The Printers' Evolution
So the message to publishers is basically [to] start with 5,000 and chase the demand. If you sell 10,000 units, well, that is great. However, if you sell less, and that happens more often than not, you minimize exposure and ultimately save cash.
That's a difficult thing to understand because you're basically saying pay more [per book] and spend less. But if you're only looking at manufacturing costs, you can make the right decision on print quantity/price for manufacturing, but the wrong decision for the company as a whole. The decision needs to reflect how the book sells and all associated costs to print, store and distribute. Looking at landed cost is key, and a CFO (who is responsible for all costs) is very important in looking at the publishers' total cost of doing business—which can mean print less, pay more per unit and spend less overall.