US/UK Partnership Will Provide POD, Distribution Services to Book Publishers

ASHLAND, Ohio — April 20, 2016 — Bookmasters, one of the largest providers of integrated book publishing services, and Baker & Taylor, the premier worldwide distributor of books, digital content, and entertainment products, have entered into an international partnership with Printondemand-worldwide (PODW) to offer print on demand and distribution services to their publishers.

Unveiled at the London Book Fair last week, PODW’s inclusion in the Baker & Taylor printer network will allow Digital Print Solutions publishers to print in the UK and PODW’s publishers to print in the United States at Bookmasters for their publisher complete need and Baker & Taylor demand.

“I have a great deal of respect for Andy Cork and his team at PODW,” shares Ken Fultz, GM at Bookmasters. “Bookmasters and PODW have a very similar business acumen. Our two companies have built up a sound relationship over the past two years. Baker & Taylor and Bookmasters are strategic partners whereby Bookmasters is the main POD provider for B&T’s digital print offerings."

Elizabeth Scarpelli, director of publisher services at Baker & Taylor, offers, “This partnership represents a major expansion to the Digital Print Solutions offerings at Baker & Taylor." She continues, “We are pleased to add PODW to our printer network because they bring the same high level quality standards that we offer currently through our relationship with Bookmasters.”

Andy Cork, managing director at PODW, says, “This partnership will provide our publisher clients with the opportunity to generate sales, for the titles they hold with us, throughout B&T’s global retail network and to fulfill drop ship orders direct in the USA. It is a significant addition to our own POD retail sales channels and POD operations here in the UK.”

Bookmasters and Baker & Taylor were acquired earlier this week by Follett Corp., a top provider of technology, services and print and digital content to pre-K-12 libraries, schools, and higher education institutions.

About Printondemand-worldwide
Printondemand-worldwide, based in Cambridgeshire, UK, is a major digital print provider of POD and short-run color and mono books and journals and owns the online platform The Great British Bookshop.

About Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor is the premier worldwide distributor of books, digital content, and entertainment products from approximately 25,000 suppliers to over 20,000 customers in 120 countries. The company offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries, schools and retailers worldwide. Baker & Taylor also offers industry leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions.

About Bookmasters
Bookmasters, based in Ashland, Ohio, is one of the largest providers of integrated publisher services in the U.S. For more than 40 years, Bookmasters has offered services to publishers and authors such as printing, print book warehousing and distribution, ebook conversion and distribution, editorial and design.

Source: Printondemand-worldwide.