Amazon's BookSurge has been getting a lot of buzz, as it could potentially change the print-on-demand industry.
BookSurge allows anyone to ship them their books, Amazon will warehouse them and then sell and ship them through the site.
"According to talks with several pod houses, BookSurge has told them that unless their titles are printed by BookSurge, the buy buttons on Amazon for their titles will be disabled," Publishers Weekly says.
Amazon describes their service as, "Complete publishing, inventory-free fulfillment and online distribution services for independent publishing. Whether your book is in ready-to-print PDF format or a working draft requiring editing, illustration, or formatting, we provide services to create your desired book and the tools to distribute your books cost effectively."
Sounds great for aspiring authors, but it's going to hurt other print-on-demand services.
"It's now saying that it won't sell books from competing print-on-demand shops, requiring anyone who wants to do print-on-demand to use Amazon's (more expensive) service," TechDirt reinforces.
No wonder Amazon is at the forefront of the world of ebusiness; with all the innovations they're rolling out, and new rules being put into place, it's hard for anyone to complete!
'The move signals that Amazon is intent on using its position as the premier online bookseller to strengthen its presence in other phases of bookselling and manufacturing," the WSJ says. "Amazon is one of the biggest booksellers in the U.S., with a market share publishing experts estimate to be about 15%."
Dominating Print-on-Demand Industry
Amazon BookSurge
Trend Themes
1. Print-on-demand Services - Opportunity for new print-on-demand services to differentiate themselves by offering unique value propositions and lower costs.
2. E-commerce Distribution - Disruptive potential for e-commerce platforms to integrate print-on-demand services and provide a seamless fulfillment process.
3. Independent Publishing - Innovative solutions can be developed to support independent authors in navigating the changing landscape of print-on-demand services.
Industry Implications
1. Publishing - Publishing industry needs to adapt and explore partnerships with print-on-demand platforms to retain market share.
2. E-commerce - E-commerce sector can leverage print-on-demand services to enhance their product offerings and create new revenue streams.
3. Printing and Manufacturing - Traditional printing and manufacturing companies can explore opportunities to collaborate with print-on-demand platforms and stay relevant in the digital age.