Writer Sanctum
Writer's Haven => Quill and Feather Pub [Public] => Topic started by: Bill Hiatt on August 21, 2019, 02:31:31 AM
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Apparently, D2D is getting closer to rolling out its POD service. While I'd like more details--like who they're partnering with for distribution--what details are available make it sound as if it could be a viable alternative to KDP Print.
Here's a link to the most recent email if you're interested: http://draft2digital.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=b3e3e393c77e35a4a3f3cbd1e429b5dc.919&s=9a5e69239959b2f170622e70d34e3fa5 (http://draft2digital.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=b3e3e393c77e35a4a3f3cbd1e429b5dc.919&s=9a5e69239959b2f170622e70d34e3fa5) I suspect the beta is probably only open to people already doing some business with D2D.
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Aw, US and Canada only.
Still, I shall wait until it's rolled out worldwide.
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I got the email but I'm not anywhere near ready to publish another paperback.
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Apparently, D2D is getting closer to rolling out its POD service. While I'd like more details--like who they're partnering with for distribution
According to the email, it doesn't sound like they're distributing at all. They'll print your books on demand, but then the rest is up to you. At least, that's how I'm interpreting this part:
NOTE: This does not mean your books will automatically be available in physical bookstores. You will need to request that a store order and carry your books, and they can order them through their regular channels. Draft2Digital does not distribute directly to physical bookstores.
My guess is that this is mostly aimed at folks who want to take print versions to conventions, give books to friends and family members as gifts, and so on.
I hope I'm wrong. I'd love to see D2D get into print in a big way. But this doesn't sound like that.
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They are distributing. I put my latest book Dark Money through them to test last month because I hate the Createspace to Amazon thing with all its problems & the print version is showing up on Amazon, Kobo, and B&N.
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They are distributing. I put my latest book Dark Money through them to test last month because I hate the Createspace to Amazon thing with all its problems & the print version is showing up on Amazon, Kobo, and B&N.
Details, man! Give us details! grint
Seriously, tell us everything you can about the experience. I'd love for this to be a viable competitor in print.
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They are distributing. I put my latest book Dark Money through them to test last month because I hate the Createspace to Amazon thing with all its problems & the print version is showing up on Amazon, Kobo, and B&N.
That's interesting (and encouraging.) The one thing that seemed to be missing from the email was where the paperbacks would appear. Did you have to reformat for D2D, or would they accept the same file as you would use for KDP print? I am assuming that there would be no problem distributing a paperback both to Amazon and the D2D outlets. And do they offer proof copies?
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They are distributing. I put my latest book Dark Money through them to test last month because I hate the Createspace to Amazon thing with all its problems & the print version is showing up on Amazon, Kobo, and B&N.
That's interesting (and encouraging.) The one thing that seemed to be missing from the email was where the paperbacks would appear. Did you have to reformat for D2D, or would they accept the same file as you would use for KDP print? I am assuming that there would be no problem distributing a paperback both to Amazon and the D2D outlets. And do they offer proof copies?
As I understand it, you upload the same file as you would Amazon, use their conversion tool for the formatting, and then they have a new tool for doing the cover. I'm still to try it out, but it's on my list of things to do.
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I've just signed up for the D2D beta--there's a wait list now--because I don't have the energy to battle with KDP over lousy print results. There's only so much of Amazon's @#$%^&@! I can stand.
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I was accepted into the beta a while back, and ran a book through. I don't like it, think it's ugly. I got no choice on style, and they took my email signup link and made it a footnote. I saw nothing about being able to tweak anything. Sending up a different file (not letting them use the ebook to make the POD) did nothing, either.
Frankly, I was stumped as to what this beta was supposed to be, as I could get the same POD file before. Distribution? I guess. But I don't want to send out the file they gave me, it's not nice.
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Frankly, I was stumped as to what this beta was supposed to be, as I could get the same POD file before. Distribution? I guess. But I don't want to send out the file they gave me, it's not nice.
As I understood it, the new part is the full cover creation from an existing ebook cover.
The conversion to POD file has been there for ages now.
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Apparently, D2D is getting closer to rolling out its POD service. While I'd like more details--like who they're partnering with for distribution
According to the email, it doesn't sound like they're distributing at all. They'll print your books on demand, but then the rest is up to you. At least, that's how I'm interpreting this part:
NOTE: This does not mean your books will automatically be available in physical bookstores. You will need to request that a store order and carry your books, and they can order them through their regular channels. Draft2Digital does not distribute directly to physical bookstores.
My guess is that this is mostly aimed at folks who want to take print versions to conventions, give books to friends and family members as gifts, and so on.
I hope I'm wrong. I'd love to see D2D get into print in a big way. But this doesn't sound like that.
It doesn't distribute automatically to physical bookstores. As others have noted, it does distribute to online stores. I think most POD operations have the same disclaimer in their fine print. No doubt, they don't want people complaining when the book doesn't show up at the local Barnes and Noble.
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Frankly, I was stumped as to what this beta was supposed to be, as I could get the same POD file before. Distribution? I guess. But I don't want to send out the file they gave me, it's not nice.
As I understood it, the new part is the full cover creation from an existing ebook cover.
The conversion to POD file has been there for ages now.
Yes, they used to do that for Createspace. It had the same issue She-la-ti-da is talking about--no real customization possible. That's too bad if they perpetuated the same one-size-fits-all process. It's odd, though. Their old Word to paperback conversion was designed before they started doing all the stylish ebook formatting. I would have thought there would have been some crossover. But perhaps, just as you can upload an epub instead of going through their ebook routine, one can upload a properly formatted PDF instead of gong through their conversion process.
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Mark LeFevre (?) who was at Kobo and now is at D2D said in a group I'm in that they're using IngramSpark for distribution but it's sort of like IS lite because no hardcovers and less options for trim size, etc.
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It doesn't distribute automatically to physical bookstores. As others have noted, it does distribute to online stores. I think most POD operations have the same disclaimer in their fine print. No doubt, they don't want people complaining when the book doesn't show up at the local Barnes and Noble.
I get it now. For whatever reason, I had brick-and-mortar bookstores in mind. Thanks for clearing that up.