It’s hard to believe that we are almost through May. It has been quite the start to 2023, and May has proven no different with the many new changes that we have introduced at IngramSpark. In our industry, we often are busy keeping up with the day-to-day changes that come along with publishing, but I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude and thanks for the continued support we receive from our IngramSpark authors and publishers. Your use of IngramSpark is instrumental in driving our growth and enabling us to create better opportunities for indies and independently published content around the globe.
As a part of the many initiatives surrounding our 10-Year Anniversary, we recently launched free title setup at IngramSpark. Other avenues of publishing often involve significant upfront costs for services, and with free title setup, authors and publishers can now save a considerable amount and allocate their resources to other aspects of their books, making them that much more successful.
Additionally, we announced that in July we will be introducing flat-rate shipping for the US, groundwood paper rates, and rolling out a new ultra-premium color option. We also shared that we will be activating a new 1% fee on all books sold through our wholesale global distribution network. Understandably, this may not be the most exciting news to our customers, however, it reinforces IngramSpark beyond printing and provides an added value to our unmatched global distribution network that is providing visibility and equity to all indie content. This fee also covers the logistical and administrative tasks involved with making your book available to retailers and libraries, as we add new global markets, order fulfillment, inventory management, and shipping features to our network.
I am often asked, “I’ve published my book, and enabled distribution, what should I do next?” This is the age-old question that many self-publishers face. It's our goal at IngramSpark to make the answers to this question more accessible and provide you with the advertising, selling, and promotional tools so the “what’s next” is simple. As we roll out new services and tools this year, it is our hope that they will provide added convenience and complement your publishing journey.
What I can offer today is the following:
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- Add new keywords, BISACS, rewards, and reviews to your title information (metadata).
- Analyze your list price, compare your title’s price to similar books in the market.
- Select YES! I know, I know…there are some inherent risks around returns but to avoid your title being “temporarily out of stock” or “ships in 1-2 weeks” messaging across large online retail websites, favorable returns selection is necessary.
- Provide a market discount that is above 40%. Again, some large online retailers will not give favorable order messaging across their websites or submit bulk orders for your title if you choose a lower discount.
- And lastly, go global! Allow your title to be sold far and wide to international markets. Make sure to opt-in to our Global Connect program for FREE, and start selling in India, South Africa, France, UAE and more.
Your loyalty and support of IngramSpark is the fuel that drives our passion, and we are committed to earning it every single day. Be sure to register for our IngramSpark City Tour, where you will have an opportunity to interact with me and my team, as well as share extensive feedback on how we can enhance your self-publishing journey through IngramSpark.
With gratitude,
Paige Allen
Director of IngramSpark
