Re: gardenwriters Digest, Vol 70, Issue 2

**T* A* <t*@growingedge.com>**

Betty,

The terms Print on Demand and Short Run are used interchangeably but  
they mean different things. POD is used to print a copy of a  
publication when the order comes in, hence there is no inventory.  
Short or small run printing is printing a small quantity for inventory  
and fulfilling orders from the inventory. Most independent publishers  
are using short run or small run printing technology, storing a small  
quantity of product and fulfilling product from inventory as the  
orders come in.

I use Quebecor World in Midland Michigan for my digital short runs for  
both my books (Best of Growing Edge Vol. 1,2 & 3 and Hydroponic  
Solutions Q&A--which is a collection of Q&As from our online forum)  
and a second short run magazine, Hydroponic Retailing in the USA. With  
the books, I print 500 copies each time and with the magazine I print  
1,300. The quality of both is equal to traditional printing, which I  
also use Quebecor World in Midland for printing Growing Edge magazine.  
They are higher in price than most printers but when they make a  
mistake they don't try and blame the publisher and make good to my  
satisfaction. I have been with them for over ten years and I highly  
recommend them.

With all the books and magazines I publish, selling ads is the secret  
in raising money to pay for printing them. Especially with short run  
publications, the cost of an ad is much lower for an advertiser than  
an ad in a 5,000 to 20,000 traditional run of a book or magazine  
(quantities which you have to do using traditional printing  
technologies.) Ads in books is becoming much more accepted than in the  
past. Publishers need the revenue to continue to publish the books.

The cost per book or magazine is higher with short run printing but  
with ads you can justify using short run printing.

Tom Alexander, Publisher
Growing Edge
tom@growingedge.com

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