Self-publishing a book this year? Learn how to format your book yourself with my online course: bit.ly/formattingcourse After a nightmare of an experience, I no longer work with IngramSpark. Watch my latest video on them to see why: ruclips.net/video/RDRryxTX30M/видео.html
@@shawnwilt7196 They have a calculator out now on D2D. I did the calculation based on everything she had, and it looks like Cost to Print would be $5.60. Of course, this is about a year later and I'm not sure if anything changed with the other companies.
Is there a print on demand publisher that doesn't shut down your account out of the blue for no reason. I have a book on tantra massage/sexual massage and I'm worried amazon would just shut me down one day and I'd lose all the other books I've published with them and not be able to get another account.
Mandi, this was a big help. I have six KDP books and have made a lot of publishing mistakes that have come back to bite me recently. I am struggling to get "wider distribution" there with no success. I believe in my books, but at the moment, I have to act as the distributor. Libraries and shops can not get them at a discount. Worst of all, I simply want people to enjoy my books, and they aren't easily available! I learned a great deal from your four "beginner" Tube presentations.
Which company do you think is the best print-on-demand option for self-publishing? Let me know in the comments below! I have a book formatting course coming soon! Sign up to the waitlist to get a discount when the course is released! exciting-engineer-5402.ck.page/f0cca0dbcf
@@f.scott.fitzbeagle That is true! When your books go in-store, you are responsible for anything that doesn't sell. It's all part of being an indie author. Unfortunately, bookstores don't want to take risks on us. Sorry to hear about your troubles!
isnt there all benefit and no drawbacks to only offer print on demand? why is it even something to shoot for to have in-store. Simply for prestige / being oldschool? If you want to sell, and keep most of your royalties, seems to me that maybe even particularly the well known authords ought to self publish with POD?
Mandi, thank you so much for this video. I don't know why I've had such a hard time with KDP since 2020. The support is NOT there as it once was. And when I've attempted to publish an illustrated book, forget it! KDP was not only not helpful but driving me crazy with what was their problem: a brilliant illustrated first author copy but after that fuzzy illustrations even on the Amazon book site.
What a thorough review of those book publishers. When you said you were going to discuss so many topics with 5 book samples, I thought this would be pretty boring. But you kept it lively, and I had to snicker at some of your comments. Especially a timely video for me. I just submitted my book for a hardcover book published by KDP. This is my first time to order a hardcover. Plus I ordered premium color and paper. I about had a heart attack at the printing cost--$11.00.--but it is a premium product. Besides, I want it to be special since it's a guided journal for mothers. You know you gotta spoil Mom. Of course, Mom may decide to lay out the cash to write her experiences raising those kids. KDP does have live chat and it saved my life. I chatted twice with the agent. Each time was helpful and delighted I didn't have to wait days for an email or line up on the phone line for service. Yes, it's way too late to be publishing a hardcover book only a month before Mother's Day! I see you rolling your eyes. After I got the price for printing with KDP, I checked Lulu, but it was no better. I saw there was a charge for distribution too? I went with KDP and after watching your video, I feel comfortable. Thank you.
Mandi, this video is exceptional! I found you detailed the various categories in a way that helped me make my decision for a paperback that I look to publish by month’s end (Feb 2023). Curious? I have decided to go with KDP. I was planning to use IngramSpark, however your comments about both tipped the scales for me. AND I really value customer service - so KDP fits the bill in that area as well. Great Video. Thank you!!
This is so helpful!! I'm so glad i stumbled across your channel 😭❤ as a first time author, my whole experience has been so daunting and specially when i reached to the publishing part but THANKS TO YOU. I have now made up my mind to publish first on KDP and later on once i feel a little more confident i'll use IG too.
Thank you so much for this video. I was vacillated between these and it looks like I am going to end up using Vervante which will also publish my books on KDP. I simply cannot deal with poor customer service no matter what other pros exist. So, IngramSpark would not work for me. The fact that you have to pay for IngramSpark and they refuse to have a customer service number tells me everything that I need to know. Thanks so much for this info. You have saved me so much pain and strife.
This was super helpful; this is my first book, self-publishing because...who wants to give a publisher 7k to publish a book. Thank you, all the questions I had were addressed
That is a great video! Thank you. I have used IngramSpark (previously Lightning Source) to print and distro my books (20-ish books) for years - and I have experienced ALL of the problems that you listed with them. But in general it has gone well. This year I will be publishing my first novel and am looking at different POD options. I think I will give KDP a try. Also, I am going to adjust my Ingram discount level, because they have raised their print prices in recent years and seriously cut into my own profits. I did not realize that it would make such a big difference.
@Mandi Lynn - Stone Ridge Books I literally just told my friends, "Who do I think I am? I can't publish!" And your comment popped up immediately after, haha!
@Mandi Lynn - Stone Ridge Books the book just came in the mail, and it's your old cover without the Belle last name! I'm so excited because I liked this cover better, haha!
Good video. Very informative. All I would say is that the categories should have different weights depending on importance. With such a system the winner would be more justified
I so agree about Ingram Sparks. I think I hate them! Not only does it take forever to solve an issue, when they respond your right, they don't answer so then again I have to response asking for what I need. back and forth and now days going by to where it's been almost 2 weeks and no resolve. I'm in the final publishing stage with them so I could get my proof,and there was two issues that they aren't addressing. Whereas, if it were Amazon, within 5 minutes they'd call me back and assist immediately. I like your show! Victoria
Hello, Mandi, thank you for your video which guided me in publishing my student's book on IngramSpark. I have a quick question: How can I make the book available for distribution on Barnes & Noble (B&N) and Amazon? Do I need to start by creating a link on IngramSpark, and what are the subsequent steps? Do you happen to have a video that explains this process?
As a music producer, I'm regularly paying $80-$90 for an album distribution release. Now that I'm working on a book in tandem with an EP based on it, paying for distribution isn't anything new to me, and am willing to do so, as long as I'm not paying $80 a year, which I've been slapped across the face for missing predatory schemes with music distribution. It's still a toss up, considering Amazon uses an algorithm to promote books, while I assume Ingram spark uses nothing to promote books... Of which I enjoy neither, as my advertising fund is $0, though I have a community who loves physical products, and require the best. The struggle to choose is stifling.
For me, it's not much of an option. I moved to Serbia about a year ago. Ingramspark can't accept submissions from Serbia because Serbia does not allow electronic signatures. Barnes&Nobles doesn't allow people to publish from Serbia, period. A handful of other European countries--yes, but not Serbia. Lulu is also off-limit from here. Left is basically KDP, which I use, and I love them. Never had a problem, and I've published six books there... hardcovers and paperbacks. But I wish the hardcovers came with dust jackets like they do at Ingramspark. Thanks for your informative videos!
As a children’s author would say I.S. for distribution since libraries and book stores can be super beneficial for marketing and reaching the audience. Amazon having hard cover is huge. It use to only be I.S. In the past a lot of people have complained about their print on demand quality shipped to readers. This is a great video with super useful info. In the past I.S. had way better print color quality. A publishing friend who printed her book that included a lot of color pictures with I.S. sold me on the quality over Amazon. At the time though. I think it depends on the type of genre’ and distribution for authors. If Amazon can print a quality hard cover children’s book could do the second printing. But for distribution I.S. would need to be first, imo. The library especially is a huge deal. You’ve given me some great info to consider. Thank you 😊
KDP use cut and paste replies. Here is an example of KDP logic - after three boxes of books arrived with no packaging at all and the boxes crushed or actually busted open. (happy to send pictures of two of the boxes). I contacted KDP and, after pure torture, was able to send the pictures of the busted open boxes with scugged and damaged books inside. I had to return each package, and it takes nearly four weeks to send to my destination. I had twice set up a promotion and had to cancel it after the disaster with KDP packaging. Boy, did that hurt my reputation? Spot the cut-and-paste phrases - Email one reply from KDP: "> Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts about the internal (packaging). > I apologise for the inconvenience caused due to the poor (packaging). > We will surely work on the packaging. We will ensure that the (packaging) is much better from the next time." Second reply: "I am sorry we can not ensure about the (packing) of the books. But, thanks for taking time to share your thoughts about the (packaging) of the books. I’m sorry to hear you’re dissatisfied with the (package) that you have received."
I've found the spine printing for KDP is so inconsistent. I have printed 20+ copies of author copies through KDP and had them delivered on the same day, with each one is different. Drives me crazy. Fine if you have a bleed cover like yours, but if you have a dedicated spine graphic, it sucks. Also, with IngramSpark, I've found their page trimming is inconsistent. So instead of a flat edge, many of my books are uneven. Also drives me nuts. 😂 So it's a toss up for me.
This is a new venture for me and your video was the first I've seen on publishing (recommended by a friend.) I found it useful and I'll check out your other videos but you could do better the next time. First, you want to have a point system 1-5. And if Customer Service is as important as you say, then perhaps each category should be weighted. Second, when going thru the process, all things have to be equal or it is not fair. How fair is it to say you didn't have a customer service issue with publisher X so you can't say if they have good service or not? Make up a problem, the same problem and see how they all respond. It doesn't have to be real because you are auditing them, like a secret shopper. And third, at the end of the video, you said you should have included "X" as a category. Yes! And you should edit it in. Don't be wishy-washy. The thing is, what you say, your opinion, matters and the video could have been cleaner. I only say all this to be helpful because as someone watching you for the first time and with your experience, I value your opinion as do 33K other people.
I miss back before KDP took over CreateSpace. When I had a proof with CS, they didn't have a "Not for Resale" bar. That was 2010 though. I don't know if they changed it before they werent around anymore and KDP replaced them. Though, I could never get the 'formatting' right on there Printer Previewer. Somehow I messed it up to where the title page was on the left and not the right, and the left was also the back of a previous page that had something else on it. I haven't reordered another proof in years. I imagine if it left it untouched and reprinted it again it'd have the same issue -- but I don't know how to avoid that problem. Any tips on that?
KDP has worked out for me, Easy to us, cheap and I can make a profit. I also used Lulu, Yikes. No room for profit.. Anyone you recommend for Hardcovers? I would try KDP but I have to add 8 more pages.
Mandi, who did you actually use to distribute the paperback version of your book "Meet at the Summit" to Amazon? Was it Direct2Digital or KDP or Ingram Spark. I'm curious, because like you, I'm really interested in the quality of the final product. I was tempted to use Ingram Spark until I heard your comments about their customer service. Thank you and great videos.
Its over ten years since I last published anything. My last book was published by a small organisation and is jot being promoted by them. I'd used Lulu and the KDP version as it was then. Lulu is very niche, it seems to use its authors as a sales/marketing route. I retired my publications there and thus only a single title is still available via Amazon. Its very interesting to me what you found out in your survey. Do I want to return to this occupation? Good question!
I don't if you will see this to answer but I watched another YT vid about KDP and they said if Amazon puts a bar code on your book Amazon then owns the rights and you can't sell it anywhere else, is that true? Thanks!!
One more question Mandi: I was thinking to print my colouring books 8.5x11 (100% royalty) with my own ISBN as global distribution and then add the same book to KDP (same ISBN) as series...is it a good move?! thank you :)
Thank you! This was excellent information. This might be a dumb question, but I’m a novice at this. Do you have to purchase different ISBN numbers and scan bar codes for the five different printers, or can you just use a single ISBN number? Also, is Bowker the only seller of ISBN numbers that will work out? Thank you.
This never used to be this way with Create Space and at first KDP. In 2020, I noticed their help center went way down. You still can email KDP as of four months ago, but no longer can call. I gave up on them.
Have you done any international shipping? I’m looking to send already printed books to a distribution center so they will be able to ship internationally for a cheaper price to the customer.
Thanks for this Mandi. I've only used KDP due to the simplicity, free ISBN and cheapness. Also that's where my readers tend to be (at least for now). This video has helped me realise I'm not missing out on too much by going through KDP, so i'll continue where I am :)
Question- I am considering this after the awful experience I’ve had at Ingram Spark. Do you get your book into libraries or anywhere besides the readers that purchase on Amazon?
KDP gets a point for user-friendliness, bringing it up to five, and IS loses a point, taking it down to four. Then IS gets a point for hardcover dust jacket, so it's now equal five, but KDP gets that final point for no cost to having self-publish. I'd say we can take another point off IS for cost of self-publishing, coz you have to pay PER BOOK, not to mention there's an optional 'promote your book' fee when all is said and done. If you ask me, KDP is the clear winner here.
Totally agree. The last pointers should have counted, putting KDP the clear winner. I just wish KDP had better paper for coloring books, and offered landscape bound layout making coloring pages farther away from the bound edge to lie flatter ... spiral bound would be wonderful too.
@@mowgli6345 more sales in a way, but more competition as the barrier of entry is low. This could lead to less sales as you are a small finish in an even bigger pond.
I'm nearing the final editing phase of a debut novel. So far, I'm think that I'm going to go with KDP first, get it all squared away, then publish on the other platforms.
Ingram Spark has always had the better end product. had so many issues with KDP. Whenever I did have an issue with IS, customer service was great. Tired of fighting with KDP so only go through them as a last resort. I rarely pay fees for IS since I am part of a writers association.
I don’t care if IngramSpark won every single category by a mile - the payment to upload is a no-holds-barred dealbreaker for me. I’ll always associate that model with vanity presses. In my opinion, when you’re starting out and every sale is a fight, there’s no point cutting into your insanely narrow profit margins with extra fees, especially not for such minimal differences in quality.
Hm, I've never thought of it that way. Very valid point! I don't mind the fee uploading. It drives me up the wall to have to pay fees every time I need to update content as well.
@@makennazornes Personally, I'm honestly not that concerned about wide distribution. I've been watching the publishing and self-publishing industries since I was just a dreamy little kid in the 90s, when selling a self-published book meant roadtripping to all the libraries in your state and passing them out by hand lol. I still think that even with wide distribution, the real success of a book is going to depend above all on the author's ability to shill. So if/when I FINALLY finish this manuscript (haha) I think having it up on just one big, known website and then supporting that with hand sales and my own website would probably satisfy me. That's just me though, I haven't tried it in practice yet - maybe I will regret this opinion some day, but as Aragorn says, it is not this day lol
I'm doing art books with photos so I am going with Lulu for printing, because they are printing on 80# coated paper Amazon is printing on 60# paper regardless of the color standard or premium uncoated. The quality of reproduction is night and day between these two papers. Art and photo books require coated paper for reproductions otherwise they look like cheap. Just saying it depends on what the book is about and what printing quality you need. Also with 3rd party printers you can still market on Amazon which is it's forte but they are no good when it comes to print quality.
You've missed one parameter: languages supported, e.g. in KDP you can only publish paperbacks in Western European languages, some Indian languages and Japanese.
Thanks heaps for this breakdown, Mandi. I'm on my 4th book with IS (in Australia) and haven't had too many problems at all. Perhaps your videos will encourage IngramSpark to up their game as far as customer service goes, and then the difference will be obvious. Clear winners, I think.
Same! I self published on Amazon back in 2013, and have nine books, but I don't have access to my books anymore. I had to change email addresses twice due to personal security issues, and then when I went to change a third time, which fair play to them is annoying, I was locked out of my author account. Now my books are either too expensive or too cheap, and even if they did sell I wouldn't see any money because I can't get in to change my bank account.
I have published non-fiction books with KDP (starting when it was Createspace) for years. For the most part I have been very happy with how easy it is to work with them, and how good the final book looks. The only problem I've had is when KDP has some kind of issue with the contents, wording on the cover, etc. They just send you a form email with no details and you have to try and figure out what the problem is. Plus when you do manage to get a live person, they can't help you either. Very frustrating.
@@jeanwilliams2629 Can you explain this more? Is it that people who used CreateSpace lost the rights to their books when it transfers to KDP? Or that anyone who uses KDP looses the rights to their book?
@@melissakearns3802 We read that when Create Space was taken over by KDP that KDP now owns our book once we uploaded that book to KDP. It is in the agreement page.
@@jeanwilliams2629 Did you use their "free" ISBN for your book(s)? there is a catch, that's why I bought mine from Bowker directly, so the ISBN is my property.
@@jeanwilliams2629 I don't see any such claim on their page, it may vary by country but in the US anyway you the author own the copyrights to your book, KDP's rights include being able to display your book COVER on their site and elsewhere for marketing it, to show portions of the inside to customers to decided if they want to buy it or not. If you publish your book in other formats like Kindle electronic- then there's rights they have connected to the customer's purchase of the electronic copy- that they can keep that on their devices etc. There are other issues if you use their in-house "free" ISBN number, one is you can't use that anywhere else- the ISBN belongs to KDP. I never allowed my book to be published in Kindle form, it's paperback ONLY, once you release a digital file such as used by Kindle devices it can be hacked, copied and distributed by anyone anywhere and it's a lot easier to do than people think. Yes, a paper book can be scanned, but it takes a LOT more work, effort and motivation to sit there and scan 300 pages out of a book and fix the results. There is this too that comes up periodically in one form or another on those devices your book mightbe on;; Your Amazon Kindle and your Amazon account could be hacked by just opening a single ebook, according to research published Friday as part of the DEF CON security conference taking place in Las Vegas this week. Once the malicious book is opened, a remote hacker could delete all books on the device and could steal the authentication token used to get into an Amazon account, according to the proof of concept attack developed by researchers at Israel-based cybersecurity company Check Point. “Equipped with these tokens the attacker would now be able to access the victims Amazon account and perform anything on his behalf,” said Yaniv Balmas, head of cyber research at Check Point. An attacker could have also used the Kindle as a launchpad for attacking other devices on a local WiFi network. Balmas was able to create a evil ebook that took advantage of a flaw in the Kindle operating system that meant when parsing images from the book it wasn’t limiting the amount of code that could be written to the device, known as a heap overflow bug. That flaw allowed him to overwrite parts of memory. To get complete control of the Amazon device, he discovered another flaw that allowed him to grant himself root user rights.
That lovely "NOT for Resale" protects the author. Ingram views proof copies as neither sales nor prints. Ingram will Not disclose how many so-called proof copies they printed. For print on demand, you want a royalty for every print out there. Otherwise, they would be unauthorized copy duplications, that you are not getting paid. Can you imagine they print off 100 copies of your book not labeled as proof copies. Only to stock their distributors, or take business write-offs off your book? Or give them to their private sellers who sell them for $48 per copy. As a self-published author, you need to have control of your inventory and supply/demand. Ingram doesn't care, in this regard.
I went through the ratings and weighted them; giving 5 points for first place, 4 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth and 1 for fifth. When there was a tie, I averaged the points. The Results: Kindle Direct Publishing 28.5; IngramSpark 24.5; Barnes & Noble 21.0; Lulu 17.0; Draft2Digital 14.0. IngramSpark's poor customer service dragged them down below KDP.
They all use the same printers, so the physical quality should be the same. The differences would be in the software, I suppose. Order ten from each and then see if there is truly a difference.
I'm considering just buying like two copies (hard cover) of my novel so I can have my own copy for me and my co-author. Lulu seems to be pretty easy to use and not overly expensive. We also don't have the background art at the chapter pages so we wouldn't have to worry about that. It looks like Lulu might be a solid option. Have you gotten any hardcovers from Lulu? (and seen how they are with opening them/if they're super stiff and have to be really bent open like the paperback?)
Definitely, KDP is the BEST currently in 2022, even though they don't have dust jackets and don't make it as easier/helpful in Japan where I live. Ingram Sparks is a headache and they could easily be AMAZING if they wanted to be, they just don't care enough to be GREAT.
It's so true! If InngramSpark wanted to, they could be the best by far, no competition. Personally, I feel like they've shown time and time again they don't care about the opinions of the authors they serve.
Hey Matt! How do you have your paperbacks delivered to readers in Japan? I am in South Korea and about to publish my first book. It seems shipping fees would be extremely high to SK or Japan. I suppose I could order a bunch of copies and have them delivered to my address in the US when I return there and them bring them back as luggage to SK for readers here. Seems like a complicated procedure.
Excellent. I like the breakdown and review from each on-demand publisher. I especially enjoyed the quality of cover and interior portions. I think an author is more critical of how his/her book is printed. Great video.
I published through Lulu last April. I went with them after spending A LOT of time comparing options. In the end it was all about the quality of the final product. My only complaint about them was the lethargy in communication.
@Mandi Lynn, Would you add to your Rating Scheme the Speed to Publish? If everything was perfect from the start (cover, interior, Editing, etc), how long does it take for each POD to list your new book as "Available for Sale"?
so exited, i'm shopping around, getting quotes for print on demand. I just submitted my book through Barnes & Noble print on demand so i can try and print a few test copies to make sure it look all good. the last 11 months i been working on a 108k word book on meditation and the phenomena associated with it as well as adding some african spiritual ancient cosmological information that coincides with the metaphysical stuff. sooo happy i'm at this step. Nobody knows how special of a day today is for me 😭🥳 🎉. can't wait to start this journey. I subbed to your channel. Thank you. You helped a lot, gave me the info i needed 👍🏾
Don't forget us for your next self-published video! We can print one copy or more but our prices are much better for slightly longer print runs. Super cheap at the moment for self-publishers in the States because of how weak the pound is :)
This video was awesome. I am working with a small start-up press and getting IngramSpark to get back to me for anything at all is a nightmare. Having to choose between quality and customer service is terrible. KDP is obviously non-negotiable; we want to sell books so we need to work with Amazon, so I'm super relieved to hear you say their quality and their customer service are so fantastic. I was really liking what I was seeing and hearing about D2D so your review is disappointing but I'm VERY grateful for it because it means we won't dive in blindly. Thanks for the video!
I'm kind of sad you didn't address DPI on covers and interiors. I recently published through Ingram Spark because the KDP version of my cover and the files inside were such a low DPI it made the maps and artwork look terrible! I used all the same files for the interior on both sites, and the maps, chapter header images, and any fonts not Palatino like the main body were super low quality only through KDP, but were perfect from Ingram Spark. I only ever ordered author proof copies, but I would imagine they send the same quality that will be distributed. My only complaint about Ingram Spark was that my cover is darker than it's supposed to be.
Great video! Thank you so much for putting it together! 🤗 I guess I would pick KDP and B&N press. I wish someone would confirm that you could have your print book on B&N shelves if you publish through them!!! That would be the only reason I would use their press.
When we published our first book through KDP, we ordered two paperback proofs and one hardcover proof. The hardcover looked great, even without the coveted dust jacket. One of the two paperback proofs looked perfect, while the other was cut incorrectly - by a significant amount. So I'd have to say that even a company with great quality still makes mistakes. And yes, the "not for resale" banner on the proofs is certainly annoying.
Ingram Spark prints locally in Australia. I've had great service from the Aussie 'branch'. They've saved my butt with 'walking through' a print to make sure I got it on time when I 'rush ordered' a run for an event. OK the pay to upload is a bummer, but I try to upload when they send a 'voucher'. The quality, service, and Australia printing/post for my event stock is worth it.
Does print on demand with Ingram work with a personal online bookstore? If a customer would purchase directly from the authors online store, will it print on demand, or is that option just for their partnered distributers?
Would you not just link to your book on Amazon and the buyer will purchase it through Amazon shopping cart ? Just saying - and asking - as I'd also like to know the answer !
Good discussion, but questionable conclusions. KDP printed the cover most true to color, but didn’t win? Thinner paper is better. This are personal preferences. I want a discussion of the text quality. If I print in a very fine font like Garamond, will the text be light or dark and crisp
Text-wise, I find all the print on demand companies were nearly identical. The only time I see interior printing quality difference is with images. In that case, IngramSpark and Barnes and Noble Press are best for printing photos.
Hi Mandi, I am looking for a print-on-demand company for music books. I need the 9x12 in format with no minimum of pages. Do you know of any? I have an account on LULU because they don't have a minimum number of pages, but their maximum size is A4 and I need 9x12. Thanks in advance
Thanks for the info. From my Looks to me that KDP wins this hands down. Poor customer service and user friendliness are not a plus or 0 point option they are either a +1 or a -1 especially when the difficulty and poor customer service can cost you money. So, Ingram sparks in my book does not have 5 points, they have 3 points. 5 points -1 for poor customer service gives them 4 points. 4 points -1 for difficulty in use gives them 3 points. KDP is in my view the hands down winner in this review. One final thing. I am going to give ingram sparks another -1 for that 50% discount marketying ploy which is an obvious scam to rip off the author while providing themselves with greater profits. That gives ingram sparks a 2, not a 5.
I appreciate you documenting this process, Mandi Lynn. I'm planning on making a workbook to supplement my eBook. I'm sure you have video on this topic, but if not, I'd like to make a request for your advice. I am so glad I found you. Cheers:)
If I publish on Amazon KDP for Kindle and print on demand with my own ISBN. Can I still simultaneously use a local traditional publisher to print the book with the same ISBN in order to distribute my book on some regional book fairs?
So much helpful information, thank you for that. I published a few low content books with KDP and am looking to expand. Can I technically order author copies of my book from Amazon KDP and sell it on a different platform than Amazon?
Hello, Mandi, thank you for your video which guided me in publishing my student's book on IngramSpark. I have a quick question: How can I make the book available for distribution on Barnes & Noble (B&N) and Amazon? Do I need to start by creating a link on IngramSpark, and what are the subsequent steps? Do you happen to have a video that explains this process?
I printed a paperback journal with Lulu with standard colour and the quality was awful! they recommended premium colour on #80 coated but It's a journal (needs to be written on) and my original photograph that I want to be in premium/high quality colour...I now reviewed it and ideally I am making a series of book/journal (all in one) ideally with jacket cover (series of them-I want a quality colour but still a thick paper suitable for writing)...I played with costs and of course Lulu is expensive, but KDP only has hardcover option, right?headache! what would you recommend? Thank you so much Gaia
Wow, Mandi, that was a really good and informational comparison! I have dabbled with Lulu and frankly just wasn't impressed, it was a bit of a challenge to figure out the whole pricing thing. It was not a fiction book like yours, so I am glad I tested it with a puzzle book. I feel that technically, KDP may have won your competition because even though you liked the brighter covers of the other publishers, KDP did do it accurately. Having said that, I think I would have liked the brighter colors too! Thank you for this very informational video, it was very helpful! 😉
I have just written a child’s book that I chose to come out on a different faster avenue. I am first doing a 6 minute video that premiers on U Tube 8-18 with a 1 minute video trailer out 7-1. Then it will be published on KDP hopefully and it’s cartoon is so colorful and cute! It will relate with the book! I am very excited to see how this avenue will work out. They Call Me DOG FACE. Is the name of my inspirational book. Thank you for all your hard work. Just know I am hearing you!!
Thanks for your nice comparative look! Regarding Ingram: If something made you "never want to work with them again," I think that's that. It's a deal breaker, even if the final product wins by a hair. I like KDP. Just a couple of issues: Paper is good, but a bit thicker would be better (70 maybe), and hardcover proof seemed to have a bit of warpage in both the cover and pages and a distinct division of the interior into two chunks. Overall, KDP is pretty easy to work with. The worst I've encountered, and it seems rare, is getting an error message upon upload with no clue as to what the error is. But as you said, they're easy enough to contact to work things out, and it's great that they don't charge for setup, revisions, etc.
Looking for advice. I uploaded my book through Barnes and Nobles Press. So far not a great experience. Uploaded book on April 2, 2024. Today is May 2, 2024. My account is still pending. The site says it takes 15 days, that is obviously and error. I have reached out to the company several times and I was lucky to get one response claiming they were delayed, but could not find my manuscript. I promptly replied with photos to prove the file was uploaded, and I have heard nothing since. I attempted to contact them again, and no response. I have no idea what the problem is or if I need to do anything from my end. Frustrated. This is my first attempt to self publish with Barnes and Nobles Press. Has anyone encountered a problem like this?
Self-publishing a book this year? Learn how to format your book yourself with my online course: bit.ly/formattingcourse
After a nightmare of an experience, I no longer work with IngramSpark. Watch my latest video on them to see why: ruclips.net/video/RDRryxTX30M/видео.html
Did you ever find out how much D2D charges for book printing?
@@shawnwilt7196 They have a calculator out now on D2D. I did the calculation based on everything she had, and it looks like Cost to Print would be $5.60. Of course, this is about a year later and I'm not sure if anything changed with the other companies.
Is there a print on demand publisher that doesn't shut down your account out of the blue for no reason. I have a book on tantra massage/sexual massage and I'm worried amazon would just shut me down one day and I'd lose all the other books I've published with them and not be able to get another account.
Amazon KDP Publications scammed me out of over $3000 dollars.
Sounds like a violation of community standards. the community of decent God fearing humans@@zrymill
Mandi, this was a big help. I have six KDP books and have made a lot of publishing mistakes that have come back to bite me recently. I am struggling to get "wider distribution" there with no success. I believe in my books, but at the moment, I have to act as the distributor. Libraries and shops can not get them at a discount. Worst of all, I simply want people to enjoy my books, and they aren't easily available! I learned a great deal from your four "beginner" Tube presentations.
Which company do you think is the best print-on-demand option for self-publishing? Let me know in the comments below!
I have a book formatting course coming soon! Sign up to the waitlist to get a discount when the course is released! exciting-engineer-5402.ck.page/f0cca0dbcf
You don't get your book automatically sold in-store with Barnes & Noble. You have to sell 1000 copies first.
Could you point me to where I might find out more information about the 1000 copies thing?
I was in B&N regional stores for a few months. I was billed for the unsold copies. Careful what you wish for.
@@f.scott.fitzbeagle That is true! When your books go in-store, you are responsible for anything that doesn't sell. It's all part of being an indie author. Unfortunately, bookstores don't want to take risks on us. Sorry to hear about your troubles!
It wasn't terrible. Just a comeuppance.@@TaylerMarieBrooks
isnt there all benefit and no drawbacks to only offer print on demand? why is it even something to shoot for to have in-store. Simply for prestige / being oldschool? If you want to sell, and keep most of your royalties, seems to me that maybe even particularly the well known authords ought to self publish with POD?
Mandi, thank you so much for this video. I don't know why I've had such a hard time with KDP since 2020. The support is NOT there as it once was. And when I've attempted to publish an illustrated book, forget it! KDP was not only not helpful but driving me crazy with what was their problem: a brilliant illustrated first author copy but after that fuzzy illustrations even on the Amazon book site.
Thank you for this video. It is so helpful. I was not clear on the most popular POD platforms. Great to hear them rated against each other.
What a thorough review of those book publishers. When you said you were going to discuss so many topics with 5 book samples, I thought this would be pretty boring. But you kept it lively, and I had to snicker at some of your comments. Especially a timely video for me. I just submitted my book for a hardcover book published by KDP. This is my first time to order a hardcover. Plus I ordered premium color and paper. I about had a heart attack at the printing cost--$11.00.--but it is a premium product. Besides, I want it to be special since it's a guided journal for mothers. You know you gotta spoil Mom. Of course, Mom may decide to lay out the cash to write her experiences raising those kids. KDP does have live chat and it saved my life. I chatted twice with the agent. Each time was helpful and delighted I didn't have to wait days for an email or line up on the phone line for service. Yes, it's way too late to be publishing a hardcover book only a month before Mother's Day! I see you rolling your eyes. After I got the price for printing with KDP, I checked Lulu, but it was no better. I saw there was a charge for distribution too? I went with KDP and after watching your video, I feel comfortable. Thank you.
Gift from the book gods to have this in my suggestions. Self-pub in Nov and I’ve been hunt and pecking this subject the last month.
Best of luck with your book!
Mandi, this video is exceptional! I found you detailed the various categories in a way that helped me make my decision for a paperback that I look to publish by month’s end (Feb 2023). Curious? I have decided to go with KDP. I was planning to use IngramSpark, however your comments about both tipped the scales for me. AND I really value customer service - so KDP fits the bill in that area as well. Great Video. Thank you!!
This is so helpful!! I'm so glad i stumbled across your channel 😭❤ as a first time author, my whole experience has been so daunting and specially when i reached to the publishing part but THANKS TO YOU. I have now made up my mind to publish first on KDP and later on once i feel a little more confident i'll use IG too.
Thank you so much for this video. I was vacillated between these and it looks like I am going to end up using Vervante which will also publish my books on KDP. I simply cannot deal with poor customer service no matter what other pros exist. So, IngramSpark would not work for me. The fact that you have to pay for IngramSpark and they refuse to have a customer service number tells me everything that I need to know. Thanks so much for this info. You have saved me so much pain and strife.
Thank you for the comparisons - it's very helpful.
This was super helpful; this is my first book, self-publishing because...who wants to give a publisher 7k to publish a book. Thank you, all the questions I had were addressed
This is good analysis and research. Very helpful and enlightening thank you Mia
That is a great video! Thank you. I have used IngramSpark (previously Lightning Source) to print and distro my books (20-ish books) for years - and I have experienced ALL of the problems that you listed with them. But in general it has gone well. This year I will be publishing my first novel and am looking at different POD options. I think I will give KDP a try. Also, I am going to adjust my Ingram discount level, because they have raised their print prices in recent years and seriously cut into my own profits. I did not realize that it would make such a big difference.
Yeah you have to keep a close eye on royalty rates with IngramSpark, otherwise you'll lose out on a lot of money.
Just found you from this video. I've been writing for 15 years and feel I'm ready to throw myself out there. Buying your Summit book now! Thank you :)
Thanks! I hope you love the book!
@Mandi Lynn - Stone Ridge Books I literally just told my friends, "Who do I think I am? I can't publish!" And your comment popped up immediately after, haha!
@Mandi Lynn - Stone Ridge Books the book just came in the mail, and it's your old cover without the Belle last name! I'm so excited because I liked this cover better, haha!
Good video. Very informative. All I would say is that the categories should have different weights depending on importance. With such a system the winner would be more justified
Very true! I hope anyone watching the video can gauge importance based on their personal preference.
I so agree about Ingram Sparks. I think I hate them! Not only does it take forever to solve an issue, when they respond your right, they don't answer so then again I have to response asking for what I need. back and forth and now days going by to where it's been almost 2 weeks and no resolve. I'm in the final publishing stage with them so I could get my proof,and there was two issues that they aren't addressing. Whereas, if it were Amazon, within 5 minutes they'd call me back and assist immediately. I like your show! Victoria
Thank you for doing this! This information was also very helpful!
Hello, Mandi, thank you for your video which guided me in publishing my student's book on IngramSpark. I have a quick question: How can I make the book available for distribution on Barnes & Noble (B&N) and Amazon? Do I need to start by creating a link on IngramSpark, and what are the subsequent steps? Do you happen to have a video that explains this process?
As a music producer, I'm regularly paying $80-$90 for an album distribution release. Now that I'm working on a book in tandem with an EP based on it, paying for distribution isn't anything new to me, and am willing to do so, as long as I'm not paying $80 a year, which I've been slapped across the face for missing predatory schemes with music distribution. It's still a toss up, considering Amazon uses an algorithm to promote books, while I assume Ingram spark uses nothing to promote books... Of which I enjoy neither, as my advertising fund is $0, though I have a community who loves physical products, and require the best. The struggle to choose is stifling.
For me, it's not much of an option. I moved to Serbia about a year ago. Ingramspark can't accept submissions from Serbia because Serbia does not allow electronic signatures. Barnes&Nobles doesn't allow people to publish from Serbia, period. A handful of other European countries--yes, but not Serbia. Lulu is also off-limit from here. Left is basically KDP, which I use, and I love them. Never had a problem, and I've published six books there... hardcovers and paperbacks. But I wish the hardcovers came with dust jackets like they do at Ingramspark.
Thanks for your informative videos!
Very informative - your thinking is spot on. Thank you.
As a children’s author would say I.S. for distribution since libraries and book stores can be super beneficial for marketing and reaching the audience.
Amazon having hard cover is huge. It use to only be I.S.
In the past a lot of people have complained about their print on demand quality shipped to readers.
This is a great video with super useful info.
In the past I.S. had way better print color quality. A publishing friend who printed her book that included a lot of color pictures with I.S. sold me on the quality over Amazon. At the time though.
I think it depends on the type of genre’ and distribution for authors.
If Amazon can print a quality hard cover children’s book could do the second printing. But for distribution I.S. would need to be first, imo. The library especially is a huge deal.
You’ve given me some great info to consider. Thank you 😊
KDP use cut and paste replies. Here is an example of KDP logic - after three boxes of books arrived with no packaging at all and the boxes crushed or actually busted open. (happy to send pictures of two of the boxes). I contacted KDP and, after pure torture, was able to send the pictures of the busted open boxes with scugged and damaged books inside. I had to return each package, and it takes nearly four weeks to send to my destination. I had twice set up a promotion and had to cancel it after the disaster with KDP packaging. Boy, did that hurt my reputation? Spot the cut-and-paste phrases -
Email one reply from KDP: "> Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts about the internal (packaging).
> I apologise for the inconvenience caused due to the poor (packaging).
> We will surely work on the packaging. We will ensure that the (packaging) is
much better from the next time."
Second reply: "I am sorry we can not ensure about the (packing) of the books.
But, thanks for taking time to share your thoughts about the (packaging) of the books. I’m sorry to hear you’re dissatisfied with the (package) that you have received."
Your video is sooo helpful! Thanks for that!
I've found the spine printing for KDP is so inconsistent. I have printed 20+ copies of author copies through KDP and had them delivered on the same day, with each one is different. Drives me crazy. Fine if you have a bleed cover like yours, but if you have a dedicated spine graphic, it sucks. Also, with IngramSpark, I've found their page trimming is inconsistent. So instead of a flat edge, many of my books are uneven. Also drives me nuts. 😂 So it's a toss up for me.
Excellent video and breakdown. Thanks a ton...subscribed.
Awesome, thank you!
This was SO helpful, thank you!
What do you think the best would be for color?
This is a new venture for me and your video was the first I've seen on publishing (recommended by a friend.) I found it useful and I'll check out your other videos but you could do better the next time. First, you want to have a point system 1-5. And if Customer Service is as important as you say, then perhaps each category should be weighted. Second, when going thru the process, all things have to be equal or it is not fair. How fair is it to say you didn't have a customer service issue with publisher X so you can't say if they have good service or not? Make up a problem, the same problem and see how they all respond. It doesn't have to be real because you are auditing them, like a secret shopper. And third, at the end of the video, you said you should have included "X" as a category. Yes! And you should edit it in. Don't be wishy-washy. The thing is, what you say, your opinion, matters and the video could have been cleaner. I only say all this to be helpful because as someone watching you for the first time and with your experience, I value your opinion as do 33K other people.
Thank you. Lulu, in my experience, is vastly superior at hardcover books. KDP hardcover beta produces garbage.
I miss back before KDP took over CreateSpace. When I had a proof with CS, they didn't have a "Not for Resale" bar. That was 2010 though. I don't know if they changed it before they werent around anymore and KDP replaced them.
Though, I could never get the 'formatting' right on there Printer Previewer. Somehow I messed it up to where the title page was on the left and not the right, and the left was also the back of a previous page that had something else on it. I haven't reordered another proof in years. I imagine if it left it untouched and reprinted it again it'd have the same issue -- but I don't know how to avoid that problem.
Any tips on that?
I have a course on how to format your book for print an ebook. You can find it here: bit.ly/formattingcourse
KDP has worked out for me, Easy to us, cheap and I can make a profit. I also used Lulu, Yikes. No room for profit.. Anyone you recommend for Hardcovers? I would try KDP but I have to add 8 more pages.
Mandi, who did you actually use to distribute the paperback version of your book "Meet at the Summit" to Amazon? Was it Direct2Digital or KDP or Ingram Spark. I'm curious, because like you, I'm really interested in the quality of the final product. I was tempted to use Ingram Spark until I heard your comments about their customer service. Thank you and great videos.
I use KDP
Thanks, Mandi @@MandiLynnWrites
Its over ten years since I last published anything. My last book was published by a small organisation and is jot being promoted by them. I'd used Lulu and the KDP version as it was then. Lulu is very niche, it seems to use its authors as a sales/marketing route. I retired my publications there and thus only a single title is still available via Amazon. Its very interesting to me what you found out in your survey. Do I want to return to this occupation? Good question!
I don't if you will see this to answer but I watched another YT vid about KDP and they said if Amazon puts a bar code on your book Amazon then owns the rights and you can't sell it anywhere else, is that true? Thanks!!
One more question Mandi: I was thinking to print my colouring books 8.5x11 (100% royalty) with my own ISBN as global distribution and then add the same book to KDP (same ISBN) as series...is it a good move?! thank you :)
That was super helpful!!!
what would you recommend for a linen wrap low quantity? [50>]
Really helpful breakdown. Wondering if its possible to be published with more than 1 company?
Yes! Many author use at least two or three companies at once depending on what you're looking for in terms of distribution.
Super helpful.
Where can I find a company that provides slip boxes for a book series?
Do you need to copyright your book before publishing?
Hi, can you recommend a publisher for a box set of childrens short stories. 🤗
I'm only familiar with print on demand companies, and I don't beleive any do box sets.
How many words got an 300 pages book??
On average, a printed book has 250 words per page.
Thank you! This was excellent information. This might be a dumb question, but I’m a novice at this. Do you have to purchase different ISBN numbers and scan bar codes for the five different printers, or can you just use a single ISBN number? Also, is Bowker the only seller of ISBN numbers that will work out? Thank you.
I have a video where I go over ISBNs here: ruclips.net/video/GImEALz264k/видео.html
@@MandiLynnWrites thank you!
Why wouldn’t you modify the book cost to sell on lulu?
Because people don't want to pay $20 for a paperback book
Thank you so much for all of this informationn
Anderson Mark Thompson Mark Taylor Lisa
You can email KDP? I've been locked out of my account and no one will help me. From my experience, KDP is a nightmare for customer service.
This never used to be this way with Create Space and at first KDP. In 2020, I noticed their help center went way down. You still can email KDP as of four months ago, but no longer can call. I gave up on them.
Have you done any international shipping? I’m looking to send already printed books to a distribution center so they will be able to ship internationally for a cheaper price to the customer.
That wouldn't be print on demand than. That would be a completely different process.
@@MandiLynnWrites yeah, this is the first video of yours I’ve seen, so I didn’t know if you had some videos about that too. But thank you! 🙂
Thanks for this Mandi. I've only used KDP due to the simplicity, free ISBN and cheapness. Also that's where my readers tend to be (at least for now). This video has helped me realise I'm not missing out on too much by going through KDP, so i'll continue where I am :)
So glad you found the video helpful!
WhF does KDP. ?
There is a drawback using those "free" ISBN numbers, if you didn't read what it is, you might do so, I bought mine from Bowker
@@HobbyOrganistwho did you go with and how?
Question- I am considering this after the awful experience I’ve had at Ingram Spark. Do you get your book into libraries or anywhere besides the readers that purchase on Amazon?
KDP gets a point for user-friendliness, bringing it up to five, and IS loses a point, taking it down to four. Then IS gets a point for hardcover dust jacket, so it's now equal five, but KDP gets that final point for no cost to having self-publish. I'd say we can take another point off IS for cost of self-publishing, coz you have to pay PER BOOK, not to mention there's an optional 'promote your book' fee when all is said and done. If you ask me, KDP is the clear winner here.
Totally agree. The last pointers should have counted, putting KDP the clear winner.
I just wish KDP had better paper for coloring books, and offered landscape bound layout
making coloring pages farther away from the bound edge to lie flatter ... spiral bound would be wonderful too.
Also Amazon has a bigger platform. More people go there = more sales.
@@mowgli6345 more sales in a way, but more competition as the barrier of entry is low. This could lead to less sales as you are a small finish in an even bigger pond.
@@btownes-oq2lf
Excellent and very valid point👍🏼
I'm nearing the final editing phase of a debut novel. So far, I'm think that I'm going to go with KDP first, get it all squared away, then publish on the other platforms.
Ingram Spark has always had the better end product. had so many issues with KDP. Whenever I did have an issue with IS, customer service was great. Tired of fighting with KDP so only go through them as a last resort. I rarely pay fees for IS since I am part of a writers association.
Writer’a Assoc?
What do you mean by writer's association?
NIWA (Northwest IndependentWritersAssociation, PNWA (PacificNorthwestWritersAssociation, Alli (Authors Alliance), 20Booksto50k, etc.
Do you pay a fee for the association?
Most writer associations have a membership fee. Some are 35 dollars a year up to 99. Depends on their size and what they offer.
I don’t care if IngramSpark won every single category by a mile - the payment to upload is a no-holds-barred dealbreaker for me. I’ll always associate that model with vanity presses.
In my opinion, when you’re starting out and every sale is a fight, there’s no point cutting into your insanely narrow profit margins with extra fees, especially not for such minimal differences in quality.
Who would you use then for wide distribution?
Hm, I've never thought of it that way. Very valid point! I don't mind the fee uploading. It drives me up the wall to have to pay fees every time I need to update content as well.
@@makennazornes Personally, I'm honestly not that concerned about wide distribution. I've been watching the publishing and self-publishing industries since I was just a dreamy little kid in the 90s, when selling a self-published book meant roadtripping to all the libraries in your state and passing them out by hand lol. I still think that even with wide distribution, the real success of a book is going to depend above all on the author's ability to shill. So if/when I FINALLY finish this manuscript (haha) I think having it up on just one big, known website and then supporting that with hand sales and my own website would probably satisfy me.
That's just me though, I haven't tried it in practice yet - maybe I will regret this opinion some day, but as Aragorn says, it is not this day lol
You can always find coupons for free upload.
As an author of exclusively hardcover children's books, IS is definitely worthwhile.
So it depends on your intended audience.
I'm doing art books with photos so I am going with Lulu for printing, because they are printing on 80# coated paper Amazon is printing on 60# paper regardless of the color standard or premium uncoated. The quality of reproduction is night and day between these two papers. Art and photo books require coated paper for reproductions otherwise they look like cheap. Just saying it depends on what the book is about and what printing quality you need. Also with 3rd party printers you can still market on Amazon which is it's forte but they are no good when it comes to print quality.
You've missed one parameter: languages supported, e.g. in KDP you can only publish paperbacks in Western European languages, some Indian languages and Japanese.
This video was posted a year ago. Ingram Spark customer service didn't get any better 😔
Who do you recommend?
Thanks heaps for this breakdown, Mandi. I'm on my 4th book with IS (in Australia) and haven't had too many problems at all. Perhaps your videos will encourage IngramSpark to up their game as far as customer service goes, and then the difference will be obvious. Clear winners, I think.
Honestly? KDP good customer service? Woah. Not my experience...And I used to work for KDP and Amazon
Exactly. I dislike this company after what they've put me through since Nov. 2022.
Same! I self published on Amazon back in 2013, and have nine books, but I don't have access to my books anymore. I had to change email addresses twice due to personal security issues, and then when I went to change a third time, which fair play to them is annoying, I was locked out of my author account. Now my books are either too expensive or too cheap, and even if they did sell I wouldn't see any money because I can't get in to change my bank account.
12:34 Thicker paper is better for color interior with less print bleed through. D2D may not do color interiors.
Ingram allows returns which book stores require for authors book signings.
I have published non-fiction books with KDP (starting when it was Createspace) for years. For the most part I have been very happy with how easy it is to work with them, and how good the final book looks. The only problem I've had is when KDP has some kind of issue with the contents, wording on the cover, etc. They just send you a form email with no details and you have to try and figure out what the problem is. Plus when you do manage to get a live person, they can't help you either. Very frustrating.
My issue with KDP is when they took over Create Space, we now do not own the rights to our books. I found this out the hard way.
@@jeanwilliams2629 Can you explain this more? Is it that people who used CreateSpace lost the rights to their books when it transfers to KDP? Or that anyone who uses KDP looses the rights to their book?
@@melissakearns3802 We read that when Create Space was taken over by KDP that KDP now owns our book once we uploaded that book to KDP. It is in the agreement page.
@@jeanwilliams2629 Did you use their "free" ISBN for your book(s)? there is a catch, that's why I bought mine from Bowker directly, so the ISBN is my property.
@@jeanwilliams2629 I don't see any such claim on their page, it may vary by country but in the US anyway you the author own the copyrights to your book, KDP's rights include being able to display your book COVER on their site and elsewhere for marketing it, to show portions of the inside to customers to decided if they want to buy it or not. If you publish your book in other formats like Kindle electronic- then there's rights they have connected to the customer's purchase of the electronic copy- that they can keep that on their devices etc. There are other issues if you use their in-house "free" ISBN number, one is you can't use that anywhere else- the ISBN belongs to KDP.
I never allowed my book to be published in Kindle form, it's paperback ONLY, once you release a digital file such as used by Kindle devices it can be hacked, copied and distributed by anyone anywhere and it's a lot easier to do than people think.
Yes, a paper book can be scanned, but it takes a LOT more work, effort and motivation to sit there and scan 300 pages out of a book and fix the results.
There is this too that comes up periodically in one form or another on those devices your book mightbe on;;
Your Amazon Kindle and your Amazon account could be hacked by just opening a single ebook, according to research published Friday as part of the DEF CON security conference taking place in Las Vegas this week.
Once the malicious book is opened, a remote hacker could delete all books on the device and could steal the authentication token used to get into an Amazon account, according to the proof of concept attack developed by researchers at Israel-based cybersecurity company Check Point. “Equipped with these tokens the attacker would now be able to access the victims Amazon account and perform anything on his behalf,” said Yaniv Balmas, head of cyber research at Check Point. An attacker could have also used the Kindle as a launchpad for attacking other devices on a local WiFi network.
Balmas was able to create a evil ebook that took advantage of a flaw in the Kindle operating system that meant when parsing images from the book it wasn’t limiting the amount of code that could be written to the device, known as a heap overflow bug. That flaw allowed him to overwrite parts of memory. To get complete control of the Amazon device, he discovered another flaw that allowed him to grant himself root user rights.
That lovely "NOT for Resale" protects the author. Ingram views proof copies as neither sales nor prints. Ingram will Not disclose how many so-called proof copies they printed. For print on demand, you want a royalty for every print out there. Otherwise, they would be unauthorized copy duplications, that you are not getting paid. Can you imagine they print off 100 copies of your book not labeled as proof copies. Only to stock their distributors, or take business write-offs off your book? Or give them to their private sellers who sell them for $48 per copy. As a self-published author, you need to have control of your inventory and supply/demand. Ingram doesn't care, in this regard.
I went through the ratings and weighted them; giving 5 points for first place, 4 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth and 1 for fifth. When there was a tie, I averaged the points.
The Results: Kindle Direct Publishing 28.5; IngramSpark 24.5; Barnes & Noble 21.0; Lulu 17.0; Draft2Digital 14.0. IngramSpark's poor customer service dragged them down below KDP.
I've always used IS (for years). Never had a problem. #justsayin
They all use the same printers, so the physical quality should be the same. The differences would be in the software, I suppose.
Order ten from each and then see if there is truly a difference.
I'm considering just buying like two copies (hard cover) of my novel so I can have my own copy for me and my co-author. Lulu seems to be pretty easy to use and not overly expensive. We also don't have the background art at the chapter pages so we wouldn't have to worry about that. It looks like Lulu might be a solid option. Have you gotten any hardcovers from Lulu? (and seen how they are with opening them/if they're super stiff and have to be really bent open like the paperback?)
Definitely, KDP is the BEST currently in 2022, even though they don't have dust jackets and don't make it as easier/helpful in Japan where I live. Ingram Sparks is a headache and they could easily be AMAZING if they wanted to be, they just don't care enough to be GREAT.
It's so true! If InngramSpark wanted to, they could be the best by far, no competition. Personally, I feel like they've shown time and time again they don't care about the opinions of the authors they serve.
Hey Matt! How do you have your paperbacks delivered to readers in Japan? I am in South Korea and about to publish my first book. It seems shipping fees would be extremely high to SK or Japan. I suppose I could order a bunch of copies and have them delivered to my address in the US when I return there and them bring them back as luggage to SK for readers here. Seems like a complicated procedure.
Excellent. I like the breakdown and review from each on-demand publisher. I especially enjoyed the quality of cover and interior portions. I think an author is more critical of how his/her book is printed. Great video.
I published through Lulu last April. I went with them after spending A LOT of time comparing options. In the end it was all about the quality of the final product. My only complaint about them was the lethargy in communication.
how msany ppl shop there? did you sell well
@Mandi Lynn, Would you add to your Rating Scheme the Speed to Publish?
If everything was perfect from the start (cover, interior, Editing, etc), how long does it take for each POD to list your new book as "Available for Sale"?
The main reason why I would go with Ingramspark is because KDP doesn't offer my book size. I do photography books. Just my two cents. Lol
so exited, i'm shopping around, getting quotes for print on demand. I just submitted my book through Barnes & Noble print on demand so i can try and print a few test copies to make sure it look all good. the last 11 months i been working on a 108k word book on meditation and the phenomena associated with it as well as adding some african spiritual ancient cosmological information that coincides with the metaphysical stuff. sooo happy i'm at this step. Nobody knows how special of a day today is for me 😭🥳 🎉. can't wait to start this journey. I subbed to your channel. Thank you. You helped a lot, gave me the info i needed 👍🏾
What a cool book! Good luck!
Don't forget us for your next self-published video! We can print one copy or more but our prices are much better for slightly longer print runs. Super cheap at the moment for self-publishers in the States because of how weak the pound is :)
Glad to see your comment here! I’m checking out your website now as I’m a new author looking for a company to print and direct sell my books.
@@SanctifiedSista117 Ahh, that's great to hear. Any questions, do give us a shout, we are here to help on email, phone and live chat.
This video was awesome. I am working with a small start-up press and getting IngramSpark to get back to me for anything at all is a nightmare. Having to choose between quality and customer service is terrible. KDP is obviously non-negotiable; we want to sell books so we need to work with Amazon, so I'm super relieved to hear you say their quality and their customer service are so fantastic. I was really liking what I was seeing and hearing about D2D so your review is disappointing but I'm VERY grateful for it because it means we won't dive in blindly. Thanks for the video!
I've heard a bit about D2D and it'd be great to have a 3rd option so it was disappointing to not have D2D as a contender yet.
I'm kind of sad you didn't address DPI on covers and interiors. I recently published through Ingram Spark because the KDP version of my cover and the files inside were such a low DPI it made the maps and artwork look terrible! I used all the same files for the interior on both sites, and the maps, chapter header images, and any fonts not Palatino like the main body were super low quality only through KDP, but were perfect from Ingram Spark. I only ever ordered author proof copies, but I would imagine they send the same quality that will be distributed.
My only complaint about Ingram Spark was that my cover is darker than it's supposed to be.
Poor quality illustrations with KDP is the only reason why I'm going to try Ingram Sparks.
What DPI did you use?
@@cobusbrits2 300
Great video! Thank you so much for putting it together! 🤗 I guess I would pick KDP and B&N press. I wish someone would confirm that you could have your print book on B&N shelves if you publish through them!!! That would be the only reason I would use their press.
I'd reach out to Barnes and Noble Press customer service to find out! I'd like to think the answer is yes, but you never know!
When I went to a local store as a local author, all they said that they needed was my book uploaded on their site
When we published our first book through KDP, we ordered two paperback proofs and one hardcover proof. The hardcover looked great, even without the coveted dust jacket. One of the two paperback proofs looked perfect, while the other was cut incorrectly - by a significant amount. So I'd have to say that even a company with great quality still makes mistakes.
And yes, the "not for resale" banner on the proofs is certainly annoying.
Ingram Spark prints locally in Australia. I've had great service from the Aussie 'branch'. They've saved my butt with 'walking through' a print to make sure I got it on time when I 'rush ordered' a run for an event. OK the pay to upload is a bummer, but I try to upload when they send a 'voucher'. The quality, service, and Australia printing/post for my event stock is worth it.
Awesome, thank you. I spent hours trying to find an email address or phone number for Amazon, to no avail. I will have to look again.
Does print on demand with Ingram work with a personal online bookstore? If a customer would purchase directly from the authors online store, will it print on demand, or is that option just for their partnered distributers?
Would you not just link to your book on Amazon and the buyer will purchase it through Amazon shopping cart ?
Just saying - and asking - as I'd also like to know the answer !
Good discussion, but questionable conclusions. KDP printed the cover most true to color, but didn’t win? Thinner paper is better. This are personal preferences.
I want a discussion of the text quality. If I print in a very fine font like Garamond, will the text be light or dark and crisp
Text-wise, I find all the print on demand companies were nearly identical. The only time I see interior printing quality difference is with images. In that case, IngramSpark and Barnes and Noble Press are best for printing photos.
@@MandiLynnWrites thanks
So KDP costs $4.80 and pays you $3 but you’re charging $12.99. What happens to the difference?! KDP keeps it?
We’ve been trying to contact KDP for months, we can’t find a phone a number for them…how can we find the customer service number?
Hi Mandi, I am looking for a print-on-demand company for music books. I need the 9x12 in format with no minimum of pages. Do you know of any? I have an account on LULU because they don't have a minimum number of pages, but their maximum size is A4 and I need 9x12. Thanks in advance
KDP has a live chat option.
Every time I buy a book printed by KDP, the cover immediately & permanently curls up once I start reading it!
Yes! I forgot to mention that! It doesn't happen all the time to me, but it definitely an issue!
Thanks for the info.
From my Looks to me that KDP wins this hands down.
Poor customer service and user friendliness are not a plus or 0 point option they are either a +1 or a -1 especially when the difficulty and poor customer service can cost you money.
So, Ingram sparks in my book does not have 5 points, they have 3 points.
5 points -1 for poor customer service gives them 4 points.
4 points -1 for difficulty in use gives them 3 points.
KDP is in my view the hands down winner in this review.
One final thing.
I am going to give ingram sparks another
-1 for that 50% discount marketying ploy
which is an obvious scam to rip off the
author while providing themselves with
greater profits.
That gives ingram sparks a 2, not a 5.
I appreciate you documenting this process, Mandi Lynn. I'm planning on making a workbook to supplement my eBook. I'm sure you have video on this topic, but if not, I'd like to make a request for your advice. I am so glad I found you. Cheers:)
If I publish on Amazon KDP for Kindle and print on demand with my own ISBN. Can I still simultaneously use a local traditional publisher to print the book with the same ISBN in order to distribute my book on some regional book fairs?
If I want to order 30 copies of my own book to sell, what is Ingram Spark going to charge me? The full retail price or the actual cost of the book?
If you purchase through IngramSpark, they charge printing costs, which is less than wholesale.
@@MandiLynnWrites Thank you for the quick response.
So much helpful information, thank you for that. I published a few low content books with KDP and am looking to expand.
Can I technically order author copies of my book from Amazon KDP and sell it on a different platform than Amazon?
Hello, Mandi, thank you for your video which guided me in publishing my student's book on IngramSpark. I have a quick question: How can I make the book available for distribution on Barnes & Noble (B&N) and Amazon? Do I need to start by creating a link on IngramSpark, and what are the subsequent steps? Do you happen to have a video that explains this process?
I printed a paperback journal with Lulu with standard colour and the quality was awful! they recommended premium colour on #80 coated but It's a journal (needs to be written on) and my original photograph that I want to be in premium/high quality colour...I now reviewed it and ideally I am making a series of book/journal (all in one) ideally with jacket cover (series of them-I want a quality colour but still a thick paper suitable for writing)...I played with costs and of course Lulu is expensive, but KDP only has hardcover option, right?headache! what would you recommend? Thank you so much Gaia
Wow, Mandi, that was a really good and informational comparison! I have dabbled with Lulu and frankly just wasn't impressed, it was a bit of a challenge to figure out the whole pricing thing. It was not a fiction book like yours, so I am glad I tested it with a puzzle book. I feel that technically, KDP may have won your competition because even though you liked the brighter covers of the other publishers, KDP did do it accurately. Having said that, I think I would have liked the brighter colors too! Thank you for this very informational video, it was very helpful! 😉
Thanks! Glad you liked the video!
Please tell me how I can speak to someone at Amazon. They will not show my reviews, even if they purchased the book from them. Can you help me?
I have just written a child’s book that I chose to come out on a different faster avenue. I am first doing a 6 minute video that premiers on U Tube 8-18 with a 1 minute video trailer out 7-1. Then it will be published on KDP hopefully and it’s cartoon is so colorful and cute! It will relate with the book! I am very excited to see how this avenue will work out. They Call Me DOG FACE. Is the name of my inspirational book. Thank you for all your hard work. Just know I am hearing you!!
Thanks for your nice comparative look! Regarding Ingram: If something made you "never want to work with them again," I think that's that. It's a deal breaker, even if the final product wins by a hair.
I like KDP. Just a couple of issues: Paper is good, but a bit thicker would be better (70 maybe), and hardcover proof seemed to have a bit of warpage in both the cover and pages and a distinct division of the interior into two chunks. Overall, KDP is pretty easy to work with. The worst I've encountered, and it seems rare, is getting an error message upon upload with no clue as to what the error is. But as you said, they're easy enough to contact to work things out, and it's great that they don't charge for setup, revisions, etc.
Looking for advice. I uploaded my book through Barnes and Nobles Press. So far not a great experience. Uploaded book on April 2, 2024. Today is May 2, 2024. My account is still pending. The site says it takes 15 days, that is obviously and error. I have reached out to the company several times and I was lucky to get one response claiming they were delayed, but could not find my manuscript. I promptly replied with photos to prove the file was uploaded, and I have heard nothing since. I attempted to contact them again, and no response. I have no idea what the problem is or if I need to do anything from my end. Frustrated. This is my first attempt to self publish with Barnes and Nobles Press. Has anyone encountered a problem like this?
I have a question... I just published my Book Feb. 22nd. Is *Best Sellers Rank: **#222**,015 in Books* a good thing?? So far, I have 13 sales.