Print On Demand (POD) self-publishing refers to digital printing technology that has arisen in response to the demand from writers to have a whole book printed and bound quickly, without having to go to the huge expense of a print run of 500, 1000 or 2000 books at a time.
Obviously, people writing a family history, or a memoir intended only for family and friends, have no interest in producing thousands – or even hundreds – of books at a time. Digital printing makes it easy for anyone to produce books in very small numbers (say, between one and fifty) without breaking the bank.
Using a POD publisher is much more risky for a novelist, because there are huge issues with distribution. Booksellers are generally not interested in stocking a novel that doesn't come from a well-known publisher or distributer. They are in business to make money, and it's a fact of life that not too many book-buyers are interested in buying a self-published book by a new author. Things are very different for family historians or memoir writers.
Why Print on Demand Self-Publishing Works Well for Family Histories
For a small run of non-fiction books, print-on-demand self-publishing is a practical and inviting option. Admittedly, it costs more per book to produce limited quantities. As an example: each copy of a family history might cost $29.95 to produce through a POD publisher (this could be more or less, depending on the illustrations used), whereas the price could go right down to, say, $8.00 a book with a print run of 2,000. That seems like a big difference, but when you think about it, what is more user-friendly to the family coffers? To spend $16,000 and then have 1,900 books grow yellow with age in a garage, or get everyone who wants a copy to order their own at a one-off cost of $29.95?
Where to Find a Print-on-Demand Self-Publishing Service
There are increasing numbers of POD publishing services around, so it's a good idea to research them first to make sure they provide exactly the services needed. Basic fees vary from one POD publisher to another: check on the general setup fee as well as cost-per-book.
One of the best-known POD publishers on the Internet is Lulu.com. For those without a lot of knowledge and experience, Lulu offers a good basic service as well as further options with more bells and whistles. There are no setup fees, and the site has free online templates that make it easy for anyone to upload and format a book. Once that's done, it's just a matter of ordering the book from the website. (The more upmarket options at Lulu are, of course, much more expensive - they have a fee structure based on things like paper size and type and the number of pages.)
Creative Cloud has a review of the 20 Top POD Self-Publishers.
Editing and Proofreading Memoirs
Some POD publishers just take what is provided and turn it into a book: it's up to the individual writer to ensure that all spelling, grammar, and layout is correct before committing the book to print. Other publishers offer these as add-on services.
Whether writers choose to use the POD publisher's editing services, or to do it themselves, it should be a must for every writer of memoirs to make sure that the book is carefully edited and proofread before it is released for printing. There's nothing worse than spending months (or even years) working on a well-researched, entertaining family history and then finding that there are typos or grammatical errors sprinkled throughout. Ask several different (and reliable) people to proofread the book. Then head off to a POD publisher's site... and be ready to receive accolades from impressed family members when they see their copy!
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