Printing
Note
This page is still in progress
KDP
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) offers an option to create paperback and hardcover copies of your book. KDP is not as flexible with pricing options as IngramSpark, but they are easier to use.
Ingram Spark
Printing with Ingram Spark requires more up-front work than KDP, and they charge a fee of $49, but they have several advantages, including:
- The ability to set your prices as you please.
- The ability to set your wholesale discount as you please.
- The ability to have your books printed on-demand inside of local bookstores using Ingram’s Espresso printers.
- The ability to order cheaper offset print runs, if you know you’ll need more than 1000 copies of your book.
Ingram also makes it easy to order books by the carton. This is especially helpful if you want to send out advance copies for review, if you want to give away print copies through Goodreads or BookishFirst, or if you want to sell your own copies at book shows.
You can get copies of your book months before its release date. Ingram charges just the print and shipping fee, which is substantially less than even the wholesale price of your book.
Ingram charges a premium for rush orders, so try to order your books a few weeks before you’ll actually need them.
Other Options
I have not yet had the time to dig into these options, but they are generally well-regarded and worth a look”
- Book Baby
- Lulu
- Smashwords - Smashwords is especially flexible and helps with sales and distribution as well as printing.
- Reedsy