The gist of this piece: publishers are relying on print-on-demand to fill orders and it looks cheaper even though POD costs more to print & costs more for the reader. (It's happened with my own book, so I certainly see the differences.) A few thoughts before people get indignant and angry.

1. Authors get paid the same no matter how the book is printed, so please don't worry about that part. The publisher may adjust the pricing to keep the margin where it needs to be.

2. The cost of printing has increased considerably over the last few years. There are many reasons for this, but a good portion of it relates to the paper and printing industry, economic forces at work that book publishing cannot control. Book publishing uses a tiny percentage of paper when compared to other industries and has little/no leverage over paper manufacturing.

3. For many years now, people who specialize in printing and manufacturing have begged and pleaded with publishers to standardize (e.g., paper types, trim, finishes, and more). Standardization reduces costs for everyone in the supply chain, right down to the reader.

4. Standardization also means that when publishers must use POD to fill orders (for any reason), the quality differences become less pronounced.

Look, I know that everyone hopes/wants a book that feels special and not standardized. But consider: what does the reader need and want? What's sustainable on all levels? Environmental sustainability of course plays into this as well.

All this to say: I would not point a finger at publishers and blame them for being cheap, deceptive or greedy. There are many factors contributing to this phenomenon. As with so many things in publishing, it's complicated.

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4:32 PM
Oct 25