POD titles are effectively always in-stock resulting in improved choice for customers and increased sales for publishers and authors
October 7, 2008, London: Amazon.co.uk today announces a new Print-on-Demand (POD) programme for Books, dramatically expanding the selection of titles available to customers and offering publishers a cost-effective way to make the broadest possible range of their authors’ titles available.
Using proprietary POD technology, Amazon can rapidly print and ship a single book in response to a customer’s order. Titles in the programme will effectively always be in-stock, allowing customers to benefit from Amazon’s shipping offers such as Prime (Amazon’s membership programme offering unlimited one-day delivery) and Free Super Saver Delivery, and publishers and authors to benefit from increased sales.
Amazon POD also provides a cost-effective way for publishers to offer titles for sale that might otherwise not be available to customers – out-of-print works, niche titles, custom books, foreign language editions and alternative formats such as large print. POD further benefits publishers by eliminating the risk of large print runs and the cost of maintaining inventory.
Leading publishers in the UK and around the world are working with Amazon.co.uk to offer their titles via its POD service, including Faber and Faber, John Wiley and Sons Ltd., HarperCollins UK, Cambridge University Press and Allen and Unwin Australia.
"Working with publishers, we hope to bring hundreds of thousands of books to Amazon.co.uk’s customers that might never have otherwise been available,” said Christopher North, Vice President of Media at Amazon.co.uk. “POD not only enables publishers to keep more titles in-stock at Amazon, but it also makes possible innovative new approaches to publishing.”
‘We want all our titles to be readily available to every Amazon customer and Print-on-Demand will play an important role in achieving this aim’ said Ben Ashcroft, Sales Director, Academic and Professional Books at Cambridge University Press. ‘We are excited to be working with Amazon on this innovative and important initiative.’
“We’re particularly delighted that Amazon’s Print-on-Demand will enable us to bring titles published under the Faber Finds imprint to Amazon’s customers. It offers a new opportunity for us to greatly increase the reach and availability of this rich list of classics that we’ve been able to bring back into print because of the revolution in POD technology,” said Stephen Page, Publisher and Chief Executive, Faber and Faber.
Books printed via POD are virtually indistinguishable from books manufactured using traditional offset printing technology. Both black and white and full-colour-interior paperback books with full-colour covers are currently supported by our POD programme.
For a limited time, Amazon.co.uk will provide free setup for publishers with POD-ready PDF files. Amazon.co.uk is also offering competitive manufacturing rates as part of its comprehensive solution. For more information, pricing and details on the Print-on-Demand program, please visit Print-on-Demand at Amazon.co.uk.
For further information please contact the Amazon.co.uk press office on 020 8636 9280.
About Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk opened its virtual doors in October 1998 and strives to be the world’s most customer-centric company, where people can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavours to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.co.uk and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as books, movies, music, PC and video games, software, electronics and photo, home and garden, toys and games, baby, shoes, jewellery and watches, health and beauty and sports and leisure.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and the Joyo Amazon websites at www.joyo.cn and www.amazon.cn.
As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward-looking Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and subsequent filings.