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Subject:Re: Print on Demand services From:Jean Hollis Weber <jean05 -at- jeanweber -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Fri, 02 May 2008 22:42:14 +1000
Will Gaffga wrote,
> We started a test with PrintOnDemand.com (aka lulu.com) as it looked
> like the best choice but their service starts to break down when you
> have 9 languages and ~25 books per language. There is no way to really
> chunk this ... their structure is flat so I can't do separate sections
> per language....
I assume from your description that you want not just print-on-demand, but
a complete ordering, payment, and fulfillment service as well -- and that
the problem is with the storefront facility provided on Lulu. I use Lulu,
and I've recently started to run into the same problem with publishing
books in multiple languages, though I don't have anywhere near the number
of books that you do.
> So ... does anybody use any of these services? Do you recommend a
> different service?
Have you considered CafePress? I believe their premium sites allow multiple
pages, with various ways to navigate through them. A premium site costs
around US$5 per month, I think. I don't know what the quality of their
books is or who does their printing.
> Oh, also, some services cannot cope with the
> international nature of this, like sending books to somewhere "exotic"
> like the Czech Republic...
I don't know what if any restrictions CafePress has on shipping
destinations. Lulu certainly has the advantage of using a printer in Europe
as well as one in the USA, so shipping is less of a drama.
A slightly roundabout way of dealing with the Lulu storefront problem could
be to set up 9 separate accounts, one for each language. If they'll let
you, that is... This is on my list of things to check when I have time.
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