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On Demand, maker of the Expresso Book Machine, hopes to partner with Kodak and ReaderLink to roll out 100,000 of the machines, Judith Rosen reports in PW, at the same places where you would now find KODAK Pictures kiosks. In addition, ReaderLink will put the machines in 24,000 retail drugstores, groceries, and mass merchandisers.

There are still a number of kinks to be worked out, including integrating software between the book machine and the KODAK Picture Kiosks, as well as using the kiosks’ touch screen to search for available titles. In the short term the kiosks may use laptops for searches. One advantage that the kiosks offer is the ability to print four-color interiors and photo books for the first time. This is a feature that On Demand would like to be able to add for its other book machine clients over time, said Mikhli. On Demand will train a dedicated staffer to operate the book machines at the kiosks and other retail locations.


Basically, when you to go Comic-Con and have to print your flyers at Kinko’s at the last minute, instead you’ll run over to CVS and print a few copies of your graphic novel.

8 COMMENTS

  1. Many drug stores already have dedicated spaces for photo processing, so space or staffing isn’t too difficult.

    Espresso Book Machine:
    64″ (1.6 m) H x 35″ (0.9 m) D x 81″ (2.1 m) W.

    Want to make a million dollars? Network all of the locations together. A user selects a title on their home computer or smartphone, then up pops a map… Where would you like to pick up your book? By the time it takes you to get to the store, your book is ready.

  2. I’ve been following the development of this machine. It will have no affect on the creators; what it’s designed for is to make retail locations as effective as bookstores even though they do not stock books. If you want a best-seller, you call up, prepay with a credit card, come in and pick up your book, When this finally takes off, it’ll close every bookstore still in business.

  3. This will have every effect on the creators – their books will never go out of print. They will have another opportunity to snare a reader and not have to call the publisher and yell at them to try and do another print run. They can keep their books working for them like they should be.

    Authors / Creators will be their own publishers (or will work with someone to fulfill that role) and won’t have to come out of pocket for anything other than their time and creativity. Upload a file and you’re selling to 24,000 locations to start. How many times greater is that than the number of bookstores and comic shops combined? Hmmm….

    (Not going to change anything for creators – ha!)

    Designers and editors will be going freelance, working with creators to create new and better looking comics that don’t have to conform to the size requirements of a spinner rack. You want to make a ‘widescreen comic’? Now you can do it….

    Prices will drop… dead trees will be saved… better design will creep into the process. win/win/win.

    And yes, network them. Let me have an account like on Amazon where If I buy x number of books over a year, I get one free or a discount. How about a free cup of coffee with my purchase?

    Or even have the machine place ads for upcoming books or services in the books I’m getting. I can get an Ad -free version, or enhanced version which is cheaper and has valuable coupons or QR scan codes or whatever…

    This is going to change everything, and its about damn time…

  4. Ok, keep in mind that it’s black and white only. Also be aware that the print quality is suitable for type, not fine lined drawings.

    And I have a nagging remembrance of a press release I got giving the cost per page cost… I think you’ll find it’s not cheap.

  5. The had just installed an Expresso Book Machine in Foyle’s in London so, as we were over there on a visit, I though I’d go have a look at it in action. Is wasn’t working that day, though. Technical problems…

  6. I think that this is going to be a failure.

    I understand the desire to have some books in physical form, but today I am using an ebook reader or tablet computer to do 95%+ of my reading. Since these new “print kiosk” books are basically ebooks printed onto paper, the cost will be much higher than the ebook. Why would I want a laser printed version of a book? If I want to own a physical book, I want a well constructed book not a glorified, over-sized poorly bound paper-back.

    I can buy almost any book ever published via Amazon.com for a few bucks and have it delivered to my home in just a few days. I do not believe that the book printer kiosk will be able to match that price.

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