Earlier this week we received an order for 15 copies of a title we published in 2014. The order was placed with our distributor (PGW/Ingram). Unfortunately, we only have one copy of the book left in stock. For me to fulfill this order, I will need to print more copies. I’ve been doing some math and trying to make some decisions.
We use Lightning Source to print short runs like this—and for larger print runs as well, as printing changes over the past three years have meant that Lightning Source—owned by Ingram—is cheaper and faster than the regional printers we used exclusively in the past. I do not love using Lightning Source, owned by a corporation with some dodgy politics and practices, as I’d prefer to keep our money in the local (regional) economy. But it’s a compromise I have accepted (as I have accepted Belt being distributed by the same corporation, who bought out an independent distributor, PGW, years ago).
But paper costs have changed for the worse as has printer capacity over…
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