Library of Artistic Print on Demand: Post-Digital Publishing in Times of Platform Capitalism

Print-on-demand has revolutionized the world of books. As analog-digital hybrids, PoD books are the very embodiment of the post-digital age. Digital printing and low-threshold online platforms such as Blurb, Lulu, or Kindle Direct Publishing make it possible for virtually anyone to publish instantly and worldwide—without financial investment or risk. This opens up spaces beyond the traditional book market and leads to a democratization of production. At the same time, this new radius of action is fundamentally dependent on the rules and interests of the platforms themselves. Out of this tension, an entire subculture has emerged—one that tests the book once again for its possible contents, aesthetics, materialities, economies, and publics, while also critically reflecting and negotiating our digital present.

The Library of Artistic Print on Demand maps this field of experimentation for the first time in its global spread, historical depth, and political relevance.

Annette Gilbert researches experimental forms of writing, artists’ books, and conceptual art. Andreas Bülhoff works both artistically and academically at the intersection of text and technology.