Harmony Publishing vs DiggyPOD
DiggyPOD is a US book printer for self-publishing authors, with ISBN and distribution services alongside its printing.
Short version. DiggyPOD prints books, and also offers ISBN, barcode and distribution services; we produce books and print them. If you already have professionally finished, print-ready files, a printer is a direct and cost-effective route. If your manuscript still needs editing, cover design or interior layout, that work has to happen before any printer can produce the book, and that is the part we do.
Which should you choose?
Choose Harmony if…
- You want the whole run priced up front: our calculator gives the delivered price of 100 to 10,000 copies (for the common black-and-white paperbacks) before you commit, with the freight as its own line when the shipment is heavy.
- You want one team across editing, design, print and distribution, an ISBN registered in your name or your own imprint, and no share of your royalties.
- You want the interior formatted and the cover designed as part of one package: with DiggyPOD you format the interior and make the print-ready PDF yourself, and cover design is a separate service. (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026)
Choose DiggyPOD if…
- You have a finished interior and cover and want a printer that checks your PDF files before you order: DiggyPOD says its free check will 'get accurate print pricing in just a few clicks'. (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026)
- You want spiral binding as well as paperback and hardcover: DiggyPOD lists all three. Our calculator prices paperback and hardcover. (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026)
- You want ISBN registration, a barcode and distribution handled by the printer you order from: DiggyPOD offers an ISBN service, barcode creation and distribution to Amazon and other retailers. (diggypod.com/self-publishing/isbn-number, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026)
Switching probably isn't worth it if…
- You are reprinting a finished book: DiggyPOD says that once you print with it 'you can easily reorder or make changes for future prints', and nothing about the service is failing you. (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026)
- You bought the ISBN yourself and only need printing: the ISBN is yours either way, so moving gains nothing but a different printer.
Side by side
| Harmony Publishing | DiggyPOD | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A full-service publisher that also prints | A book printer for self-publishing authors: paperback, hardcover and spiral printing, with a free check of your PDF files before you order (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Editing and cover design | Included from the relevant tier upward | Cover design is available (its how-to says you can 'hire DiggyPOD for professional design'). We did not find editing offered on the pages we read (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Interior formatting | Included | You format the interior to your book size, using a free template or margin guide, and make a print-ready PDF (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026) |
| ISBN | Registered in your name or your imprint | An ISBN service: DiggyPOD says it registers and reserves the ISBN, each format needs its own ISBN, and barcode creation can be bundled with it (diggypod.com/self-publishing/isbn-number, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Printing | Included; priced per copy on specification | Paperback, hardcover and spiral; you can reorder or change your files for future prints (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Distribution | Worldwide, set up in your name | A distribution service: DiggyPOD says a book 'can be distributed on Amazon as well as other major online retailers and global marketplaces', and that an ISBN is required for wide distribution (diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Minimum run | One copy upward | No minimum order quantity is stated on the pages we read; its price calculator takes a quantity (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Best for | Authors who want the whole route handled | Authors with finished files who want a printer that also offers ISBN and distribution help (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com/self-publishing/isbn-number, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026) |
Competitor descriptions reflect their published service structure at the time of writing and may change. Check their current terms directly. Our own prices are on the cost page.
The same book, priced on both
One book, priced the same way on both sides: a 6×9 inch paperback, 200 pages, black and white interior on 60lb natural paper, gloss cover, perfect bound, with print-ready files supplied. Printing only, delivered to ZIP code 10001 (New York, NY), Economy delivery.
| Copies | Harmony Publishing (our calculator, today) | DiggyPOD |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $890.08 printing, with delivery included$8.90 per copySee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
| 1,000 | $6,623.74 = $6,140.40 printing + $483.34 freight$6.62 per copy, deliveredSee it in the calculator | Not published, quote required (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026) |
Our figure is the live output of our calculator at the moment this page was shown. Where the quantity is small, delivery is included in the price; for a heavy shipment the freight is its own line at the carrier's cost, with no markup. Prices exclude sales tax. A competitor price appears here only with a source and the date we checked it; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
The same job on both
The job: Publish a 200-page paperback with your own ISBN and get it on Amazon.
With Harmony Publishing
- Choose a package. Essentials is built for a manuscript that is already edited and covers cover design, interior layout, ISBN assignment, account setup and the publishing submission to KDP and IngramSpark, and distribution worldwide.
- Send your manuscript and a cover brief. If you already own an ISBN for the printed edition you can give it to us in the calculator's ISBN step.
- Approve the proofs. Nothing is printed until you have approved everything.
- We submit the book to the retailers and print-on-demand services and set up distribution in your name.
- You supply:
- A finished, edited manuscript and a cover brief (or a finished cover).
- You get back:
- An ISBN registered in your name or your imprint, your print-ready and editable files, the book live through worldwide distribution, and 100% of your royalties.
- How long:
- 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 weeks, depending on the package and how quickly proofs are approved.
With DiggyPOD
- Review DiggyPOD's file format requirements and format your interior to the book size you chose, using its free template or margin guide. (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- Create the cover with its DIY layout guide (which covers barcode and ISBN placement), or hire DiggyPOD for professional design, and make a print-ready PDF. (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- Get an ISBN and barcode: DiggyPOD offers an ISBN service ('We register and reserve the ISBN'), and an ISBN is required for wide distribution. (diggypod.com/self-publishing/isbn-number, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026)
- Place an order with the price calculator (size, colour and black-and-white page counts, quantity), and ask for distribution: DiggyPOD says a book can be distributed on Amazon and other major retailers. (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026)
- You supply:
- The interior formatted to your book size, the cover, a print-ready PDF, and the order details (and an ISBN, from its service or your own). (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com/self-publishing/isbn-number, checked 15 October 2026)
- You get back:
- Printed copies, and with its distribution service a listing on Amazon and other retailers. You can reorder or change files for future prints. (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026)
- How long:
- DiggyPOD states no standard turnaround on the pages we read; it mentions an expedited printing option. (diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026)
Switching to Harmony from DiggyPOD
If you decide to move a book you have already published, this is what carries over, what does not, and an order of steps that keeps the book available the whole time.
What moves with you
- Your files. You supply the print-ready PDF to DiggyPOD, so keep your own copies of the interior and the cover. (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- An ISBN you bought yourself. It is yours to use with any printer.
What does not
- An ISBN registered through DiggyPOD's service, if it is registered to DiggyPOD. The pages we read say DiggyPOD registers and reserves the ISBN, but not whose name it is registered in: ask before you plan the move. (diggypod.com/self-publishing/isbn-number, checked 15 October 2026)
- Retailer listings and reviews tied to the old ISBN. A new ISBN starts as a new listing, and whether reviews can be carried over is the retailer's decision.
The order of steps, so the book is never unavailable
- Keep your interior and cover files, and leave the existing listing live while you move. (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- Decide the ISBN: keep one you own, or take a new one with us.
- Order a single proof copy from us (the calculator prices one copy) and approve it.
- Publish the new edition with us and check it is live on Amazon and the other stores you sell through.
- Only then ask DiggyPOD to end its distribution of the old edition. Its distribution page does not say how to remove a title or how long that takes, so ask first. (diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026)
What to check first
- Whose name is the ISBN registered in? If you bought it, you can keep it. If it came from a service, ask. (diggypod.com/self-publishing/isbn-number, checked 15 October 2026)
- Do you hold the print-ready PDFs for the interior and the cover? (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026)
- Is the book in DiggyPOD's distribution? Its public pages do not say how to end it. (diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026)
- Does the book meet the trim and page limits of the new print run? Check them in the calculator.
To price a reprint or a proof copy before you move anything, use the calculator.
Three questions to ask any provider
Including us. The answers decide more about value than the headline price:
- Ask who the publisher of record will be. If it is not you or your imprint, understand why before you sign.
- Ask what royalty share they take. Any percentage of your sales is a cost that compounds over the life of the book.
- Ask whether you receive your editable source files. If you cannot take your interior and cover elsewhere later, you are locked in.
On all three, our answer is: you are the publisher of record, we take no royalties, and you receive your print-ready and editable files.
How this comparison was made
- Prepared by the Harmony Publishing editorial team.
- DiggyPOD's public product, help and terms pages were read on the dates in the sources list; nothing was purchased, and no account was opened.
- Our figures are the live output of our own calculator, for the scenario stated above.
- A competitor price appears only with a source and the date it was checked; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
- Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Each source below carries the date it was checked, which can be earlier.
Sources
- www.diggypod.com/ — checked 15 October 2026
- www.diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book — checked 15 October 2026
- www.diggypod.com/self-publishing/isbn-number — checked 15 October 2026
- www.diggypod.com/distribution — checked 15 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is DiggyPOD cheaper than Harmony Publishing?
A print-only price looks lower because less is included: you format the interior, make the print-ready PDF and supply or buy the cover. The comparison only holds if you add the cost of the work you would otherwise arrange yourself. If you already have professionally finished files, a print-only service can be the cheaper route for the printing alone. (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026)
Does DiggyPOD provide an ISBN and distribution?
Yes, according to its own pages: it offers an ISBN service and barcode creation, and says a book can be distributed on Amazon and other major online retailers. An ISBN is required for wide distribution. (diggypod.com/self-publishing/isbn-number, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026)
Do I need print-ready files for DiggyPOD?
Yes. You format the interior to the book size you chose and make a print-ready PDF of the interior and cover; DiggyPOD offers a free check of your files before you order. Producing those files is the part we do. (diggypod.com/how-to-publish-a-book, checked 15 October 2026; diggypod.com, checked 15 October 2026)
Can I use both?
Yes. An ISBN is non-exclusive, so a book produced with us can be printed by DiggyPOD, or produced and printed with us and listed elsewhere. There is no conflict.
Can I move a book from DiggyPOD to Harmony?
Yes. Keep your interior and cover files, check whose name the ISBN is registered in, order a proof, publish with us, and only then end the old listing. DiggyPOD's distribution page does not say how to remove a title, so ask it first. (diggypod.com/distribution, checked 15 October 2026)