Amazon unit to publish on demand

Amazon.com Inc. has started a program with publishers that allows out-of-print titles and lower-volume books to be printed and shipped on demand when consumers place orders.

Amazon.com’s BookSurge unit introduced the program, the Seattle-based retailer said Friday. Amazon.com is helping publishers cut costs by eliminating the need for inventory. The Internet retailer acquired BookSurge in April 2005 to enter the print-on-demand book business. BookSurge has more than 10,000 titles, many of them out of print.

“Customers are coming to Amazon.com detail pages and find they can’t buy” an out-of-print book, said Greg Greeley, vice president of worldwide media at Amazon.com.

“We think this is a great proposition for publishers to address that. It unlocks this great content that is out there that customers haven’t been able to buy.”