Dear vax,
For your project, I recommend the services of BoD in Germany. BoD is a
print-on-demand service; I know their products from my own personal
experiences, and I must say that their books are as good as "normal"
ones. The basic concept is easy: You send them your manuscript and the
cover in PDF format (for all steps, BoD's international English
webside provides detailed instructions), and they won't print a fixed
number of books, but only as much as ordered. So there's no minimum
number of copies you'll have to buy, and you can order additional
books later, since they will hold all data in storage. Also, you have
many options to create an individual look for your book (size,
illustrations, etc.).
The production cost for a 250-page-book, 11.5 x 18 cm (all sizes cost
the same, only the number of pages is important), paperback, would be
EUR 339.30 incl. VAT. For a hardcover edition, the cost would be EUR
426.30.
For each book you order directly from BoD, you will have to pay the
retail price (which is set by you!). Also, BoD will - if you want that
- make your book available through major booksellers, wholesalers and
retailers, for no additional fee.
For more detailed information, please have a look at their website:
http://www.bod.com/
Please note: I can recommend this service to you because I had two
novels realized with BoD, and I'm planning to have a third book
produced by them; I am more than satisfied. I can't imagine any better
and more inexpensive way to have a fully-fledged book realized for a
private person.
Full contact information:
Books on Demand GmbH
Gutenbergring 53
D-22848 Norderstedt
Phone: +49(0)40-53 43 35-11
Fax: +49(0)40-53 43 35-84
E-Mail: info@bod.de
Website: http://www.bod.com/
Hope this is what you are looking for!
Best regards,
Scriptor |
Request for Answer Clarification by
vax-ga
on
05 Apr 2003 04:15 PST
Hello Scriptor,
Thanks a lot for your prompt answer, I am sorry I was not able to
clarify my question sooner.
BOD looks like a great service, but it is way too complete. What I was
needing was just the printing facility.
The texts are not from me (although they are copyright free, so
printing should not be a broblem) and i do not want to publish or
distribute the book, I just want to have it printed form myself. Thus
the whole range of services BOD offers is not really what I was
looking for.
|
Clarification of Answer by
scriptor-ga
on
05 Apr 2003 05:26 PST
Dear vax,
The publishing and distribution is purely optional. In case you don't
want it, your book will never appear in any distribution catalog, and
you will be the only person who knows about its existence and can
order copies of it.
I doubt that you will find another affordable way to have your texts
printed in book format, since printshops normally demand that you have
a certain number of copies printed (usually a minimum of about
hundred) and that you buy them all. This is always connected with high
cost (about EUR 10.000 are regarded normal). You can believe me ... I
spent one year on finding an acceptable way to have my first book
printed before I decided ony print-on-demand would not require me to
buy the complete edition and pay lots of money for making the
printer's copy.
As I said, your book won't see distribution if you don't want it. You
can have a small number of copies made for your own use an then ask
BoD to delete the print master data stored by them. This will be much,
much more inexpensive than having your book made by any conventional
printshop.
Best regards,
Scriptor
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
vax-ga
on
05 Apr 2003 06:49 PST
Hi Scriptor.
Thanks for the additional info.
I see on BOD's page that there is on one-time fee of 180 euros for
handling, but also for Database registration and ISBN use. I don't see
anywhere that it is optional, however I thrust you on this as you have
used theur services before. I also see that the smallest amount
printable is 25, which is much more that what I was expecting to
produce ( about 5). This brings me to about 500 EUR ( without the
estimated ISBN fee and database publishing, since I do not need that)
for a black and white cover paperback and to more than a thousand
Euros for a color cover paperback. It is much much more than I was
expecting ( and able) to pay for. If you say this is the cheapest, i
will then close the question, but I had one more thing to ask :
Would a printer accept to bind a few books for me if i provide the
printed paper (i have a good lazer printer). That should cost much
less and give very decent results. Like I said in the original
question, I am looking to put text in a book format, it does not have
to be Industry-quality books.
|
Clarification of Answer by
scriptor-ga
on
05 Apr 2003 07:52 PST
Dear vax,
Please allow me to correct you, since you seem to be the victim of
some small misunderstandings.
1. The EUR 180 basic fee were already included in the calculation I
provided you.
2. If you don't provide an ISBN number and don't order one from BoD,
you won't get one (and you will, of course, not have to pay for it).
3. The 25 copies refer to a small "en bloc" edition, in case you want
to have some stock of your book for a slightly discounted price. You
won't have to order any minimum number of copies. You can always buy
one or two single copies only, but without discount.
The BoD staff is very helpful and open for individual requests
concerning their services. Please don't hesitate to send them an
e-mail with a description of what you have in mind, including that
your book should be a private project without any distribution.
Concerning your question about printing the pages of your book
yourself and then handing them to a bookbinder: I'm afraid that won't
work. Manual bookbinding requires not single pages, but larger sheets
in special formats that contain, for example, on one side p. 73 and p.
120, and on the other side p. 74 and p. 119. These sheets are folded
and assembled in the correct order for binding. Splitting up and
arranging a text on those sheets for this procedure is a highly
complicated task. It takes the skill of a trained printer to do this.
I hope this is not too discouraging.
Best regards,
Scriptor
|
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