready for purchasing in less time and for less money than you would spend using a P.O.D or Vanity Publisher.

Here’s to your Change For Dollars!

© 2010 Tair Ta’ir, H.H.B.M., and BE! of the 144,000 Publishing.  Desktop Publishing and Wholesale Bookbinding versus P.O.D. or Vanity Publishing is copyrighted.  Please do not reproduce without permission.

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Tags: book publishing, bookbinding, desktop publishing, HP desktop printer, Office Depot, office supply stores, P.O.D. Publishing, Print on Demand Publishing, self publishing, Staples, Vanity Publishing, Walmart, wholesale bookbinding

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