Publishing vs Printing a Book?

[EamonX1]

Can anyone please explain for me the difference between having a book published and having it printed? Some people go along to a printer and get their work printed in book form. But I assume this is not the same as having a book published. What exactly does 'publication' mean and what does it involve? What are its advantages over having it merely printed? What is the significance of the ISB number.

[Mike]

In general, publishing includes proviiding editorial services, publicity and promotion, warehousing and distribution, along with other things such as protecting copyright, negotiating foreign sales and/or editions, etc.

Printing just involves printing (and maybe binding) and leaves the commissioner to do the rest.

ISBNs are an international method and labelling book editions with a unique number. Each publisher is allocated a set of numbers by an issuing authority. ISBNs are changing this year and, by next year, should, I think, all be 13 digits long.

[ktinkel]

Can anyone please explain for me the difference between having a book published and having it printed? The key difference is that publishers have access to wide distribution. If you make a deal with a publisher, your book is more likely to show up in major (and minor) bookstores, and at Amazon, et al. It is also more likely to be reviewed by well-known publications, and you are more likely to get promotion on radio shows, in newspapers, and so on.

This is easing somewhat — you can get Amazon to list, though probably not buy, a self-published book, for example. And if your book is specialized, of interest to a small group that you can reach directly, a publisher may not be that useful.

The other reasons for having a publisher have to do with quality (assuming the publisher does a good job, of course). Better design, layout, typography, art, binding, etc. And they should supply proofreading services, so typos are eliminated (or reduced, anyway).

Of course, nowadays, especially for technical books, publishers require the author to deliver not a manuscript but a complete book. They may offer more than the traditional 15% royalty in that case, but it does put all the responsibility on the author for accuracy, design quality, proofreading, etc.

Not to mention that book production is a big job.

An ISBN is essential. Without it, Amazon and bookstores will not acquire the book, and neither will most libraries.

[George]

Can anyone please explain for me the difference between having a book published and having it printed? Some people go along to a printer and get their work printed in book form. But I assume this is not the same as having a book published. What exactly does 'publication' mean and what does it involve? What are its advantages over having it merely printed? What is the significance of the ISB number.

This is a very good question and most appropiate to ponder. The words "publish" and "publication" at times can be fascinating. Technically, and legally, they mean to make known to another person. This post is a publication. I published it.

The responses given in the thread are according to a professional understanding of the words, but there are many times this conception can seem inadequate, depending on the context of the circumstances. I would also look for legal definitions of the words and samples of different usages, to determine the most accurate ways of employing them in specific circumstances. At times, it truly makes a difference.

George

[donmcc]

Good replies all. Perhaps this will help clarify it in your mind.

Many newspapers, especially small ones, and almost all magazines, do not own presses. They are printed by people who specialize in doing that type of work. These companies are printers.

Their customers, who sell the ads in the publications, collect, edit, and arrange then news, send out the bills, pay the invoices, etc. are publishers.

The same thing can (and does) happen with books.

[annc]

And interestingly, the publisher/printer split happened early in the life of moving type, which allowed the easy production of multiple copies of books. I'm going by memory here, but I think that by the middle of the sixteenth century, it was considered unusual for a publisher and printer to be one and the same.

[In conthext]

Of course, nowadays, especially for technical books, publishers require the author to deliver not a manuscript but a complete book...but it does put all the responsibility on the author for accuracy, design quality, proofreading, etc.


When you refer to 'a complete book', do you have to design and layout your book's content using publishing software favored by the publisher? Or are publishers generally flexible in this matter?



Respect.

[ktinkel]

When you refer to 'a complete book', do you have to design and layout your book's content using publishing software favored by the publisher? Or are publishers generally flexible in this matter?If all the publisher requires is a print-ready document (normally a PDF file), then it shouldn’t matter.

But the publisher may have all sorts of requirements — including page size, including margins; house standards for spelling and style; and possibly a standard layout or even specific typeface and typographic style.

But things are changing fast these days, in even the slow-to-change publishing industry. The only way to know for sure is to ask, and probably sort all this out way in advance of beginning to lay out the book.

If you check a potential publisher’s web site, you may find a list of guidelines; that might be a good place to start.

[In conthext]

If you check a potential publisher’s web site, you may find a list of guidelines; that might be a good place to start.

Thanks for your reply. I currently reside in Thailand: have you ever heard of/ done business/ been acquainted with reputable publishers in Southeast Asia?

Respect.

[ktinkel]

I currently reside in Thailand: have you ever heard of/ done business/ been acquainted with reputable publishers in Southeast Asia?Sorry, but no. There is a strong printing industry in that area, however — so probably there are also publishers.

Go to a local bookstore, see what company publishes a few books that appeal to you. That should get you started.

[Michael Rowley]

A publisher undertakes to have the work printed (and, if required, bound etc.) and to market it; a printer undertakes only to print it etc. The publisher, if he is successful, makes a great deal of money, but if an insufficient number of people buy the published work, he may not even cover the printing, paper, and marketing costs, let alone anything he has paid the author for the right to publish his work.