Berlin-based Springer Science+Business Media has signed an agreement with Amazon’s print-on-demand arm CreateSpace, through which Springer’s English-language paperback book catalog will be made available via POD in the U.S. Springer said that in addition to moving a significant amount of its paperback selection to POD, it will also supply many new paperback titles only in POD format. “If a hardcover is suitable for print-on-demand, that is the format we’ll use,” said the company’s Matt Conmy. The goal, he added, is to make all of Springer’s titles available as quickly as possible. A large number of hardcover titles are being converted to paperback for inclusion, and Springer will also make new large-print paperback editions of some of its most popular selections available via POD. Currently, about 11,000 Springer titles are available through CreateSpace. Price of the POD editions will be close to that of the hardcover.
Syed Hasan, Springer’s president STM Sales Americas, said the POD initiative complements the publisher’s e-book program which features editions of most print titles. “This shift to an inventory-free distribution model using print-on-demand is the next logical step for the future of book publishing,” Hasan said about the move to CreateSpace. With CreateSpace, Springer’s titles can be manufactured and shipped to customers on the same day they are ordered. Springer’s POD titles are also eligible for Amazon’s shipping programs, including Free Super Saver Shipping and Amazon Prime, as well as enrollment in Amazon’s Search Inside the Book program.
