An Incomplete Guide to POD Publishers

An Incomplete Guide to Print On Demand Publishers

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Equilibrium Books
Manuscript screening:	Yes
Kind of contract:	Non-Exclusive
2+2=5	While their contract does not close the door on a traditional publishing deal, it is exclusive when it comes to POD. Normally I would not consider this to be a problem as authors are unlikely to need two separate POD deals, however this publisher may be considered an exception in that regard because of its local nature. You cannot sign up with them for a local presence and with a different company for a more global one.
Distribution:	Through their site
Basic fees:	Paperback publishing	Basic paperback fee ranges from AUD $199.00 to AUD $299.00.
	Hardcover publishing	Not available
	Combo publishing	Not available
	Color publishing	Not available
Royalties:	Royalties are 13.5% of retail price.
Author's discount:	Discount is 27.5% of retail price as listed on their website plus royalties.
Break-even point:	Less than 200 copies of an average length book sold through external channels(this may be theoretical as distribution seems to be through their site mostly).
Basic retail price:	Expensive? (AUD $24.95 for a 200-page book, at this time that translates into roughtly US$19.95).
Layout:	They will format your book for you.
Graphics:	It is unclear how many graphics are allowed.
Cover options:	They provide you with one or you can supply your own.
Trim size:	A single trim size is available.
Additional options:	For short works with no graphics they offer a fee-free option in which authors must purchase 25 copies of their book rather than pay a fee.
Pros*:	Reasonable setup fee. They screen manuscripts.
Cons*:	Limited distribution. Low royalties considering the fact that these are direct sales. Uncompetitive retail price (based on U.S. retail prices, I'm not familiar with book prices in Australia). Single trim size available. Their contract imposes some limitations that may* pose some problems.
Comments*:	This publisher is based in Australia and that may make it appealing for local authors. It does not seek a global presence. They *may* offer some local distribution beyond their site but I have no way to check this out. One downside is that their contract closes the door on a parallel agreement with a publisher offering international distribution.
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Last updated: 2006-05-13

* These represent my personal opinion based on what I've seen in the publisher's site.

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