HarperCollins Christian Publishing to Join the Espresso Book Machine Network

New York, NY (January 30, 2013) – HarperCollins Christian Publishing, comprised of both Thomas Nelson, Inc. and Zondervan, has joined On Demand Books’ growing Espresso Book Machine (EBM) program, making its titles available through EBM’s “digital-to-print at retail” sales channel.

“We’re excited to partner with On Demand Books and the opportunities this relationship presents,” Tom Knight, HarperCollins Christian Publishing svp of sales commented. “The Espresso Book Machine will significantly enhance a customer’s in-store experience by giving bricks-and-mortar retailers the ability to offer an almost endless supply of books! I’m looking forward to a long relationship with On Demand Books and the retailers they serve.”

The EBM is the only digital-to-print at-retail solution on the market today. With the push of a button, a title can be printed with a full-color cover, bound, and trimmed to any standard size. In a matter of minutes, it emerges from the EBM as a bookstore-quality paperback book, which the customer can pay for and walk out the store with right there and then.

“Christian and inspirational content is an ideal fit for the EBM. Stores can now make titles available to customers that may not be on display on the shelves,” says Dane Neller, CEO of On Demand Books. “We are thrilled that both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan understand this and have joined us, and that their titles can now be sold regardless of season or store inventory.”

Content from publishers is fed to the EBM via EspressNet, On Demand Books’ growing digital network of titles (currently numbering over seven million). 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 SelfServe software, writers can format, design, edit, and upload their books for printing through the EBM, and for inclusion in EspressNet. SelfServe will soon also be able to convert print files to the ePub format suitable for e-readers.