Bristol: The Inside Story

[Kevin H]

I can see that POD (Print On Demand) may have a place in the world of educational text books on obscure topics, reference books such as dictionaries and thesaurus, novels (at the right price), or other disposable works, but I can't see the publishers of automotive history books being worried that POD will put them out of business any time soon.

When I look at my shelves of automotive books with their many different sizes, the weight of the paper and the quality of the printing, I can't really imagine them being replaced by books laser printed on 80gsm paper, with print quality that goes with that process.

That doesn't mean that I wouldn't buy the new Bristol book if it were a POD book, but I would still buy the next Bristol book printed by conventional means and sold at two or three times the price.

To my mind POD will only supplant traditional publishers if people who appreciate books for their aesthetic qualities as well as the content are a dying breed.