Many people ask the difference between New York Publishers -- or professional publishers -- and Print on Demand.

I've been both.  With over 1 1/2 million book in print through New York Publishers, I decided to take a break and write a book of my heart--that my main publisher wasn't interested in.  The reason?  It was a book--an artistic endeavor--that I wanted to see completed. 

This is where Print on Demand saved me!

Years ago I joined groups and worked on learning the craft of writing.  All of the groups were talking about vanity press and how useless it was. 

Vanity publishing demands you pay all the costs to print a book and then buy those books and sell them yourself.  I had to agree.  There's not much use for that unless you have a very narrow book that isn't going to go somewhere--such as a book you are printing about your family that only family members would want!

It wasn't long before the words "print on Demand" came up.  Most authors turned their noses up at this as well--including me.  What good is Print on Demand?  It's basically the same as vanity--isn't it?

Not exactly.  Print on Demand is exactly what it says.  They print books on demand as needed.  I was skeptical, but as I started listening to some who had printed their books this way, I changed my mind.

New York Publishers are mass market publishers.  These publishers want a certain kind of fiction that is going to appeal to the mass market--hence the name.  They look for very specific things (as a rule).  They have a format they want to fit your book into.  (This is not a bad thing, either.  If you want a romance--you want to know what you are getting!  A romantic suspense--well you know then, don't you?).

They sell to masses and usually have a huge distributions.  For instance, my books have been released in Poland, Italy, Australia, Hungry, and a few more places.

Print on Demand, on the other hand allows you to publish what you think people would like to hear about.  Now here is the catch--if you want to publish a mass market book, that you want to fit the lines in New York, and you go through POD (Print on Demand), don't expect to be accepted like a New York author.

Don't expect to have the same distribution.  Do not expect to have the same readers.

However, if it is a book you'd like to publish, that is the story of your heart and you realize, up front, few will probably read it--then go for it.

However, there are other differences as well.

Dealing with Print on Demand I have discovered several things.

Contracts

When you make a sale to a NY Publisher you have a 20 page contract.

It discusses:
1. Rights
2. Reversions
3. Advances
4. Royalties
5.  Liable
6.  Special agreements

A Print on Demand is 5 or 10 pages.

It discusses:

1.  Rights -- much less specific than a NY Publisher
2.  Advances (Yes, they do give advances)
3.  Royalties (Yes, they do pay royalties)
4.  Liabilities

For instance, royalties in my NYC contract discussed  movie rights, digest rights, cd rights, foreign rights, non-English foreign rights and the list goes on and on.  But with POD it basically tells you that you have the rights to the book.

They can be looser because they don't put as much behind your book.

Publicity:
For my NYC publisher
They do radio spots
They do ads in magazines
They release teasers to millions of bookstores
They giveaway books to book clubs etc
They don't send out review copies unless you are really really big with them or they are doing a special promotion.

POD
They send out announcements to 100 people of your choice
They send out announcements to magazines and newspapers for you (limited number you choose)

They send out review copies to reviewers as you request.

Editorial Staff:

This is where I have discovered the biggest difference.

NYC has a team that meets and discusses your book, if it fits their lines, what their promotion people can do with the book, when it would be best to release this book etc.

They give you a date it is to be released, then they assign an editor to work with you.  They do general edits and then send it to you to correct.  You send it back and it goes to a copy editor who makes sure you have dates and times, hair colors etc right (not changing it halfway through the story).  You get a final chance to look over that, then it goes to print.  You get line edits to make sure they haven't misspelled words etc and then they print it up (more steps but that is the last you see the book).  You get a six page or so list of questions to help with back cover blurb, art for the cover etc.

They use real models for the covers and professional painting. 

POD

They contact you but don't really have a date.  Anywhere from now until they get done.

They ask you about what you'd like to see.  They're very 'countrified' compared to NYC.  Not a bad thing.

They ask you if it's ready to go to print and give you a chance to look over it.  They do no real editing.  This is a very important point.  I caught several things when I went back through my own book.

Then, they get it set up and send you line edits.  Again, because I did not have a professional editor looking at this book and several different eyes, I went over this stage very carefully and discovered a SERIOUS error in my line edits.  One line that would have given away my heroine's secret (I said it three times on that one page!!  The simple use of a wrong pronoun as she was hiding as a 'he'.)  Had I not gone carefully over that...and I had read this book a million times, it would have ruined the effect of the story and made the hero look like an idiot.

A Professional publisher would have caught that.  POD didn't.  Of course, I don't blame them. I DID NOT catch it!!! But that is what a copy editor does.

So, if you go POD you have to make sure your book is as good as possible before you send it on.

THEN there is the cover.  They use royalty free pictures.  Ugh.  However, I must say had they given me a heads up I know several artists and could have come up with my own design.  Remember, this is a small company so they cannot afford to do it the big house way!  And overall I am pleased with my cover. :)

The reason I chose this company however, is because of their covers--they are much better than many many other POD and I believe covers help sell a book!

Finally, after all of this, they still don't have a date...a couple of months perhaps.

This is the point with me that irritates.  Being use to doing publicity, this mucks me up as I can't plan much not having a definite date!  And at least 6 months ahead to know so I can plan all of it! 

Still, small publishing company and very different.

But, for what I want, great.  I have a book that is fantasy, dealing with an alternative version of the redemption story.  It's heavily allegory in nature.  That limits it greatly.  I was also very picky about what I wanted changed in it, and NYC would not be as forgiving about that.  They would probably want major changes to fit more in what they want. 

You have to weigh the pros and cons.

If you have a book that you have a specific story you want to tell, that you don't mind going to a small audience, or if you just want your name in print, then Print on Demand is the way to go (they do not charge fees at all but do pay advances and royalties).

If you want to be a big star and write for the mass market and see your book in countries around the world, but limit yourself to their rules, then you want to target NYC.

Neither one means you are or aren't writer.  A writer is made in the heart.  What you choose to do with your skills is what you feel God leading you to do.

So go out there and get to writing!

u