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Self publishing a novel

I always said I was going to write a novel, but for many years, I never got round to it. There was always something else to do. This year, I managed to actually do it, and while I can't say that I've picked up a huge book contract, I'm still pretty proud of the book I wrote so I'm self-publishing it and selling it to bookstores myself. It's a steep learning curve to work out how to get my book printed and working out all of the details of how the physical book will look. This website is a glimpse into the physical side of printing up your own self-published books for other new authors.

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Self publishing a novel

Three Reasons Why Internal Reprographics Teams Fail: Advice For Business Managers

by Lourdes Ramos

Large Australian businesses will often decide to invest in an internal reprographics team to manage the company's printing requirements. These teams often become a centre of excellence that can help cut production times and save money, but this type of internal function can also become a costly failure. Here are three reasons why.

Excessive bureaucracy

To manage costs, some businesses impose bureaucracy and processes that teams and managers must follow if they want the reprographics team to give them what they need. Examples include endless forms to fill, cumbersome approval steps to follow and endless financial tracking and reconciliation.

Robust management is a good thing, but bureaucracy will simply turn people away. What's more, if your employees cannot easily get what they need from the reprographics team, you will soon see people going directly to external companies, often at higher cost. Make it simple for your people to work with the reprographics team, so you can realise the full benefits.

Remoteness from rest of the business

The reprographics team needs to help every part of the business deliver the right outcomes. For example, if the sales team is working around the clock to develop a new proposal, your sales managers needs to know that the reprographics team can help them save time and produce high-quality products to support the plan.

Hire the right people for your reprographics team. Look for a combination of creativity, efficiency and commercial awareness, and choose people that will offer great internal customer service. What's more, you should include the reprographics team in all communications and internal events, so everyone knows what they do and how important they are.

Failure to invest in the right printing technology

With the best will in the world, your reprographics team cannot succeed without investment in the right technology. The team needs the right design software and effective printing tools that will allow them to deliver the products your people need. Remember that investment is an ongoing concern, so you should consider any new tools and technology that become available.

Of course, outsourcing is effective for specialist needs. For a certain paper finish (like varnishing) or a ridiculously short deadline, make sure you still have relationships with suppliers that can support the reprographics team. As long as the team is the single point of contact for internal users, you can still offer great service, without doing everything in-house.

Reprographics teams help businesses manage their printing and design requirements. Talk to your local print service for more information and advice.

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