So now it’s finally happening. After three long years of nurturing Sirens, this month, I’m kicking her out of the nest. Time for her to fly or fall. I’m equally excited and terrified by the impending October 28th release date of my book, but there’s a feeling of relief that ultimately comes with knowing that Sirens won’t be just mine anymore.
A Walk Through Time
Before I take you all on the journey of the final stage of the self-publishing process, I’m feeling sentimental. With just a few weeks left to go, I can’t help but reflect on the little “stories” I used to exchange with my cousin back when I could really only write my name legibly. Was that prophetic or just a coincidence? And then there are all of the teachers in elementary and high school who said my name would be on a book cover. I didn’t believe them then, but here I am…
Finally. Publishing. A. Book.
To All the Indie Authors Looking to Publish:
The final steps of making Sirens involved putting all of the pieces together. Specifically, it consisted of placing my formatted and edited pages as well as my designed cover (see previous blog posts for details on these steps) into the self-publishing company IngramSpark.
Using IngramSpark
IngramSpark was incredibly easy to use and thankfully free. It is a print-on-demand distributor that gets your book to big-name bookstores like Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Amazon, so it’s a one-stop shop to cover most of your distribution bases. Once you have all the elements of your book and have purchased your eBook, paperback, and possibly hardcover ISBNs from Bowker (remember that each format uses its own ISBN!) all you have to do is input the information, wait a few days for it to process, and then watch as your book starts showing up on your favorite stores’ websites.
I’m not going to lie: it’s really surreal to watch it happen. Nothing beats what I felt typing my name in the Barnes & Noble search bar for the first time and seeing my work show up. Sometimes I still check to make sure it’s still there and that it wasn’t a fluke.
IngramSpark made it possible to widely distribute my book. It is a very user-friendly site that is a must for aspiring indie authors. Now, that being said, it wasn’t without its slight drawbacks.
IngramSparks Drawbacks
Firstly, viewing the paperback proof was a process in itself because it was hard to gauge the accuracy of the eproof they sent of my cover and formatted pages. So if you’re looking to use IngramSpark, ordering your own copy of the paperback once the eproof is approved is essential. And yes, unfortunately, you will have to pay for this paperback copy out of your own pocket.
When I got mine, I quickly noticed that the spine and image’s resolution were not what I wanted. Fortunately, having my book on preorder gave me the time to fix this before distribution, though (I highly recommend using the preorder option for this reason!). Revisions through IngramSpark are free for 60 days after uploading, so make sure to spot and fix errors quickly!
Also, my book has been on preorder for several weeks now but through IngramSpark, I have no way of tracking the preorder purchases. I have to believe that this will become available to me once the sales go through and the books are sent out by viewing the “Reports” section. Until then, though, I have no way of gauging whether my marketing tactics have been effective.
Using Kindle Direct Publishing As Well
Kindle Direct Publishing, however, does show preorder stats. It is one of the many reasons I also directly uploaded the eBook version of my book through KDP. Amazon does not allow for paperback preorders, so the paperback preorder option you can currently view for Sirens is courtesy of IngramSpark’s distribution network. However, the Kindle version of my book is through KDP, which allows me to track the preorders of the digital version of my book on this platform.
In Summary
Overall, the publishing process has been smooth. But of course, the pessimist in me knows that there is still time for it to go wrong. In the coming weeks, I plan to continue marketing through the various social pages I’ve made for Sirens, which you can find through my Linktree.
If you’re interested in seeing the results of this journey, you can preorder your copy of Sirens on platforms such as Amazon, Google, Apple, and Barnes & Noble.
Thank you for your investment in my self-publishing story. I appreciate it so much. Fingers crossed Sirens crosses the finish line without issue!
Chloe Ruffennach's Stories 