Printing and Publishing Children's Books - Counting the Costs

My visit to Published by Westview proved to be a great learning experience. While I'm accustomed to how the publishing industry operates, I did not know much about the printers that publishers work with.

Lightning Source, In (LSI) is probably the most popular printer for books. Having LSI print a book means automatic distribution through Ingram. That doesn't mean your books will be on the shelves at your local bookstore, but it does mean that the store can order your book for a client because it will be listed in the Ingram catalog. It also means your book will be available through Amazon.com. This is something you may or may not want. Let me explain.

During the first printing of the Sid Series, I discovered that color pages are about three times more expensive to print than black and white pages. But, I couldn't offer a children's picture book and not have it in color. The heavier, glossy paper I used for the cover cost extra and so did having them stapled in the center. Had I selected a non-standard size for my book, that would have cost more too. There were about eighteen to twenty pages in each book, so my first print cost me about $6 per book. I could not justify selling such a small book for more than $7, so I ended up losing money on them by the time I paid tax and shipping. I kept the stock in my office closet. Because these books were self-published, I had to manually create mailing labels and stuff envelopes whenever a customer placed an order. The books were only available on my Web site.

When I sold out of the first print run, I did not reorder because I had written another nine books for the series by then and I couldn't afford individual printing of all twelve books. So, I offered the stories as e-books and put the project on hold until I could get all of the stories illustrated.

Now that I nearly have all of the stories illustrated, I've decided to put all twelve stories into one print book and republish them. I don't want to self-publish because I don't want to handle distribution this time. I thought I would go with a publish-on-demand company so the books could be listed in Ingram's catalog.

That's when I started my research with Published by Westview. Mary Catherine walked me through my options. I could print with LSI for about the same price as I could print with another company. However, LSI does not offer glossy pages; the other printers do. LSI offers Ingram distribution; the other printers do not. The drawback is that my book will be listed on Amazon.com. You may not think that is a drawback, but if you consider that Amazon purchases your book for 55 percent off your list price (bookstores only charge 45 percent), you will make no money in the transaction. Let's say your book retails for $15 and Amazon buys it from you for $6.75. It cost you $9 (plus tax and shipping) per book to print in paperback (hard cover would be $10 per book), so you just lost 75 cents on that paperback book sale. If you price the book at $20, you would break even on a softcover. If you go much higher on the retail price of your book, you lose your market because no one wants to pay much more than $20 for a 48-page book. I can't keep Amazon from selling my book. They can even offer it in e-book format for their Kindle Reader. If I don't go with LSI, I get to pack and ship my own books again. What's an author to do?

First of all, more research is needed. Therefore, I'm going to a used and new book store to compare paper, finished size, and average price for this genre, and to see how certain bindings hold up after use. Afterward, I should have a better idea of which route to go and whether or not the market will pay enough per book to cover my expenses and perhaps allow me to make a profit.

Printing and Publishing Children's Books - Counting the Costs

My visit to Published by West view proved to be a great learning experience. While I'm accustomed to how the publishing industry operates, I did not know much about the printers that publishers work with.

Lightning Source, In (LSI) is probably the most popular printer for books. Having LSI print a book means automatic distribution through Ingram. That doesn't mean your books will be on the shelves at your local bookstore, but it does mean that the store can order your book for a client because it will be listed in the Ingram catalog. It also means your book will be available through Amazon.com. This is something you may or may not want. Let me explain.

During the first printing of the Sid Series, I discovered that color pages are about three times more expensive to print than black and white pages. But, I couldn't offer a children's picture book and not have it in color. The heavier, glossy paper I used for the cover cost extra and so did having them stapled in the center. Had I selected a non-standard size for my book, that would have cost more too. There were about eighteen to twenty pages in each book, so my first print cost me about $6 per book. I could not justify selling such a small book for more than $7, so I ended up losing money on them by the time I paid tax and shipping. I kept the stock in my office closet. Because these books were self-published, I had to manually create mailing labels and stuff envelopes whenever a customer placed an order. The books were only available on my Web site.

When I sold out of the first print run, I did not reorder because I had written another nine books for the series by then and I couldn't afford individual printing of all twelve books. So, I offered the stories as e-books and put the project on hold until I could get all of the stories illustrated.

Now that I nearly have all of the stories illustrated, I've decided to put all twelve stories into one print book and republish them. I don't want to self-publish because I don't want to handle distribution this time. I thought I would go with a publish-on-demand company so the books could be listed in Ingram's catalog.

That's when I started my research with Published by Westview. Mary Catherine walked me through my options. I could print with LSI for about the same price as I could print with another company. However, LSI does not offer glossy pages; the other printers do. LSI offers Ingram distribution; the other printers do not. The drawback is that my book will be listed on Amazon.com. You may not think that is a drawback, but if you consider that Amazon purchases your book for 55 percent off your list price (bookstores only charge 45 percent), you will make no money in the transaction. Let's say your book retails for $15 and Amazon buys it from you for $6.75. It cost you $9 (plus tax and shipping) per book to print in paperback (hard cover would be $10 per book), so you just lost 75 cents on that paperback book sale. If you price the book at $20, you would break even on a softcover. If you go much higher on the retail price of your book, you lose your market because no one wants to pay much more than $20 for a 48-page book. I can't keep Amazon from selling my book. They can even offer it in e-book format for their Kindle Reader. If I don't go with LSI, I get to pack and ship my own books again. What's an author to do?

First of all, more research is needed. Therefore, I'm going to a used and new book store to compare paper, finished size, and average price for this genre, and to see how certain bindings hold up after use. Afterward, I should have a better idea of which route to go and whether or not the market will pay enough per book to cover my expenses and perhaps allow me to make a profit.

www.made-from-india.com maintains a database for Publishing Products and Services, magazine publishing, outsource book publishing, desktop publishing in India, self publishing in India, poetry publishing, publishing graphic, business to business desktop publishing, laser printing machine, printing machine, printing ink sellers, internet design services, and web design services.

Cheap Magazine Printing Secrets Revealed

Purchasing low cost magazine printing can be a daunting task, especially if you're new to print buying. This is because there are several different manufacturing methods used by magazine printers. It could cost you a small fortune, if you make the wrong buying decision and choose the wrong method.

The three primary manufacturing methods magazine printers use are digital, sheet-fed, and heat-set web printing. The determination of the best method is based primarily upon the number of magazines you need printed.

But, first the term "cheap magazine printing" must be defined, as it has important implications for choosing a great company with which to work.

The term "cheap magazine printing" is defined as obtaining the best value for your dollar when buying magazine printing, not necessarily the absolute lowest price. Value is a combination of a reliable, honest and ethical company, quality, service, turn-around, and price.

Many people looking for cheap magazine printing place too much emphasis on price alone. Thus, they end up very disappointed with their final product without any recourse because the company they chose is only interested in making a sale. Other frequent buyer complaints are using unscrupulous companies which give you a low price, take your money, and then half way through production, tell you that you need to pay more money before you get your product.

So when buying magazine printing on the internet, the Latin phrase, caveat emptor, is applicable which means, "let the buyer beware."

A more prudent approach is to find a good printing company with the following attributes, develop a relationship, and stick with them, provided they can print your magazine using the production method you need.

1) The company makes every effort to establish open lines of communication, with which you relate well.
2) They care about your business.
3) They make every effort to advise you about how to increase profits by lowering costs and increasing your revenue.

Let's move on to give you the approximate quantities of the three methods used for magazine printing: digital, sheet-fed, and heat-set web, which service the small, medium and large quantity print runs, respectively. There are no hard and fast quantities to determine which method is appropriate because the number of pages of the magazine acts as an additional variable.

However, there are general guidelines which will overlap near the break points, again dependent upon the number of pages in the magazine. Generally, small quantities are from 1-1,000, medium quantities are from 1,000-10,000 and large quantities are 10,000-200,000 magazines.

Please be advised that few, if any, magazine printers have all three types of equipment because of the high capital expense, and the different expertise required for each. So be careful that they don't try to fit your job into the equipment that they have in-house.

In conclusion, we defined the term, "cheap magazine printing" as getting the best value for your dollar, and discussed some of the attributes a magazine printing company should possess to accomplish this. The three major production methods were identified as digital, sheet-fed. and heat-set web printing. Ball park quantities were given for each method, while noting that the number of pages of the magazine can skew these quantities in either direction.

How to Be a Self-Publishing Millionaire

Self-publishing simply means writing, publishing and marketing your own work, maybe a novel or autobiography, poetry or family history, a newsletter or 'How To' book, or any of numerous other writing forms.

Self-publishing allows you to write what you want and market it any way you choose. The right titles and topics could earn you a fortune.

REASONS FOR SELF PUBLISHING

- To see your name in print.

- As a keepsake or heirloom. Family histories are useful examples, as are autobiographies, diaries and poetry.

- To enhance one's image and standing. Doctors, dentists, lawyers and other professionals frequently self-publish to enhance their professional image and standing with colleagues.

- As a form of advertising. Some self-published products are little more than advertising vehicles for other of the writers' goods and services. Mail order newsletters are a notable example.

- For money.

This blueprint is written with the latter objective in mind.

WHY DIY?

Why bother with self-publishing? Why not instead offer your book for someone else to publish and market?

Generally speaking, traditional publishers are only interested in high volume sales, to wide markets and for items with a long-shelf life. Getting a mainstream publisher to handle your work can be a very long and painful process. There's no saying you will be successful and even big names face their share of rejection. Frederick Forsyth's 'The Day of the Jackal' apparently had 19 rejections and one of Jeffrey Archer's most popular works got 18, showing publishers don't always get it right.

VANITY PUBLISHING V SELF-PUBLISHING

The two are frequently confused, although few similarities actually exist. Vanity publishing generally means having someone else print, publish and market your book for you. Costs can be high and benefits not always proportionate. For products intended as gifts for family and friends, vanity publishing can be a worthwhile option; no always so for commercial products.

That said, however, there are numerous firms - not vanity or subsidy publishers - who can print and publish for you, leaving you to concentrate on marketing and distribution. Such firms can be found advertising in most writers' newsletters.

FAMOUS SELF-PUBLISHERS

America boasts a wealth of super-successful self-publishers, including heads of multi-million dollar publishing companies. Names like Joe Karbo, Dr. Jeffrey Lant and Melvin Powers spring readily to mind.

WHAT CAN BE SELF-PUBLISHED?

Virtually anything can be self-published profitably to a greater or lesser extent. Novels, poetry, short stories, local and family histories, newsletters, autobiographies and 'How To' books are all worthy examples.

MOST PROFITABLE AREAS OF SELF-PUBLISHING

The most successful products are those that fulfil universal needs or desires, especially where they contain information not available elsewhere. Examples include:

- Directories (e.g. Designer Clothes Discount Guides, Factory Shop Guides).

- Newsletters (e.g. Business Opportunities Digest).

- 'How to' books (e.g. '£100,000 in My First Year Just by Working Weekends', 'Last Chance Guide to Financial Success').

' Self-Help Books (e.g. 'How to Flatten Your Tush', 'How to Talk to Your Cat').

The above are examples of topics and do not indicate self-published titles.

WHAT INVESTMENT IS NEEDED?

This depends on a number of things including the length of the finished product, whether it is to be typeset and who is responsible for typesetting, what printing and binding methods are used, size of the initial print run and what marketing and distribution methods are involved.

Generally speaking, most first-time self-publishers opt for a low print run with the majority of capital reserved for aggressive marketing. Profits are subsequently ploughed back into longer print runs.

BENEFITS OF BEING YOUR OWN PUBLISHER

* Cuts out the middle man and generates higher profits for you.

* No working to someone else's deadlines.

* Total control over your work, from conceiving the idea to researching and writing, to printing and publishing, advertising and distributing.

* Very cost-effective if handled properly.

* Allows virtually anyone to compete with big names writers and publishers.

* Self-publishing is a business like any other, offering freedom, the chance to work your own chosen hours, work where you like, etc.

* Massive potential market for some titles.

DRAWBACKS TO BEING YOUR OWN PUBLISHER

Some outside help might be necessary for various aspects of your project and costs can be high. This might involve help with writing and editing, proofreading, desktop publishing, printing, marketing. Do as much as you can yourself, as long as quality is good.

WHAT YOU CAN EARN

Ask most people about profits in publishing and they'll turn to the bestseller lists, mainly compiled for sales through book shops. A more accurate guide would include other methods of marketing and distribution, primarily mail order. In 'How to Publish a Book and Sell a Million Copies', Ted Nicholas explains that another of his books 'How to Form Your Own Corporation Without a Lawyer for Under $75' has been among the top 10 nonfiction bestsellers in the United States for over 20 years, but has never appeared on a bestseller list. The main reason he sells it himself, by mail order.

PRACTICAL TIPS

- Be realistic about your initial print run. Don't be too ambitious and be saddled with lots of unsalable stock. But don't underestimate popularity either. Extra print runs frequently mean higher costs than a larger initial print run.

- Have readers finance your printing costs by obtaining orders before you print your book, even before you research and write it. Legally, you are not allowed to offer anything for sale unless adequate supplies are available. So be careful how you word your advertisement or direct mail copy. A 'pre-publication' offer is usually acceptable. Offering your book this way has other benefits, including allowing you to test the market for your book and to test the optimum price where the product is offered at different prices and response rates and profits compared. If results aren't satisfactory, you can issue refunds.

- Some writers simply do not have a head for business. If this sounds like you, have someone else concentrate on publishing and marketing your products while you devote time to writing.

- Be careful about pricing. What you charge will affect your advertising strategy and vice versa.

- Consider various printing and publishing options. Desktop publishing produces a quality look and can be introduced to most computers. For binding your products, consider the many options from saddle-stitching (basically stapling), to comb binding and heat binding (both need special equipment).

MARKETING

The most common marketing methods employed by self-publishers are direct marketing (mail order) and direct mail.

Direct marketing means advertising your product in appropriate publications, using classified or display advertisements or a combination of both.

Direct mail means offering your products by post, usually to prospects identified from mailing lists. These are available from various sources including competitors, other mail order and direct mail specialists and mailing list brokers.

Numerous books are available to explain the basics of marketing by mail order and direct mail. Other ways to market your products.

- Press Release. A simple letter providing information about you, your book and what benefits it has for readers can generate hundreds of sales through appropriate sources. One Canadian publisher reports tens of thousands of sales for two books promoted by press release through international newspapers and magazines. Copies should also be sent to television and radio stations local and national.

- Through bookshops. This can mean negotiating wholesale terms through major outlets or offering copies on a 'sale or return' basis through independent retailers. Increase profits by holding autograph parties in larger bookshops.

- Write a course about self-publishing or organise classes, seminars and lectures. Offer your book to students and participants.

- Write articles and readers' letters about your book or its subject. Alternatively, write about something else in return for a mention for your book.

- Where appropriate, market your book through schools, colleges, book clubs, local history groups, or other appropriate organisations.

www.made-from-india.com maintains a database for Publishing Products and Services, magazine publishing, outsource book publishing, desktop publishing in India, self publishing in India, poetry publishing, publishing graphic, business to business desktop publishing, laser printing machine, printing machine, printing ink sellers, internet design services, and web design services.

Publishing Companies Vs Freelance Hiring in Book Publishing

Working with experts in publishing companies can save you money in the long run, and certainly minimize headaches.

Many years ago, I acquired a German-made car. For its upkeep, I would visit a car mechanic that worked on all types of cars, regardless of their make. With this mechanic I ended up at his shop a couple times of year, which grew tiresome. My car still had problems and bugs pretty frequently.

I eventually switched to a mechanic who only worked with German cars, which ended up costing me more than the generic mechanic. But now, I found the service to be better since the shop's expertise was with German cars. After the switch I was only visiting the mechanic about once a year. Even though I was spending more, I ended up saving money because I wasn't going to the mechanic three times a year, and I was getting better tune-ups for my car.

This may seem far from the topic of publishing books, but please read on:

As we all know, book publishing is a cooperative effort. As someone who will be publishing a book, you have two primary options: work with the help of a book publishing company, or independently hire individual freelancers.

A book publishing company comes with a consulting manager and the team's publishing services, but for a higher price. Independent freelancers who will take a job in book publishing will usually cost less.

Enlisting the help of a publishing company or hiring freelance is one of the first basic decision towards determining the quality, cost and overall spirit of a book project. Please remember that to publish books which are successful, how much money you have left after book printing will not be your biggest factor. Instead, how that money was spent, and if it was spent well, will be the biggest indicator of your book publishing success.

When shopping around for publishing services, you want to make sure you are getting the best possible book for your buck. The number one reason people use freelancers in publishing is to save money. At face value, you may find cheaper prices with individual freelance book editor-however costs can crop up in other areas. When you work with a book publishing company and its team, they know the industry. Some of the costly pitfalls in the book publishing process, such as errors in layout recognized too late, or a novice book editing job, can rob your book of serious value.

In the case of book editing, hiring your copy editor individually by freelance can be a huge mistake. It seems that 3 out of every 4 clients I speak to already have a copy editor in mind for their project. "Oh yeah, I've already taken care of the book editing." Who is being hired to ensure the quality of your book? Is it someone who works inside the book editing and book printing regularly? Are they up-to-date on the most recent publishing standards? Often I ask a freelance book editor what standards they are using to proofread, and they had no idea themselves. Publishing standards are ambiguous at best, and can change from month-to-month depending on literary trends. Even though many authors are talented writers and even spectacular at grammar, they should never be the book editor of their own project. I repeat, do not be the primary book editor of your own book! An excellent, well-presented book is only possible with professional and quality book editing. An unqualified freelance editor will demean other areas of your hard work.

How does one find the right type of book editor and publishing services for their unique project?

A benefit of working with book publishing companies is the connection to other industry professionals. A book packager should have a Rolodex of publishing contacts from inside the publishing network who are experienced. When packaging and printing books, you'll want to know the best book editors and book printers to employ, and a book project manager will resolve this quickly. On top of their skills, experienced contacts bring cooperation and cohesiveness to a project, especially when they are used to working together. In an effective book publishing company, the illustrator has already worked with the layout designer for several previous projects, the copy editor is used to working with the project manager, and each person knows their role in the book's journey. Cooperation and easy communication between a familiar team is both time- and cost-efficient. By hiring freelancers individually, you run the risk of employing people who have never worked with one another, who have unbeknown st levels of different skills and expertise. This often leads to difficult communication and disjointed work.

www.made-from-india.com maintains a database for Publishing Products and Services, magazine publishing, outsource book publishing, desktop publishing in India, self publishing in India, poetry publishing, publishing graphic, business to business desktop publishing, laser printing machine, printing machine, printing ink sellers, internet design services, and web design services.

Printing Press Financing

Printing press financing is a finance solution that is considered by the publishing houses and printing houses all over the world. Printing press was assembled circa 1439 by Johann Gutenberg, a gold smith in Germany. However, there have been references in history which point to the fact that printing press may have been in use in the ancient lands of Korea, China and East Asia. A mechanical device that applies pressure to an inked surface that rests upon a paper or a cloth, a printing press was capable of transferring images. The invention of such a press was a boon to the art of publishing. This mechanical press was later replaced by the more modern versions of the same machine. These machines work on digital technology and can take care of the various printing needs of a business.

Printing press financing takes care of the monetary needs of companies who wish to buy such costly equipment. Printing options that are needed by different kinds of people could be summarized as training manual printing, product manual printing, employee handbook printing, financial statement printing, etc. The cost of printing press generally depends upon a number of factors such as the quality of finished product, the speed of our turnaround and the cost of our printing service. Good quality printing press ensures that every print job has unique graphical features for more professional look aided by a touch of creativity. Printing press requires routine maintenance since it may undergo considerable damage because of daily wear and tear. Therefore, a finance package that ensures investment in printing press equipment is vital.

Printing press financing is thus, an investment choice that organizations need to make. If the cost of buying these machines is compared against the cost of paying for printing and other purposes, it will be found that investing in such a machine proves to be more beneficial in the end. So, it becomes imperative to chalk out a finance plan that covers the possibility of investing capital for an office duty-printing press. Normally, business houses require two types of capital- the long-term capital and the short-term capital. The long-term capital may be raised from sources like share capital, retained earnings or venture capital funds. The short-term capital may come from bonds, financial institutions etc. Ultimately, every company decides the best source of finance for investing in printing press and printing machinery. .

The main source of printing press financing could be loans since they are the most preferred form of capital for business houses the world over. Banking institutions offer many different types of loans like personal loan, housing loans, business loans etc. These can be made use of while raising capital for printing machines. The first type of loan that can be raised for investing in such technology is the loan with a fixed interest rate. In this case, the rate of interest rate does not change throughout the lifetime of the loan. This is the most archetypal type of a loan favored by people. The variable rate loan has an interest rate that changes over the life span of the loan. Many different lending bodies offer such loans. Some of these institutions are lending houses, banks and moneylenders.

www.made-from-india.com maintains a database for Publishing Products and Services, magazine publishing, outsource book publishing, desktop publishing in India, self publishing in India, poetry publishing, publishing graphic, business to business desktop publishing, laser printing machine, printing machine, printing ink sellers, internet design services, and web design services.

What's Wrong With Printing?

Publishing is often mistaken for printing. Though printing is an integral part of publishing, nevertheless it is a different business with its own set of challenges. This argument will not convince many who have dealt with printers who in their eagerness to secure the client's business readily undertake the publisher's job to the detriment of the final product. Unfortunately wily printers are adept at convincing clients that what they deliver is the best there is until a wary client puts paid to this by demanding a reprint or reduction in price for not delivering as requested. Some printers in all honesty do not themselves understand the role of a publisher. To compound the issue, there exist errant 'publishers' with no sense of the propriety, discipline and rigour of publishing, portraying their work as a published work.

Publishing starts with a concept. This image is usually in the head of an initiator. This person may be a junior person but in all major undertakings a senior executive sets the direction. When asked to get designs for the company's logo, I remember some years ago, its administrative manager calling up the printer. The importance of the logo, like the company's mission statement, cannot be emphasized enough in building a company image. The printer called will seek the help of a typesetter who will throw up some nice looking designs and after some presentations and discussions, in its haste to get things moving, the better looking of the designs submitted will be chosen. The company is then stuck with that design and image for years.

Though it's not uncommon for businesses to operate in the early years with a weak logo or even without one, there usually comes a time when they seek to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Shouldn't the logo's relevance be studied in greater depth and the management be guided by professionals who relate passionately to designs as a livelihood? Design houses, advertising agencies and publishing houses are peopled by such creative bodies who look beyond the niceties to how the management wants the company to appear in the consumers' mind. MacDonald's and Singapore Airlines have logos that are strikingly symbolic of what the companies stand for.

A clear concept laid down by top management, interpreted professionally by a responsible designer, can well be the flag employees feel proud to fly. Design does matter and with publications, each has a character of its own and this has to be transparent. Think of all great books you have read and each will have a distinct character even if one is an adult fiction with an abridged content, and the other is a children's edition. Take Harry Porter books, the adult and children edition have different covers and presentations which give each a different character.

Design involves knowledge of the target audience, the format of the book, the type and size of fonts to use, the illustrations and pictures, colours to employ, type of paper to print on, etc. Each area, be it format, fonts etc has its own peculiarities that the experts use to produce as near perfect as possible.

Presuming the text is written (writing is another subject we won't discuss here), it would have to be set in an appropriate typeface, proofread and edited so that there is a good flow. Spelling and grammatical mistakes will not be permitted. A professionally managed publication will hardly have any such mistake.

Once the design is complete and the text is laid out, it is handed to the printer either as an artwork or in a CD format. The printer will then have to colour separate the pictures (if in colour) and ensure the reproduction is no worse than the original. Colour proofs are provided the client to verify and approve. The rest of the text is laid out according to a scientific layout so that they run page-wise consecutively and do not clash with overall positioning. The binding method, aside from reflecting the expectation of the market (for example, lawyers prefer hardbound books), also determines the pricing of the book. Books are generally bound as paperback, saddle-stitched or thread-sewn. Once the printing is complete and the printed sheets are folded and bound with the cover into a book, the printer has only to deliver the book.

If the book is meant for a restricted audience, the books are delivered to specified locations and the trail ends there.

However if it is to be made commercially available, publishing becomes more complex and requires the services of others who are experts in their field. Obviously a marketing plan must be in place and this would have helped to determine the retail price, print run, profits and so on. A good publicity programme will help to promote the book and raise public awareness of its availability. The author must also have considered the saleability of the book in foreign markets in which case he would have to engage foreign representatives (distributors). Dealings with distributors and retailers can be involved and for the uninitiated an exacting experience.

The marketing and distribution of books is a challenge worldwide and publishers employ various platforms to sell their books. This aspect of the business has to be fully understood before even engaging in writing and designing the book. I have had many authors approach me with a finished book asking me to sell to specific markets. However the pricing strategy employed would be wrong most of the time and the packaging may not be appropriate (for example, a hardcover novel is a poor proposition for certain markets).

I have attempted to dispel the misunderstanding that prevails between printing and publishing. Printing is a fascinating field and was my first love until publishing came along and swept me off my feet. I suppose knowing that I don't have to disown printing to engage in publishing makes it an easy transition. In fact, knowledge of the printing process has made publishing a more exciting proposition.