To qualify for POD distribution, we require an active order of 25 or more books with POD distribution included.
POD distribution titles go through many processing steps to ensure vendor compliance and quality guidelines are met. First, our prepress team evaluates the book files and metadata to ensure for compliance. Then, during the production phase, the printing press and bindery is assigned to ensure future POD orders can be fulfilled. This evaluation is made after considering the specifications of your title. Varying production methods are used to produce color books, black-only books, perfect bound books, case bound books, and books with dust jackets. During this phase, your finalized production printing files are moved to our production file server, where special programming makes your title available for ordering. Titles signed up for POD are the only orders getting this additional processing and handling. Titles that do not have POD included are not fingerprinted for POD production nor are they setup in the POD retail vault.
In a nutshell, the 25 book minimum allows us to confirm your content meets the distribution guidelines and establish the production path that future POD printing orders. We need to make at least 25 books to confidently prepare a title for distribution. It would be wasteful to charge you for this work and throw the books away, so the 25 copies are sent to you.