New Books Network Gist Books: How Print on Demand Creates New Possibilities for the Publishing Industry
Mar 23, 2026
Liz Fried, co-founder of Gist Books with publishing and rights experience, and Ramona Liberoff, co-founder focused on systems change and consumer innovation, discuss customizable print-on-demand volumes. They talk about personalization of topics, how POD reduces waste and speeds iteration, the role of visuals and physical books, use-cases like gifting and institutions, and AI in production.
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Liz's Scouting Years Shaped Gist's Approach
- Liz began her career in publishing rights and scouting, then moved into trend work and brand consulting.
- Her scouting experience made her value international snapshots and showed her print-on-demand as the key publishing innovation.
Print On Demand Enables Fast Custom Publishing
- Print-on-demand democratizes publishing and enables customization, personalization, lower waste, and faster iteration.
- Gist leverages POD to pivot quickly, test formats, and avoid large warehouses or heavy returns.
Design And Physicality Drive Engagement
- Gist uses visual, design-forward layouts to appeal to the majority who process information visually and to emulate attentional styles from decks and videos.
- The physical object plus deliberate wait time boosts trust, memory, and focused reading versus online distractions.