How Many People Are Using Amazon Print Service

In doing the research on self-publishing for impress, information technology didn't take long to become thoroughly overwhelmed. POD Publishers are a dime a dozen, each with an onslaught of details, numbers, packages and options to consider. Of course, there's a lot of keen blog posts out at that place, but as yous compare ane author's experience with the next, you're left scratching your head at the contradictions as the industry expands leaving a trail of information obsolete.

The good news is with the current resource available it has never been easier for an author to self-publish professional person quality books and sell them globally with ease and total command from beginning to end. There is a style to succeed that fits your unique situation so long as you showtime define your needs and goals.

In this article, we'll focus on the two 800 pound gorillas in the room for POD and global distribution: IngramSpark and Amazon KDP.

Outset: Find Your Arroyo

The nature and purpose of your book will determine your route from the showtime. Mayhap you're publishing grandma's recipes for family members, memoirs for friends, or only hoping to earn a few bucks by sharing life experience with the plan to self-promote on your blog. Perhaps y'all're a get-go-time indie fiction writer content with selling strictly on Amazon – pretty much the "go-to" for online book purchases and a keen place to go your feet wet. Yous could exist a writer with zero blueprint skills or technical aptitude, if then, many publishers offer bundle deals for each stage of the process. Or, you may be tech savvy, and desire the widest possible audience including universities and libraries world-broad. Then in that location are other considerations; do you desire hard or soft comprehend, laminate, sleeky, matte, interior color or black and white, will it exist published in impress, ebook or both? What about promotion?

In light of the above, we feel pretty confident we know our production and goals; our book, The Big Book of Font Combinations (at present on auction at Amazon) will be a soft cover (at get-go), black and white merchandise book with a sleeky cover. It'due south a handy guide to accept on the shelf whether you're a seasoned designer at an agency, home office, or a budding design student in college. We take the technical aptitude to take on a more than challenging route if need be in order to become a cracking quality book produced and distributed to the widest audience possible.

With that said, we decided to go with ii of the almost widely used publishers: IngramSpark or (whose parent is Lightning Source), and Amazon's KDP (Previously known as CreateSpace until Amazon merged them into KDP back in Aug. 2018).

Since that's settled, let's get to comparing them in case you're looking to choose between one or the other. The comparing will also serve as a quick tidbit on why we chose to opt out of the smaller POD publishers and settle on using both major companies together. Plain, this is only a general overview of the two – you can delve much deeper into the nitty gritty on your ain.

Advantages of Ingram Spark (IS)

Wide Distribution
Ingram Spark is backed by the largest distribution network (Ingram Book Group, LLC) reaching well over a 100 countries (with 39,000 retailers in their network) and is the globe's largest volume wholesaler for online or independent brick and mortar stores, big or pocket-sized chain stores, equally well as libraries and universities. The smaller publishers who offering wide distribution connect and sell through IS anyhow, and then by using them, you're simply adding another oral cavity to feed – more than on that afterward.
Reputable Company
Face information technology, IS (through Ingram) has been around longer than anyone else. They have a long history of producing great quality books and they're the largest distributer. For this reason, wholesalers are far more than probable to guild a volume from the IS catalogue with an imprint from IS or even i created by the author as opposed to that published by their rival, Amazon.
ISBN and Printing Rights
IS refers you to RR Bowker's MyIdentifiers.com to obtain an ISBN number; this is actually an advantage. Every bit a self-publisher, it's in your all-time interest to purchase your own ISBN number/southward then that you lot retain the publishing rights of your work. If you own the ISBN, y'all can re-assign it to KDP or any other publisher in the future. Just and so you know, when you lot buy your ISBN, it's more price effective if you buy a cake of them than just a couple. They're not cheap, only yous tin't get around it if you want to distribute. A single number is $125 (exist careful! They'll upcharge $25 also add together a bar code, simply IS and KDP will produce them for costless, so opt out) and a cake of 10 is $325. Either way, you'll need at least ii if y'all are publishing ebook and print versions.
Royalties
Royalties (your profit) are between 45-70% of the listing cost, less the product costs. E-books royalties are 40%. Printed books vary based on the wholesale discount, simply the size of your audience makes up for any smaller percent. Again, information technology all depends on your goals. Y'all tin can make 60-80% (less the production) with other publishers, BUT the catch is the volume is only sold in their online store. And how many people actually shop Joe's Publishing online book store when they're looking for books? In that location's a pretty slim take a chance they'll find your get-go one-off fiction volume. Again, if you accept a well done book, a wide audience will more than brand upwardly for smaller royalties. When other publishers offer broad distribution, realize they volition accept a cut of the margin, every bit well as IS. And so in the end, you could exist left with a cadet and change or less if you're lucky.
Excellent POD Book Quality
In my findings, many authors who've experienced both publishers say the book quality of IS is much better than KDP. They also offering hardcovers and more than affordable color printing than KDP if your volume is photo heavy, though color printing is never cheap. Likewise, IS offers the virtually options with regards to paper weight and quality, trim sizes, cover and bounden.
Client Service
Reliable, but not as quick to answer equally KDP
Lower International Shipping Prices
Get cheaper global shipping prices with IS considering they have multiple distribution centers all over the earth. Expect longer commitment dates and higher shipping prices with KDP.

Take a wait at the video beneath. Josephine Boyce posts a great comparison video on her POD books. She also shares her first time feel using both companies every bit well. Y'all can really see the quality difference between IS and KDP.

Downsides of Ingram Spark

I've found a few hang-ups, merely they're negligible and for our printing needs. We prefer global distribution and seasoned publishers who've "been at that place, washed it".

Production Time
IS has a longer wait period for your printed book – effectually three-5 days in one case POD order has been placed, every bit opposed to KDP which is aforementioned day. Although, according to the feel of several authors, IS gives themselves leeway; the turn around tends to be faster. Likewise, cost of printing is a tad higher than KDP per standard book which can add up. However, they accept better discounts for loftier volume book orders.
Fees
They have a $12 annual fee, every bit well as a $49 upload fee for impress, (or impress published together with ebook) and a $25 upload fee for ebook while KDP is gratuitous. However, the set-up fee does go refunded within 60 days of uploading your book if you order a batch of fifty copies or more. Doesn't injure to society a round of books for you to have on hand anyway as requite-aways or to sell on your own through a blog if you take one. There are also discount codes if y'all search effectually.
Not so Intuitive
Steep learning curve with regards to your PDF submission if you're not technically savvy. I heard they had a pretty hefty prepare of instructions. Later getting through the first book and getting information technology canonical, I tin can confirm this is true. Y'all definitely need someone that knows what they are doing, or you demand to invest the time and effort yourself. No one thing was super hard, merely information technology's a lot of small steps.
Fees for Revisions
There'due south a $25 fee for each revision afterwards you take your digital proof and striking "Publish" (ouch!), and then, basically, get your PDF right the first time and don't recall you can easily make changes later. Yet, information technology's reassuring to know they have a highly professional review team whowill not procedure your upload until the specs are right for printing, so no need to worry well-nigh paying extra for a resubmission considering of a technical fault: information technology'due south gated like that. Obviously, they practise not review the interior pages. This is where information technology's crucial you and your editor if you have one, review your digital proof (they will email with a download link each time you submit a new prepare of files) with a fine tooth comb. Keep in mind yous do need to pay for your hardcopy proofs for both companies. And you do want to order one before you let it out in the wild.
Higher US Shipping
Higher US cross-country shipping is quite a flake more than KDP. This actually makes no sense.

Advantages of Using KDP

User Friendly
Intuitive or hand-held PDF submission and seamless ebook transference for print book. Short and sweet upload procedure. Great if you're not tech savvy.
Royalties
60% royalties (less printing cost) if you're selling strictly through Amazon. Fantabulous royalties for the selling in Amazon, clearly the biggest online bookstore out in that location – which makes KDP a keen pick for people who are content to sell through them lonely. See below about broad distribution through Amazon.
Production Time
Quick POD turn around – within the same day of gild. Additionally, they're probably 1 of the cheapest price per book POD's out there.
Gratis Revisions
Yous tin can re-upload your PDF files multiple times without actress fees. Groovy for the first time self-publisher or anyone prone to overlooking typos. HINT: Examination your PDFs (cover and interior) at Amazon firstmerely don't publish. Go the files right, and then publish at IngramSpark, then come up dorsum to KDP. IngramSpark needs to be the starting time one to meet yous using a particular ISBN, then Amazon. I don't know why, just do it in that order!
Customer Service
Quick and available. Past electronic mail, they are very responsive.
Provides ISBN
Although we retrieve it's a disadvantage, some folks are relieved to accept one less to call back about. If you only e'er programme to sell your book on Amazon, this might non exist that bad. Just keep in mind, they'll retain the publishing rights. But, better safety than sorry: get your ISNB from Bowker. Just practise it.

Downsides of KDP

Broad Distribution
Your POD book is fabricated available for Amazon shoppers only for the 60% royalties rate. If you would similar world-wide distribution you need to sign up for their "Expanded Distribution". The kicker here is, at present you've introduced the center-man and you can expect your royalties to exist slashed leaving you less profit (with the exception of your Amazon sales) than if you were using IS. Additionally, if you would like them to enroll you in libraries and institutions for distribution, yous've got to permit them to place their own ISBN on the book, handing over the publishing rights. And, simply so you lot know, their distribution channel partner is…IngramSpark (LightningSource), as is all the small fry publishers out there. Y'all tin see why it's important to determine your preferences and needs beforehand.
Book Quality
According to experienced self-publishers, KDP'south print volume quality is good, simply not great (come across above video). There are various factors to consider; paper weight, shades of white, laminate or non-laminate cover, etc. (worth your time to have a look at each publisher's offerings). In addition, KDP doesn't offering hardcovers, also colour product is much more expensive if you're publishing a children'southward book or anything image heavy. IS works all-time for colour. They as well take a wider diverseness of final trim sizes.

Decision: Publish Your Volume on Both Platforms

There are several other popular POD publishers such as Bookbaby, Outskirts Press, Blurb, LuLu, DiggyPod that offering a variety of services and packages that be might exist a better fit for your particular needs. In this mail service we just wanted to share why we opted for Ingram Spark together with KDP, every bit well every bit a brief introduction of them for anyone who may be but beginning the grueling inquiry of POD publishers!

Got questions? Ask away, and we'll try and exist helpful. Got corrections? Things change all the time. Permit us know!