Book Printing Blog

One of the main strikes against traditional book printing is that books have traditionally been over-printed. In other words, more copies of a book are typically printed than will ever be purchased by consumers, meaning a lot of paper gets wasted. This model for manufacturing books is wasteful and inefficient.

Responsible book printing companies have started offering short-run book printing services. Rather than forcing publishers to purchase huge orders so they can keep their unit price as low as possible, some printers are offering the ability to print only what’s needed, when it’s needed. With short-run printing, authors and publishers print off books when they are needed, thereby reducing the waste of unused materials. This technique can lead to a huge reduction in the impact book printing has on the environment. Some short run book printers also help authors and the publishing community transfer files into eBook format, giving everyone a chance at publishing an eBook along with their printed work.

For more information on short run printing, contact The Country Press.

Greener Ideal

There have been great advances in short-run digital printing and print-on-demand  technologies over the last decade. The manufacturers of high-volume digital presses have made huge improvements in print quality, formats, speed, and workflow. Short run printing solutions have can support both monochrome and color book printing and have the ability to customize and personalize—all with the speed and quality required by publishers and customers. These developments have changed how publishers assess the life cycle of a book, and they come at a good time. Gone are the days when one large offset print run can cover demand for a book over its entire life.

In the past, digital printing was only used “for extending the life of a title in the long tail, now titles are candidates for digital print at almost every stage. Titles are often set up for digital at the same time as the initial print run, so if a bookstore’s initial stocking order is short, additional copies can be produced quickly to meet demand. Because the content setup and transaction costs for digital book printing are very low, print costs at every stage of a book’s life cycle are economical. And keeping books in print longer is an extra benefit in the digital age: E-book sales are actually driving sales for printed books in the midlist, especially in the nonfiction categories.

Digital printing has matured to become a regular part of the production mix.

In the case of short run printing individual orders might be for 20 or more copies and are typically for inventory replenishment. When a customer orders several titles from a publisher or distributor, but sales forecasts for some of the titles are unavailable, short run book printing can reduce the risks of overstocking. Turnaround times on these orders are typically five to 10 days.

In the final stages of a book’s life cycle, when sales are infrequent and most orders are for single copies, a publisher can place the title on a print-to-order platform. Large libraries of out-of-print and otherwise hard-to-find titles have been aggregated and made available for sale online, creating new opportunities from older titles as well. And the inventories for these titles are entirely virtual, using print-to-order technologies. With the advances in both color toner and ink-jet printing, titles can be produced whose quality is comparable to that of the original editions, which were made using offset printing. In this case, the new printing systems provide a new lifecycle, when before there wasn’t one at all.

A key reason digital printing is now in the manufacturing mix is that current digital printing platforms have greatly flattened the cost curve across order quantities, and publishers that consider the total cost of ownership are rapidly taking advantage of these technologies. A new paradigm is emerging in which, rather than relying on large print runs, publishers order fewer copies of each title and then replenish their inventory more frequently, without increasing their expenses, thereby reducing inventory risks and conserving cash. And because of automated workflows, smaller publishers and distributors can take full advantage of digital printing. With the ability to economically produce very small book runs to address niche markets, customize content, and meet demand at all stages of a title’s lifecycle, publishers have more tools than ever before to address the needs of their customers in the new book-buying paradigms.

For more information on short run book printing or print-on-demand services, contact The Country Press.

Publishers Weekly

"How many books should we print?” This is one question that may not ever get the right answer, no matter how much you try. Authors and publishers have struggled with this question for years, and more often than not, still print too many or too few books. No matter the type book, it is very challenging to estimate how many to print. Enter, short run book printing.

Additionally, with the tightening of the wallets, both for self-publishers and for publishing companies, it is more important than ever to NOT overspend on printing. Short run book printing is the solution for those watching their budget or for those with a limited budget. Why? Because with short run printing you can print only as many books as you need or want, from 11-5000.

Short run book printing is publishing books in limited number. When you need more books, have them printed. Short run printing has become very popular with authors and the publishers and has given self-published authors the ability to print their books.

Here are some advantages of short run printing:

• Short run printing reduces a loss from printing too many books.
• Short run printing reduces the overall cost of printing because you can print what you need.
• Print what you need.
• Short run printing is faster than traditional offset printing.
• Short run printing is a 'green printing' because waste is reduced.
• Short run printing is digital printing so books can be customized if necessary..
• It encourages authors to self-publish.

For more information on short run printing contact The Country Press.

Nothing is today in publishing today. The self-publising industry is soaring and has grown every year. A few years ago the traditional publishing empire collapsed and authors turned to the new tech tools to create, format, and sell their books. Today there's no stigma to self-publishing a book, as long as it's done professionally. And though authors of novels, memoir, children's books, and how-to books have fully embraced self-publishing, it's been largely neglected by professionals in business, finance, real estate, restaurants, health and fitness, and political pundits who want to spread their ideas. Smart businesses have started to use the capabilities of self-publishing as part of their "content marketing" strategy. That is, offering free ebooks and apps to online customers, and even print books and booklets to customers who come into the store.

Self-Publishing is recommended to anyone or any business who wants to create ebooks and print books or booklets today. All of these options allow you to offer your book for sale or for free. Smart businesses are starting to offer ebooks from their websites to describe their product or their vision to potential customers. Many offer how-to guides, recipes, financial advice, and other freebies as part of a content marketing strategy. Self-publishing isn't just for authors any more. It's a very smart move for any business.

The Country Press has been helping customers like you for more than 42 years! We have helped thousands of first time self-publishers, both authors and businesses, understand the whole process. For more information, contact the Country Press.

Sacramentopress.com

If you are an author interested in self-publishing, now is the time. Self-published books are experiencing unprecedented popularity. Books get an ISBN number, which are owned by the publisher. With self-published books, the author owns their own ISBN number. Through these numbers, self-published books are counted.

An analysis of U.S. ISBN data revealed that the number of self-published titles in 2012 jumped to more than 391,000, up 59% over 2011 and 422% over 2007. Ebooks continue to catch up to print, comprising 40% of the ISBNs that were self-published in 2012, up from just 11% in 2007.

The analysis shows the growing prominence of publishing companies that offer publishing services to individual authors. Self-published titles come to market with support from publishing companies that offer self-publishing services. Self-Publishing can be a virtual minefield if you are not careful.

The research on self-publishing includes surveys of authors that provide insight into where the market is going and services required by these writers. Those who intend to self-publish most often plan to bring fiction to market, followed by inspirational works, books for children and biographies. The majority of self-published authors site finding a traditional publisher as an obstacle, and they also feel challenged by marketing. The Country Press will take you through the process step-by-step.

For more information contact the Country Press.

Statistics - econtentmag.com

If you are an author interested in self-publishing, or if you run a publishing company that needs to meet quotas quickly, choose short run book printing for faster turn-around. For fulfilling order obligations, for a smaller inventory or to meet budgetary demands, short run book printing is the best and right option. Print the amount of books you want and stay within your budget.

Short run printing is a better choice than traditional, large scale book printing. Why? With short run book printing, you don’t need a deal with a publishing company. Short run book printing allows you to print only the books you need. If you have a smaller budget, smaller storage space, have a small order to fill, or unsure of how the book will sell, short run book printing can accommodate all of those concerns.

Commercial printers make money on the quantity of books they print. Therefore, they are not interested in printing smaller quantities of books in order to meet your needs.

More authors, publishing companies, universities, and trades people are interested in short run printing. For many authors, using a commercial publishing company means the difference between printing or not printing their book, but short run book printers give you another option.  When you have a smaller distribution channel short run book printers are perfect for you.

Want to order less than 5,000 books? Contact The County Press.

Short run book printing is a growing publishing trend of producing books ‘on demand’. The rising volume of short-run requests has led to better technology, increased flexibility and productivity, and digital printing of books. Short run printing is best for self publishers and publishers who may have only a small distribution channel because they can order just a dozen copies and order more later.
 
The Country Press understands the need to increase the services it provides in order to continue to serve authors, universities, and publishing companies.  Like many printers, we have seen an increase in the volume of orders but many of those order are for a smaller quantity, or short runs.

Short run books are the perfect solution for fulfilling customer's needs and requirements within budget, and to better serve the needs of self-publishers. Everyone whether they are large scale publishing companies or an individual have access to short run printing services.

With short run book printing the cost per book and the ability to order a smaller number of books makes it more efficient and economical than other book printing options. With short run printing customers will also receive the quality they want when they need it.

With digital printing, we can automate production and produce multiple small orders of books with high quality imaging.  For more information on short run book printing, contact The Country Press.

What is an ARC, and why they're made available?  Advance Readers Copies, also called galleys or bound galleys, are uncorrected proofs of the book released before the book is published. ARCs or Galleys are the book that is privately released by publisher before the book is printed for mass distribution. ARCs are used to start the conversation and create a publicity buzz around a new book.  For many titles, the ARCs will represent one of the biggest outlays of marketing money the book will receive.

As a marketing tool, publishers provide free copies of new titles to booksellers and journalists. Usually, ARCs are provided to booksellers, librarians, and reviewers for books or magazines. In the last few years, though, publishing houses have made ARCs more available to book bloggers and other readers. The hope is that these bloggers and readers will use their blogs, Twitter, Tumblr, etc., to create that buzz. ARCs are, above all, marketing tools used to sell more of the finished books.  Once the blogger, reader or journalist gives an endorsement, that endorsement is added to the dust-cover of the final book and to other promotional items.

Before the book is published, many marketers encourage book bloggers to share ARCs with friends, or give the ARCs or galleys away in contests or giveaways.

One of the best (and often hardest to get) marketing tools is word of mouth. Readers are the absolute best when it comes to word of mouth; if they love a book they scream it from rooftops. It is great business for authors to give away ARCs. By giving away the ARC authors are helping spread the word.

For more information on ARCs and bound galleys, contact the Country Press.

Excerpts - YA Highway

On-demand printing is taking over in publishing. New book copies can be printed with print-on-demand once an order for books is received.  This is also called digital printing. The price per unit is generally higher, but there are many advantages to using on-demand book printing.
 
The biggest advantage of on-demand or digital book printing is that the setup is faster and the costs are lower than offset printing.
 
With digital printing you no longer have to print and store large inventories of books which also keeps your costs down. Not having to keep large inventories cuts down on costs because you no longer have to deal with warehousing, handling, and shipping costs.  You also will cut down on waste due to unsold books.

Digital book printing is often used by subsidy printers, self-publishers, and by publishers who want to manage costs and for test marketing.

With a commercial offset book printer short run book printing is another option. Typical short runs are 1,000 books, but short run printing are quantities of anywhere from 11-5000. Short run printing is also relatively inexpensive per book and the price falls with larger size orders.

Self-publishers can use both types of printing. Print on demand allows you to keep books on hand in small quantities. Short run book orders in quantities of 1000 or more are perfect for single orders.

For more information, contact Country Press.

A Bound Galley is the pre-publication version or the advanced copy of your upcoming published book that is printed and bound. The cover of the bound galley can be useful to marketing the book to reviewers, bookstore distributors and buyers.

Once you have your book completed, you need to start promoting. The best way to do this is to generate as many reviews as possible. Even if you have sold your book to a publisher, you still need to promote it yourself too.

Your publisher will send advanced reading copies to major reviewers, but you can send bound galleys to smaller reviewers as well.

If you are a self published author, you know the importance of bound galleys or ARC books. Several months before the publication date of your book, publishers will send out bound copies of the finished manuscript. These are called galleys or advanced reading copies, also known as ARCs. These advanced copy books are sent to reviewers in order to generate excitement about the pending release of your book or novel.

Authors also need to review galley to be sure that all the changes indicated in the copy-editing process have been implemented. Reviewing the bound galleys is the last time you can review the book for errors. (Keep in mind, with digital printing, the book can be edited later).  

Once you sign off on that galley, the book is all but finished. All that needs to be done now is the physical printing, binding, and shipping. The Country Press uses state of the art equipment to provide our customers with Bound Galley products and services. Contact us.