Written By By, John Conley
Vice President of Publishing
Xerox Corporation
On Demand Books has announced a partnership with Eastman Kodak Company and ReaderLink to provide photo books through the KODAK Picture Kiosks. This is great news for the photo book market as well as the book publishing market.
Both photo books and on demand self publishing books are solutions that are aimed at meeting the growing customer requirement of “what we want, when we want it, the way we want it.”
This is a benefit that the Espresso Book Machine (EBM) and its supporting software technology uniquely bring to the consumer retail experience. This agreement will further enhance the growing reputation and value of On Demand Books’ EBM solution in both photo and books.
This new growth channel for the EBM solution is also great news for us. Xerox is both a channel partner and an investor in On Demand Books. We have worked hard to help increase the visibility of On Demand Books and to investigate all of the potential opportunities and sales channels where the EBM technology can create an exciting and profitable retail experience.
I believe this opportunity will further enhance the On Demand Books and EBM brand while at the same time create a second channel for sales – which Xerox views as complimentary to the book stores, libraries and universities where many EBMs are located today. The different needs and purchasing practices of end users is one of the reasons why EBM will succeed in various settings.
Xerox will continue to support these kinds of efforts because we support books ~ and their long shelf life.
So, what would drive you, as a consumer of photo or published books, to a retail outlet to try out this technology?
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4 Comments
Comments are closed.
Xerox is engaging with customers for personalization. On demand printing is a form of “one to one” marketing customized for the individual.
As a consumer of on-demand publishing, I do all my own retouching and page design, and send the files to Lulu or a fine art printer in CA.The files are pdfs, so what comes back is what went out, or better.
Some of the good looks – spot on rather than good average, or even perfect facsimile – is the result of a human printer’s expertise in paper, ink and machine quirks.
There are a bunch of online services in the cloud that anyone can use to get great results. They’re expensive.
If I could get reliable fine quality printing on excellent stock from my own files at the drug store, I would might do it.
Price would be an important consideration. Longevity is another. When I decide on production method, the decision is based on how long I want the book to last.
There would have to be something else, a social element perhaps, powerful enough to make it worthwhile to leave the computer, put on shoes and go out to get the job done.
I haven’t seen the machine. If all the layout and text input has to be done right there on the machine, then no, I wouldn’t consider it for what I publish.
As a consumer of books, having one printed on demand, rather than borrowing it from the library or reading it on a device, probably wouldn’t interest me. The thing about books is that they don’t go away when they’ve outgrown usefulness.
Thank you for your comment. There are many expereinces that are taking place in both the Self Publishing and changing Book Retail market place. Change is not always comfortable but it happens. The people who choose the expereince for Photo that is offered in this new arrangement are looking for instant gratificaiton which is a PRIMARY driver of generation x and Y behavior. This is the same behavior which drives regular book volume through the 60+ Espresso Book Machines whcih are producing 100 or thousands for primarily Self Published books a year today.
Each user will find the experience they desire. You should go to the On Demand Book web site @http://ondemandbooks.com/ebm_locations.php
to see if there is an EBM near you so you can eveluate the value proposition.
Thank you for your comments
John
This is a great move John. Congratulations on your continuing advances