đď¸ Real talk about what works, what doesnât, and how to navigate print-on-demand.
đď¸Listen to this blog. 5:00 minute read.
So, I managed to sneak in a hit of golf this morning while the sun was actually behaving itself. Blue skies, a gentle breezeâone of those rare Christmas Island mornings where you think, âThis is the life.â And then BAMâafternoon rolls around and the heavens opened like someone up there accidentally sat on the âtropical downpourâ button.
So now here I am, curled up with a hot cup of tea, soaked socks drying on the railing, and the rhythmic sound of rain thudding against the tin roof⌠writing this blog about self-publishingâthe thing I get asked about more than anything else lately.
And fair enough, right? Because self-publishing is like that weird cousin you invite to Christmas dinner. Sometimes they bring the best pudding youâve ever tasted⌠other times they throw up in your laundry. Itâs unpredictable, kind of messy, and weirdly rewarding.
Letâs Talk Self-Publishing (and Cut the Crap)
This weekâs podcast episodeâEp 7: The Truth About Self-Publishing â KDP, Lulu & IngramSparkâis one I wish someone had made for me when I first started out. Because letâs face it: self-publishing is marketed like a shiny, six-figure-dream-machine on TikTok. âUpload your book and make passive income while you sip coconut water on a beach!â
Yeah, nah!
Hereâs the real story. It's work. It's learning curves. It's waking up to an email that your bookâs been flagged because of a cover resolution issue you thought you fixed three uploads ago.
But itâs also liberating as hell.
You get to share your story, your way, with no publishing gatekeepers telling you to make your memoir âmore marketableâ or suggesting your characters be less menopausal and more murdery. (Okay, maybe thatâs just me.)
What Works: The Big Three (KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu)
In the pod, I break down the three platforms Iâve danced with, cried over, and occasionally high-fived:
đť KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
The Amazon beast. Sheâs got her issues, but sheâs convenient and quick. If youâre just starting out and want a paperback and ebook out fast and globally, start here. KDP is like your first carâbasic, a bit temperamental, but gets you where youâre going. Just remember: you are riding in Jeff Bezosâ backseat, and heâs keeping the snacks.
đŚ IngramSpark
This is the posh one. The one that gets your book into bookshops, libraries, and onto the ârespectable authorâ radar. Hardcover? Yes. Beautiful quality? Yes. A user interface that makes you want to scream into a cushion? Also yes. BUTâthis is how I get my books distributed globally. US, UK, Europe, Aus, NZ⌠sheâs got reach.
đ Lulu
Lulu is the cool artsy aunt who makes hand-bound journals and sells them at markets. Great for spiral-bound, planners, or quirky sizes. A little more fiddly, but perfect if you want to sell direct from your own site (like I do with Words of Wisdom). Actually, I'm going to upload all my books over to Lulu.com and the reason is - You still get a global reach - Yep! They do have a 'GREAT' range of sizes, bindings - the best! annnd - I'm going to say it ..... the BEST print quality and paper grade of all. There! I said it. The quality is 'perfecto' especially for my books which are full colour.Â
What Doesnât Work (Letâs Rip Off the Bandaid)
Let me just say it straight: if youâre expecting perfection, walk away now. There is no âperfectâ self-publishing platform. Each one will chew you up and spit you out at some point.
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KDP will randomly ghost your book for using AIâeven if you didnât. And there is nothing you can do about it - you cannot create another account and try again, because in this day and age of digital signatures - Amazon knows 'EVERYTHING' about you. KDP (or Amazon Books) add's the postage cost to your book and say it's FREE SHIPPING. Print quality is basic and if you're like me and have full-colour - the colours can be washed out! POD, means you don't have access to the customers info and 30 days wait for any commission.
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IngramSpark will charge you for breathing near your upload screen - okay! it's not quite like that, but if you need to update anything in your book or re-upload because you received a 'Proof' copy and it's not quite right, typos, or off-set... you are given 30 days to edit and upload for FREE - after that it will cost you US$25 a time. Postage costs are quite up there too and because it is a POD - you don't get access to your readers who purchased through their global reach. Also, 90 days wait on commission.
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Lulu will sneak up with shipping fees that make you question your life choices - but compared to the other 2, it really is only a marginal post increase. A good global (online bookstore) reach, including global Amazon, but you can't guarantee the print quality as the printers are out-sourced throughout the world.
And across the board? Royalty payments are... humbling. Like when you check your Amazon sales dashboard after a good promo run and see your commission is $2.70. For a book that sells for $52.32 online. Yep. I wish I was joking. Check out my books on Amazon and compare the prices to my own bookstore - Words of Wisdom korupublishing.com.Â
Why I Still Do It (And Why You Should Too)
Now, I could get upset about that. I could stomp around yelling about the system chewing up creatives and spitting out coins.
But hereâs the thing: when someone in Dublin, or Dunedin, or Darwin picks up Answers from the Oracles and finds the exact message they needed that day? Thatâs the win.
When I pay $150 to have IngramSpark promote my book via newsletters, bookstore catalogues and library distributionsâand that launches my book into global eyeballs I could never reach on my own? Thatâs the strategy. Thatâs me playing long game.
Yes, Amazon gets their cut. Yes, the book looks expensive online. But my website? My direct shop? Youâll find Answers from the Oracles there for $35.95, shipping included. And that sale supports me. No middleman. No crumbs.
You get to choose where you buy, and Iâm grateful either way.
So, Should You Self-Publish?
If youâre sitting on a story that wonât let go of you... if youâve got poems tucked into drawers, or journals with years of wisdom, or a âmaybe one dayâ memoir waiting in the wings?
Yes. Do it.
It wonât be perfect. It will make you swear. But it will also make you proud in a way traditional publishing rarely does. Because itâs yours. Raw, real, and beautiful.
So go light some white sage. Open the document. Start writing.
And then? Print that sucker.
Because the world needs your story.
âď¸ The rainâs still bucketing down outside. But my soul feels warm writing this.
Whether youâre listening to the podcast or holding one of my books in your handsâknow this: I see you. I believe in your story.
The answers you seek are within.
Until next time,
Cheers for now,
Amanda x