Print-on-Demand Book Publishing: A New Approach To Printing And Marketing Books For Publishers And Self-Publishing Authors
by Morris Rosenthal
# ISBN-10: 0972380132
# ISBN-13: 978-0972380133
PROS:
* Goes into depth on the publishing industry and its changes, helping you understand publishing as a whole.
* Well written; sober and intelligent without being boring.
* Uses real-life examples to help make points.
CONS:
* The book's broad approach may not cover all the ground you're looking for or go into the depth you need.
* The specific examples used may not always be relevant to you.
SUMMARY: A must-read book about print-on-demand and self-publishing that helps you understand the "why" of publishing issues and industries.
Print-on-Demand Book Publishing is one of those books that people were always recommending to me. Much like "Never Eat Alone" in general business circles, this was the book that everyone insisted that I read. Needless to say after so many recommendations, I read it.
At first, the book was actually a bit confusing, as it spent a lot of time focusing on the publishing industry as it was; the large publishers, the agents, the search for bestsellers, the horrible disappointments. Though I learned a lot, I wondered why so much time was spent, not on self-publishing, but on looking over the whole business of publishing, especially the large companies.
It quickly becomes clear however that the author's goal is to provide perspective; because once you understand the big picture, then you know just why some people turn to self-publishing and print-on-demand. This book is filled with "aha" moments that help make things clearer about the world of books, and why if you choose to enter it, you may want to go the print-on-demand/self-publish route.
Once you're provided with the basics, and with this expanded perspective, the author helps you understand the basic ins and outs of self-publishing. Since a lot of this comes from the authors own research and experience, you get to learn from what the author himself learned in his own work. A lot of the advice given is things that the author can say have truly worked for him.
When you're finished, you have two important things: an understanding of why you'd want to do your own publishing, and a good grasp of the basics involved in making it succeed. You not only have a good basic "how", but a good idea of just you want to (or don't want to) do certain things.
This book will not give you everything you need to enter the world of print-on-demand and publishing – indeed, not any one book could. Instead it gives you the high and low level understanding you'll need to move forward with your plans. With a good framework and all the basics in mind, you can work to fill in any gaps and expand your perspective, as you have a good idea of what you're looking for.
This book goes into my "must-read" list for anyone interested in publishing or self-publishing. It's clear, intelligent, and filled with helpful information and advice that helps you make sense of the self-publishing world. It won't be the last book you read on the subject, but it should be one of the ones you do read.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- You can visit Morris Rosenthal's company Foner Books.
- You can visit Morris Rosenthal's blog, Self-Publishing 2.0.
– Steven Savage