OneBookShelf, the company that runs DriveThruRPG, the DM’s Guild and other popular RPG stores has confirmed they will have to increase the cost of print-on-demand books.
The 3% increase is due to a similar increase at the partner business, Lightning Source, that actually prints the book. OneBookShelf does not operate the printers themselves. When a physical book is ordered through their system, the behind-the-scenes technology connects the content RPG publishers have provided to OneBookShelf with the printers at Lightning Source to produce the book and mail it to the customer.
Lightning Source, part of the Ingram Content Group, has headquarters in La Vergne, Tennesse and printer operations in the UK, France and Australia.
It is not known how much more Lightning Source is charging OneBookShelf or what percentage of that increase OneBookShelf is passing on to customers.
A large hardcover can cost over $60 on print-on-demand, and a 3% price rise would take that to $61.8. For example, the hardback of the 324-paged Stars Without Number: Revised Edition costs $59.99 for a standard colour hardback. After the 3% price rise, Stars Without Number would cost $61.79.
The current rate of inflation in the US is 1.5% which, it could be argued, counts for half the price rise.
The silver lining to the change of prices at Lightning Source is that the bulk discount options are returning to DriveThruRPG and OBS sites. If you need to buy many print-on-demand books in the future, then you should be able to secure a price reduction on the large order.
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