(Or Things I wish I knew before I printed)
I chose LightningSource as my POD printer to handle my paperback and hardcover versions of my books. There are other printers out there, CreateSpace being another very well known one. This post will cover information about LightningSource (LSI), but I will make comparisons to CreateSpace as a reference point.
Now, before I give you a break down of the steps it takes to upload your book, I have to share something with you that I didn’t know before hand. It came as quite a shock! Unlike CreateSpace, Lightning Source has set up fees. All my research and asking questions, this never turned up. I guess I was being a space cadet and figured that all POD printers did not charge set up fees, but obviously that is not the case.
Okay, in the end, I still went with LSI. Based on my research they have more distribution options (since CreateSpace is part of Amazon that’s where you’re limited). But LSI is a part of Ingram and they distribute to major brick and mortar chains and online distributors all over the world.
So, here is the breakdown of the setup fees that LSI charges you as an author/publisher.
- Title Setup: $75.00 (per book)*
- Proof Copy: (First time) Paperback: $30.00, Hardcover: $35.00
- Annual Distribution Fee: $12.00 (per book)*
- Revisions: $40.00 (per file upload)**
- Optional (one time): $60.00 Ad in Ingram Advanced Magazine
*(Per book means each version you print even if the title is the same. So you pay for the paperback, and then again for the hardcover)
**(Your cover art is one file and your manuscript is another file. So if you change something in your manuscript and you cover and reload both, that’s a total of $80.00)
Now that that is out of the way, we can move on to the steps to getting up on LSI.
Registering for LSI is a multi-step process. But, it’s worth it for those that want to use LSI as their POD printer (like myself.) It can take a lot of time and you’ll need to have all your tax information ready. There are only three steps really to this process, but all of them are indepth!
1. Register for an account through their website, www.lightningsource.com. Fill out all the required information. There is more to fill out here than just your email, username, and password. You also have to answer questions like, how many books will your publish a year, your company name, etc.
2. You will receive an email from the new account rep from LSI. There are questions in there for you to answer and email back. They aren’t complicated and there are only 5 or 6 to answer so this step you can get out of the way pretty quickly.
3. You’ll receive another email after you send the questions with more instructions. You’ll log into your account and be directed through the rest of the set up process. This is where you handle your tax information, decide on distribution (US only or also to the UK and Australia). There are a total of 5 forms in PDF format you’ll have to download, sign, and send back. Three of them you can electronically sign, but the tax paper work forms, you have to actually print out, sign with a pen, and send back. (You can fax or snail mail. I scanned the singed pages back into my computer, saved as a PDF and emailed it!) This step is the most time consuming as there is a LOT of information they need to know to set up your account.
That’s it in a nutshell. Just remember to follow all the directions to the letter! And if you get stuck or need help, the people at LSI are EXTREMELY helpful.
Once your account is set up (it takes about 2 days after you send in the signed forms from step 3), you’ll receive information for three people in your contact list – your Client Service Rep, Credit Rep, and your Sales Rep. USE THEM!! I’m not kidding. I spent almost two hours on the phone with my Client Service Rep and she was awesome! Answered all my questions and gave me more information than I thought to ask about.
Also, once your account is set up, you’ll have access to a giant information packet. READ IT! I know, I know. Reading those things are so boring. But trust me, it will save you a huge headache in the long run. I could take up a month of blog posts sharing the same information with you there is so much in there.
You’ll also get access to the print and shipping calculator and other generators that will help you format and upload your book to LSI.
Again, I can’t stress enough that you follow all the directions exactly, read the information packets they give you, and call your Reps. They can clarify anything you need and are extremely helpful.
I can help as much as I can as well, so please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment or shoot me an email if you have specific questions about my experience with LSI. But, I’m limited to my personal experience. Yours might be different, so seriously – use the resources that LSI gives you!
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