It used to be that self-publishing required so much effort and dedication for limited returns, making it easier for many authors to just continue waiting until they get picked up by a major publisher.
When the Internet became more prevalent, and with it eBooks, self-publishing became so much easier that even published authors these days are releasing their books on digital format. For beginner authors, there are online publishing services that make things easier. One of the relatively newer services that have been generating a lot of buzz is IngramSpark. If you’re not familiar with them, here are 5 interesting facts you need to know:
1. It’s backed by decades of experience in the book industry
IngramSpark certainly is not a fly-by-night, novice operation as it’s backed by Ingram Distribution, which has been around for several decades now and has a strong global reach, with marketing presence in several parts of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Ireland, UK, and Latin America.
2. Offers a decent profit
If an author doesn’t have any intentions of getting his or her book stocked by brick-and-mortar stores – meaning the books only get ordered if customers order or ask for it – publishers incur savings because they only have to print on an “as-needed” basis. They in turn pass these savings on to the authors in the form of discounts or higher royalties. If you’re only getting your book carried as eBooks or on order-basis, IngramSpark could offer as much as 45% to 70% royalties, which is higher than other companies offering similar services.
3. Pay for convenience: royalty vs. fee
IngramSpark, like other self-publishing services, basically offers authors convenience – they let you focus on producing the book’s content while they handle things that usually fall outside of a writer’s basic skillset, such as printing and distribution. The difference is that IngramSpark provides more options; if you want the benefit of having an experienced company handle printing, publishing and distribution, you can pay for the service upfront via a fee or you can get reduced royalty instead. The latter is perfect for novice authors who really don’t have much in the way of budgets. It’s basically a “pay as you go” payment model for publishing. This system greatly reduces the risk – if your book sells, you’ll have enough royalty to cover the expenses, but if it doesn’t you won’t have to worry about being in the red.
4. IngramSpark doesn’t offer editing or design services
IngramSpark chose to focus on their company’s core strength – which is publishing and distribution, and so has decided not to offer proofreading, editing, typesetting, or design services. For authors who can’t do these things on their own, they will have to contact a third party author services company.
5. Your book could appear on independent bookstore shelves
Many independent bookstores purchase titles from IngramSpark either directly from Ingram itself or through one of their distribution partners. So, if you feel that your book has a market outside of the Internet, IngramSpark has the means to give you an opportunity. You just have to remember to allow bookstores to return your books, as many independent bookstores take that into account when making purchases (because they can’t afford overstock).
Image credit: rosmary on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/hv1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of eBooks India. He is also a prolific eBook writer with over 25 titles to his name.[/author_info] [/author]