For authors who cannot afford the cost of desktop publishing, there are some publishers that offer free publishing. These companies offer print-on-demand (POD) services, where the only cost the author will pay is printing the first copy of the book. Under this setup, the author retains all rights to the book or material, and the company earns only a small commission for each book that is sold.

POD and cost

Print on demand means that the publisher will print a book or material only when there is someone who buys the book. The publisher maintains a digital version of the book and stores it until they need to print a copy.

By availing the POD services of these publishers, you will only need to shell out a small amount of money at first. There are no setup fees or minimum orders. You will be able to publish your book for free, as well as market it. The company also handles the transaction and will pay you royalties for each purchase.

Retail services

These publishers also have retail partners who can sell your book. However, you will need to pay a retail distribution fee for this service. You can also choose to do all the marketing yourself. You just have to ask the publisher to print copies of your book, depending on the demand you have generated.

With free publishing services, new authors have the opportunity to publish their work without having to pay the cost of desktop publishing. Publishers only print on demand and make money only if the author can sell their book. Given the plethora of opportunities this type of service offers new authors, demand can be expected to increase in the future.