Igram Sparks Interface PROS AND CONS OF INGRAM SPARKS

This is the Ingram Sparks (Lightening) logo. Copyrighted

 So the pros and cons of Ingram Sparks has become clear. I have done a good deal or reading and research, I have uploaded and had a proof done on CreateSpace when it existed and I will explain why I have stuck with Ingram Sparks in spite of the difficulties I have had.

Cost wise, it is more, no doubt about it however there are promo codes out there to help with this so we will let this pass.

The actual print quality is very good and there are many choices in terms of trim sizes (size of the book) and paper weights, etc. And it does have ONE landscape size book however you have to use above standard colour printing and it is 11.5 x 8 or something like this. Just is easier to design you images for two page spread even though you have to use single pages when creating the PDF for upload. I went over this in other blogs.

So that is an issue, it is a very particular upload process, but when I started, I knew nothing, now I know more and it is fine. Not a problem  but there is more than just the uploading of PDFs and having them approved.

There is also filing in all the information. This is where many people get frustrated and some move over to LuLu or other POD sites. The interface is OLD which means IT TIMES OUT, and you have to do it all over again. Involved in this is the BISAC codes which are damn near impossible to figure out there! I went and got the codes from another site, and put them in so THEN they found them! 

On a little side note about these codes.  Many people think that it is better to have  BROAD code so that it is easier to get picked up. Do not confuse these codes with key words!  Key words are words that many people may use when surfing looking for a book like yours. The better the key words are, the more likely they will be found. You can google key word tools and such and find both free as well as paid for tools which also include search engine stats, etc. From what I understand of BISAC codes, it is a little different. When you go to a library, there is either the Library of Congress or Dewey Decimal system. This tells you exactly where to put it on the shelf, well the BISAC system and a few newer methods are the same for bookstore owners and people looking for books. So, the more specific you can be within reason and truly applicable to your book (and not just a few pages of your story!), then the better. It makes everyone else's life so much easier, it means it has it's own nice little place and let's face it, do you want to be on a shelf with 200 other books or would you rather be in a section with maybe 20 (depending on the size of the store of course!). Have two or three for fall backs but don't go nuts! Unlike keywords, you don't need tons!

On another side note, you will have both and short and long description with metadata with it.  Don't be intimidated by the word metadata, all it is, is the particulars of the book! So page count, audience, colour pages or not, that sort of thing, in another blog I will go into more detail, but for now, just be aware, these are all questions before you even get to the upload of your book! 

However it is all info that CAN BE EDITED. So, fill in as best you can (before it times out!), and get it uploaded!

There are other things you will have to consider, such as your bar code and whether you want price with it or not, as well as something as simple as how much it will cost to create and ship the book and what you will get out of it. Many say they don't want the price in the bar code, however from what I have been reading, it is not a bad thing! Still how that would work for other countries! The price I have with the bar code is USD. I suppose other stores and places would convert and just put a sticker on it.

Oh and a word or advice, if you are not Canadian you have to pay for your ISBN number, DO IT! It is worth it in the end. If you take the code offered by Amazon, etc, then what it is saying is it is their book. You don't want that! What if you want to sell it somewhere else? It is like buying your Domain name from many of these website providers, well, it means in many cases you cannot take that name and build a website somewhere else! Spend a few bucks and cover yourself. And while I am at it, for Search Engine Optimization, buy long term, they like that more.

In previous blogs I talked about having to make changes so that the book is affordable. I didn't want a book no one could afford to buy! If you are reading this, then you are thinking of whether you want to do it all yourself or not! If you decide yes, then congratulations, you are in the publishing business! There is a huge learning curve and I will go over this in another blog.

The good news is, Ingram Sparks has TONS of helpful download material. I do wish they had made it less Blah, blah, blah, and more cut and dry, however in my next blog I will write up the steps to getting up in for the first proof!

My advice to anyone wanting to self publish IF they have the mental fortitude and need for control (no I am not a control freak, ok, maybe a little!), then take baby steps however read enough to be thinking ahead as you create your book especially for children, unless you just have a compelling need to do it, then like me, just do it and screw whether it sells or not! 

This brings me to the REAL reason I have gone through the painful process of learning all I can about search engine optimization, etc. And that is because  I don't want to spend all my time cultivating an online presence or any of this! I want to write and create! Ingram Sparks is not only a printer, they are a GLOBAL DISTRIBUTOR! They have been in the biz for over 40 years I believe, and it is family based which is nice. They have at least three print facilities world wide and right from the get go, you have the option to set prices and sell BOTH ON LINE AND IN BRICK N MORTAL STORES. With Amazon, you don't get much more than Amazon, however with Ingram Sparks, you get Amazon and so much more. 

So, it is taking time, there things I cannot avoid forever such as the tax exempt forms for different states in the US as well as others for the Tax treaty Canada has with the US, however once it is all figured out in place, then I have no doubt I will be able to just upload and upload and upload as many books as I want.

The other thing is for Canadians, you can have the sales sent every thirty days to your bank account. No big deal, no waiting until you have $100.00 in sales and frankly, I don't trust Amazon any longer. Been reading too many forums where people KNOW books were purchased, but no money ever came their way. It requires a certain degree of trust, because frankly what proof to you have of what is selling and where? I feel a whole lot better with Ingram Sparks than I do Amazon.

And yes, there is perks for Ingram, and you have to have discounts for bookstores or they won't take your book, but that is just the way she goes, if you think you will get rich quick with all the books already being mass produced by people popping out inferior quality half ass books by the dozes, then think again. The industry is changing all the time.  For a while all real money came from ebooks, but now folks are going back to reading something they can see and hold in their hands. There is no "magic formula" on how to do this. There is no rules to make it work, you just have to do it, and let it go.

When I look at how much I knew, and how much I now know, it is like wow! I have been plugging away at this for two years now, reading and listening to Udemy courses (trying not to fall asleep), and MAKING EVERY CONCEIVABLE MISTAKE OUT THERE! However, in spite of what still needs to be done and learned, I can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

By the way, one thing I would NOT recommend, is reading too much from a bunch of sources. I wasted a great deal of time because I really didn't get the bigger picture and now that I have done uploads and gone through the process of ordering, THIS is the time I should have waited for to do the readings. There is so much information out there, it can be daunting! So be kind to yourself and do just what you need to do to get a proof, THEN work on the on line presence and all that.

And another side note, I could have been looking at a proof of my book right now, but even though I stayed up til four am while sick to get it uploaded in time to be brought back in someone's luggage to Ecuador (can't trust customs or the post!), well, that old interface I was talking about? And my poor internet, it LOOKED like it went through but it didn't!  So just today I uploaded again and it will be at least a month before I can see the proof! OH JOY, OH BLISS!

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