| Making money and cutting costs. In tough economic | | | | communication barrier for the North American |
| times, these are the 2 great commandments for any | | | | customers, while having books printed professionally |
| businesses. In reality, can we really achieve these | | | | with much cheaper prices. With the price mentioned |
| goals in the book publishing business? First we have | | | | previously for 250 paperbacks may well enough to |
| to dig out the biggest chunk of expense in the cycle | | | | produce 300 full color hardcover books, finishing with |
| of book publishing. | | | | casebound, Smyth sewn, and cover finishing with |
| To publish a book, the major cost mainly comes | | | | gloss/matte lamination mounted on 2.5mm board. This |
| from the printing stage. Of course, that may well | | | | is the typical specification for a professional looking |
| depend on how much promotional fees you are willing | | | | hardcover book similar to the premium collection of |
| to spend, how much you are willing to pay for the | | | | Harry Potter that's selling at Indigo and Chapters. |
| illustrator and writer etc. But speaking in general, the | | | | The question is how safe and secure to deal with |
| majority of the cost to create a book is the | | | | overseas printers, or having transaction done |
| production cost itself. | | | | remotely? The answer is you don't deal with |
| Most publishers and independent authors nowadays | | | | company located on the other side of the world, you |
| are more focused on cutting their budgets to print | | | | are dealing with local printing company or North |
| shorter runs by printing books digitally, or by what | | | | American company that already have their production |
| they call On-Demand Book Printing services. The | | | | line relocated or combined with the overseas power |
| advantage to run books digitally can offer smaller | | | | force. Which means transaction is done domestically |
| initial runs and quick turn around time. Usually the price | | | | and production is done remotely. We called them |
| per book for a 60 pager 8.5"x11" full color paperback | | | | "domestic-overseas printer". The main objective to |
| will cost from $11-$14 per book, based on initial runs | | | | print with "domestic-overseas printer" is to save |
| of 250 pieces. The total cost for print runs of 250 | | | | money without sacrifice the quality. By doing so, |
| paperbacks will be around $3,600 including set up | | | | "domestic-overseas printer" will provide color proofs |
| fees. It seems the start up fee to print books had | | | | (mostly digital proof is 90% close to the quality of |
| dropped a lot compared to while back. But don't | | | | the final product) and a set of white dummy (specific |
| forget cutting down cost by making smaller print runs | | | | paper stock assembled in the exact format of the |
| doesn't mean you have saved money on production | | | | final book). The proofs and dummy will be well |
| cost. What it really means is "you are willing to pay | | | | enough to ensure the outcome of the final product |
| higher amount of money per book in order to get a | | | | and it will be sent to your door for approval before |
| smaller amount of print runs." | | | | mass production. In addition, you can also request for |
| Despite the vast printing quality difference between | | | | press-proof with minimal fee to reassure printing |
| the two, digitally printed books also don't offer many | | | | quality and color accuracy. |
| finishing options as traditional offset printing do; such | | | | In the North American book industry, cost difference |
| as spot varnishing, embossing/debossing, metallic inks | | | | between paperbacks and hardbound books is |
| and PMS inks. According to market responses, | | | | substantial. Hardcover books with nicely designed |
| readers are more likely to purchase a book by the | | | | dust jackets can sell at much higher price than |
| sense of attractive appearance, including cover | | | | paperbacks. By taking the advantage of using |
| design (different finishing options) and printing quality | | | | "domestic-overseas printer", the cost for making |
| (vividness of colors and optimal resolution). With lack | | | | hardcover book can be reduced 30% up to 60% |
| of ability to offer different finishing options for book | | | | compare to local printers. The amount of money |
| cover and lesser printing quality, it will certainly affect | | | | saved can be utilized to other areas such as |
| the sales of a book. | | | | promotions and marketing to increase the book sales. |
| In the last decade, many domestic printers had made | | | | Certainly, Save and Sale is an essential strategy for |
| their moves to adapt to the new changing economy. | | | | those small to medium size publishers and |
| Many have either upgraded their equipments to offer | | | | independent authors to profit on book publishing |
| the ability of on-demand printing or have relocated | | | | during the time of recessions. |
| their facility to overseas or partnership their business | | | | Copyright 2009 Sure Print & Design. All right |
| with overseas printers. The advantage of a domestic | | | | reserved. |
| printer merging to overseas facility is there will be no | | | | |