I’m a first-time author and excited (and a bit nervous) about publishing my book. I’ve done some research, but I’m overwhelmed by the number of best book publishing services available. Since I’m just starting out, I’m looking for suggestions that can help guide me through the process, especially with editing, formatting, and getting my book onto major platforms like Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Have any of you used services that helped make the process smoother? I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for platforms like KDP and IngramSpark, but are there any others you think are better for first-time authors? Also, I’d love to hear about your experiences with customer service and support from these platforms.
Amazon’s KDP is probably the fastest way to make your book available for sale, but B&N will balk at that. I know several authors who use a comnination of KDP and IngramSpark. The trick is that IngramSpark will help if you want o be picked up in bookstores, as they do not like to order stock from Amazon (if you want to get into B&N, use IngramSpark). You can publish through IngramSpark to Amazon, and skip KDP, but sometimes Amazon and InramSpark have a tiff and Amazon will show your book as “out of stock” even though it’s print-on-demand. That may sound complicated, but the process for KDP and IngramSpark are similar, and neither will cost you anything - BUT you’ll need to get your own ISBNs instead of using teh free one KDP offers to do this.
I do recommend getting a good copy editor. The Editorial Freelancers Association has a rate sheet online that can help you estimate costs for editing.