Should Marvel do a Print on Demand?

[Gaastra]

I just posted this on the q&a and will repost it here.

Disney,wb and others have "burn on demand" type programs for dvds. Any chance you guys could do a "print on demand" where you print small 48 page trades (or comics on dvds) of about 4 issues folks can choose from your library? You could list issues on your site and folks can choose 4 or 6 of the comics you have on the site and you can print them in a small trade or on a dvd.

Any chances of this?

Do you think a "print on demand" would work? Marvel could put about 100 stories fans can choose on thier site and fans can pick 4 to 6 issues. Marvel can then print them in a small trade or on a one of thier comic dvds they did awile back.

Maybe marvel could make some extra cash and wouldn't have to worry about not selling them as they are "on demand" and are not made up till someone orders.

[Sean Walsh]

I'd love to see it, sure, but it all depends on what the cost of publishing books and if it's affordable (thus worth it) for Marvel to print very small runs vs. normal/extra large runs of TPBs.

DVDs are hella cheap to produce, whether the runs are large or small. Softcover comic collections........not sure.

[StoneGold]

DVDs are hella cheap to produce, whether the runs are large or small. Softcover comic collections........not sure.

That.


Print on demand usually ends up being quite a bit pricier than bulk publishing.

Now, this probably would be something more interesting when done in conjunction with digital publishing. Probably through some kind of third party, pick the issues you want, pick a cover, they print it out and you pay through the nose for the privilege of physically owning something you read in digital format. If you have a vendor that can manage it, I could see that working more than small-run publishing.


But I'm mostly talking out of my ass. Seriously, I'm just guessing.

[andybmcd]

There was an interesting discussion about /co/ on this a year or so ago. I think it was Erika Moen (not 100% sure) chimed in that while print on demand services carry the least up-front risk for the content producer, it is also by far the least profitable. She said she was making only $1 off of every $15 of books she sold via the print on demand route. Alternatively, a printer will give you discounts for a bulk order (which makes sense as that's going to be guaranteed business for them.) They have pony up a bunch of money up front, but they have the potential to make it all back and then some should they sell out (I believe she got around 5-7$ back from every book sold if she purchased this way). The downside is, if they can't sell them, then they're out that upfront money and have a bunch of books they don't know what to do with. Marvel, being the (relatively) big company that it is, can absorb these losses and can accurately gauge demand well enough to not overorder product from their printer. When the book sells out, they make a nice profit and on the few books that really tank, they can absorb the loss.

This is only on the physical side of things. Digital would have to be worked out with whoever's platform their selling from and how they want to distribute the files.