Support for Indie Authors discussion

Hello, I would appreciate advice on where to start self publishing a children's book. I just got the PDF file ready, it includes the illustrations.
Thank you from the heart!
Cristina

Hi Cristina,
I think most authors here would recommend either Ingram or Createspace for publishing. I prefer Createspace, because there are no upfront costs. I believe Ingram has some surcharges. It would be a good idea to check out both platforms and go from there.

The issue you might have is that the price to print in full colour on createspace is rather extortionate. My book is 414 pages in full colour and costs $57 however in back and white it's only $9.99. That's why I'm bringing out both versions.

Have a look at BookBaby. I received my proof on Tuesday and am really happy with the quality of paper and printing clarity. I had photo images, rather than illustrations but they turned out beautifully. Going forward they charge a flat $199 for global distribution under a POD contract. It notes exclusivity, but I clarified with their support desk and it only applies to the particular print ISBN that they sell. Other formats or vendors would have their own ISBN.

Cristina, do think about trying a version that would work on an iPad first so you can have that colour without the cost of production and test your book on the target audience. If you use Createspace be aware that if you use your own ISBN from outside of their supply it restricts some distribution.

Hi Christina, no doubt there are several places where you can publish your book, but I have published 2 children's picture books in the past 3 months and I used Createspace. Go to their website and read the information there. It will provide all the answers you need. There is no upfront cost to publish with them but you pay for proofs & finished book when you order. My books are 28 & 38 pages each with colour pictures and the cost is $3.65 each when I order. Of course I find shipping a tad expensive, but I live in Canada, so I use regular delivery ($21 for 10 books). The key to a good experience with Createspace is to format your book according to their specifications. I also find their staff to be very helpful and you can use the “phone call method” which responds almost immediately! Good luck with your book whichever way you decide.

Thank you for your advices, most useful indeed. But what do you think about trying with Amazon?

Hi Christina, if by Amazon you mean KDP, I think they are okay for kindle versions of books, but I do not use them for my print books. My first try was disastrous, besides there isn't a dedicated phone # to call anyone. You have to communicate via email and you are told it can take up to 72 hours for a response. But who knows? You may have a better experience. Good luck in whatever you do.

Cristina wrote: "Thank you for your advices, most useful indeed. But what do you think about trying with Amazon?"

Hi Cristina,
Yes, Amazon is the 500 lb Gorilla in the room. Like them or not I would start there. I would start with KDP Select, then go ACX for audio, and Createspace for print. Then, write another one! I have 24 books and they all start with Amazon. Now 1/2 of my books I keep out of Amazon's select program so i can get them outside of Amazon in digital formats. Good luck :)

Createspace for paper.
Kindle KDP select for eBook.
ACX for audio.

If you have pictures in your book and the formatting is important, then you will need to use Kindle Textbook Creator to get them on Amazon properly. It is pretty standard in kid's books to need to use that. But they will not work for all e-reader devices.

Other online book suppliers might not even accept them. I had a dilly of a time, because my book layout was important. Amazon was the only one I could find that could do an e-book with special formatting.

Thank you so much!
Precious informations. I hope I can make it !

I have no idea if their print costs would be any less (likely not), but just so you know Barnes & Nobles (NookPress) has a PoD service as well. I just got finished verifying my vendor account with them for my first book.

Cristina wrote: "Thank you so much!
Precious informations. I hope I can make it !"
Cristina, I went to a lecture that suggested using Createspace as a test case. There is no cost to upload your mss and cover. You can preview it online and when it looks good, you can order a proof copy.
I've used Createspace for three books and am happy with them.
Pauline

Cristina wrote: "Hello, I would appreciate advice on where to start self publishing a children's book. I just got the PDF file ready, it includes the illustrations.
Thank you from the heart!
Cristina"

Cristina,
While moving forward with above mentioned tips I'd subscribe to home school organizations' newsletter etc. This is an excellent market for children's book authors. Most homeschooling parents care deeply about their children's education hence they will invest in good books.
:)) Gisela

C.B. wrote: "If you have pictures in your book and the formatting is important, then you will need to use Kindle Textbook Creator to get them on Amazon properly. It is pretty standard in kid's books to need to ..."

This is excellent advice. +1000
Kindle Create has textbook mode. You can try it and preview the results.

To whom I haven't thanked yet, here goes my sincere gratitude for your suggestions and advices.

Thank you, very kind of you.

When choosing between KDP and Createspace, I'd pay attention to their printing times. I moved from Createspace to KDP. Over the holidays, all PoD books were delayed. I have no proof of this, but I have a strong feeling the createspace books were getting priority over the kdp print books. The week before Christmas, my book had a 6 - 8 DAY delay from purchase to delivery. This was a huge problem for me, since I had bought ads and was promoting my book as a great gift.

I don't know anything about printing children's books. However, before I pick where to publish my next book, I'm going to spend time researching printing delays and who has priority. I suggest anyone picking a PoD publisher to investigate if they had holiday shipping delays and what their plans are to fix it. KDP has not filled me with faith.

Good luck. Publishing is easier than you may think, but marketing is very very hard.

I've found KDP a little fiddly, generated massive number of error when I first previewed the book. Vast majority were fixed by reformatting my docx from A4 to A5, KDP does not do any text formatting own its own.

Missy wrote: "Hi Cristina,
I think most authors here would recommend either Ingram or Createspace for publishing. I prefer Createspace, because there are no upfront costs. I believe Ingram has some surcharges. ..."

I agree. I was lucky enough to know a local micro press that set mine up for me.
Createspace is easy to use as well but their price point makes it hard for bookstores to order.