What about the quality of the POD book versus that of traditional printing methods?
The quality varies depending on which way the book is put into the system.

The first way is to simply create a new book from scratch, typsetting it like any publisher does. This creates a postscript file which is what the printer actually prints from.

Postscript files are mathematical equations describing the placement of lines on a printed page. Postscript operates to the maximum resolution of the output device - which is to say, the higher the resolution, the better the end result.

Effectively our printer uses 600 DPI x 600 DPI output. In essence, the book's type is so sharp it rivals the quality of any traditionally printed book. If you aren't told it's print on demand, you will not be able to tell.

Okay, that's the first and best way. The other way to do a POD book is via facsimile. This is done by scanning in the pages of a previous edition, treating each page like a graphic. The quality is about that of a good photocopy: in short, it's only as good as the source material, but down a generation. For some books it comes very close to the original; for others - especially mass-market paperbacks - it's not quite as good. I've seen poorly printed commercial paperbacks that look far worse than scanned POD books. POD facsimile books are always readable.

How long have has your company been in operation?
Since 1989.

Who are its significant business partners (e.g., financial backers, distributors)?
No financial backers. The company is entirely self-supporting. It's owned by Kim and John Betancourt, who started it as a hobby to publish signed limited editions and now it's a full-time job.

Our distributor is Ingram Books.

Is it profitable?
We need to sell 6-8 copies of any given book each year to make a profit on that title. Since the volume needed to break even is so low, everything we choose to publish should be profitable.

What promotion is done on behalf of your books? If that varies by book, how is it decided?
Our promotion is via Ingram catalog listing, magazine advertising, our web site, mail-order catalog, direct solicitation of bookstores. (We're sending out 30,000 catalogs in May, with 7800 going to bookstores and libraries.)

How are prices set for reprints? (I've heard it said that some print-on-demand books are too expensive, suppressing demand.)
We calculate cost of book vs. discount schedule (usually a 55% discount) We try to price most fiction targetted at consumers around $15.00 - which usually gets discounted 15-20% at online stores. A $12.00 trade paperback is affordable. Books aimed at the library or reference market are priced a little higher.

What are the distribution channels beside the on-line store (e.g., what book stores will print them on demand)? (This may be a naive question - I see that your books are available through Ingram...but I thought you might have insight into which chains avail themselves of this access.)
All of our books are treated as special-order titles. They can be ordered by any bookstore which deals with Ingram. It takes about a week to print the book and get it to the store - sometimes less.

What do you consider your success story(ies)? What are typical sales volumes in the SF or techno-thriller category?
It varies - all books are selling, but the volume varies based on the author; some books are selling dozens of copies, others hundreds of copies.

We only started doing print on demand books 9 months ago and have just started our first advertising push to get them moving. Seriously, ask again in a year and I'll have a better answer.

I'd appreciate any information you can give me to better understand the advantages of working with Wildside.
Well, it's a lot like being published by a regular publishing company. We don't throw books into the Ingram database and abandon them, unlike many, many other print-on-demand companies. We try to publish good books, then go out and actively sell them.

That said, like a regular publishing company, we don't accept everything offered to us. This isn't a vanity publishing company, it's a commercial enterprise. We want books that will make a profit for everyone, which is why (unlike the larger print-on-demand publishing companies) we don't charge authors to put their books into the system.

If you'd like us to consider your book, send us a copy:

Cosmos Books
PO Box 36503
Canton, OH 44735
USA