Just because you sing a song doesn’t mean you are a singer. Just because you sell something doesn’t make you a salesperson. The same is true about writing. Just because you put words on paper and go to a print on demand publisher (POD) doesn't mean you’re a writer. Print on demand (POD) is a technology for generating very small quantities of a book—even one copy at a time. Thanks to this technology and the phenomenal reach of the Internet, many new “publishers” have sprung out of nowhere to set up business. They'll take your manuscript, charge a small “typesetting” or “setup” fee, and make your book “available” at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com.

What’s wrong with that? The problem is really one of perception. There are good books being published using POD means, but the vast majority are works which, before the advent of the technology, would have languished in slush piles. Many POD publishers will accept anything, and that means book stores have been deluged with people trying to get POD books onto their shelves. The last thing the bookstore wants is for their regular customers to end up with someone's first draft. Bookstores generally refuse to take POD books point blank although they will order copies in to fill firm orders. But how do they know it's a POD book? There are more clues than you'd expect:

The paper. POD books are often printed on 80gsm photocopy paper - since the machines that print them are basically huge laser printers, this shouldn't come as a surprise. (You can tell the difference just by the feel and the look.)

The sales rep. Bookstores know their reps. They buy all their books through a handful of them (or through head office, if it's a chain store.) Therefore, when someone comes in with a cardboard box under their arm, all kinds of alarm bells start ringing.

The imprint. If the book store owner has never heard of the publisher they'll probably enter the name on their computer to see what else they've published. Or they might scan the barcode on the back of the book. Bookstores want reputable publishers.

POD’s certainly have their place in the market but unless you are an experienced and schooled writer or you have some sort of manual you want to publish, a POD is probably not for you. Of course the good ones boast of having editorial and marketing services as well as distribution, but it is cookie cutter at best and it is all outsourced.

The real question you must ask is: what will differentiate you from the millions of books already out there?

Roberts & Ross is a new breed of publishers. We’ve taken the best part of the POD model—speed, agility and longevity—and meshed it with the care and quality of the traditional publishing world. This produces quality books that are part of a family of authors committed to making their books the best ever—and ones bookstores will be interested in placing on their shelves! Not only do we have a Ph.D. as our Editor in Chief who reviews every book, R&R also has partnered with a top Internet marketer to bring you marketing and publicity services that rival the largest publicity services in the industry—at a fraction of the cost!

We want your book to help you. We want your book to be good and worthy of the effort you put into writing it. We want you to have a great end product. If not, what’s the point? How many books are you going to write especially if this one doesn’t achieve the end result you were hoping for? Let us help you give your book the best possible opportunity to succeed.