I thought getting my book printed would have been the easy part of self-publishing. Many self-publishers use print on demand services (POD). I have had samples of both POD and traditional printing sent to me.
The POD service I was considering was Ingram Spark. The quality of the print job is surprisingly very good and any amount of books I would want ship in 7 days. Problem 1. They don't print on the spine. That will not be good for book stores or libraries. Problem 2. I was told to go with the premium color quality for a children's book and that jacked up the price.
For a traditional printing service I was looking at Self Publishing Inc. The cost was much lower per book, but I needed to order at least 1,000 copies and it would take at least 4 weeks. When the sample book came I was very disappointed. It was over glossed and pixilated.
Today I was looking on a discussion board on the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) website and I came across a suggestion for PrintNinja. They have the lowest price per book, but the printing and shipping take a very long time. If I were to send out an order for 500 books soon I would not see the books until April or May. The difference between Ingram and PrintNija for 500 books is about $1,500. As long as the sample they are sending me is great, it will be worth the wait!
So, I am sorry to everyone looking to purchase ABC Healthy. It is going to be a few months until it is available. Unless there is something wrong with PrintNinja's quality, then I may go with Ingram. In that case It won't be long.
If I do go with PrintNija at least I will have some down time to work on my next book,
Dolphins Don't Eat Donuts!
