Thursday, June 7, 2012

Saddleback Publishing Announces Partnership with On Demand Books Making Their Extensive Catalog Available Via the Espresso Book Machine®



SADDLEBACK PUBLISHING ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ON DEMAND BOOKS
TO OFFER INSTANT ACCESS TO THEIR EXTENSIVE CATALOG VIA THE ESPRESSO BOOK MACHINE®
 
Everything from Urban Fiction To Reading Comprehension Workbooks For Struggling Readers Will Now Be Printed And Bound In Minutes on the Espresso Book Machine

Saddleback Publishing, the leader in high-interest, low-reading ability (known as hi-lo) curriculum solutions and quality fiction, is proud to become the first educational publisher to partner with On Demand Books to provide instant access to their extensive catalog of young adult literature, workbooks and guides dedicated to helping struggling and at-risk learners in grades 5-12.  This partnership will for the first time allow parents, teachers and students the ability to print materials specific to a child or classroom’s particular needs in just minutes at their local book retailer or library using On Demand Books Espresso Book Machine®.

“We are so excited to be partnering with On Demand Books for their entry into the educational publishing market,” says Arianne McHugh, President of Saddleback Publishing. “This innovative technology allows our consumers access to an incredible resource of literature and tools that can be used to fit the needs of each specific student.”

“Offering parents and teachers the ability to print Saddleback Publishing’s fiction and workbooks instead of having to wait for them to be printed and shipped is a wonderful use of our technology and something bookstores and universities can now offer their communities. We are thrilled that our partnership with Saddleback Educational will allow all this, “ says Dane Neller,  CEO of On Demand Books.

The Espresso Book Machine, the only digital-to-print at-retail solution on the market today, will carry over 500 titles available from Saddleback Publishing, including frontlist books (titles that are active and have been released recently within the last 12 months) such as their award-winning urban fiction titles for struggling readers, as well as the latest teacher guides and workbooks, active backlist books (older than 12 months but are still actively selling and being stocked and printed by the publisher) and non-active backlist titles, which will only be available via the Espresso Book Machine.

The EBM is the only digital-to-print at-retail solution on the market today.  With the push of a button, books can be printed, bound, and trimmed in any standard size to a bookstore-quality, perfect-bound paperback book, with a full-color cover, in under four minutes. Currently there are approximately 80 Espresso Book Machines in various retail stores, universities and libraries throughout the US and abroad, offering over 8 million titles at the touch of a button. Customers pay for the book and are able to walk out the store with it in hand. (Hi-res image attached of the latest Espresso Book Machine paired with Xerox 4112™ Printer).

Publisher’s content is fed to the EBM via EspressNet, On Demand Books’ growing digital network of over eight million titles.  Much like an iTunes for books, EspressNet retrieves, encrypts, transmits, and catalogues books from a multitude of English and foreign language content providers (including public domain, in copyright, and self-published titles).  Through the SelfEspress software, writers can format, design, edit, and upload their book for printing into a physical book and for inclusion on the EBM catalog.

The EBM provides a new sales channel for publishers and vastly increases the availability of titles for physical bookstores, significantly reducing loss of sales due to books being out-of-stock.  Also, the EBM technology offers libraries and bricks-and-mortar retailers the opportunity to become community self-publishing centers, providing a new distribution platform for self-published authors.  EBM improves overall efficiency and environmental sustainability by eliminating shipping and the return and pulping of unwanted books.

About Saddleback Educational Publishing
Saddleback Educational Publishing, a second-generation family company and certified woman-owned business, kicks off its 30th anniversary with nineteen YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers Awards (2010-2011) for its high interest, low reading-level series, Urban Underground. In 2012, Saddleback announces the release of several additional hi-lo Young Adult series, starting with 16-year-old author Sara Michelle’s dystopian series called My New Normal. With their award-winning urban fiction, adapted low-level classics, graphic novels, audio books and SMART Board Lessons for the Classroom, Saddleback continues to lead the secondary education market with innovative ways to reach reluctant learners.  www.sdlback.com

About On Demand Books
On Demand Books was cofounded in 2003 by Jason Epstein, former Editorial Director of Random House; Dane Neller, former CEO of Dean & DeLuca; and Thor Sigvaldason, former technology consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Espresso Book Machines have been placed in bookstores, libraries, universities, and other locations in the USA, Canada, the UK, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and the Caribbean.  In September 2010, On Demand Books and Xerox announced a partnership whereby Xerox will market, sell or lease, and service the Espresso Book Machine worldwide.  Made in the USA, Espresso Book Machines are environmentally efficient, reducing production, shipping, and waste.   For more information, go to www.ondemandbooks.com.