We have been going on about the possibility of Print on Demand for backlist and out of print titles and what an opportunity that gives small independent bookshops for over a year now. We've had nay-sayers and grumblers but we've never been shaken from our conviction.
This just in from the trade press today. Amazon have gone into pod in a big way because it's bloody obvious - you don't have to stock any physical books. So much of what Amazon sells is the odd 1 or 2 of something they might as well keep everything as a digital file and then print a book as and when an order comes in. The big news is that they have an agreement with among others Collins and Wiley, huge publishers. Probably the type of agreement we've been banging on about for the last year.
So, come on publishers, if we buy a machine will you license your backlists to us? How hard can it be?
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Gladly!
ReplyDeleteNot much surprising here Adam. Amazon purchased BookSurge in 2005 and have slowly been trying to ensure that they are a dominant player. (The other large POD player being Lightning Source- LSI - owned by Ingram).
ReplyDeleteAmazon hate paying for stock prior to sale : they see possible mandatory "firm sale" supply being forced on them by the publishing industry and want to try and cover themselves.
I suspect that the contracts which publishers have signed for POD with Amazon/BookSurge are very wishy-washy and by no means set in concrete, so there will still be room for C&P to install a POD expresso.
We have the cellar.
ReplyDeleteWe have the clients.
We need some capital for a machine...
Spare $100,000? Don't buy a yacht or a football team, start a revolution in bookshops!