POD is a loaded acronym. Say it and all those would-be writers desperate for publication validation appear, hoping that taking shortcuts will still get them on the path to bestsellerdom. The reality is that on-demand technology has more niche-oriented uses that have little to do with the hopes of aspiring authors, and the NYT's Peter Wayner looks at several of these options.

The newer ventures - which include Blurb.com, Picaboo and SharedInk - also produce bound books, but they do not offer the same hand-holding or the same drive for the best-seller list. Blurb's product, for example, appeals to people searching for a publisher, but its business is aimed at anyone who needs a professional-looking book, from architects with plans to present to clients, to travelers looking to immortalize a trip. More importantly, its software is far cheaper than professional publishing packages like Quark XPress or InDesign because the company expects to make money through sales of the produced books.

"Books are breaking wide open," said Eileen Gittins, Blurb's chief executive. "Books are becoming vehicles that aren't static things."