Print-on-demand, or digital publishing, is a relatively new technology that has made self-publishing fast and affordable. Here is how it works. Your manuscript is formatted into a book, and the book file is stored digitally, together with the cover and all the necessary information like ISBN, barcode, etc. Printing it out will only take a minute or two. Yes, just like that: a button is pressed, and a finished book comes out. POD publishers do not print hundreds or thousands of copies, they just have the book ready and wait for orders. When a book order comes in, the required amount of books is printed and shipped to the customer. The publisher will take their share to pay for the production costs, and you will receive your royalties, the amount of which is usually specified in the contract.
Advantages
Affordability. Forget about $10,000+, print-on-demand publishers offer packages starting at as low as $200-300. Usually, POD publishers have several different programs/packages, with different distribution and marketing options, standard or customized cover design, etc. If you choose your publisher well, you will have a high quality book, in no way inferior to those published traditionally. Your book will have an ISBN and a barcode, it will be listed with major book distributors like Spring Arbor and Ingram, and it will be available to order from any bookstore.
Speed and control. A POD publisher can have your book done and ready to order within 3 months, some even do it in weeks. That is lightning speed compared to the traditional press. And, just like with subsidy publishing, you will have your book done exactly the way you want it. You can submit your own images for the cover, or simply tell the artist what you wish to see on it, and there will be no editor telling you to change or remove certain parts of your masterpiece.
No garage full of books. Since your book is stored electronically, you don’t have to turn your home into a warehouse. Unless you decide to buy some copies at your discounted author’s price and sell them yourself, you don’t even have to touch the books: your publisher will take care of all orders, printing books out and shipping them to the customers. All you need to do is to spread the word, and refer potential book buyers to Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and other stores where your book is available.
Your book will not go out of print. With the print-on-demand technology, your print run is virtually unlimited. If an order comes in for 5,000 copies, your publisher will handle it, and be ready to print as many more as needed, any time. And if you only sell just a few books per month, no one will tell you that the book is not selling well and therefore needs to go out of print. Your book will be around as long as you want it to.
Once again, you will have a chance as a writer. Readers don’t care how the book is published, they only care whether it’s good or not. If it’s good, they will start buying it.