Formatting for IngramSpark

IngramSpark is a print on demand provider where printing one copy is the

same price it costs to print many more. No longer do Australian authors
need to be talked into printing thousands of books. This low-cost, low risk
way to enter the publishing business, allows authors to avoid holding
inventory whilst allowing IngramSpark to handle distribution directly to
major distributors (plus39000 online outlets).
Book distribution and fulfilment is quite time consuming and expensive for
new authors, but IngramSpark has ended that. Even large, mainstream
publishers are opting to print their books on-demand instead of holding
inventory. The best news...Vanity publishers are closing by the dozen. No
longer are you required to pay for the services of a middleman when the
same POD and distribution system that all publishers have been using for
years is at your disposal.
As a self publishing speaker and indie publisher activist I always
recommend using IngramSpark to print and distribute books to the online
retailers, bookstores, and libraries worldwide. So is it as easy as it sounds.
Not quite. Formatting your files to meet their guidelines will take some work.
Here is a little more on formatting to get you started.

Formatting
Formatting is a term that has mixed use in our industry. In-house we use
formatting to describe cleaning the clutter from a word document before it is
given to our professional book designers—who then layout and design the
book within InDesign, a professional book layout software.
That said, the word formatting is quite commonly used to describe the
creation of an ebook/book using various DIY tools available.
For the purpose of this article I would encourage you to think of formatting
as the creation of a book file from your screen to IngramSpark's platform.
The path you take will depend on your budget, technical abilities, and time
available. As a professional book maker of course I will always advocate
professional design first and foremost. Research shows it is worth the costs
and translates into higher book sales.
While hiring a cover or interior layout specialist from a competent service
provider is therefore always recommended, we understand that not every
author has the funds to do so. Costs for formatting can range from free, do-
it-yourself solutions, low cost book design templates, to hybrid models
worth a few hundred dollars if you know where to look.
To assist our DIY authors my team have purchased, assessed, reviewed and
compiled the most useful resources at Authors Wish, a one-stop shop for
DIY authors to locate affordable and practical tools for their DIY self-
publishing journey.
The first decision you need to make therefore is to either:
1. Utilise the services of an independent book design and formatting
specialist

Or

2. Do it yourself - go to www.authorswish.com and explore the do it

yourself free or low-cost software options

Formatting Issues
As a resource expert and friend of IngramSpark we see countless formatting
issues. The most common issues are:
1. Creating the interior document in word without first adjusting the
trim size of the word document to suit the trim sizes of final book
design
Countless authors approach us with concerns that their A4 word
document (default word doc size) which they have converted into
a PDF is rejected by IngramSpark premedia. Essentially you
cannot put a square peg in a round hole. Start with the book size
you have in mind first (5 x 8 ) in the word document
2. Creating a cover in word or photoshop and uploading this directly
to Ingram. Start with the end in mind. Always download the cover
template for your book from IngramSpark first

IngramSpark cover and interior files.

For every print book, two files should be uploaded:

 INTERIOR: one complete interior file (formatted as .pdf). Every page in

the book itself. This includes any blank pages, whether they are
numbered or not, from beginning to end. Individual PDFs of each
chapter or parts do not make a 'complete' book.
 COVER: one complete cover file (formatted as .pdf): This means all the
information (text and images) on the front cover, back cover, spine
and flaps (if cover is a dust jacket) assembled into a single PDF.
o IngramSpark's cover template generator will provide a free
barcode. Enter the number of pages, book size, and paper
 choices, and their system emails you a template. If the cover is
not created from their template you will not be able to upload it
to the IngramSpark system.
o It is important to note that the spine width on the cover is
dependent on the final page count of your interior as well as the
print book creation service you choose.
o A PDF of the front cover alone is not a complete cover PDF.

What are some DIY options?

Attempting to be the author, designer and publisher without the assistance
of an author service provider is a challenging exercise. AuthorsWish will
provide alternative technology to simplify some tasks.

DIY INTERIOR LAYOUT

These are just a small selection of what is available for the DIY author. With
professional guidance built into these programs, your book will be as close
as possible to an experienced designer.
• Book Design Templates (in Word) provides sizing, layout, and aligns
all of the important elements of your interior. They highlight some of
the self publishing errors made and how to avoid them. With clear
instructions on how to convert to a final PDF compatible with
IngramSpark.
• Pressbooks is a robust, fully featured publishing tool – if you can use
WordPress websites and blogs, you can use this platform. It outputs
your books to PDF and EPUB and lives in the cloud, so contributors
or editors can also work on your book. This DIY option will give you a
professional book if you follow all the instructions.
• The Reedsy Book Editor is a beautiful production tool that takes care
of EPUB and print-ready PDF file formatting and conversion, before
you’ve even finished writing.
• Bookow not only formats, but it reduces those errors often found in
Word docs. You can choose from various book templates for a semi-
professional look. We love the simplicity of this tool; very affordable
and great customer service.

DIY COVER LAYOUT

Professional design takes years to master but these tools will at least give
you a head start to create an effective design from DIY platforms.
• Canva is a free, online graphic design tool and is the simplest design
program we’ve encountered that enables you to become a designer. It
contains templates and predesigned drag-and-drop elements in an
easy-to-use interface for designers and non-designers alike.(EBOOK
covers only).
 • DIY Book Covers saves you from having to learn graphic design from
scratch. You are able to design the cover you have in mind, if you take
the time to familiarise yourself with the actual set up. Making use of
this resource is a significantly cheaper option than most.

Hiring Author Service Providers

If you want to hire a cover or interior designer, the most effective option is to
consider those with:
1. Industry accolades from the platform provider (IngramSpark)
2. Numerous satisfied clients
3. Willing to work to a budget
There are countless new author service providers every year and many are
first time authors selling their knowledge. Fixing one toilet doesn't make me
a plumber. Cutting my Nieces hair doesn't make me a hairdresser. Getting
dressed every morning doesn't make me a fashion designer. You get the
picture. Publishing a book is relatively easy but not knowing publishing
protocol could be the death knock for your book.
We recently helped an award winning business with their book after it had
been laid out by a graphic designer. There were 29 crucial publishing errors.
It would have screamed SELF PUBLISHED if it had gone to print. Such
errors as page numbers on blank pages, content page on left hand side,
page numbering incorrect, spelling errors, no consistency in layout, normal
dash rather than em-dash, both indented and spaced paragraphs, too many
fonts, images not embedded and the list went on.
The problem is this...graphic designers don't necessarily understand book
design and book industry reviewers and your readers will notice the
difference immediately if not set out correctly.

How to find designers

1. Search the platform you intend to use ... see who they recommend.
'Friends of IngramSpark' as an example.
2. Writing Associations in each state offer suggestions.
3. Crowdsourcing Sites. Simply name your price, post your project and
then watch, as designers bid on your job.
• 99 Designs is a means to find and work with talented freelance
designers online
• Design Crowd boasts the perfect custom design, every time

When choosing your designer the golden rule is to ask if they are familiar
with book design.
For indie publishers, formatting content can be one of the most exasperating
aspects in the publishing process. This article will give you options and
guidelines to ensure your print book is ready for upload to IngramSpark.
However whilst compiling correct digital content if it becomes overwhelming
then I recommend enlisting the help of a professional book designer or book
coach.

Julie-Ann Harper has 25 years of experience in publishing, business training, self-publishing

workshops and presentations. Julie-Ann is a passionate advocate towards true self-publishing and
helping authors to view publishing as a business. Pickawoowoo are the only Australian company
listed under IngramSpark's Resource Experts page as an IngramSpark Self-Publishing Friend.