ATM for Books?

There's great news for small publishers, writers and ultimately, readers. Lightning Source, an Ingram Content company focused on enhancing book sales for publishers with innovative, low cost and minninum risk print on demand solutions, today announced the launch of an Espresso Book Machine(EBM) title pilot with On Demand Books.

Time Mazagine has named the EBM, "Invention of the Year." This ATM for books will be placed primarily in bookstores and libraries where it will automatically print, bind and trim perfect bound paperback books on
demand, at point-of-sale.

Participating publishers in the pilot will include John Wiley & Sons, Hachette Book Group, McGraw-Hill, Simon & Schuster, Clements Publishing, Cosimo, E-Reads, Bibliolife, Information Age Publishing, Macmillan, University of California Press and W.W. Norton.

The pilot, being offered to a small group of publishers currently working with Lightning Source, will enable these publishers to increase the availability of their titles at point-of-sale EBM locations. Approximately 85,000 titles from these publishers will be available for purchase at EBM locations in the United States in May 2009.

Upon the completion of a successful pilot, publishers who print and distribute books with Lightning Source will have the option to participate in the EBM program.

Full story at: http://tinyurl.com/c8yxfj