No matter if you are an independent author or small publishing house, there are a wide variety of print-on-demand companies to consider when selecting one for yourself. Services may differ by price, minimum quantities requirements and quality – something to keep in mind when choosing.
KDP provides an easy and cost-effective platform for paperback books sold within Amazon’s storefront; however, they take a significant percentage of royalties as compensation.
Blurb
Blurb is a San Francisco-based company that makes publishing accessible for anyone, via BookSmart software and print-on-demand service that remove upfront printing costs and inventory management issues. They also offer magazines, trade books, notebooks, wall art and eBooks – not forgetting their network of retail partners that sell them!
Blubb offers free tools and templates to assist authors with the design process, simplifying layout stages. Furthermore, they offer competitive prices so authors can produce trade books without breaking their budgets. Furthermore, global distribution services enable writers to reach an even broader audience.
BookWright, Blurb’s flagship book-making program, provides authors with an intuitive experience for book creation. Featuring flexible layouts, flowing text containers and color fidelity options that give authors maximum creative control, this software also supports Adobe InDesign plug-in enabling professional designers to leverage Blurb workflow.
Personal blurbs differ from standard blurbs in that they serve to promote an individual, group, or business in just a few words using dynamic language choices, conversational tones, and compelling details to effectively market an individual, group, or business. Effective personal blurbs leave readers craving more information–leading them into sales for the author!
Draft2Digital
Draft2Digital is one of the premier publish on demand companies, providing authors with various services including ebook distribution, print on demand printing and ebook-to-print conversion. Furthermore, Draft2Digital provides an easy web platform that enables authors to effortlessly format and upload their books – an especially beneficial service for indie authors looking to reach a larger audience with their work.
Authors using Author Hub can take advantage of its streamlined reporting and payment processes to avoid having to check with multiple retailers each month, as well as participating in subscription services like Kindle Unlimited without risk of exclusivity. Author Hub also features a Universal Book Link feature which automatically creates links for all major retailers so readers can select their desired retailer when clicking any links provided by Author Hub.
The service is free to use for ebooks, while discounts on printing for physical books. Their digital-to-print conversion is cutting-edge, saving authors significant production costs while helping reach new markets both domestically and abroad. Furthermore, authors can customize their cover and metadata according to each market they’re targeting.
Draft2Digital also provides library-centric print-to-digital platforms and ebook-to-audio converters, working closely with Findaway Voices to offer audiobook distribution. Draft2Digital’s platform is user-friendly and easy to navigate; templates for print cover artwork exist for ebook and print editions alike. Their product roadmap plans on expanding their offerings with hardcover editions as well as large print formats as well as additional trim sizes and layout options; finally they aim to integrate more library systems.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing platform allows authors to self-publish books in paperback and eBook formats on its online marketplace, providing authors a one-stop-shop for self-publishing with global reach and support for multiple pseudonyms and genres, enabling authors to sell their works under various names with different covers for greater exposure. In addition, this service also offers print-on-demand capabilities so authors can produce physical paperback copies of their works themselves.
This platform is free for authors to use, yet charges them for book production services and royalties. They can choose between two royalty rates of 35% or 70% royalties. While higher royalty rates offer greater returns, certain criteria must be fulfilled in order to qualify for them. In addition, authors can use the Kindle Publisher dashboard to track sales and royalties monthly.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is one of the premier publishing platforms for electronic books, featuring an intuitive user-interface that makes creating and editing manuscripts straightforward and uploading them for publication. Furthermore, this platform also provides various other features to maximize sales and reader engagement for authors.
Amazon Kindle is often criticized for hosting offensive and illegal content, such as hate propaganda, neo-Nazi material, autism misinformation and books that promote paedophilia or bestiality. Yet the platform continues to expand and grow while remaining an attractive option for independent authors and small publishers alike. Furthermore, several lawsuits filed by authors alleging nontransparency concerning pricing and revenue generation. Amazon responded by amending its Terms of Service accordingly.
IngramSpark
As an independent publisher, IngramSpark makes book publishing accessible to authors with limited resources. They provide print-on-demand books as well as ebooks; authors can upload their own covers; create multiple editions of titles they want published; select trim size, paper color, binding type and laminate type as well as page count options – they even feature an online royalties calculator!
IngramSpark provides low-cost global distribution through Barnes & Noble and Amazon as well as independent bookstores, universities, and libraries. Though its prices may be higher than other POD companies’ offerings, IngramSpark can still make an attractive option for indie authors as it allows for price discounts that act as effective marketing tools; retailers also can return unsold copies back to IngramSpark to save space storage fees.
IngramSpark’s customer support team can be reached by phone, email and live chat and are generally very helpful; however they have been slow in responding to emails during this pandemic which has made keeping up with customer demands difficult. Unfortunately IngramSpark does not offer full editing or proofreading services so authors must be prepared to perform all work themselves.
Acutrack
Acutrack is a premier print-on-demand book fulfillment company, providing services across a range of verticals. They print and ship books directly to consumers (B2C), retailers (B2B) or through marketplaces like Amazon – cost effectively with fast turnaround times for printing and shipping; hardcover/paperback packaging options as well as different paper sizes/types available are among their offerings.
Acutrack also provides an all-inclusive marketing and distribution program, helping authors promote their book to get it seen by readers. They specialize in social media promotion, website development and other promotional activities to bring exposure for authors’ works, while their expert team of marketers works to increase sales. Their services are free for the first three months before charging a fee of $39 monthly which covers unlimited print copies, digital distribution to ebook platforms/online stores as well as customer support services.
Acutrack stands out from other print-on-demand companies by giving authors control over pricing and profit margins – an invaluable benefit for self-publishers who may not have the means to cover high upfront printing and fulfillment fees. Furthermore, Acutrack does not charge setup fees or minimum order quantities.
Acutrack’s latest offering, Printed Parcel, allows customers to include additional printed materials with their book orders at low rates and preferential handling by USPS. This service supplements Acutrack’s technology-driven book fulfillment while building better customer relationships by offering add-on products such as flyers, mugs and t-shirts. Furthermore, Acutrack boasts 72 hour delivery and has built up an impeccable reputation among clients as being both transparent and reliable in their dealings with them.
