Google knows that print-on-demand book publishing is an attractive option for small and niche publishers, so it's targeting publishers who don't already have digital copies of their books. With its POD program, Google will take the digital scan it makes when it enrolls a book into Google Book Search and make the file available to printers if the publisher opts for POD.
Google will create the digital file required for POD printers for free when it optically scans the book for inclusion in Google Book Search, and will host the file free.
To participate, publishers must have their own account with a POD printer and a relationship with an online retailer to handle fulfillment.
In late 2006, Google was considering plans for three additional bookselling programs: