The concept of print on demand (POD) works with the techniques of digital printing to offer several options for book publishing. This means that books can now be printed at fixed rates per copy, mitigating the need for bulk printing.
POD services often also include printing and distributing services as part of the package deal and such value added services are gaining popularity. POD minimizes inventory maintenance and stock keeping, since the books are published only when sold. Also there is little or no wastage from unsold copies since printing is carried out per requirement only.
These factors reduce the risks associated with publishing books; however efforts must be taken to keep quality in check and maintain rigorous control parameters.
POD is also used to print niche books and specialized titles that garner a premium retail price but have limited markets. Academic publishers may sometimes keep stocks of such titles, although the markets for these books are often a closed group and this may often make POD an uneconomical option.
However many small presses and micro-presses rely heavily on POD technology because they invariably cater to a smaller market that make traditional printing unprofitable.
It is inevitable that with all its advantages POD has a downside in terms of average cost per copy which runs to be relatively higher than with conventional offset printing. The higher costs may make some bookstores less enthusiastic about POD books.
However the primary advantages of POD compensate for this, and make POD an attractive proposition to book publishers.