Trafford Publishing, founded in 1995 by Bruce and Marsha Batchelor, John Norris, and Steve Fisher, specializes in print-on-demand (POD) publishing.[2] The company's approach allows for printing books in short runs or individually, based on orders from authors or retail customers. Bruce Batchelor, one of the founders, was CEO until 2006.
Trafford's business model requires authors to pay upfront for the setup costs of publishing, and it places the responsibility for marketing primarily on the authors themselves. At its largest, Trafford employed around 150 people across offices in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The company operated its own printing facility in Victoria, Canada, and also utilized the printing services of Lightning Source Inc. (LSI), a subsidiary of Ingram Books, and BookSurge LLC for its printing needs.[3]
The range of publishing packages offered by Trafford varies from basic services, aimed at authors looking to print copies for personal use, to more comprehensive packages that include online ordering capabilities and internet distribution. The company has also ventured into e-book conversion and distribution, partnering with platforms like Powells.com and Lightning Source Inc. (LSI) for digital distribution.
In 2009, Trafford Publishing was acquired by Author Solutions Inc., a conglomerate that also includes AuthorHouse and iUniverse, under the ownership of Bertram Capital Management LLC, a private-equity firm based in San Mateo, California. This acquisition followed Author Solutions Inc.'s purchase of Xlibris in January 2009.
