Support for Indie Authors discussion

What do you guys recommend for print books? I like createspace and its editing, cover and interior packages, but I want to get my stuff in libraries and physical stores. And what do you use for digital?

Ahmed wrote: "What do you guys recommend for print books? I like createspace and its editing, cover and interior packages, but I want to get my stuff in libraries and physical stores. And what do you use for dig..."

Moved to the Author Help section.

For digital I use Amazon, Lulu, and Smashwords, which also distributes to other outlets such as Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scripd, etc.

For paperbacks, Createspace and Lulu. Lulu for hardcover as well. With expanded distribution, Createspace distributes to Barnes & Noble, as well as other outlets, including libraries.

Lulu distributes to Ingram and others. For details you can go to their websites to see exactly what is included.

Createspace does distribute to the physical bookstores and libraries. The trick is being able to set your price high enough that those distribution channels become feasible.

I print my paperback through createspace - and the quality is superb. However, it's not feasible for me to price my book high enough to qualify for the "expanded distribution" to bookstores and libraries because then it would be too expensive on Amazon. You have to price your book high enough to get into "expanded distribution.". But I wasn't willing to price my book that high - no one would have bought it on Amazon if I priced it that high. You'll see what I mean if you try out the pricing calculator on createspace.

My book in print is about 440 pages, which makes it a little pricey to print. My next novel will be shorter; maybe then I'll be able to opt for expanded distribution while keeping my price low enough to be practical on Amazon.

I think it's personal preference. I myself go with Createspace though I'm sure LightningSource is just as good.

Send pre-publication review copies of your book to the library journals. I received a favorable review for my non-fiction, personal finance book in Booklist. That review generated sales of 700 books through Baker and Taylor and other smaller library wholesalers. An order blank in the back of the book resulted in additional sales from library patrons who copied the order form and ordered a book for themselves or a family member. I donated copies of my book to my local library system and received a nice write-up in the local newspaper including a photo. The library had me speak at one of their events and that resulted in additional sales.

I published my eBook through KDP. My first attempt at publishing a paperback edition was made through Createspace and honestly, while at first I was content with the quality, I began to encounter an increasing number of issues. I discontinued that version and republished through Blurb which distributes through Ingram. They have no issues combining the paperback and eBook editions into one listing on Amazon, at least not on the US website. Ingram doesn't distribute to Amazon UK. I've had no problems with B&N and others thus far.

Narayan wrote: "I published my eBook through KDP. My first attempt at publishing a paperback edition was made through Createspace and honestly, while at first I was content with the quality, I began to encounter a..."

Out of interest, what issues did you encounter? I've used CreateSpace and so far have had no complaints, but maybe I've just been lucky.

Ian wrote: "Out of interest, what issues did you encounter? I've used CreateSpace and so far have had no complaints, but maybe I've just been lucky."

I wouldn't be surprised if my own horrible luck were to blame for half the issues!

Most of them were with text and the quality of the cover. They just didn't appear correctly on the physical proof. I expect that to happen the first few times but, even after adjustments were made, it just was not up to standard for me.

HI, I've just published my first novel Crack Falling with Lightning Source (I'm in Australia) and I've found that their platform and quality is really great. I'd recommend them to anyone. The costs are less I think than with other POD, and they also have a returns policy and do distribute throughout the world, including the UK, Europe and Asia. The set up costs are minimal (say $75 for 1 title) and the quality is as good as the program you use to create it with. I used InDesign and this worked well for me.