We have made heavy use of print on demand, or POD, as a credibility builder. POD allows anyone to be an author and publisher. It doesn't matter how obscure the material or how small the audience. Today I want to explore a concept that we call "trend hopping." There are probably other names for it, but the concept is creating books and other material of an extremely timely nature using print on demand.

Trend hopping is the act of quickly creating products based on the public's interests at the moment. It results in material that people have a craving for RIGHT NOW. For example, let's say you sell Miley Cyrus merchandise. You could write a biography about her (or on any aspect of her life) and give it away as a premium to anyone who purchases a certain item. Or you could just give it away to anyone who visits your web site and provides you with their email address. Or you could use it as a prize in a contest. There are lots of possibilities.

Is it expensive? Well, it depends on what you mean by expensive. Orders for your own print on demand book might cost you $2 or $3 per copy. In most cases, that is a small amount to pay for a new customer or new sale. You will have to work the economics out yourself to see if this strategy makes sense to you. Just remember, in many cases, it is worth taking a small loss on the first sale to get a new customer.

With print on demand, publishing your own book is a zero risk situation. You don't have to worry about printing and storing books in advance. POD perfectly matches supply to demand. If 10,000 people want your book, then you end up printing 10,000 copies and no more. If only 15 people want it, then you only print 15 copies.

Contact Work Media for more information about using print on demand as part of your online promotional efforts.

Labels: internet marketing, pod, print on demand, publishing