Moving Print Book Files from CreateSpace to IngramSpark

ingramspark-logoA couple of years ago Lynne Cantwell gave a great overview of three of the most popular choices for paperback distribution:  CreateSpace, Lulu, and IngramSpark. As Lynne explained, while all three have benefits, IngramSpark, owned by Ingram Content Group, “has the most robust distribution chain of any of the three POD services, as its parent company is the largest book wholesaler in the world.” In fact, when you choose Expanded Distribution for your paperbacks through CreateSpace, the business of printing and distribution actually goes through Ingram.

“Wait,” you’re thinking, “if Expanded Distribution is sourced out to Ingram, why don’t I just go directly through Ingram?” Or you might not be thinking that, but I was, because going directly through Ingram – in this case, their subsidiary, IngramSpark – offers some benefits you just can’t get with CreateSpace. Continue reading “Moving Print Book Files from CreateSpace to IngramSpark”

How to Boost a Post on Facebook

Facebook LogoFacebook offers several ways to advertise services and products. In 2013, guest Nickie Storey-Bailey told us how to use Facebook ads to garner more “likes” for our author pages. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to boost individual posts to get them in front of more people.

I don’t have an author page, but I do have a page for my small publishing company. Each time we publish a new book, I post about it on Facebook and wait for approximately three people to see the post, two of whom are the author and me. Thanks to Facebook’s always-changing algorithms, it’s nearly impossible to get eyes on our pages and page-posts these days without paying for it. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Post your status update first, and then click on the “Boost” button (red arrow below). Continue reading “How to Boost a Post on Facebook”

How to Get Paperback Books into Libraries

worldcat logoIndie authors and publishers think a lot about getting books into libraries. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s a rite of passage, or a holdover of the older, traditional publishing industry. Or maybe, as in my case, it’s the awkward silence when asked, “Can I check out your book from the library?” Real books are in libraries. Right? As Melissa Bowersock and Laurie Boris explained,  there are a couple of avenues for getting indie eBooks into libraries, but what about paperbacks? Continue reading “How to Get Paperback Books into Libraries”

YouTube and Amazon: Gain Exposure by Using Both

author email marketing email-1346077_960_720It’s becoming evident that newsletters are a valuable tool for authors to have. Shawn Inmon recently discussed the importance of newsletters, and one of the things he said was, “The reason why is simple: You control how and when you access a mailing list, as opposed to investing everything into working the Amazon or social media algorithms.” That really resonated with me, so I decided it was time for me to take his advice seriously. Continue reading “YouTube and Amazon: Gain Exposure by Using Both”