When people buy books do they prefer certain publishers over others? Well, when people buy cars, for example, it is often the case that they prefer a Ford or a Chevrolet, or a BMW, or a even a Mercedes. And when people buy clothes, they often prefer a particular brand over another, and so on. So is it the same with books?
No. With books, it's different. It's the book, not the publisher that spurs interest and sales. But even though I think it's not the same, I also think it's true that publishers are responsible for the quality of their product. Just as car makers are responsible for the quality of their cars, and if they turn out flawed, they often recall them by the thousands and fix them.
Which is what publishers should do. Firstly, a publisher won't accept a book unless they see the potential in it that will make achieving that quality possible. And if it isn't at that point yet, it certainly is the publisher's responsibility in conjunction with the author to get it there. And then the publisher should be sure, very sure, that the book is at the level of quality it needs to be when they publish it. And if mistakes are made, which may happen since no one is perfect, then you do like the car companies do. Recall those books and fix them. Or in the case of POD publishing, just reload the book.
That's one advantage POD publishers have. They don't print out books by the thousands, and then hope someone buys them. They print them as they are ordered, that is, after they are paid for. That's a good system. It's good for the publisher and the buyer, too. Even the author can have some solace that when errors are still prevalent, then they can get fixed before more books are printed. It's good for everyone.
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