CHICAGO – Independent Publishers Group (IPG) is excited to announce an unprecedented new print offering in partnership with Dulles, VA-based Books International.
Hardcovers have mostly eluded the world of short run digital printing so far, largely because the cost of quick-turn, small-batch casebound production has been too high—especially when foil stamping and dust jackets need to be part of the equation. Recent leaps in technology, workflow, and know-how promise to change all that.
In partnership with Books International, IPG is pleased to offer a hardcover short run digital printing program at prices that make small-batch production compelling for the first time. The cost of the average black and white, 200-page, 6 x 9 casebound title with foil stamping and dust jacket is now deep into the single digits per copy and may approach half the price of what many are used to seeing in the marketplace. If all that is needed is case laminate, the price drop is even more pronounced.
David Hetherington, Books International’s VP Global Business Development, said, “The partnership with Books International allows IPG’s client publishers to enjoy hardcover book sales even after offset inventory has run out and titles have entered the deep backlist. Backorders for as few as 50 copies can be quickly produced at a quality indistinguishable from offset, and, most importantly, at a price point that is actually affordable for the publisher. We are incredibly excited to offer this new service to IPG publishers.”
Clark Matthews, VP of IPG Ink, stated, “Since 1971 IPG has shaken its head ruefully as it cancels backorders from eager customers simply because the request is for a hardcover title and it’s just too expensive and slow to print more copies at the relatively small quantity needed. We hope this arrangement breathes new life into backlist hardcovers and converts more of those longstanding backorders into sales for our client publishers.”
The program is expected to go live in March of this year. Interested client publishers will receive access to a pass-protected website where their hardcover costs can be calculated and print orders will be fielded by the Digital Printing Team, POD@ipgbook.com, along with any other questions.
About Independent Publishers Group: Founded in 1971, IPG was the first organization specifically created for the purpose of marketing titles from independent presses to the book trade. Today, IPG’s wide reach into the book market includes distribution of both print and e-books from a wide array of publishers, digital printing and traditional publishing. With consistent growth year over year, IPG’s success has come from supporting and encouraging the growth of its publishing partners in the United States and worldwide. IPG was acquired by Chicago Review Press in 1987, and this acquisition formed the parent company Chicago Review Press, Inc., which now owns Chicago-based indie publishers Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books. In October 2021, IPG acquired UK-based United Independent Distributors (UID) and its subsidiary companies Eurospan, Marston Book Services and Orca Book Services, extending IPG’s menu of services and global reach.
About Books International: Books International, Inc. (https://booksintl.presswarehouse.com/) of Dulles, Virginia. Founded in 1984, Books International is a family-owned business providing full service digital book manufacturing, e-book distribution, and traditional pick/pack/ship services for a prestigious list of clients that includes Taylor & Francis, Peter Lang, Edward Elgar, Casemate, Oxford University Press, and a host of other organizations.
Contact: Julia Dillman, Corporate Communications, 312.337.0747, jdillman@ipgbook.com
