Creative Cost-Cutting Strategies

I was reading the August issues of Book Business this weekend, and I found James Sturdivant's article on "creative cost-cutting strategies" very interesting and timely. Here is a summary of the methods he suggests:

1. Think beyond the printed page: as paper prices keep increasing, think multimedia to keep page count down. Also, maximize efficiency with templates and paperless workflows.
   
2. Bringing printing in-house: several publishers, Harlequin included, have invested in technology to handle some of their own printing. If this is not an option, investigate "gang printing" and consolidated trim sizes to cut costs.
   
3. Jobs returning to North America: given the increasing cost of fuel, printing overseas isn't always the cost-saving measure it used to be. In addition, look into using lighter paper and better monitoring of inventory for further cost-savings.

The full article is definitely worth reading and can be found on their website (see link above).