Barnes & Noble Starts Testing Espresso Print-on-Demand Book Systems in Some NY, NJ, PA Stores
NEW YORK—September 3, 2014—As part of a pilot program, the Espresso Book Machine (EBM), the print-on-demand system from On Demand Books, is making its way to three Barnes & Noble stores in New York City, Paramus, NJ, and Willow Grove, PA, according to Publishers Weekly. A company spokesman said that customers will have an opportunity to create a physically printed book of a hard-to-find book, a public domain title or self-publish a book. Barnes & Noble is testing the Espresso Book Machine to see if it will generate customer interest.
"[The pilot] is part of our continued program to grow our base of machines," Dane Neller, CEO of EBM maker On Demand Books, told Publishers Weekly. "We're delighted to be testing our machines in Barnes & Noble. We've gone from indies to multi-retailers."
In addition to Barnes & Noble, Neller also revealed to Publishers Weekly that On Demand Books will continue to look at other retail channels, including those outside the book channel, and by the end of the year, he anticipates having close to 100 machines in retail stores.
The Espresso has been in circulation for several years by Books-A-Million and by independent booksellers.