What I Learned by Self-Publishing: Printing Options

When I first decided to self-publish, I did research to see what might fit my needs – and I landed on KDP to start (whatever I read initially told me I could set the paperback to pre-order, but I later learned this is not the case). Which brings me to my first note:

Can you set your book to preorder?	eBook	Print
B&N Press	Yes	Yes
KDP (Amazon)	Yes	No*
IngramSpark**	Yes	Yes

I began with the paperback. Originally, I went with 6×9 for size, but after receiving the first printed proof, I opted for 5.25×8. I HIGHLY recommend hanging out at your bookshelf (or swing by a book shop) and hold some books. Get a feel for the size – have a good idea of what you want before you begin formatting (whether you are doing the typesetting or paying someone else to – if you don’t like the size and need to redo the typesetting, it’s going to cost time and potentially money). As you are deciding on size, also consider if you want to do hardcover in addition to paperback. If that is the case, consider the same size for both so that you don’t need multiple documents to track. Be aware that not all sizes available in paperback are available for hardcover. (Last note – KDP has changed their pricing to have two categories now – and large trim sizes now cost more per page – so take the time to do the math and see what would be the best option for you!)

Because KDP won’t let you set up for preorders, be aware that if you need copies for an event leading up to or on your book’s launch date, you cannot order author copies. KDP’s printed proof has a “not for sale” banner laid over the cover. Ingram and B&N will allow you to override the sale date and order copies in advance. 

As for where you choose to upload, of the three I ended up with:

Cost to upload
B&N	None
Amazon	None
IngramSpark	$49 for both ebook and print; or $49 for only print or only ebook (Though I’ll note that as of May 1, Ingram won’t be charging anymore for initial uploads. I’m leaving the original note just as an FYI in case that charge returns. There are still charges for changes made more than sixty days after uploading.)

Yes, there is a cost to upload to Ingram. However, it feels like you get something more for that money. There are more hoops to jump through – which also means more eyes on your documents. Plus, the addition of getting it pushed out to multiple platforms. I will also note that a lot of small book shops won’t buy from Amazon/KDP – so you will either need to upload to IngramSpark or order/print/sell directly yourself. (If you do both Ingram and B&N, note that you will need separate ISBNs for the paperbacks on each site.)

Each service provides a digital proof for you to look over. You can also order a printed proof (there is a charge for printing and to ship; if you are an Amazon Prime member, please note that these orders do not qualify for free shipping). Plan out far enough that you can do a couple rounds of printed proofs in case there is something wrong with the formatting or you find typos. (There was an issue with my font on the cover that only showed up with the printed proof, not the digital – so I cannot stress enough to make sure you get a printed proof!)

Comparisons:

I ended up uploading an ebook and paperback through KDP, hardcover and ebook through B&N press, and paperback through Ingram. Most of these decisions were made due to royalties (such as I opted not to do an ebook through Ingram because their royalties are much less, which I’ll get to next week), but I also considered access. (Since I didn’t do an ebook through Ingram, I ended up uploading the ebook through B&N press so that I could have an ebook listed on the B&N site.) My paperbacks are 5.25×8, and my hardcover is 5.5×8.5. I originally thought I’d do a ‘print on the cover’ hardcover, but I decided I wanted the dust jacket after all (glad I did – for some reason, getting this copy made this all finally feel real).

I opted for the matte finish on the cover, which gives it a softer feel, and black and white interior for all three. The dust jack is removable, of course, and the hardcover beneath is dark blue. There is no title on the spine or anything on the cover. With B&N Press, you can get a hardcover with a printed cover OR a dust jacket; Ingram will let you get the dust jacket and still print on the hardcover. (I went with B&N Press because you can print copies and ‘keep it private’ as opposed to listing for sale, which I was going to do originally – but then I thought, why not just post it in case anyone wants that version instead.)

Both of these have the same number of pages. The paperback on the left is from KDP and has 50lb cream-colored pages. The one on the right is from IngramSpark and has 35lb groundwood – which I prefer as it has a more ‘polished’ feel (it’s what is used for most mass-market paperbacks – of the three places I used, Ingram is the only one with this option). Because the pages are 35lb instead of 50lb, the book itself is a bit slimmer. (If you are unfamiliar, the ‘lb’ refers to the thickness of the paper. The higher the number, the thicker the page. A couple of these places also have a 70lb, but it’s uncommon to use this for a book like this – it would be more common to have if you are using color printing inside or have images.)