Thank you for your interest! Here's some information about getting started with IngramSpark.
When adding your retail price, you will be required to offer a wholesale discount between 30% and 55%, which is what our distribution partners receive, for each market you provide pricing for. Bookstores want to receive their normal trade discount when they buy from Ingram's wholesale division, so, you would need to offer a 55% discount in order for that to happen.
You will also be required to select a returns option and will have 3 to choose from, described further below. If you are not sure which option to offer, I suggest making the book non-returnable, which you can change later if needed. Returns can be very costly and since the books are printed as they are sold, there really should not be any returns. The "big box" stores such as Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, Sam's wholesale, Costoc, etc, will not purchase the book if it is non-returnable. However, they may special order it for a customer.
IngramSpark will not accept returns from booksellers for any title so designated.
Select this designation if you want to allow your titles to be sold on a returnable basis and you would like to receive a physical copy of the book returned. Shipping fees will apply: $2 per book if returned to a US address and $20 per book if address is outside the US.
Returned units will be shipped back to Ingram and destroyed. If you select this option, you will be charged the current wholesale cost of each book returned.
You will earn compensation for books sold through our distribution network, based on the retail price of the book minus the wholesale discount and print cost. We register the sale on your IngramSpark account, on the print sales report, when the books leave our print facility. We pay you for the sales approximately 90 days later.
You will also be able to place orders for your book to be printed and shipped wherever you choose. You will be able to place orders through our print facilities in the US, UK and Australia. You will pay the print cost, shipping and handling fees.
After you have provided all the metadata information for your book, you can then upload your files.
Use this to figure print and shipping costs for orders you place. You pay the print cost, shipping and handling and taxes if applicable.
Use this to forecast how much you will earn for every books sold through our POD distribution channel, reaching over 39,000 bookstores, libraries, etc.
Use this to make certain the digital files you upload into IngramSpark for print-on-demand and e-book distribution meet all the specified requirements.
Use this to make sure all your print-on-demand files are accepted and you avoid any possible delays.
We'll send you a template that contains the bleed and safety areas for your cover, in addition to a barcode.
Please let us know if you have any questions or if we can assist further.