POD to the Nth Degree

Have you heard about the Espresso Book Machine? If not, click here and watch the video. While print of demand (POD) has been around for a while, this takes things to a whole new level.

You can create library quality paperbound books almost instantly. You want one or more copies of a family history, no big deal. You just send the file to where a machine is. You can even have the vendor (e.g., Harvard Book Store, University of Missouri) design a cover for you.

What this means could encompass the following:

·      Professors can create course-specific texts using material either they’ve written or have copyright permission to use and produce books that are cheaper than texts from traditional publishers. This also will mean that the traditional publishers might amend their business model to sell selected chapters from one or more books to be combined on site at the university for a targeted text.

·      Bookstores would not have to carry heavy inventory. This could help the independents. With a regional machine or even one bought by the bookstore, a buyer could come in or buy something online and have it produced instantly. As the market for this expands, almost all books could be downloaded locally to be printed with payment for each printing to the publisher.

·      This means there will be no such thing as an out-of-print book. As long as one copy of a book exists, it can be scanned and reproduced. Harvard is already seeing this from their vast publishing endeavors over the years.

·      People who want to self publish can have much more direct control over their product.

It’s possible that this idea and the machines that come along afterward will be what saves books in print.