If you are a conference organizer and have the responsibility of collecting all the documents, reviewing them, and making sure they are published in one format or another, you understand the work involved. With the focus on electronic distribution, it seems clear that you will produce or hire someone to produce your proceedings on CD, DVD, USB or web server. What you don’t expect is that you should also produce a cheap print edition on demand. “Wait a second,” you’re saying. “Isn’t printing more difficult and expensive to distribute?” and “Aren’t we glad we put that behind us?” Here are five good reasons to consider making a print edition available to your members, affiliates, and the research community at large.
1.Some still need to print: For some reason, in a very large world, there are researchers and libraries that still have a preference for print, or even a need for print. It’s true that most researchers are quite satisfied with electronic access, and for good reason: articles are in color, titles are indexed, and topics and keywords are searchable. However, there are libraries, research institutes, corporations, and academic individuals who still request hard copies. Sometimes because they like the feel of a book, and other times because they don’t feel comfortable enough that “electronic only” will meet all their needs. In the case of large libraries, there are multiple and diverse audiences to serve, and not all of them are satisfied in the same way.
2. Provide access to all segments of the research community: Most engineers and scientific authors, as well as the professional societies and associations to which they are affiliated, regard the dissemination of their research as a strategic priority. While the electronic format has certain clear advantages with respect to easy distribution, why deny it to a segment of the research community, just because it chose one format over another? Hidden benefit: Engineering libraries and research institutes, which often prefer to print on CD, DVD or USB, are full of potential new members and potential future conference attendees?
3. Produce only what is needed: Print-on-demand, by definition, eliminates costly print runs, excess inventory, and waste trees. On the other hand, it also removes “out of stock” books. A print-on-demand version is simply available to those who need it, when they need it, no more, no less!
4. The on-demand model reduces complexity and cost: By definition, print on demand (POD) is less complicated and less expensive. A simple search for “conference record printers” should provide many options for printers experienced in record printing. As print demand is declining, you’ll need to look for a printer who will partner with you (agree to do the work in exchange for a share of the revenue from sales) and who has the following capabilities.
- Preprint work (creation of table of contents, author index)
- Sort and merge articles and paginate
- Create the cover and cover.
There are even print shops that will take care of order processing, packaging and shipping to your members or affiliates…let’s talk about reducing cost and complexity.
5. Redeploy your resources to more strategic priorities: For most associations, printing and distributing a few extra copies of the minutes is not high on the priority list. Find a good partner and use your valuable resources on more strategic tasks.
Start looking for a print-on-demand partner today who can produce the book, promote it, process orders, and pack and ship. You will get another distribution channel that promotes your society and conference(s). You’ll get a small stream of income that is 100% profit contribution and the whole concept supports the notion of disseminating research, which most professional organizations include as part of their mission statement. Here everyone wins: the customer who still prefers to print; the printer who is probably looking for new ways to stay in the game; and you, the conference organizer who would love the many positive results, but need time to sort out a hundred other priorities.
