The beginning of any year presents a unique opportunity to combine reflection with forward thinking, and 2019 is no exception. Whether you're beginning a new novel, writing a book marketing plan for an existing book, or working on any aspect of your self-publishing journey, now is the time to examine the self-publishing landscape at the conclusion of 2018 and prepare accordingly for 2019. So, what’s ahead for the self-publishing world in 2019? Here are my insights into trending book publishing topics for the New Year:

My gosh, what happened to 2018? In a blink of an eye it was here and then it is all but over. Looking back, there were some definite high points for IngramSpark in 2018, so I’d like to jot them down here for the sake of posterity:

Update 9/10/18

The author and publishing world has been abuzz with the recent news from Amazon that its CreateSpace print on demand business is now being folded into its Kindle Direct Publishing program that launched officially a few years ago. Whether or not this action will be a positive move for authors will inevitably be seen in time. But today, IngramSpark client support is blowing up more than normal with questions from authors asking us what it all means. The question we used to get most often was, "What's the difference between IngramSpark vs CreateSpace?" Now it seems the question will be, "What's the difference between IngramSpark vs KDP?" So, I will attempt to help clarify with as much information as I have.

A letter of thanks from Robin Cutler, Director of IngramSpark, as she reflects on five fantastic years  of IngramSpark's publishing service.

Is there anything more thrilling than seeing your finished book for the first time? To stand there admiring that beautiful cover, to breathe in the smell of paper and ink, to feel the surprising heftiness of that book in your hands. Even content that lives only as an ebook is often imagined as it would appear on a tangible device such as an iPad or mobile phone. These visions are powerful and help to spur us on as we undertake the really hard work of spinning the creative impulse into an art form.

As we come to the close of a very busy and productive year, I just wanted to personally thank you for helping us improve what we do at IngramSpark.

by Robin Cutler, Director of IngramSpark, originally posted on Bookworks
One of the most frequent questions I get from authors I meet at writing conferences is “How do I get my book into libraries?” So I recently posed this same question to my friend and Ingram colleague Joyce Skokut, Director of Library Collection Development who had just returned from the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Orlando. Joyce graciously met with the IngramSpark team to offer some insights and sage advice for indie authors in how best to get their book onto library shelves.

I’ve written and presented many times on the value of using print on demand (POD) as a means to get broad book distribution in bringing your book to the global marketplace while reducing your overall financial risk. This is especially a good path as a new author with a first book where the demand is unknown.