Can Print-on-Demand Save the Book Industry?
Summary: A new program will allow all physical bookstores, from the largest to the smallest, to promote and sell the HarperCollins backlist through in-store “Digital-to-Print at Retail” (DPR) using the Espresso Book Machine (EBM). The goal of this initiative is to give the local bookseller the capability to provide customers with a greater selection of HarperCollins titles in a physical environment.
All of the books Doc has ever worked on are now deep backlisted, which pretty much means no physical bookstores stock them anymore. But now, thanks to the miracle of the Espresso Book Machine, at least 5,000 backlisted titles are currently available in selected bookstores through a unique print-on-demand service.
In a first from a major trade publisher, HarperCollins Publishers recently announced “Comprehensive Backlist.” This program will allow all physical bookstores, from the largest to the smallest, to promote and sell the HarperCollins backlist through in-store “Digital-to-Print at Retail” (DPR) using the Espresso Book Machine (EBM). The program will enable bookstores to offer thousands of trade paperback books from the HarperCollins catalog through a mix of traditionally printed books and DPR, as space and cash flow restrictions will no longer be a factor.
At launch, HarperCollins will work with On Demand Books, LLC, the maker of the Espresso Book Machine, to enable instant distribution of books that are not currently stocked in stores. With the push of a button, books can be printed, bound, and trimmed to a bookstore-quality, perfect-bound paperback book, with a full-color cover, in minutes.
“Even as digital book sales grow, bookstores continue to be an important place for customers to shop for physical books. The goal of this initiative is to give the local bookseller the capability to provide customers with a greater selection of HarperCollins titles in a physical environment,” said Brian Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer of HarperCollins Publishers. “For authors this is a win; titles will be more broadly available, which increases sales with full print royalties. Depending on the size of the store, 25%-80% of our backlist titles are not stocked due to physical space limitations. DPR technology means the books will be there for the consumer at small and large bookshops.”
For more information about the Espresso Book Machine visit www.ondemandbooks.com. Retailers interested in installing the technology can contact On Demand Books at 212-966-2222 or by email at sales@ondemandbooks.com. There may be hope for Doc’s old titles after all.
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ZDNet introduces Doc (The DocuMentor), sponsored by RICOH. Through his blog, Doc will educate you about Document Management. So who is Doc? Doc is something of an enigma. He was born to a Russian ballerina and a German electrical engineer who some believe was running covert operations for shadowy corporate interests. Doc grew up in various locations in the United States, although no one seems to know precisely where, least of all Doc. His early schooling was unremarkable except for the time he was caught trying to replace all the mimeograph machines with high-tech color copiers that had mysteriously disappeared from a shipment to Albania. At MIT, he made a name for himself by transforming a large printer into a robot that hunts and eats Roombas. Professionally, he reportedly has seen the insides of more brands, versions, and generations of printer and printer-related hardware than almost anyone. Some say his obsession with paper, printing, and mechanical movement was either started by, or evidenced by, a traumatic childhood episode when he crawled inside an old Xerox 2400 and tried to print himself.
Anyway, Doc has hands on experience with stuff like printer maintenance and fleet management, but his mastery of document management leaves no stone unturned. Important issues like sustainability, security, and regulatory compliance are top of mind for Doc, as are other business technology needs like networking and IT services, making him a true blue IT renaissance man.
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Doc hasn???t actually seen the Espresso Book Machine in action, but his understanding is that the pricing will be similar to traditionally stocked titles, though more toward the high end of paperbacks ??? Doc???s seen books advertised from the Espresso for as little as $7.50 and upwards to $19.95. When you take into account the savings on shipping, warehousing, and other traditional distribution costs, there could be more profit in the Espresso version, which might lead to greater flexibility in pricing by retailers. But then there should be a small premium for the convenience of having such a wide selection of titles available for immediate purchase, so it may be a wash. If Espresso books are over priced, people won???t buy them, so as usual the market will control the success of this interesting idea.
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