Groups / Small Publishers and... / Ingram Spark vs....
I do not yet have the final proofs to compare the printing of Ingram Spark and CreateSpace editions of "Confessions of a Golf Slut" side by side. But I can explain why (and how) I've decided to use both, and share a few tips for like-minded publishers and writers.
- CreateSpace is much more user-friendly in every way. It guides the user through the process gently, which means one might make more mistakes and take longer through the proofing process than with Ingram Spark, which won't approve a title if it finds one measly little error.
- I am a little worried that my Ingram Spark cover might be a bit off and it seems I might have to pay $25 to resubmit it. Or maybe I misunderstand their proofing process -- which, frankly, is a bit confusing, but then, see Note No. 1. CreateSpace has a lot more experience in this niche.
- I had browser issues uploading with both companies. So I would just try Firefox, then Explorer, then Chrome, until something worked. Explorer probably was the most successful, Firefox probably the least.
- I have seen three proofs of my book so far with CreateSpace and have not seen a perfect cover yet, even though we used the template. The spine has not been centered yet.
- During the proofing process, CreateSpace added the matte cover option, perhaps to better compete with Ingram Spark. I think I will prefer it to laminate.
- It costs nothing to set up a title with CreateSpace, $49 with Ingram Spark (plus $12 annual maintenance fee).
- The royalty for a book retailing at $16.95 on CreateSpace: $5.70 if sold through Amazon, $2.31 if sold through other channels. The royalty for that book if sold through Ingram Spark: $2.80. So if I sell 100 books at Ingram Spark, I've paid off my $49 and will make 49 cents more per book thereafter than I would via CreateSpace.
I've read complaints about Amazon's relationship with Lightning Source/Ingram Spark, along with complaints that booksellers hate Amazon and, by extension, CreateSpace. So I decided to use CreateSpace if only to collect that bigger royalty (with probably better service) via its parent company Amazon, and to use Ingram Spark for wider distribution.
I also will use CreateSpace for its more favorable pricing on my own copies -- $4.47 per copy plus about 50 cents per book standard shipping or $1 expedited, if you're ordering 25 books or more. For that same 25-book shipment, Ingram Spark will charge me $4.89 for each book (its bulk pricing kicks in at 100 books) plus about $1 a book standard shipping.
If I order 50 books through Ingram Spark, I will get my $49 setup fee back. Since those books will cost me just $21 more than they would via CreateSpace's publisher pricing, I will surely do that.
Next up: ebook files!
My surmise is that ISBNs for printed books will remain. They already expanded from 10-digit to 13-digit, but if digital formats continue to multiply, I can't imagine the chaos—some publishers will, and others (such as myself) won't add ISBNs to every format. And formats will come and go. Once into digital format, DRM will not stop sharing, which, although it doesn't sell books directly, could be seen as promotion, not entirely a bad thing.
In a few years, it may be a whole different industry. Will we bypass publishers and agents, as we are bypassing printers and bookstores?
You are advanced, Christine! How do you distribute/sell? Particularly with Amazon?
Good to see a comparison of the two processes. I've used CreateSpace for nearly 60 titles now, and they have evolved and improved their process over the past two years. Their responses have not always been the answer that I wanted to hear, but at least they make connection. The big advantage I see with CreateSpace is that there is no cost to making changes, perhaps completely changing the interior or the cover. They offer a "CreateSpace page" for your title, which earns a much higher "royalty," but getting that link out there to the marketplace is up to you, not them.
I have not dealt with their option to send to academic and library customers, since they require that the ISBN be a CreateSpace number, which I am not willing to do. Not sure why they do it that way; and I may rethink my own strategy on that.
Good information I will share with my self-publishing clients! I format my own books and get them printed at a brick and mortar printer. Very good quality and price that way and any printer now a days has POD services, so I can order any number that I want.
Actually you are supposed to have an ISBN for each format. There is even some debate about whether one should have a different ISBN for each digital format, which is another can of worms I guess I will get to. However, as long as you stay in print and aren't doing a whole new edition, the ISBN stays with the book.
I would suspect the isbn would follow the book... and not be determined by the printing/publishing process. Yes Susan?
Thanks for this feedback Susan! Very interesting. We are looking for a good 'eco' printer and how that's going to work with Amazon. Keep the "reports" coming.... good stuff!
Sibylla, great question I forgot to answer! I used the same ISBN because it is the same format, print. However, I purchased a group of ISBNs from Bowker, I did not use a CreateSpace ISBN, which of course would not transfer over to the Ingram Spark edition.
Thanks for sharing this! Did you use the same ISBN or did you have to use a different one for Ingram Spark?