Print-On-Demand

CoveComm publishes a number of printed technical books using Lightning Source's Print On Demand (POD) system, and sells these books both via direct web sales and through Ingram's distribution channels. POD can be a cost-effective solution for small print runs and when keeping inventory is impractical or undesirable. Per-book print costs are generally quite reasonable, and quality can approach that of more traditional printing equipment.

Most POD companies can work with original documents in PDF format. At a minimum, you'll simply upload your PDF to the POD company, wait for the PDF to be put into the system, and then order as many copies as you need. You may also need to supply a separate cover PDF.

As with traditional publishing, however, preparing a book for publication can be a lot more complicated than actually getting it printed. A successful book demands a solid structure and clear writing. At a minimum, your book should also have a copyright and printing date notice, a title page, and a table of contents. If you wish to sell your book through established channels, you will certainly need an ISBN number, and you may want to include Cataloging In Publication (CIP) data. Works of non-fiction should also have an index (and indexing is an art in itself).

CoveComm offers assistance with self-publishing and the POD process. Contact Dave Harms for further information.

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