Starting in the late 1990s, a revolutionary new technology called "print-on-demand" (POD) forever changed the world of book publishing by making it faster and much less expensive to publish a new book or editions of a previously published book. Combining this innovation with the benefits of traditional book publishing, Wheatmark can help you develop your manuscript into a high-quality, well-copyedited trade paperback or hardcover, and have it available for sale by the world's largest booksellers in a matter of a few months.

Potential bestsellers asking only for a chance to test the market need not languish on overworked editors' desks. Topical manuscripts need no longer gather dust and wait until they are out of phase with current market interests. Worthy books that may not be million-dollar sellers need not go out of print. Unique books, written for specialized audiences, can now be published, regardless of the size of their market niche.

The Problem Faced by Authors, Publishers, and Bookstores

Authors of many excellent unpublished manuscripts find it extremely frustrating to get the attention of traditional publishers. Authors with worthy manuscripts may play the "submit and wait" game for months before traditional publishing houses evaluate their books. Even when a reading results, the current rejection rate is estimated to be over 99%! Traditional publishers shy away from unproven authors. Rather, they are increasingly inclined to concentrate on the high-powered marketing of a few works of established authors and big sellers.

Catch 22: Few traditional publishers will consider a new book unless it is recommended by a trusted agent, but agents will not take on new writers until they are established authors.

Traditional publishers need mass sales to defray initial investments and yield a profit. Even authors of "less profitable" books are often unable to convince their publishers to print another run or edition, and so every year many excellent books go out of print. Writers addressing niche markets face a similar problem: while there is a great need for books that target specific, limited audiences (e.g., genre fiction, textbooks, poetry, family histories and biographies, and guides and manuals), publishers decline to print them because of limited market segment.

Why are traditional publishing houses so adverse to risk? Because they are squeezed on every side by increasing costs of editing, designing, printing, and then warehousing and distributing their books. The situation is further exacerbated because large and small bookstores and chains now ask publishers to assume the whole risk. If a particular book title does not sell well, the publisher is obligated to buy it back. The whole industry is getting tighter since it suffered a major "returns crisis" from 1996 to 1998, when an unprecedented number of unsold books were returned.

The Solution

Wheatmark combines the latest, high-quality pre-press technology and excellent copyediting and design with print-on-demand technology. Our unique process greatly speeds the conversion of a manuscript into a published book. Here is how it works: Once a manuscript is put into digital format, and the editing and graphic work is completed, it is ready to be printed on demand. Through contract arrangements between Wheatmark and other high-capacity printing companies, the digital files containing your book are stored in a secure database at the printing location. As customers place their orders electronically through one of the online bookstores, print orders are sent simultaneously to the printer. Your book, whether in a small run or even a single copy, will be produced and sent directly to the buyers within a few days.

The new digital printing technology has dramatically reduced the cost of printing small runs of books. Wheatmark can now have one, ten, or a thousand books printed at once, without the additional costs and risk of maintaining a large inventory on hand. Because each book is digitally stored in a database, a book published on demand need never go out of print, and will not pile up unsold in a warehouse. Online bookstores with unlimited "shelf space" are able to carry far more books and reach a much larger audience than traditional bookstores. Today the largest bookstores may reach, at most, hundreds of thousands of store visitors per year. Rural areas, towns, and small cities may not have access to most books through local sources. By contrast, the "big three" online booksellers are open 24 hours every day to millions of Internet users.

What This Means to the Author

Authors who are confident about their books and eager to see them in print and on the market can get them published, and skip several steps in the process. With our services, there is no more waiting months and years while the fate of your work languishes in someone else's hands. If you publish your book with Wheatmark, you will receive professional service at every stage of the publication process, so you will know that the final product—your book—is what you dreamed it would be. Since we do not have to invest in large inventories of books, we can publish many more books, so that more authors are able to see their books in print.

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