4 ms·

I'm sure the trees which are not paper, due to the author's misfortune of finding no other publisher, are applauding the novel's inclusion.

ghaff 8y ago
Amazon Createspace lets you sell both paper and digital. (In fact, to be precise, selling on Kindle is quasi-independent of selling PoD from Createspace.) I've actually published a print copy of a book through Createspace without a Kindle version because the non-DRM PDF digital version is free from my website.
- brewdad 8y ago
  Are the paper books "print on demand" or is there an initial print run like a publishing house would have? Still a good way to prevent waste if the only copies actually printed are already sold.
  - ghaff 8y ago
    No idea. I assume it's a decision that Amazon makes based on the numbers. They probably start with on-demand and, if a book is actually selling a lot of copies, they may do a larger print run at a lower unit cost. In any case, it's transparent to the author in my experience.
  - TomVDB 8y ago
    AFAIK they are printed on demand when the volumes are low. It's incredibly easy to publish (you're essentially uploading a .pdf file). I assume that tons of books only sell a handful of copies. E.g. the only copies of a book that was written by a family member where those that he bought himself.
  - stubish 8y ago
    Publishing houses also do print on demand, as it is cheaper for smaller runs and there is less upfront investment. eg. the first 5000 copies come from a POD supplier, and if things go well they do the sums and consider doing a run of 10-20k with a traditional print setup. On your bookshelf, chances are the 'trade paperback' sized books from the last several years came out of a POD printer (a glorified laser printer, often but not always with integrated cover and binding), and the smaller paperbacks from a traditional press. The POD books still get ordered in batches though, because it is cheaper to order 5000 copies instead of ordering a single copy 5000 times. Or lease a device from Xerox. Single copy POD is really only done through Create Space and their competitors, where customers order them directly from the printer.
nradov 8y ago
Most paper is made from trees grown specifically for that purpose. Avoiding paper books to save trees now makes about as much sense as eating less bread to save wheat plants. But paper manufacturing does produce toxic waste, so e-books are probably better from that standpoint.

ghaff 8y ago

Amazon Createspace lets you sell both paper and digital. (In fact, to be precise, selling on Kindle is quasi-independent of selling PoD from Createspace.) I've actually published a print copy of a book through Createspace without a Kindle version because the non-DRM PDF digital version is free from my website.

brewdad 8y ago
Are the paper books "print on demand" or is there an initial print run like a publishing house would have? Still a good way to prevent waste if the only copies actually printed are already sold.
- ghaff 8y ago
  No idea. I assume it's a decision that Amazon makes based on the numbers. They probably start with on-demand and, if a book is actually selling a lot of copies, they may do a larger print run at a lower unit cost. In any case, it's transparent to the author in my experience.
- TomVDB 8y ago
  AFAIK they are printed on demand when the volumes are low. It's incredibly easy to publish (you're essentially uploading a .pdf file). I assume that tons of books only sell a handful of copies. E.g. the only copies of a book that was written by a family member where those that he bought himself.
- stubish 8y ago
  Publishing houses also do print on demand, as it is cheaper for smaller runs and there is less upfront investment. eg. the first 5000 copies come from a POD supplier, and if things go well they do the sums and consider doing a run of 10-20k with a traditional print setup. On your bookshelf, chances are the 'trade paperback' sized books from the last several years came out of a POD printer (a glorified laser printer, often but not always with integrated cover and binding), and the smaller paperbacks from a traditional press. The POD books still get ordered in batches though, because it is cheaper to order 5000 copies instead of ordering a single copy 5000 times. Or lease a device from Xerox. Single copy POD is really only done through Create Space and their competitors, where customers order them directly from the printer.

nradov 8y ago

Most paper is made from trees grown specifically for that purpose. Avoiding paper books to save trees now makes about as much sense as eating less bread to save wheat plants. But paper manufacturing does produce toxic waste, so e-books are probably better from that standpoint.