The POD digital technology allows a complete book to be printed one at a time. You can therefore order books as you receive orders for them. Some PODs offer fee-based services similar to vanity publishers. Similarly control, revenue and rights all differ based upon which Print-On-Demand service you decide to use. Also, many POD publishers do not take back unsold copies from bookstores, which will make placing your book into stores extremely difficult. So caveat emptor!
There are also zero-cost self-publishing options and fee-based self-publishing options that each present both pros and cons. Some publisher's offer free publishing services if you are able to design the cover and format the book yourself. However, the fees that are charged to print copies of your book are exorbitant. Other publishers offer traditional publishing options if they like your book. They will cover the costs for print set up and production, editing, and designing. They generally offer several packages but you still must provide the cover art and interior formatting. Again, print costs can be high but not as high as the zero-cost publisher.
Becoming your own publisher gives you the ultimate freedom and control. By doing just a bit more work on your end, you reap all of the benefits. It's not difficult to be a true self-publisher outsourcing some of the project details as needed while retaining complete ownership of your product, as well as, your credibility as a writer and publisher. Who knows, you may want to publish your friends books, as well.
