That's already common for small press (usually via Ingram's LightningSource[1]). As for brick-and-mortar stores, there are already a few that are printing book

That's already common for small press (usually via Ingram's LightningSource[1]). As for brick-and-mortar stores, there are already a few that are printing books on demand in store, with an Espresso Book Machine[2]; there'll probably be more now that they are available through Xerox. (My local bookshop, the Harvard Book Store, has had an EBM for a few months, proudly placed so you can see it in the windows. They're doing a pretty steady business --- mostly self-published stuff, but there's also a steady run of academics ordering obscure out-of-copyright stuff through Google Books.) [1] http://waltshiel.com/2011/01/17/your-book-investment-marketing-or-inventory/ http://waltshiel.com/2011/01/17/your-book-investment-marketi... [2] http://www.ondemandbooks.com/hardware.htm http://www.ondemandbooks.com/hardware.htm