September, 2019
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Rising Tide of Authors Complain of Long Wait Times for Author Copies From KDP
By Keri Rae Barnum
Most authors have started to settle into the changes brought on by the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Create Space merge that took place in 2018. However, one issue seems to remain as a point of contention. KDP print and ship times for proof and author copies is consistently slower than what authors had become used to from Create Space.
One author said, “I recently placed an order for my own books, and the date of shipment was 11 days from the date of my order. That doesn’t include shipping speed, that’s just how long it took for KDP to print the books and get them out the door.”
Another author wrote in to say that not only had his author copies not printed for several weeks after his order was placed, but after Amazon had reported the books shipped, they were unable to provide a tracking number.
“I ordered author copies after the book was in print. After three weeks they still hadn’t been printed. Others on KDP Community have said 3-4 weeks is the norm!”
After weeks of waiting and several additional inquiries, the author was told his books were lost in transit. His order was canceled, and he had to begin the long process of ordering author copies all over again.
Far from an isolated incident, online author forums are teeming with similar complaints.
What Gives?
When KDP took over Create Space, all author proofs and discounted author copies of books began processing through Amazon’s retail outlets. While this streamlined the checkout process for ordering, the new sales and production flow also resulted in backend issues. Rather than ordering from a separate platform, authors are now competing with retail customers for order placement and shipping. And, as we all know, customers who make a company money tend to be bumped to the front of the line. Meanwhile, authors ordering copies of their own book(s) at a steeply discounted rate are being moved to the back of the que.
KDP isn’t completely unaware that this could cause issues and they do address production and ship times on their website. The quote below was pulled directly from the KDP Help Topics under Author Copies.
“Our manufacturing and delivery estimates are based on the quantity ordered and selected delivery speed. The most up-to-date delivery estimate will display during checkout.
Actual production times fluctuate according to total order volume. There may be times that your order is manufactured faster than expected, but faster delivery isn’t guaranteed. We recommend noting the Expected Delivery Date you’re given when placing the order. This date takes production time into consideration.”
What’s an Author to Do?
While frustrating, most authors will understand the reasoning and motivation behind Amazon placing priority on customer orders who are paying full retail for books. There isn’t much to be done that will change that policy. However, there are some things authors can do to avoid setbacks and frustration as they move forward with their publishing and marketing plans.
- Be Proactive: If you intend to order a printed proof, add in a two-week cushion for print and wait times.
- Take Advantage of Technology: View the online proof from KDP and approve the book based on that. Meanwhile, you may also choose to order a printed author copy as a back-up proof. This option provides the opportunity to view your printed book without the stress of holding back your publishing plans.
- Cushion Your Timeline: If you are planning an event and you know you will need multiple author copies of your book, order well in advance. Not only will this save you stress, but you will also have the time to receive and inspect your books before your event.
- Use Your Resources: While we love KDP for distribution and sales on Amazon, we highly recommend that authors also upload their book to Ingram Spark. Authors who chose to do this have another option for ordering author copies, as Ingram Spark offers this service as well. It might be wise to try ordering author copies from each platform to compare, price, quality, service and production and delivery speed.
A Word to the Wise
Keep in mind that the holidays are quickly approaching. Both Ingram Spark and KDP will be inundated with orders to fulfil between October and January that will affect production and shipping times. If you plan to order author copies between now and the end of the year, do yourself a favor and order early. Or, if you must order during the holiday months, be sure to factor delays in to your schedule.
The Slimy Side of the Speaking Industry
Guest Post by Kathleen Gage
| Last week I had the opportunity to see the ethical side of the speaking industry and the slimy side. The ethical side was hearing Debbie Allen at the Oregon Chapter of National Speakers Association September meeting. A total class act. Gave great content, made it clear what needed to be done to succeed as a speaker and that you have to work for your success. It was totally worth the 100 mile drive (each way) to see her. That was on Monday. On Thursday, I went to an event in Portland that was promoted as an event for those wanting to succeed as a speaker on massive stages. In that I love speaking in front of big crowds, I thought I might learn something valuable. This one, also a 100 mile drive each way, was a total pitch fest from the minute the first presenter began. I wanted to see what these folks were going to offer to those in attendance. Sadly, I didn’t have to wait long. I knew they would make offers, but not so soon in the day. Because they started pitching so early in the day, within minutes, several people got up and left. By lunch, at least 10 of 85 left. After lunch, 45 remained. That’s a huge drop in numbers. What was really sad was the BS they were promising people about “buy our program for $10,000 – $20,000 and you will skyrocket to fame because we put you in a room with celebrities and you can take a picture with these celebrities and you have social proof you are a rock star.” There was a lot of the, “The people who left are losers. They don’t realize they are the reason they are such failures. Those of you who stayed are the smart ones and you know how to make smart decisions.” It is appalling that this kind of stuff goes on. Debbie Allen is the epitome of being a professional and gave massive value to everyone in the room. This other group was the epitome of slime bags. When they kept saying, “We normally don’t make this kind of offer to other groups so you have to promise to keep it a secret,” I wanted to barf. Literally, it turned my stomach because is was so much snake oil from them, it dripped from their mouths. I have no problem with programs that are $20,000 or more. I’ve invested in a few of those on more than one occasion and received tons of value. But these people were preying on the desperation of quite a few people in attendance. People who had never been on the platform, never spoken to groups of any size, and yet, they made it sound like any one of the people in the room would instantly enjoy success by investing in their program… and having pictures taken with celebrities. Oh please! It takes more than a picture with Sylvester Stallone to succeed. A lot more. Again, there’s nothing wrong with high price programs. What I do find wrong is the way these people sold. It was sickening. Folks, don’t buy the BS that some companies are peddling that all you have to do is pay tens of thousands of dollars to them, get your photo with a few celebrities and you will be successful. Do it the right way. Do it the ethical way. Put your time in. Invest as needed, but make investments based on a good business decision, not desperation. For more information about Kathleen, go to http://www.powerupforprofits.com/ Kathleen Gage is a marketing strategist and business consultant who works with consciously aware entrepreneurs who are experts in their field. We work with our clients to help them fully identify their expertise, their market (tribe), gain massive visibility, and package their knowledge into various information products and services. P.O. Box 551 Pleasant Hill, OR 97455 1.541.746.5551 PDT M-Thurs 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. http://www.kathleengage.com http://www.themarketingmindset.com |
Your Spine IS Your Cover
Here’s one of the dirty little secrets in book publishing. Publishers spend countless hours and dollars working on their covers, but they often miss the point. With the exception of online retailers, your book spine is your cover.
Brick and mortar stores are packed with books. New releases. Backlist books. Series. Gift books.
Walk to any category (perhaps your own) and take a look at how many books are crammed on to the shelves.
What do you see? The spine, if you’re lucky.
All to often publishers make the mistake of not focusing at all on the spine of their book, not realizing that this is their number one marketing tool in brick and mortar stores.
What does this mean for you?
Spend some time on your spine.
Spine Size
Think about bulking your page count to make sure that your spine has presence. We’re not recommending that you fluff your book with overblown margins or blank pages. But we are recommending that you don’t cram in your text so tight to save a few cents on your printing prices.
Push it out a signature or two. It might make all the difference between getting lost on the shelf and standing out because you’re 1/8 of an inch bigger. Choose paper that bulks. You might be surprised at how easy it is to snag an extra 1/16 of an inch through paperweight alone.
Spine Color
Spend some time analyzing what the spine colors are in your category. This is extremely important. If every spine in your category is white, choose a vibrant color. Choose something that stands out. Choose something that practically leaps of the shelf and screams “pick me!” This is the time to buck the trends and be a little different. If you’re not sure what will work, grab some books that have different spine colors and stick them on the shelf where your book will go. Which colors pop to you? What do you see first?
Spine Text
Make it readable! Make it bold! Make it big! Make sure that the reader sees your spine and your text right away. If you’re standing 3 feet away from your spine, you need to be able to read what it says (see above about spine width – the bigger the spine the more room for bold text).
Take it to the Bookstore
Let’s keep this next bit between us…
The best way to really know if your spine works is to print out several versions, colors, and copies true to size. Cut the spine out, getting rid of excess paper so you’re literally holding your book spine in your hands. Put a tiny piece of tape on the end of each option. Take your spine options to the bookstore and visit your category. Stick the various spines on the books that will sit next to you (usually alphabetical by author’s last name within category or subcategory). Which one works? Do any? What do you see? Can you read your title? Do you get lost on the shelf because you’re too tiny or you blend in too much?
Lack of attention to your spine can kill your book in the marketplace. Once you get into stores, your spine really is your cover. When you consider the time, money and energy that you spend getting your cover right, promise us, do the same with your book spine.
P.S. Remember, be polite during any bookstore research. Bring your spines with you when you go and don’t interfere with bookstore customers!
D5 Creation