Let’s take a look at one of the books available on Lulu.com - the novel What Dad Tried to Tell Me, part of the Christian Domestic Discipline Spanking Romance series. The free preview reveals writing that’s tolerable but subject matter that’s definitely not mainstream.

In the same way that eBay began on the premise that there is always somebody out there who wants to buy what you don’t want, is the real beauty of POD that there is always somebody out there who wants to read what you have to say?

Novels in a series called Christian Domestic Discipline Spanking Romance have sold 103 copies – meaning a number of Christian Domestic Discipline enthusiasts have been able to get their hands on something which feeds their niche interest but would never be found on the shelves of Waterstones.

Their author, Leah Kelley, believes "Publishers have become so politically correct. Readers want more and there are authors out there who will give it to them."

Listen to Susan Driscoll, CEO of iUniverse, talking about who buys from a POD bookstore, and other POD topics (RealPlayer, 2.36 mins).

What’s in it for the author?

It is commonly said that everyone has a novel in them and certainly true that many of us have embarked on trying to write that novel. This means we are all potential POD publishers.

For many authors, POD will be the only way to see their book in print. But how does it compare to seeing your book on the shelf in WH Smith? Author Nick Warren tried for six years to find a publisher before deciding to go the POD route. He has now sold over 1700 copies of his two novels, Resurgence and Operation Astute. Warren says "I think it’s a good option for frustrated writers. Once I got going, it was the best thing that ever happened to Nick Warren the author. I don’t regret it one bit."

Is it the case that the authors who have POD published are hoping to be 'discovered' by a large scale publisher? The chances of this happening are far from high, but making your mark in the POD bestsellers list is sure to catch the eye of commercial publishers who want a slice of the action.

Jeremy Robinson wrote The Didymus Contingency and, after selling thousands of copies via POD, landed a top agent and offers from publishers to print the book in translation. And there are many other authors with similar experiences.

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