Unlocking 'Share & Sell': Inside IngramSpark's New Beta Feature!
Will this direct sales feature be a game-changer? Or a complete dud?
Yesterday, I had the privilege of video chatting with the IngramSpark team. They gave me exclusive access to a new tool called Share & Sell. This new direct sales tool empowers authors to sell more books while collecting far more profit per copy. We're talking CONSIDERABLY more than sales normally made through their distribution system.
A Quick Recap on IngramSpark
IngramSpark is a self-publishing platform for authors to release their print books and ebooks. Founded over a decade ago, IngramSpark has grown to be one of the biggest key players in the world of self-publishing, only second to Amazon KDP. They have an extensive distribution network with over 40,000 online retailers, stores, and libraries.
While I have some reservations about IngramSpark, overall, the platform is a viable option for publishing print books. I'll save my commentary about their ebook distribution for another day. For now, I can confidently say their print options and quality are superb. They're a large part of my book launch plans.
If you want a deeper dive into IngramSpark, then check out my video covering the pros and cons of their platform here. It's a little older and needs an update, but overall, I still stand by my thoughts. The most significant change since the video was when IngramSpark removed the upload fees. Though they implemented a 1% distribution fee for every book sale, it's nice not having to pay $49 for every book uploaded.
Be mindful to make all manuscript corrections within the first 60 days or they have a $25 update fee. I circumvent the fee with my membership to the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). Every ALLi member gets five update codes per month to waive the fee. Get more details about an ALLi membership here.
Share & Sell: IngramSpark's NEW Direct Sales Feature
For years, if you wanted to do direct sales for print books, you either had to go to another company (i.e., Bookvault, Lulu) or order bulk copies of your books to self-fulfill. I don't know about you, but I simply don't have the time or resources to put into self-fulfilling print orders through my site. Ultimately, I have to handle book orders, shipping supplies, shipping costs, and post office visits.
Nope! I'll pass!
Aside from the other direct sales options mentioned above, what sets IngramSpark's new direct sales feature apart? Quite a bit, but I have to preface everything with bad news.
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