A new Chilean initiative seeks to transform the publishing industry and reduce its environmental impact: they propose sustainable printing.
It’s about WeBook, the first on-demand digital book printing platform in the country, which promises to democratize access to publishing works, reduce the carbon footprint of the sector, and offer a fairer alternative for authors.
It is inspired by the “Netflix” subscription model, but applied to the publishing universe. It already has more than 30,000 available titles, 650 associated publishing houses, and 180 active publications.
Sustainable printing: how WeBook works
How WeBook works. (Photo: press).
The platform allows printing books in small and large quantities, eliminating intermediaries and providing authors with a higher profit margin.
The idea was born on the same day as the social outbreak in Chile, when Alfred East, with over 15 years of experience in the graphic industry—working for media such as The Clinic, Televisa, DF, and academic publishers—decided with his partners Antonia and Mariana Valdés to create a tool that empowers emerging writers.
As East explains, “We named the platform WeBook because we sought to group the printing demand to reduce costs and emissions.”
Today, many readers in Chile buy books imported from China or Spain, which increases the product’s cost and generates an enormous carbon footprint due to transportation.
Moreover, thousands of unsold books are forgotten in warehouses when they could be available in a digital showcase.”
Less emissions, more access
WeBook proposes a sustainable publishing model, where only what will be read is printed, minimizing waste and emissions.
The democratization of book printing.
Furthermore, it provides visibility to authors without previous renown who, until now, did not find space in major bookstores.
Thus, it becomes a key platform for both new talents and established writers with environmental awareness.
Antonia Valdés emphasizes: “There are Chilean authors who print their books in China, with high costs and unsustainable processes. With WeBook, they can do it in Chile, on a smaller scale, and adapt to local demand without sacrificing quality or profitability.”
An unprecedented editorial marketplace in Chile
Until now, Chile did not have an editorial marketplace focused on on-demand, accessible, and ecological printing.
WeBook positions itself as an innovative and responsible alternative that drives the circular economy, strengthens the local literary ecosystem, and promotes a more conscious cultural consumption.
