Abstract: The methods and apparatus described herein facilitate the production of “built when ordered” and “direct to reader” books via the Internet or some other wide area network. In operation, book publishers supply electronic book content to printing facilities. In turn, the printing facilities receive book orders from order sources such as retail websites and/or retail stores. Once the book order is received, the book(s) are printed, bound, and packaged using material unique to the order source, and shipped directly to the reader who initiated the book order.