Preview

POD technology is today widely used worldwide by millions of people as a means to create a wide variety of printed products. Examples include branded gift items, like t-shirts, caps, stickers which have high quality graphic designs printed on them.

Then there are the written publications – books, technical manuals, special reports which have front and back cover designs that have to be printed and bound to meet professional publishing standards. With traditional techniques, getting all these done used to cost huge sums.

Today, POD technology makes it easy for virtually anyone to do a lot more. In this short piece I share with you the story of my search for and eventual discovery of this solution. (True Story by Tayo Solagbade, Founder – Self-Development Academy Limited)

Background

In May 2002, as part of a business marketing strategy for my work on Self-Development Education, I began delivering – on formal invitation – a FREE one-hour talk titled “Ten Ways You Can Use Self-Development To Create The Future You Want”. The talk was based on my experiences in using practical self-development techniques to achieve consistent improvements in my ability to do anything I was engaged in.

What I wrote about in the talk were ten steps I always applied that enabled me excel as an Manager in Guinness Nigeria Plc over a 7 year period(up till the time I voluntarily resigned to start my own business), and which I was convinced would enable me succeed as an entrepreneur.

After delivering the talk to a variety of audiences, including employees in different branches of Corona Schools, students in the University of Lagos, members of a Church Youth Fellowship and others, I converted it to an automated ten week email auto responder course, which was eventually subscribed to by over 30 persons from within and outside Nigeria.

Some subscribers were from Exxon Mobil, Standard Chartered Bank, Nigerian Breweries, Guinness Nigeria Plc, and NTP UK. At a point, I got emails from subscribers who wanted copies of the entire ten week course, in book form that they could purchase.

But at the time, I only had it all in MS word, certainly not in ready-to-publish book format! I tried printing and binding at a business center – this turned out to be not only cumbersome, but also expensive, and led to variable print/binding etc quality. It just did not work.



So I Went Searching For A Printing/Publishing Establishment – And Almost Fainted In One!

I paid a visit to a publishing outfit in Ikeja, here in Lagos, and was fortunate enough to meet the Printing Press Supervisor, who kindly took out time from his work, to provide me with specific details of what it takes to publish a book – I mean the kind that small – 1 or 2 title – publishers (like you and me) would want to produce.

He explained that the larger the order, the cheaper each book unit becomes – which made sense!

Some finished book samples by known authors in the fields of education, tourism etc in Nigeria were shown to me.

One of the books (approx. 250 pages long) cost N104.30 per unit for a first printing of 5,000 copies i.e. costing N520,000.00! The other book was a bit bigger(and of higher quality) and cost N125.00 per unit for printing of 2000 units i.e. N250,000.00 cost!!

I almost fainted as it became painfully obvious that I could not afford this method of publishing.

NOTE that since the time the data used in the foregoing example was obtained in 2002, inflationary pressures in the Nigerian economy are very likely to have pushed the prices quoted further upwards – what with fuel prices increases and other policy changes.



Discovering the First FREE POD Company

Some weeks later while browsing on the net, I stumbled on a website http://www.cafepress.com that claimed anyone from any part of the world could FREELY use their resources to produce various physical products like books, branded T-shirts, mugs etc for sale to customers across the world.

They would only charge a little commission on EACH item purchased. If no sale is made, they charge nothing. I quickly signed up for this service.

By the time I checked the book publishing learning center on their website, I realized there were a lot of competencies I lacked which would be required for me to get my book ready for publishing with cafepress.com

It was not until May 2005, that I felt I had adequately understood how to typeset my document to meet the POD’s publishing requirements; use Adobe Photoshop to design my book covers, and also use the various tools provided on the POD’s website to upload my book/setup my online store.

By January 2004, I had acquired self-taught commercial web design skills, involving using applications like Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Flash to create graphics for websites I went on to build for four(4) paying clients in 2004. The learning experiences I’ve had now enable me guide others who wish to do what I have done so it takes them less time and effort. And that is one of my reasons for writing this article.



Update (17th Nov. 2012): Many New POD Self-Publishing Options Available Today 

Since writing this article back in 2006, other self-publishing media like Amazon.com’s Kindle have emerged. However, it has been my experience for instance that limited access to these media exists for publishers from my part of the world.

This is why http://www.lulu.com, which I have now used for over 6 years, remains my preferred Self-Publishing platform. Virtually all they offer is accessible by users from any part of the world.

What’s more, they’ve added useful improvements to automatically get your books distributed on as many viewing platforms as possible.

A notable introduction is the option to assign ISBN number to your book while using the wizard to publish your book.

I am well aware of Amazon’s http://www.createspace.com and others which offer useful solutions to writers looking to self-publish.

However, I have chosen to use the one I have personal experience in, as a basis for explaining the POD Self-Publishing process.

It goes without saying that you, the reader, will choose the one(s) that appeal(s) to you the most.

What is important is that you explore intelligent strategies to promote the book(s) you publish using this system.

In my case, I have over the years developed unique promotional strategies based on my Web Marketing System. The experience I’ve gained has been especially useful in creating awareness about my newest ebook (see details at end of this post).



Final Words: A New Lagos Based Conventional Publisher With More Viable Offers For Writers

On a final note, I offer this tip for writers intent on working with a brick and mortar publishing house out here.

About 2 years ago, I attended an elaborate event organised by Chimamanda Adichie’s foundation at which individual participants in a creative writing course she’d conducted formally “graduated”.

That was where I first learnt about www.kachifo.com and the high profile local book publishing service they offer.

Compared to the “dinosaur-like” print house I mentioned visiting earlier in this piece, Kachifo.com offers what appears to be a refreshingly viable alternative.

You cannot however take what I say here as an endorsement or recommendation.

Please do your own due diligence, and take your decision based on the conclusions you reach.

Goodluck!

NEW EBOOK – ACHIEVE YOUR WRITING GOALS!

My latest ebook (WHY YOU KEEP FAILING TO ACHIEVE YOUR WRITING GOALS! (10 Habits That are Holding You Back and How to Change Them for Good!), is now on sale in my online store at www.lulu.com/sdaproducts.

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