Amazon KDP or Lightning Source for your paperback?

 

Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and Lightning Source are two prominent platforms used by authors to print paperbacks, each offering unique features and benefits

 

Amazon KDP

Advantages	Disadvantages
It makes distribution in other countries that have Amazon stores easier. Stock control is better and no customs to worry about.	You can’t get books into book shops without paying a much higher fee.
It’s cheaper- no set up fees, no annual fees.	Less choice in formats than with Lightning source.
Amazon gets these titles out quicker than it does Lightning Source’s.	Other retailers can’t buy the books.
	Once we take the book out of print we can’t still offer author copies.

 

 

Lightning Source

Advantages	Disadvantages
It’s easier to get book into book shops. The ISBN tells the retailer how to order it.	You can incur import charges and high transport charges.
More choice of formats and better quality.	We have to pay set up costs, fees for alterations and an annual distribution fee.
Once we take the book out of print we can still offer author copies.

 

There are a few things to consider here:

Even though Amazon KDP can distribute to a country where there is an Amazon, we have to open an account with that country. This isn’t always straightforward.

We can in fact work directly with bookshops though it is more work for us.  

We pay an annual fee per book of £8.50 for distribution via Lightning Source. Yet retailers sometimes can’t source the books. Ingram’s shrugs its shoulders. I have managed to penetrate this and it comes down to a middle man not understanding how print-on –demand really works. I’ve had some success with The Hive and Waterstones. Amazon is rather Kafkaesque.

We may now start involving authors in deciding which method to use. Some will be uncertain. And if they are happy to take our advice we’re happy to give it.

The crucial point may be about what happens after the book goes out of print. Note though, we have to take a book out of distribution once the term is finished and if the book isn’t covering its distribution fee.  We can leave it in short run which means we can still obtain author copies and even sell to bookshops. But at that point the book wouldn’t be visible to the public except in our own online bookshop.  

Fast Track

 

Fast track 1

Gather together all of your pre-edited-by-us stories. They may have appeared on CafeLit, in one of our annual anthologies or one of our special books. You gather the edited version into one word document.  You are looking at between 30,000 and 70,000 words, the sweet spot being 46,000. You may like to include an introduction and you should also include a bio, 250 – 500 words, and links to up to three of your other publications  See Seen Through a Glass of Red by Liz Cox and Old Man Jasperson and other stories by Jim Bates. All of the editing is completed on this so we only need to design the books, proof read twice and market. In both cases we actually published a couple of months ahead of schedule.  Use https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/form.aspx?id=O5TCxfX-6CXux-a0E6ElR-g7gG4x4c7

Fast track 2

If you have used one of our editors and they agree that the book is good to go we can leave out one or more of the editorial processes.  See our list here: http://www.gilljameswriter.com/p/my-dream-team.html   Use   https://apublishersperspective.blogspot.com/2023/03/submissions.html but mention in your cover letter that you have used one of our editors and outline which sort of edit(s) they’ve completed.                                                                                                                                

Fast track 3

Do you have a collection of stories to which you have the rights back? Put them together in one Word document, acknowledging where each was first published. Again, you are looking at between 30,000 and 70,000 words, the sweet spot being 46,000. You will have just the two proof reads. Also include an introduction if you would like one, and supply a bio, a blurb and link to up to three of your previous publications. Submit as usual via: https://apublishersperspective.blogspot.com/2023/03/submissions.html

Fast track 4

This will have to stay in the queue, I’m afraid BUT if we approve of it we can miss out the editorial stages. This is where we can bring your out of print book back to life. We may even take it on if we think it needs editorial input. Submit in the normal way. https://apublishersperspective.blogspot.com/2023/03/submissions.html 

Crowd Funded project

If you are willing to work with us on crowd-funding your project, please indicate that in your submission. We will run a crowd-funding project for two months and use whatever funds we raise to, in this order,:

·         Shorten your publishing schedule

·         Give you a more dynamic launch

·         Get you on to higher royalties faster

Amazon KDP or Lightning Source for your paperback?

Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and Lightning Source are two prominent platforms used by authors to print paperbacks, each offering unique features and benefits

 

Amazon KDP

Advantages	Disadvantages
It makes distribution in other countries that have Amazon stores easier. Stock control is better and no customs to worry about.	You can’t get books into book shops without paying a much higher fee.
It’s cheaper- no set up fees, no annual fees.	Less choice in formats than with Lightning source.
Amazon gets these titles out quicker than it does Lightning Source’s.	Other retailers can’t buy the books.
	Once we take the book out of print we can’t still offer author copies.

 

 

Lightning Source

Advantages	Disadvantages
It’s easier to get book into book shops. The ISBN tells the retailer how to order it.	You can incur import charges and high transport charges.
More choice of formats and better quality.	We have to pay set up costs, fees for alterations and an annual distribution fee.
Once we take the book out of print we can still offer author copies.

 

There are a few things to consider here:

Even though Amazon KDP can distribute to a country where there is an Amazon, we have to open an account with that country. This isn’t always straightforward.

We can in fact work directly with bookshops though it is more work for us.   

We pay an annual fee per book of £8.50 for distribution via Lightning Source. Yet retailers sometimes can’t source the books. Ingram’s shrugs its shoulders. I have managed to penetrate this and it comes down to a middle man not understanding how print-on –demand really works. I’ve had some success with The Hive and Waterstones. Amazon is rather Kafkaesque.

We may now start involving authors in deciding which method to use. Some will be uncertain. And if they are happy to take our advice we’re happy to give it.

The crucial point may be about what happens after the book goes out of print. Note though, we have to take a book out of distribution once the term is finished and if the book isn’t covering its distribution fee.  We can leave it in short run which means we can still obtain author copies and even sell to bookshops. But at that point the book wouldn’t be visible to the public except in our own online bookshop.