Are Amazon and CreateSpace Winning the POD War With Lightning Source?

For some time now there have been rumors of a war on Lightning Source on the part of Amazon and its print-on-demand division, CreateSpace. Many indie and self-published authors have decried the sudden change in the status of their LSI distributed titles from "in stock" to "available in one to three weeks" which might as well be listed as out-of-stock.

This in turn led to what has been called "Plan B," an approach devised by Aaron Shepard, one of the foremost advocates of LSI in the past. Mr. Shepard now encourages authors to use CreateSpace for their POD services and distribution to Amazon.

Based on my own experience, I would advise everyone to go with CreateSpace and not LSI if the book you want to publish is your first. CreateSpace is much more user-friendly and it appears LSI now wants all self-publishing authors to use IngramSpark as the gateway to LSI.

In the past my suggestion that authors use CreateSpace was based on the ease of use. Now I would argue it is essential if you want your book to sell. All of my 30+ titles, save one, are printed and distributed by CreateSpace. They are always listed as in stock and available.

The line title, which also happens to be my best selling title in paperback, was also the first book I published. It is printed and distributed by LSI. 

The sales for the paperback edition of this title have collapsed in the last three months. Well, more than collapsed I should say, they have vanished. I have not sold a single copy.

The listing for the book ranges from "out of stock" to the equally dreaded "available in one to three weeks."

Please note, the book was also made available through CreateSpace and I did not authorize the Expanded Distribution feature. CreateSpace would be the lone supplier to Amazon. LSI would supply all other online retailers.

Up until three months ago, that was fine. Evidently, now it is not.

Recent correspondence with CreateSpace drew a response that since there were two possible suppliers, there had to be two listings. I suppose that makes sense. But guess which listing shows up first in the searches?

I guess I will have to break down and finally end my relationship with LSI in order to do something about restoring my sales ranking and sales for this book which had spent three years listed on the first page of results in its category before this sudden death spiral in sales.

Aaron Shepard has recently weighed in on this topic and has much more insight into the situation than I do. To read what Mr. Shepard has to say about the "Temporarily Out of Stock" issue regarding LSI and Amazon, please take the time to visit his post. It will be worth the read.

For those of us who broke in to self-publishing when POD was the way to do it, technology has once again changed the industry. Make sure you have a Kindle edition when you publish!

Print-on-Demand for Self-Publishers: Is CreateSpace the Only Viable Option Now Available?

Lightning Source Inc, LSI, was the first print-on-demand printer that allowed self-published authors access to book distribution and Amazon. Before the advent of ebooks (Kindle and Nook) it was the way to go for authors who wanted to self-publish.

One of the founding fathers of today's self-publishing industry, Aaron Shepard, wrote two books that were essential reading if you planned to make a go self-publishing as a business, Aiming at Amazon and POD for Profit. Morris Rosenthal, another of the self-publishing industries early leaders in using POD to self-publish wrote another essential book explaining the business model of using POD, Print-on-Demand Book Publishing.

CreateSpace, CS, appeared on the scene and after some bumps upon starting, soon became a viable alternative to LSI. I have written about choosing between the two companies on numerous times on this blog. The decision to use CS for all of my books since my first efforts centered around the ease of simply creating an account with CS, ease of just about anything with CS versus LSI, and my last blog post on the subject took one final look at the two companies.

For many, myself included, the quandary over which company to choose was ease of use versus the ability set the discount offered to retailers. For me ease of use won out every time, meaning I published with CS instead of LSI.

That may all be a moot point now. Ingram, who owns LSI, has started a new division called IngramSpark and is now insisting authors who wish to self-publish must deal with IngramSpark, who will control the discounts set and is, from what I understand, not overly user-friendly in setting up a new title.

The biggest supporter of LSI for self-publishing, Aaron Shepard, now directs new authors to CreateSpace, due in large part to the behavior of IngramSpark.

This combined with changes in Amazon's stocking of some LSI titles, which led to the now defunct Plan B approach,  largely limits the choice of a viable POD service for authors who desire to self-publish to just CreateSpace.

In the grand scheme of things, perhaps authors should still be thankful there is access to Amazon and other retailers using a POD business model via CreateSpace.

Free Kindle Conversion by CreateSpace? Updated 1/2/2013

I hope this new practice continues and will report on the quality of the conversion as well. I just finished uploading a new book for CreateSpace's POD service. It is not a book I had intended to offer in Kindle as I plan to sell it at speaking engagements (coaching clinics) as a back-of-room-sale item.

No sooner did I approve my digital proof than up popped a screen asking me if I wanted to convert my newly approved book for sale on KDP. The screen informed me my submitted file was a PDF, which is not the preferred file to convert from and that I could upload a file directly to KDP if I wished.

Since this was FREE and I did not plan on offering this title in a Kindle version, what did I have to lose? So the CreateSpace computers are busy as I type converting my latest and greatest to a Kindle file. I may take one look at the results, say "ugh" and promptly hit the delete key and I may put the Kindle version up for sale!

At any rate, if the conversion turns out well, this is certainly a boon for authors who desire to offer their books in both POD paperback versions and a Kindle version on KDP.

Update: Not the way to go! Unless you like what appears to be machine language as the end result! Evidently I got excited over nothing. You need to have an already converted file to take advantage of this method of uploading your book to KDP. It would seem it is just another way for CreateSpace to sell its conversion program.

Need an answer from CreateSpace?

Since the world of self-publishing is changing so quickly, be it POD or eBook, sometimes even the most stubborn and prideful of us (I am referring to myself) must resort to actually asking someone for help or an answer.

CreateSpace has made this easy with the Call Me feature. Every time I have used this feature I have had my question answered. If the person on the other end of the phone did not know the answer, they found someone who did.

By the way, when they mean right now, they call the minute you click your mouse!

Sell Your Book Using CreateSpace International in Europe!

I did not think too much about this new feature when CreateSpace announced the new option of having your books distributed in Europe. I should have given it more than the passing thought that I did. I should have known better since I sell about a dozen Kindle editions of my books to readers in Europe, particularly in Germany and the UK.

I signed my books up and forgot about it.

Then I started seeing numbers listed on my Member Dashboard page with funny signs before the numbers. I realized those were symbols for the Euro and the Pound! My POD paperbacks are selling in Europe at numbers just below my Kindle sales!

Now, to be honest I am more excited about the fact this is sort of neat and not about the amount of money I am earning. But still, it is pretty cool to just click the mouse on your computer and now your books are available to readers who are Amazon customers in Europe.

The promo for this new distribution option is shown below, taken from the CreateSpace website.

If you want to take advantage of distribution in Europe, just click on the icon in the image shown below on the CreateSpace page.

Clicking on the Enable Now icon will take you to your Member Dashboard. You will see the yellow banner below near the top of your Dashboard page.

I selected one of my new books as an example. After clicking on the Channels page this is what you will see after you have enabled your distribution options.

It will only take a few minutes to do this. It is worth it just to see that someone in Europe thought your book was interesting enough to purchase! Besides, self-publishing is a business. European distribution is FREE! These are sales you would never have otherwise, and every sale adds up on the bottom line.

CreateSpace Launches New Website Interface - Easier to Use Than Before!

I have spent quite a bit of time recently examining the differences between the two giants of print-on-demand, CreateSpace and Lightning Source. One of the key contrasting features of the two companies is the emphasis CreateSpace places on being easy to use.

CreateSpace has taken their easy to use website and upgraded it with a new site design making the new site even more user friendly. Hats off to CreateSpace! Time is precious and there is all too little of it. Time spent working your way around a website looking for a specific piece of information or trying to determine how to use a specific feature is time wasted. 

Launching a new book for a first time author who is testing the waters of self-publishing is challenging enough. It shouldn't be difficult to use the services of the print-on-demand service the author has selected to print his or her book.

Lightning Source definitely has some advantages over CreateSpace, largely the ability to use the short discount model, making a book more profitable for the owner. Sadly, it is not easier to interface with over the internet, giving CreateSpace a big edge in attracting first time authors as well as authors who struggle with using Lightning Sources website, uploading procedures and file requirements.

If you have not done so already, take a look at the new CreateSpace website.

Self-Publishing With Amazon's CreateSpace available with new interior design!

Self-Publishing With Amazon's CreateSpace has received a new interior design and some information updates! It is once again available for sale on Amazon. The book gives an overview of the print-on-demand business model and the technology and take the reader through the process of using CreateSpace to self-publish a book.

The update of the book comes in advance of a new effort on my part that will be available on Amazon soon, Selecting a Print-on-Demand Company: Comparing CreateSpace and Lightning Source for POD Self-Publishing. It will be available in both paperback and Kindle versions.

More information about the book and its launch will be forthcoming in the next few weeks!

Bashing Amazon

I enjoy reading the Yahoo POD Publishers Message Board. I have learned a great deal of helpful information from the other authors, small publishers and self-publishing authors who visit and post on this message board. The board is well moderated with an even hand on allowing authors communicate to preventing flame wars from starting.

Periodically a string of posts will start with the purpose of bashing Amazon. The stream of thought ranges from Amazon is an evil corporate giant whose only goal is monopolistic control and domination of the publishing industry or to loot the reading public and authors of every dime possible. Other threads include how Amazon cheats small publishers and/or self-publishers and when Amazon is done destroying the legacy publishers their next target will be to crush the little guys.

When I read this sort of stuff I have to wonder what these authors/publishers are thinking. Yes, Amazon takes a chunk of the sale. Why shouldn't they? If it had not been for Amazon, the sale would not have taken place! How many self-published authors are able to sell their books in a traditional brick and mortar bookstore? 

How can a self-published author make the existence of his or her book known and available to literally millions of customers? How much money does Amazon save self-publishers with its shipping and distribution system? 

I use CreateSpace, owned by Amazon, as my POD service and most of my sales come from Amazon, which means Amazon makes money off me printing the book and gets a cut of the sale. Once a month Amazon electronically deposits my profits in my bank account. Once the book is in print, I don't do anything except promote the book, which I would have to do if the book were sold in traditional bookstores. Then there are the sales of my Amazon Kindle books as well and the income generated from this revenue stream is growing slowly but steadily each month.

Amazon also provides us with tools to market our books and through Associate sales to make a little bit extra as well. Why do some people have a hard time understanding Amazon is entitled to its share of the take? Amazon's investors have a lot of money tied up in the infrastructure that makes all of this possible. Amazon does its share of the work in the process of selling and delivering our books to readers. Amazon has earned the right to get paid.

If it were not for Amazon, I would not be able to make money writing and selling books. It is that simple. Why do some authors and publishers want to bite the hand that feeds when Amazon provides the little guy with something the old publishing system never allowed, access to customers on a level playing field? Human nature is a strange thing at times.

Writer's Block for Non-fiction Authors, POD and Kindle Books

Writer's block seems to be the baine of fiction author's existence. As a non-fiction author I have experienced it is as well. Truth be told, I simply got tired of working on a project and just stopped, making what I experienced more of writer's fatigue than actual writer's block. When finished, my next "big" book will be around 250 pages in a 6x9 trim size book. For a non-fiction book aimed at my particular market, that is a good sized book.

The chapters are short and meant to be read in any order. The reader can pick up the book, open to any chapter, read it in 10-15 minutes and have information that can be used immediately. The more I work on the book, the more chapters come to mind and I add a new "chapter" to my working list. The result in the end will be a much more useful book for the readers who purchase it. Unfortunately, the more I work on the book, the longer the book appears it will be. My resulting attitude towards the book is it will never get finished (that won't happen, God willing, because the wife says I have to finish the book and I know what is good for me). The more I work on it, the more work, it seems, I have to do.

Fortunately, self-publishing allows escape from the tedium and with the technology available today, it also allows for quick publishing, at low cost, of short books that are really chapters of a much longer book. Like most authors who self-publish, I always get a kick out of seeing the proof copy arrive and it provides me with a burst of energy and enthusiasm to get the next project rolling.

It ocurred to me one of the chapters I had completed would make a good stand alone book that is short and would make a good Kindle book with a matching low price of $2.99 and will sell some copies as a low priced POD paperback. With the low entry price offered by CreateSpace to get both versions of the short book, it is 56 pages long, it makes perfect sense to take a break from the larger, energy consuming book, and publish this one excerpt as a stand alone volume.

For about $150 I will be able to launch this short book on Amazon in both a POD paperback and a Kindle version no later than June 1. I am confident within a few months, perhaps longer, I will earn back the money invested and this small side venture will earn a few dollars a month for my tiny publishing empire. It will also give me a needed boost to finish the larger, and hopefully more lucrative book.

The technology of POD and ebooks today makes this practice not only feasible but affordable for self-publishing authors who write non-fiction. With traditional off-set printing and the costs involved, I would never take this approach unless I was certain the chapter used as the basis of the spin-off book was certain to sell and sell quickly. 

If fiction authors can sell short stories to get a feel for the viability of fleshing out the story into a novel, why can't non-fiction authors sell chapters of a larger, but incomplete work, to generate some income, test the waters for the larger book and get a break from the drudgery of working on the larger manuscript?

If this venture pans out and earns back the money invested in it and sells reasonably well, this might be a practice I engage in on a regular basis.  Once the little book is in print I will keep the readers of this blog informed on its progress and if this experiment is a success or failure along with what I learn in the process.

Selecting the topic for your non-fiction book

I love old movies. So do a lot of other people in the United States. Americans love entertainment. During the Great Depression the only industry that "did well" was entertainment, particularly movies. People needed to forget their woes for a few hours and do so without spending a lot of money in the process. Hollywood made that possible. A non-fiction book about classic films in the United States, if well researched, well written, designed, produced and marketed correctly should sell well.

I also have a fascination with obscure American industrial railroads. I find the stories of the equipment, uses of these unique railroads and the people who designed and operated them fascinating. So do others and books about these railroads exist.

Which of the two non-fiction titles will sell better? It seems pretty obvious the book about classic films should for the simple reason there are so many more potential customers interested in the topic of classic films than industrial railroads.

But would a book on classic films really sell more copies?

The answer to this question lies in doing the necessary homework before writing the book, at least if one of your major goals is to make money by self-publishing the book.

What kinds of market research needs to be done?  The first area I would research would be the competition. How many books on this topic are in the market? What is the level of quality of the competing book titles? How well do these books sell? Do the classic movie fans actually buy books about these films or do they just enjoy watching the films?

While the niche market for industrial railroads might be significantly smaller, it is possible the competition is significantly less in terms of books available for this market. Suppose the hobbyists in this niche are known to purchase every single book on this topic as soon as it hits the market. Would it be possible that even with a much smaller total number of potential readers, the buying habits of those readers are such they make up for their small numbers through the fact such a large percentage of them invest their money in books about their interest?

In addition to the level of competition, size and spending habits of the niche market, there are other factors to consider. Does the would-be author have the expertise to write a book good enough to publish and attract buyers?

With the internet and the ability of customers to create viral word of mouth about a book, if the author does not know the non-fiction topic, it won't take long for the passionate readers in that niche market to publicly call the author's factual mistakes to the attention of other potential buyers. Just as good word of mouth can go viral and boost sales for a book, bad word of mouth can go viral and kill sales for a book.

Another serious consideration for the would-be author is can a viable author platform to market the book be created. Since self-publishing authors must generate almost all of their marketing for their books, it is essential the author have the ability and the information needed to create an appropriate author platform.

What are the goals of the author for the book? Is it to make money, serve as a business tool to promote the author's real business or is the book a labor of love and the real desire is just to see it in print?

Perhaps, for me at least, the last question is the most important. Do I have enough passion about the subject to actually commit to the level of work needed to self-publish the book?

Excerpts from my latest book: 301 Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Publishing

The passages below are brief excerpts from my latest book, 301 Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Publishing: Answers to Common Questions About Self-Publishing, Print-On-Demand, Book Marketing, Using CreateSpace and More

175. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using CreateSpace to self-publish?

This section describes the pros and cons of using CreateSpace based on my experiences.  What might be a major issue for me might be irrelevant to another author, so please take these statements for what they are.  These are what I think are the strengths and weaknesses of using CreateSpace to self-publish a book.

The Advantages

Low cost per copy for the author

For me personally, this is the most important reason to use CreateSpace in order to self publish a book. The low cost per copy for the author allows the author to make a healthy profit on direct sales. 

         The low price per copy for the author also creates opportunities for the author to act as the wholesaler of the book and still make a reasonable profit on each copy sold. Authors whose business plan includes sales other than on Amazon will benefit from the low cost per copy for the author.

The cost to publish is low

The cost is not just low, it is free. Well, sort of free.  Upgrading to the Pro Plan obtains the lowest possible price per copy for the author.  The author must also purchase a proof copy and pay for the shipping.  Compared to other methods of self-publishing, this is still the least expensive means to self publish a book.

Author sets list price

The wise self-publishing author has done considerable market research prior to publishing.  Part of that research should have included pricing of competing books in the niche or genre the author’s book belongs to.  The author controls the pricing of the book and can price the book optimally to sell as many copies of the book as possible.  If the author makes a mistake in pricing, it can easily be changed.

Print on demand printing

CreateSpace uses print on demand printing. By using this relatively new and still improving technology, CreateSpace allows self publishing authors to take full advantage of the “print on demand business plan” and all of the advantages to this approach to self publishing.

Automatic listing on Amazon.com

CreateSpace automatically lists the book on Amazon, if the author wants to sell the book on Amazon. Within fifteen business days or less after the author approves the proof copy, the book will be listed and available for sale on Amazon. 

Easy access

If you have access to the internet, you can gain access to CreateSpace.  It really is that simple.

Excerpt Number Two:

 

185. What should I look for when selecting an author services company?

Reputation and price are the two biggest things to be concerned with when looking for an author services company. There are a lot of sharks in the industry who charge too much for their services and do shoddy work. Because it is your book and your money, take the time to do a background check on the author services companies you are selecting from. Check the company’s rating with the Better Business Bureau. Post a question on a message board used by self-publishing authors and inquire about the experiences other authors have had with the companies you are researching. Be sure to read the author contract carefully for each company. A sure sign to avoid a company is if the company will not provide you a sample author contract to read. Reputable author services companies are happy to answer questions and provide as much information as you require in your decision making process.

186. What are the advantages of using an author services company?

If you are using a reputable company who does a good job, if you have written a good book the company will do a good job for a reasonable price in producing your book.

         For a first time author who does not know the ins and outs of the publishing industry, this can be very helpful. The author services company will produce the book, list it on Amazon and other online book retailers, deal with the POD printer, handle the financial transactions and pay you on a quarterly basis.

187. What are the disadvantages of using an author services company?

The time involved to produce your book will be much longer than if you design the cover and interior yourself, hire your own editor and deal directly with a POD printer and distributor such as CreateSpace or LSI. Your book is just one of many the author services company is producing and unless you pay a rush service fee it will be produced in the order in which the company contracted to produce the book. In other words, first come, first serve when getting your book into the production line.

       Costs can be lower or higher to produce your book when using an author services company. This will depend on the company you select or the freelancers you hire. Be careful, do your homework and shop around regardless of the approach you use to produce your book and publish it.

 

Amazon's CreateSpace Compared To Lightning Source As A POD Printer - Updated May 18, 2011!

Amazon owns CreateSpace and has merged its author services company, BookSurge, with CreateSpace.  You can use CreateSpace as a POD printer to self-publish by purchasing your own ISBN, uploading your interior and cover files after opening an account, paying your $39 Pro Plan fee (optional but the benefits of paying the fee are so large it is silly not to) ordering and approving your proof copy and viola, your book will appear on Amazon.com or you can order copies for yourself. CreateSpace also acts as a book distributor in a limited sense for self-publishers with distribution to online retailers Amazon.com and Barnes & Nobel.com and for those who take advantage of the Expanded Distribution Service, bookstores.

Many authors have become self-publishers by purchasing their own ISBN, preparing the files for their book and using Lightning Source Incorporated, a POD printer owned by the book distributor Ingram, to print and distribute their books. The fee to take advantage of LSI's services is $70 plus a $30 proof copy fee.

Which company is better to use for an author who desires to self-publish? The answer to that question is it depends.  Both companies have similar advantages such as distribution, POD printing and access to Amazon and other online retailers. Both allow the author to be the publisher and keep more of the profit from each book sold than in a traditional trade publishing business model.

Setting aside the initial cost to set up the book title, the difference between the two companies lies in cost. The cost per copy for a book printed by CreateSpace is lower than that of a book printed by LSI. The difference in cost is not great but at about .20 to .30 cents a book for a book over 200 pages in length, this fairly small difference can add up if the book sells.

LSI has two different levels of pricing, one for books sold wholesale for distribution and a slightly higher price for copies sold to the author for resale.  This becomes an issue of the primary source of sales of the book is direct sales by the author as the author's costs per copy are higher with LSI than with CreateSpace.

LSI's advantage is it allows the author to set the discount, the amount of the price taken off the list price that the retailer must have in order to make a profit. The normal discount is 55% to 40%.  LSI allows authors to "short discount," setting a discount as low as 25%, allowing the publisher to keep a significantly greater portion of the profits from the sale of the book.

CreateSpace does not allow authors to determine the discount granted to the retailers.  Authors who use CreateSpace must grant the retailer, almost always Amazon, a 40% discount.  For authors who take advantage of the Expanded Distribution Service, the discount is even higher for books sold in book stores.

Both companies have advantages and disadvantages.  The key for the author is to determine in advance where the majority of the sales will come from.  If most of the sales of the book will come from Amazon or other online retailers, it makes sense to use LSI.  If the bulk of the sales will be direct or through a variety of means that involve the author purchasing copies and then reselling the books, CreateSpace is probably a better choice.

UPDATE! For authors considering using either CreateSpace or Lightning Source and struggling to decide which company best meets their publishing needs, I have a new concise book comparing the two companies.  As much pertinent information as I could gather has been collected and organized to help authors planning to use print-on-demand for printing and distribution to select of the two companies.

The title of the book is Selecting a Print-on-Demand Company: Comparing CreateSpace and Lightning Source for POD Self-Publishing. It is available now as a print book on Amazon for $6.95.

CreateSpace versus Lightning Source and other options - Updated May 18, 2011!

(Visit my most recent post on this topic. To read more...)

Thus far in my career as an author my books have been published through Dog Ear Publishing, an Author's Services company (one book) and the rest through Amazon's CreateSpace (eighteen total books).

The very first book I wrote, Game Strategy and Tactics for Basketball, was published through Dog Ear Publishing.  For the most part, I have been very pleased with Dog Ear. They did a great job with the book in its design, editing and cover.  I only get paid quarterly and have to wait until the end of the next quarter to both get paid and find out the total number of books sold.  As I addressed in an earlier post, it is hard to tell if a marketing strategy has worked when you have to wait three to six months to find out the results.

CreateSpace allows you to see the results immediately of sales on Amazon which is great.  You are paid for the previous months sales at the end of the next month.  In other words, you get paid for your July sales at the end of August, but at least you know the total number of books and the exact amount you will earn.

The disadvantage of using CreateSpace is that up until recently, you had to do all of the production work yourself.  Print ready files had to be submitted in order to publish with CreateSpace.  Amazon appears to be moving aggressively into the POD self-publishing market as it has expanded the services offered by CreateSpace by now offering a complete range of author services.

So what are the advantage and disadvantages of using an author services company like Dog Ear or going with CreateSpace. In short, you have to pay for the services that Dog Ear provides, and no, don't call them a vanity press. You are also stuck with a 40% discount if you sell your book on Amazon. I do want to state clearly that the author price to purchase copies of your own book from Dog Ear for resale is one of the best prices that you will find with an author services company. The advantages are Dog Ear does a great job of designing and producing your book.

CreateSpace requires, unless you want to pay for the work to be done by professionals, that you submit ready to print files. CreateSpace has great pricing for author copies if you purchase the pro plan.  You also get a direct conduit for sales on Amazon, but you are stuck once again with the 40% discount.

With a company like Dog Ear, your book is printed by Lightning Source, the largest POD printer in North America, and can be sold anywhere, including bookstores.  Up until recently, your CreateSpace book could only be sold on Amazon, but CreateSpace now has an expanded distribution network option, but you have to grant a large discount in order to take advantage of that option.

I do want to make it clear that I am happy with the results I have gotten by using both companies.  So why am I considering not using either for my next book? I can make more money by truly self-publishing my own book through Lightning Source than I can any other way.  By using Lightning Source, I control the discount that is offered to Amazon and other retailers.  I can set it as low as 20%.

In order to do this, I will have to have ready to print files for Lightning Source and I will have to obtain my own ISBN which is easy to do.  I have already learned how to do both through my experience in using CreateSpace.  I have done a lot of homework and thought about this a great deal.

So, for my next book I am going to take the plunge and truly self-publish the book using Lightning Source as my POD printer.  I will still target the bulk of my sales at Amazon with the rest coming through coaching product retailers that sell to basketball coaches.

If you want to learn more about the POD business model of self-publishing I strongly urge you to obtain Morris Rosenthal's POD Publishing and Aaron Shepard's Aiming at Amazon and his forth coming book, POD for Profit which specifically details how to use Lightning Source.  If you are interested in learning more about using CreateSpace my own book Self-Publishing with Amazon's CreateSpace is a good source of information. You can go to all of these books product pages on Amazon by using the widget on the right hand side of this blog.

I will be posting the details of my experience using Lightning Source in comparison to Dog Ear and CreateSpace as I move through the publishing process with my next book about coaching and playing basketball.

UPDATE! For authors considering using either CreateSpace or Lightning Source and struggling to decide which company best meets their publishing needs, I have a new concise book comparing the two companies.  As much pertinent information as I could gather has been collected and organized to help authors planning to use print-on-demand for printing and distribution to select of the two companies.

The title of the book is Selecting a Print-on-Demand Company: Comparing CreateSpace and Lightning Source for POD Self-Publishing. It is available now as a print book on Amazon for $6.95.

Why Self-publish?

The traditional method of publishing a book effectively shuts out nearly all aspiring authors. Not only does it prevent authors from being published, most books that are published do not sell well. Publishing houses invest limited funds in marketing books except for those of well known best selling authors. For a book to be marketed successfully, it is up to the author to do all the marketing and promotional work for the book. Since most authors are woefully unaware of this fact, most books go un-promoted and un-marketed with the results one would expect, very few sales.

If an author is fortunate enough to be published through a traditional publishing house, the profits resulting from book sales largely go to the publisher, the printer and the retailer, leaving very little money for the author.

Print-on-demand technology has changed the printing world and so has the internet. Authors, for reasonable investments of money, can now publish their own book by using a self-publishing company, also called subsidy publishers by some, and then having books printed by a POD printer only when an order has been placed for the book. Lightning Source, Inc., is the primary POD printer used by nearly every self-publishing company in the United States. CreateSpace, owned by internet book retailing giant Amazon, is another POD/self-publishing company that authors may use to self-publish.

The internet allows authors to promote their book(s) through a wide range of means AND allows authors to sell their books directly to their readers. Amazon.com is now one of the largest, if not the largest, book retailer in the United States now. A self-published author can sell books directly through Amazon or, if using a self-publishing company, the self-publishing company will see to it that the book is listed for sale on Amazon.

Of course, Amazon takes cut and so does the self-publishing company in the form of a mark-up on the printing costs. But the author will have the OPPORTUNITY to make more money from the sale of the book as a self-published author than is possible following the traditional model of self-publishing. Some authors even use what is known as a "short discount" business model when selling books on Amazon to increase the author's share of the profit.

Maintaining creative control is another reason some authors decide to self-publish. Other authors self-publish as part of a bigger business model. Having a book lends credibility in many ways, which can help the author expand his or her business. Books can be used as a way to market a business or serve as a premium item that is provided to customers as part of a sale of services or a product.

The two most common forms of self-publishing involve using a self-publishing company or a POD publisher. A self-publishing company, for a fee, will provide an array of services which can include editing, interior design, cover design, production and in some cases marketing services. A POD publisher, such as Lightning Source or CreateSpace, require the author to produce publication ready files for the interior and the cover.

The decision to self-publish should not be taken lightly. As is with many endeavors, the buyer must beware and engage in a considerable amount of research prior to spending any money, or in some cases, even starting to write a book.

I want to suggest two books that will dramatically reduce the time needed in the learning process by pointing the author in the right direction to do the needed research. The first book is the one I recommended in my last blog post, Writer Watchdog 2009 Self-publishing Directory. The second book is my own Self-publishing with Amazon's CreateSpace: A Resource Guide for the Author Considering Self-publishing. Both books are good resources and mine covers the process of using CreateSpace to self-publish.

As always, thanks for dropping by! Come again!

Kevin

A Must Purchase Book for the Author Considering Self-Publishing!

No, it is not a copy of my own book, Self-publishing with Amazon's CreateSpace: A Resource Guide for the Author Considering Self-Publishing.

I just got my copy of Writer Watchdog Self-publishing Directory: 2009 Edition. This is an excellent source of information for the author who is considering self-publishing their manuscript.

This book does NOT contain all the information that an author needs to know. It DOES list a large number of resources that a self-publishing author will need to enter the world of self-publishing. The time and money that will be saved through this book in terms of speeding up the research and learning that is part of the self-publishing world is considerable.

It contains such information as where to obtain an ISBN number, copyright information, free lance editors, cover designers, subsidy (also known as self-publishing) publishers, and just a wide range of information about the business of self-publishing.

If you want a second book, particularly if you plan to use CreateSpace as your publisher, you may want to consider my book as well. But I have to honestly say, if you can only buy one, buy the Writer Watchdog 2009 Edition.

Thanks for dropping by! Come again as this is meant to be a source of information for self-published authors and those considering going that route to get published. It is also meant to be a place of encouragement for writers.

Talk to you later!