A book is a terrible thing to waste. It's no secret the cost of printing books is driven up by inaccurate forecasting and inefficient manufacturing processes-often leading to stockpiles of books in warehouses and landfills. According to the Book Industry Environmental Council (BIEC), in a 2006 benchmark, nearly 25 percent of all books were being returned. With a high volume of waste and other factors pushing up costs, book publishers are looking to become more efficient by changing outdated business practices, while simultaneously producing more tides by more authors. To that end, many publishers are incorporating digital printing into their procurement strategies; others have entirely transitioned to digital. Todd Tillinghast, founder of Snowfall Press in Monument, Colorado, says, "Digital printing alone will not reduce returns; returns are a byproduct of sales, and you sell the same number of books regardless of how they are printed. A mix of digital and offset ensures you can supplement quantity when you are running short, and you won't need to risk running long nearly as often."
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