What is IngramSpark?
IngramSpark (IS) is a service by Lightning Source, the print-on-demand division of Ingram, part of Ingram Content Group. IS distributes to more than 40,000 locations around the world, including libraries, independent bookstores, big box stores, and airport retailer Hudson.
Even if you are exclusive to Amazon for ebooks, you can make print books available through IngramSpark as long as you control print rights.
Print quality
IngramSpark representative Leigh Pierce believes that the quality of a book printed by Lightning Source is often higher than that of books from other POD publishers.
“I alternate ordering author copies from Lightning Source/Ingram and KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing),” Isabel Jolie said. “I consistently find the quality at Ingram to be better than KDP. I’ve found color variations in the same order on a title from KDP, whereas I never see the color variations from Ingram. The color in my covers from Ingram is always consistent and true to the file.”
Robin Lee Hatcher added, “I find the quality of POD books from IngramSpark to be better than the quality of KDP paperbacks. The KDP is heavier paper and just doesn’t feel as nice.”
“I also find delivery timing for Ingram author copies to be more reliable than KDP,” Jolie said. “Why do I ever use KDP? Because KDP is cheaper, and sometimes I use points so they’re ‘free.’ But my preference is always Ingram.”
Importance of metadata
Once you’ve set up your account, you’ll need to have the files available for the books you want to upload, including cover, print interior, and metadata. Pierce recommends utilizing every option in setting up a book. Short descriptions show up in their catalogue. Librarians may use the “city” field to identify local authors. Every piece of metadata you can add to the book’s description can help generate sales.
Like Amazon and Draft2Digital, IS can provide a free ISBN for your book. That number identifies IS as the publisher, so you can’t use it anywhere else. You may end up with three or more unique ISBNs for any one book. If you have already bought a bundle of ISBNs, you can add your own ISBN in the book’s metadata.
As other distributors do, IS will ask if you have used any artificial intelligence in the creation of your book or its cover. If you say yes, you’ll be asked to identify how: text, images, or editorial.
Choose three BISAC subjects and then your audience. Again, Pierce recommends filling out the optional fields. Regional subject matter is important for bookstores and libraries.
Thema is the international version of BISAC, so if you hope to sell print books outside the U.S., you need to follow the same steps as you did for BISAC. Thema qualifiers are a set of six lists that can be used to provide more detail and context about a book’s content. If your book relates to a holiday, a specific place, or a historical era before 1500, you’ll want to include a qualifier such as “relating to LGBTQ people.”
The table of contents field is very important for nonfiction. If you have any early reviews, it’s important to put them into the review field. You can update that field if you get reviews that come in after your publication date.
Print fields
As with any POD company, you’ll have to choose trim size, interior color and paper, binding, and cover finish. Choosing duplex means Lightning Source will print on both sides of your cover, so you’ll need to upload files that accommodate that choice. Once you enter the page count, you’ll see the cost of printing. I’ve run into some problems with IS on covers—they have very specific requirements, and occasionally I’ve had to send a cover template direct from IS to my designer.
Pricing
Pricing is an important consideration. Ingram allows you to set separate prices for the U.S., the U.K., the EU, Canada, and Australia, as well as other countries through their Global Connect program.
Because IS sells to retailers, your price must include the retailer markup. This means that your price will most likely be higher on IS than through Amazon or Draft2Digital. You can choose the standard 55% discount or set your own—but retailers are less likely to stock your book if the discount is lower than usual. There’s a pricing tool that allows you to see how much money you’ll make in each market, and you can change the price accordingly.
Be aware that Ingram books are usually more expensive to produce.
“I also use Amazon author copies, as they’re a bit cheaper than Ingram and (usually, not always) ship to me a little faster,” Brenda Hiatt said.
Return policy
It’s standard operating procedure in the bookstore industry that if a store does not sell a book it has ordered, it can be returned to the publisher. Indie publishers must be careful about returns, as the cost of accepting them can destroy any title’s profits. You can choose from three options: No (no returns accepted); Yes-deliver (returns accepted, and sent back to Lightning Source with an additional shipping charge to your account as well as the charge for printing the book), or Yes-destroy (returns destroyed by the retailer; you will be back-charged the cost of printing the book).
Many booksellers will not purchase books to stock/display that are not returnable. I believe a retailer will only order a book of mine if requested by a customer, so I select no. If I have an event with a retailer, I ask in advance if I can purchase unsold books at their discount.
Library sales
Libraries typically buy print books through Ingram or Baker & Taylor (which D2D considers a partner, if you are using D2D for print). Libraries also like large-print books, so if you’re considering that format, Ingram is a good partner. Be aware, though, that many libraries have a policy that they can’t buy any book that is not reviewed in one of the major journals.
Promotional tools
Ingram also offers promotional tools which you can pay for, including holiday gift guides and ways to sell your books directly to readers. You can set up pricing for events, flash sales, gifts, and other special occasions. For example, I created a separate cover for In Dog We Trust with a Christmas ribbon on it, and promoted it as a holiday gift.
Nancy J. Cohen said, “I use IngramSpark so my readers can order print copies at any bookstore, including Barnes & Noble. And I pay for my new-release book to be in their catalogue.”
Selling print direct
If you’ve been considering direct sales but are resistant to learning the software and setting everything up, IS provides an easy way to jump into direct sales of print books. Through the ecommerce link on the dashboard, you can create a unique link to sell your print books through your website.
Readers purchase through this customized link, Lightning Source prints and ships, and you get paid. You can set your own price for these sales, and because you’re not paying a middleman (such as Amazon) you can earn more money from each sale.
You can also order author copies at the wholesale price, plus shipping.
Foreign sales
The IngramSpark Global Connect program partners with printers in 13 countries including France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, India, China, and South Korea, as well as a shared venture in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
“We see a lot of success for titles that are in German, Spanish, and French,” Pierce said. “We’re seeing a lot of demand for English titles or English content in the Indian market.”
Tips and tricks
- Include the IS direct sales links prominently on your website. You may want to mention the better quality and the fact that by buying direct from you, they’re saving money (if they are) or at least not putting money in others’ pockets.
- If you have already uploaded books to the IS catalogue, you can go to Reports>Titles and click “Full Metadata Export.” This will give you a .csv file that shows what metadata you have entered in each field. It’s a good idea to review to make sure you have used all the appropriate fields.
- Make sure that you have all the right materials before you start to upload, because IS charges for changes to files during the first 60 days after publication. That applies to files only, for processing them. Metadata doesn’t require any work on Ingram’s end, so publishers can update that at their leisure with no fees. In fact, metadata should regularly be reviewed and updated.
- Ingram does not currently integrate with Shopify, but it’s in process.
- Cohen added, “Put a notice in your newsletter when you launch your book that print copies are available through IS, in case any librarians or booksellers on your list might be interested. IS also gets your books into IndieBound, and you can list this link at your site on Books2Read.”
If you don’t have a publisher handling your print rights, then using IngramSpark can make your books available to readers for a good quality and add to your sales. A benefit for readers and writers!
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Neil S. Plakcy is the author of over 70 engaging stories that celebrate love, identity, and found family across multiple genres of mystery and romance.