I Know What's On Your Mind Right Now

it's POD isn't it

I found myself composing an explanatory newsletter about book production and printing in my head last night. It was a welcome distraction to the news, which has invaded the rest of my brain, so I thought I’d compose it on a screen, too.

In a piece for LitHub, the bookseller Drew Broussard wrote about an increase in a “weird, low-quality paperbacks.” He points to print on demand (POD) as the culprit. I don’t agree with him (though I appreciate him bringing up the topic), and to respond and explain I’m going to walk through how books are made material. It may seem simple and obvious but I’m seeing a lot of misunderstandings out there so hopefully it’ll be clarifying for some of you. (And if you work in book production and/or book printing, please comment below and lend your greater expertise or corrections to the below).

First, to clarify duties:

• Publishers create files that are sent to printers. They do not print books. ¹

• Printers take those files and make them into physical books²

What…