Can anyone answer for me, what is the minimum page count for a hard cover for a Children’s book? KDP now offers hard covers also. I can not find the page count information before starting the process.
Hi Bethany. What is the min wholesale discount with IS that will still get your book listed on Amazon? BTW, I really like the way you explain things. For example, your explanation as to why you just use POD was illuminating. I also like my life and I don’t want it taken up with storage, wrapping, posting, complaints etc. Seeing the POD company as your paid employee is a great way to view it.
I believe 30% is the minimum for the wholesale discount and Amazon should list it. And thank you! I'm glad my take helps. Everyone has a different feeling towards it, but I truly love the ease of POD.
@@everynewdayisablessing8509 Yes, that is in regards to having any book distributed through IngramSpark listed on Amazon regardless of the binding type.
I watched a previous video of yours comparing KDP and IngramSpark. You mentioned both are great but for better profits which would you suggest ? I am researching all of my options.
I suggest using both together. An ebook on KDP, paperback on KDP and IS, and hardcover on IS. That way you will have the broadest reach for your ideal audience while maximizing profits.
I appreciate your efforts to give value. I tried to sign up in Ingramspark. I am a non US author and I dont have a LLC so which form do need to select in tax ? For KDP non US individual authors fill W8 BEN form but I dont see this form in Ingramspark? Can you help me this? I just want to know the name?
I'm not sure how it exactly works for non-US authors. What I would recommend is contacting IngramSpark customer service and asking them for the forms you require and/or the information you need. They will be the best suited to direct you further. I wish I could be of more help, best of luck!
No, I do not pay - there is a fee to upload documents/revisions however always check their site for promo codes, as I've been publishing since 2018 and only paid to upload one time out of ~20 different versions of books I have uploaded. Ingram is really good about keeping free upload codes available for indie authors. There is no way to give the bookstore a link - however, they are very familiar with ordering from IngramSpark and their process, so they won't have a problem figuring it out. If you just let them know it is available through IS they know how to do the rest!
For the entire 2020 year, I have roughly 20 returns for all books, which is significantly less than 1%. It rarely happens for me, other authors had other experiences, but it has been worth it for me.
Hi Bethany, Love your posts. I have a question: Do you use the same ISBN number for the same softcover book when using Ingramsparks and KDP? Or do they have to be different numbers? I understand each format (hardcover, softcover, e-book) has to have a separate ISBN. But does a softcover being printed by two different print companies need different numbers?
As long as both paperbacks are identical, you can use the same ISBN 😁 So, yes, I use the same ISBN for both my KDP and IngramSpark paperback. So happy to hear the videos are helping! ❤
Hi there! Awesome video :) For clarity, you are saying that Authors are charged back the money you were paid for the initial sale of the book, correct? They are essentially taking the money back since the books have been returned. So you are at a net 0 for the transaction, right? And if they then deliver the books to you in good condition you essentially are getting free Author copies that you could sell.
Not quite. This is the most confusing part of returns, you will actually owe a deficit and are not at a net 0, although that does make more sense logically. Returns through IngramSpark can really hurt you financially, and the decision to allow or not allow it is a gamble. The author copies are not guaranteed on their condition so it is a gamble on if you want to pay for them to be shipped to you in the case of a return. In the case of a return IngramSpark is charging the author the wholesale cost of the book + shipping and handling fees (if returned). So essentially if you have a full-color children's hardcover book selling at $20 book at 55% wholesale your compensation is roughly $1.57. If returned you will be charged on your next compensation check $9.00 for the book wholesale cost + $2 shipping & handling (in the US if you opt for a return). Here is a reference page that explains more about returns and may do a better job than I can! I hope this helps! www.ingramspark.com/blog/making-your-book-returnable
How I understand this is: they refund the customer all the money they paid for the quantity they are returning regardless of the condition of the books and then ingram charges you for the books AND shipping to your house. So you are out of pocket and you may end up with a20, 10 or 1000 books, some of which may be damaged. You can resell, of course. This is not an option for me, as I am not from the US, so I will not allow returns. I do not wish for my books to be distroyed either. I find this part of the book business not fair. I don't know any other business model that can so easily return products regardless of their state. Most businesses buy wholesale to resell and it is up to them to sell. The gamble is on them.
Hello Bethany, I'm working on my first book and just completed my first draft. I live in Canada, which has me nervous about IS. The price of my book is high, which has me concerned if I allow returns. There doesn't seem to be any protection for the author. What are your thoughts on this? Congrats on your success.
Congrats on your first book! Returns are always a risk, and you are right, there is no protection for the author. How I set up my books is not always the best for everyone, though it works for me. You can always change your return status and I encourage you to take the route you are most comfortable with and which fits your author journey the best. Less than 0.5% of my sales on IngramSpark have been returned, so the risk has been minimal to me so far. I don't have experience with IS from outside of the US and can't speak to how that experience will differ from mine. If you want to take a safe route, I'd recommend starting with no returns until you get comfortable and change it later if you want to shake it up. I too did not allow returns in the beginning, as I was incredibly worried about it. Once sales picked up, I turned it on to see if it was worth the gamble. I wish you all the best of luck!
@@BethanyStahl thank you for the reply. I still have lots of work ahead of me. I'm currently doing my first edit for grammar issues. Once that's done I'll start from the beginning to add or trim, and add any necessary images. Adding image will be the longest part of the process. I'll be putting a lot of value inside my book, so maybe my returns will be low like yours. Thanks again for the inspiration.
The ISBN would be purchased from your countries ISBN source, for ex. if you are in the US, you would buy from Bowker through myidentifiers.com that way you own the ISBN. You wouldn't be able to use a free KDP ISBN anywhere else and it is best to avoid using it for paperbacks so you have more freedom.
I used Ingram Spark's calculator to estimate my profit for my $6.99 140-page paperback. I set it for 55% discount for retailers, and it shows I'm only making .15 cents per book sold. I'm basically giving my book away for free. I honestly don't see how anyone can benefit from Ingram Sparks. I'm thinking I might be better off with KDP expanded distribution.
Absolutely do what is best for you. Profits change per author as book type, printing cost, and retail cost all change between each person - it is a balancing act to determine what is best for your journey. I have some books with KDP ED and some with IngramSpark. I wish you all the best!
Hi, Bethany! Thank you so much for such an informative podcasy! I have a question. Those 1000 orders have been made for paperbacks or for hard cover books?
UPDATE: IngramSparks pricing has since raised - you may not be able to give as deep of a discount with my old numbers. Please adjust accordingly.
@Bethany Stahl - Hi, This video was very helpful. It cleared a lot of fuzzy areas for me.
Can anyone answer for me, what is the minimum page count for a hard cover for a Children’s book? KDP now offers hard covers also. I can not find the page count information before starting the process.
75 currently for KDP. I use IngramSpark for my children's books.
Thank you, great video, very good info. Did you make this video with Canva ???
I did not, but Canva seems fun!
Can the paperback you sell on ingramspark be the exact same you upload on kdp with kpd’s ISBN ?
Yes as long as the ISBN is NOT a free ISBN (from KDP). You'd need to purchase one. I hope that helps!
Hi Bethany. What is the min wholesale discount with IS that will still get your book listed on Amazon? BTW, I really like the way you explain things. For example, your explanation as to why you just use POD was illuminating. I also like my life and I don’t want it taken up with storage, wrapping, posting, complaints etc. Seeing the POD company as your paid employee is a great way to view it.
I believe 30% is the minimum for the wholesale discount and Amazon should list it. And thank you! I'm glad my take helps. Everyone has a different feeling towards it, but I truly love the ease of POD.
@@BethanyStahl Is it that to have a hardbook listed on amazon?
@@everynewdayisablessing8509 Yes, that is in regards to having any book distributed through IngramSpark listed on Amazon regardless of the binding type.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
You are so welcome!
I watched a previous video of yours comparing KDP and IngramSpark. You mentioned both are great but for better profits which would you suggest ? I am researching all of my options.
I suggest using both together. An ebook on KDP, paperback on KDP and IS, and hardcover on IS. That way you will have the broadest reach for your ideal audience while maximizing profits.
@@BethanyStahl Thank you !!!
I appreciate your efforts to give value. I tried to sign up in Ingramspark. I am a non US author and I dont have a LLC so which form do need to select in tax ? For KDP non US individual authors fill W8 BEN form but I dont see this form in Ingramspark? Can you help me this? I just want to know the name?
I'm not sure how it exactly works for non-US authors. What I would recommend is contacting IngramSpark customer service and asking them for the forms you require and/or the information you need. They will be the best suited to direct you further. I wish I could be of more help, best of luck!
@@BethanyStahl ok thank you.
Do you pay to place your book in Ingram’s catalogs? Also, is there no way to give a local bookstore a link to purchase directly through Ingram Spark?
No, I do not pay - there is a fee to upload documents/revisions however always check their site for promo codes, as I've been publishing since 2018 and only paid to upload one time out of ~20 different versions of books I have uploaded. Ingram is really good about keeping free upload codes available for indie authors. There is no way to give the bookstore a link - however, they are very familiar with ordering from IngramSpark and their process, so they won't have a problem figuring it out. If you just let them know it is available through IS they know how to do the rest!
Have you received many returns ? Could you tell me the average percentage of returns you get with IS ? thanks
For the entire 2020 year, I have roughly 20 returns for all books, which is significantly less than 1%. It rarely happens for me, other authors had other experiences, but it has been worth it for me.
Did you pay the 85 dollars for them to add your book to their articles?
I didn't and haven't used it yet. I've heard mixed reviews on it, but I will test it out in the future and make a video on it 😊
@@BethanyStahl okay thanks 😊
Hi Bethany, Love your posts. I have a question: Do you use the same ISBN number for the same softcover book when using Ingramsparks and KDP? Or do they have to be different numbers? I understand each format (hardcover, softcover, e-book) has to have a separate ISBN. But does a softcover being printed by two different print companies need different numbers?
As long as both paperbacks are identical, you can use the same ISBN 😁 So, yes, I use the same ISBN for both my KDP and IngramSpark paperback. So happy to hear the videos are helping! ❤
@@BethanyStahl Thank you! And yes, your videos are very helpful! I wish you much continued success in everything you do!
Hi there! Awesome video :) For clarity, you are saying that Authors are charged back the money you were paid for the initial sale of the book, correct? They are essentially taking the money back since the books have been returned. So you are at a net 0 for the transaction, right? And if they then deliver the books to you in good condition you essentially are getting free Author copies that you could sell.
Not quite. This is the most confusing part of returns, you will actually owe a deficit and are not at a net 0, although that does make more sense logically. Returns through IngramSpark can really hurt you financially, and the decision to allow or not allow it is a gamble. The author copies are not guaranteed on their condition so it is a gamble on if you want to pay for them to be shipped to you in the case of a return. In the case of a return IngramSpark is charging the author the wholesale cost of the book + shipping and handling fees (if returned). So essentially if you have a full-color children's hardcover book selling at $20 book at 55% wholesale your compensation is roughly $1.57. If returned you will be charged on your next compensation check $9.00 for the book wholesale cost + $2 shipping & handling (in the US if you opt for a return). Here is a reference page that explains more about returns and may do a better job than I can! I hope this helps! www.ingramspark.com/blog/making-your-book-returnable
How I understand this is: they refund the customer all the money they paid for the quantity they are returning regardless of the condition of the books and then ingram charges you for the books AND shipping to your house. So you are out of pocket and you may end up with a20, 10 or 1000 books, some of which may be damaged. You can resell, of course. This is not an option for me, as I am not from the US, so I will not allow returns. I do not wish for my books to be distroyed either. I find this part of the book business not fair. I don't know any other business model that can so easily return products regardless of their state. Most businesses buy wholesale to resell and it is up to them to sell. The gamble is on them.
Hello Bethany, I'm working on my first book and just completed my first draft. I live in Canada, which has me nervous about IS. The price of my book is high, which has me concerned if I allow returns. There doesn't seem to be any protection for the author. What are your thoughts on this? Congrats on your success.
Congrats on your first book! Returns are always a risk, and you are right, there is no protection for the author. How I set up my books is not always the best for everyone, though it works for me. You can always change your return status and I encourage you to take the route you are most comfortable with and which fits your author journey the best. Less than 0.5% of my sales on IngramSpark have been returned, so the risk has been minimal to me so far. I don't have experience with IS from outside of the US and can't speak to how that experience will differ from mine. If you want to take a safe route, I'd recommend starting with no returns until you get comfortable and change it later if you want to shake it up. I too did not allow returns in the beginning, as I was incredibly worried about it. Once sales picked up, I turned it on to see if it was worth the gamble. I wish you all the best of luck!
@@BethanyStahl thank you for the reply. I still have lots of work ahead of me. I'm currently doing my first edit for grammar issues. Once that's done I'll start from the beginning to add or trim, and add any necessary images. Adding image will be the longest part of the process. I'll be putting a lot of value inside my book, so maybe my returns will be low like yours. Thanks again for the inspiration.
So you first publish on KDP, get a free KDP ISBN, then put the same book with the same ISBN for sale on Ingram?
The ISBN would be purchased from your countries ISBN source, for ex. if you are in the US, you would buy from Bowker through myidentifiers.com that way you own the ISBN. You wouldn't be able to use a free KDP ISBN anywhere else and it is best to avoid using it for paperbacks so you have more freedom.
After you own the ISBN, yes. I would put the same book with the same ISBN for sale on Ingram in the same size/format
@@BethanyStahl Got it, thanks!
I used Ingram Spark's calculator to estimate my profit for my $6.99 140-page paperback. I set it for 55% discount for retailers, and it shows I'm only making .15 cents per book sold. I'm basically giving my book away for free. I honestly don't see how anyone can benefit from Ingram Sparks. I'm thinking I might be better off with KDP expanded distribution.
Absolutely do what is best for you. Profits change per author as book type, printing cost, and retail cost all change between each person - it is a balancing act to determine what is best for your journey. I have some books with KDP ED and some with IngramSpark. I wish you all the best!
Hi, Bethany! Thank you so much for such an informative podcasy! I have a question. Those 1000 orders have been made for paperbacks or for hard cover books?
They were paperbacks.
@@BethanyStahl, thanks ❤