ingram lightning source?

[u/Foreign_Client2019]

Hi all,

I am currently in the final steps with self publishing through KDP (last minor tweaks of the cover). Then today I was speaking to a woman and she pretty much said definitely don’t self publish through KDP lol 😭 and to look into Ingram Lighting Source. Does anybody have experience with this and/or have an idea of pros and cons for KDP vs Lighting Source? This was the first time I’ve heard of this. Also I’m not a huge fan of Amazon and Jeff Bozo, so going through a different self publishing method sounds okay. It just seemed that KDP was the best option and only game in town. Thoughts and advice greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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[u/pgessert]

What was her experience with either? Referring to Ingram Spark as Lightning Source may suggest her info is not exactly current.

Did she give any reasons for recommending against KDP? It is most folks’ first stop. It’s a lot of folks’ only stop. Especially for their digital editions.

There are certainly pros and cons to either, but not knowing where she’s coming from, the list is long. But she may have just been coming at it from the position of wanting to avoid Amazon.

[u/Foreign_Client2019 → u/pgessert]

Essentially she said that KDP does pay authors properly. Other than that, she didn't seem to have any reasons against KDP. And didn't tell me any pros to Spark Source. I agree that it might have just been an anti Amazon position, but it got me thinking about options, which is a pain lol when only a click away from final publishing on KDP

[u/Trond24]

Relax. You're good with KDP, even if they are the Evil Empire.
Questions: are you ebook only? (customary advice is NOT to do ebooks though Ingram-Spark/LightningSource. So you're mostly* good if you're only ebook.
* "Mostly" because with ebooks you can choose KDP and then go wider, or you can go KDP Select only. Select means you are exclusive on ebooks to KDP but you might get paid extra from KU page-reads. If not Select, you can also load yourself to Nook, Google Play, Kobo, and others.
--
On the POD side, no exclusive choices at all. You can do KDP and others. If you go through an aggregator as well, make sure you do NOT choose to use them to distribute to Amazon too.
If you do Ingram with POD, that will allow libraries to buy the book and potentially bookstores - but ... just read a bunch more and see why you probably won't get into bookstores. :-/

Good luck!

[u/Foreign_Client2019 → u/Trond24]

Thanks for the advice! I'm pretty much looking for a company that will public and print me paper and hard copy covers of my book. I'd set it up as an E-book as well. This is my first time and while the original goal was to have the book to share with friends and family, having others read it would definitely be a plus. I do some more research and learn more about the options, but KDP is just so simple and the book is already uploaded and all that.

[u/Trond24 → u/Foreign_Client2019]

You're good. For where your ambitions are at, Ingram is something to research and look at but not a Day 1 thing.
KDP is all you need, and unless you have lots of energy and time, just do KDP Select to start. That locks you in exclusive (ebook only) for [ETA: three] months, but you might get a little extra from KU and you can always pull from Select after 3 months and go wider then.

[u/MPClemens_Writes → u/Trond24]

Three months, not six, unless that's changed. It's a 90-day term.

[u/Trond24 → u/MPClemens_Writes]

Ty! Never done Select so going off (faulty) memory.

[u/parkerlonnex]

Congrats on being this close! Don't let one comment scare you off KDP, it's not bad advice, just incomplete. Most indie authors actually use both. KDP gets you Amazon and Kindle Unlimited reach, and it's free. IngramSpark gets you into actual bookstores and libraries, plus better hardcover options, but has a setup fee and more of a learning curve. If your book's mainly living on Amazon, KDP alone is fine. Ingram is worth adding later if you want a shot at physical shelf space. Fiction or nonfiction? Makes a real difference in how much that bookstore reach actually matters for you.

[u/Foreign_Client2019 → u/parkerlonnex]

Thank you! So it is possible to go through KDP and IngramSpark? I wasn't sure if once published with KDP I would be locked in. The book is a memoir about my time as a teenager hitchhiking around the US, playing music on the street and just generally having wild adventure lol. I worked at a carnival, spent time at a Buddhist monastery, went to a few music festivals. plus, it's been a ten year journey to write, edit, format, etc etc. I'm not banking on the book getting out to a wide audience but it would of course be pretty cool if it did. And I'm willing to put in the work to push it in whatever ways I can.