Your book is finally ready to go. You’ve done all the editing and made all the decisions about what it will look like. But now what?
In the past, you would have printed hundreds or thousands of copies and squirreled them in your garage or distribution center to send out as the orders came in. Thankfully, print on demand (POD) changed all that. Books are printed and sent out as they’re ordered. So the only time you have to stock up is if you plan to send out a bunch of complimentary copies.
Production & Distribution
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? No worries. You can let Incubation Press handle some—or all—of the production and distribution process. All packages are payable in advance. Work will start as soon as payment in full has been received.
Packages
In terms of timing, to be safe plan on three weeks for the book to be uploaded to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to accommodate schedule and external factors (readiness printer, (winter) weather, transportation, etc. This timing includes waiting for a physical proof print which needs to be proofed by the designer, and the manuscript finalized before sending the book to print. Once KDP receives the finalized book files, your book should be available in seven to ten days (again depending on external factors).
HINT: DO NOT PLAN YOUR BOOK LAUNCH PARTY UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM KDP THAT THE BOOK IS A GO. EVEN THEN, ORDER A BATCH OF AUTHOR COPIES TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE HAPPY WITH THE QUALITY. KDP WILL REPLACE COPIES IF THERE ARE QUALITY PROBLEMS, BUT IT WILL TAKE TIME TO GET THEM. SO GIVE YOURSELF A MONTH OF WIGGLE ROOM TO BE SAFE.
Pre-Distribution Market Analysis $675
Target Market and Positioning
Research a minimum of 10 competitive titles for marketing purposes
Print and/or e-book upload to Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
Title metadata input on Bowker’s Identifier Services – author responsible for providing short bio, short book synopsis, publishing categories, keywords and pricing (for help with these check out our Pre-Distribution Market Analysis package above and our KDP Bundle)
Author provides ISBN #
Barcode generated for free
Author responsible for KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) setup
John Steinbeck Plan – organic & incisive $375
Print and/or e-book upload to Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
Title metadata input on Bowker’s Identifier Services – author responsible for providing short bio, short book synopsis, publishing categories, keywords and pricing (for help with these check out our Pre-Distribution Market Analysis package above and our KDP Bundle)
Author provides 2 ISBN #s
Barcode generated for free
Incubation Press will set up KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) account, but author will need to add sensitive financial and tax information; consider getting an employee identification number (EIN) from the IRS so as not to have to share social security number.
Stephen King Plan – dynamic & detailed $475
Print and/or e-book upload to Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
Print book upload to IngramSpark for expanded distribution. (Authors who might want to consider IngramSpark include those with hardcovers, high-end four-color books or non-standard sized books, as well as those seeking non-Amazon retail sales and/or worldwide distribution.)
Title metadata input on Bowker’s Identifier Services – author responsible for providing short bio, short book synopsis, publishing categories, keywords and pricing (for help with these check out our Pre-Distribution Market Analysis package above and our KDP Bundle)
Author provides 2 ISBN #s
Barcode generated for free
Incubation Press will set up KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and/or IngramSpark accounts, but author will need to add sensitive financial and tax information; consider getting an employee identification number (EIN) from the IRS so as not to have to share social security number.
Author will be provided with publishing support and guidance in the form of a walk-through of all set-ups and uploads (up to 1 hour). You can also talk us about our Book Project Management Services billed $150/hour if you need more time.
J.K. Rowling Plan – going big, bigger, biggest $675[or $1,475 if you also pull our $1,225book promotion KDP Bundle – that’s a $1,900 value]
Set up and uploads of your print and e-book on up to three of the most popular distribution platforms. Our recommendation:
Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
IngramSpark for expanded distribution. (Authors who might want to consider IngramSpark include those with hardcovers, high-end four-color books or non-standard sized books, as well as those seeking non-Amazon retail sales and/or worldwide distribution.)
Draft2Digital (distributes to all major e-book storefronts including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Baker & Taylor)
Title metadata input on Bowker’s Identifier Services – author responsible for providing short bio, short book synopsis, publishing categories, keywords and pricing (for help with these check out our Pre-Distribution Market Analysis package above and our KDP Bundle)
Author provides 2 ISBN #s
Barcode generated for free
Incubation Press will set up KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and/or IngramSpark accounts, but author will need to add sensitive financial and tax information; consider getting an employee identification number (EIN) from the IRS so as not to have to share social security number.
Author will be provided with publishing support and guidance in the form of a walkthrough of all set-ups and uploads (up to 1 hour). You can also talk to us about our Book Project Management Services billed $150/hour if you need more time.
Uploading e-books and print books to IngramSpark. Authors who might want to consider IngramSpark include those with hardcovers, high-end four-color books or non-standard sized books, as well as those seeking non-Amazon retail sales and/or worldwide distribution.
Orders of print books needing to be drop shipped.
Copyright and Library of Congress registration
Coaching on how to manage Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and IngramSpark accounts after we’ve handed them over to you.
Production & Distribution 101
Does your book need to be the absolute highest quality? Are you interested in obtaining the highest possible royalties for your book? Do you want your book to be available in non-Amazon retail outlets? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, consider opting for Lightning Source / IngramSpark in addition to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Although KDP’s Expanded Distribution makes it possible for bookstores to order and sell your book, they’re unlikely to do so because they won’t be able to return any books that don’t sell.
Here’s how Amazon / KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and Lightning Source / IngramSpark compare:
Amazon / KDP vs. Lightning Source / IngramSpark
Soft cover Soft cover & hardcover
B&W printing B&W printing & color printing
POD POD
Amazon distribution only [unless Expanded distribution] Distribution worldwide
E-books E-books
Warehousing Warehousing
Cheaper More expensive
Easy More complicated
Moderate print quality High print quality esp for color
No matter what plan you choose, don’t forget details like:
Your copyright, which you can register at copyright.gov, the website set up by the Library of Congress. Just fill out the form, pay the fee and you’re done.
An ISBN number, the acronym for International Standard Book Number. This 13-digit number identifies a specific book as well as each edition of a book. So if you have a paperback, an e-book and an audio book, you’ll need three unique ISBN numbers. If you wind up revising your book down the line, the revised edition will need a new ISBN number. ISBN numbers can be purchased from Bowker. You can buy them one at a time, but since buying 10 cost just twice as much as buying one, you’re better off buying in bulk.
Technicalities
The owner of the ISBN number is the publisher of record. If you buy the ISBN number(s), you’re the publisher. If you get your ISBN number(s) through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), they’re the publisher. Please note that if you want to opt for KDP’s expanded distribution to libraries and academic institutions you will need to use a KDP-assigned ISBN number. If you want your book to be available to bookstores and online retailers and don’t want to go through IngramSpark, a KDP-assigned ISBN number may also work better for you. However, you won’t be able to turn around and use that number with IngramSpark should you change your mind.
The Next Step…
It’s time to make all that hard work pay off. But your book won’t sell itself. That’s up to you. So don’t neglect:
