Three Hot Tips for Canadian Indie Authors

Thankfully, the Internet has made some aspects of publishing from Canada easier. Gone are the days when we needed to find U.S. stamps for a self-addressed stamped envelope when submitting manuscripts. All that is done via email now.

Canadian independent authors still face obstacles, but much of the online noise about self-publishing comes from our friends down south and is geared to U.S. authors. And while much of that advice is relevant to Canadians, there are a few quirks in the publishing industry that Canadian indie authors need to be aware of. Here are three quick tips that can make a big difference, whether you are just starting out or already have several books in print.

1. ISBNs are free for Canadians. Our taxes might be higher, but FREE ISBNs! Come on, what’s not to love about that? U.S. authors pay big bucks to secure personal ISBNs. For this reason, many of them opt for a free ISBN from Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), which can only be used for Amazon books and will list the publisher as “independently published.” Canadians can set up an account at Library and Archives Canada and create a personal imprint for their books and the ISBNs can be used across all publishing platforms.
2. Manually submit your book to Global Books in Print. American authors get ISBNs from Bowker who then automatically lists the book with Global Books in Print, a powerful search tool for libraries and bookstores. But don’t despair, Canadian authors can still take part in the indexing fun. Simply create an account at Bowker Identifier Services then email pad@bowker.com with proof of your ISBN ownership via the confirmation email sent to you from Library and Archives Canada. They will then add the ISBNs to your Bowker logbook and the Global Books in Print index.
3. Open an Ingram Spark account. Okay, I hear you grumbling from here. Ingram Spark charges a fee to list your book. And you need a Master’s degree in statistics to understand their sales reporting. I get it. But Ingram Spark has one major advantage for Canadian authors: they print with Lightning Source out of Etobicoke, Ontario. This means that you get your author copies faster, with cheaper shipping, and no cross-border duty fees. Some authors avoid buying author copies from Amazon by sourcing a local printer, but this may mean you have to print and store hundreds of books—a big investment. Ingram Spark gives you the freedom of print-on-demand right in your own backyard. So, if you are currently using KDP’s extended distribution to get your paperback books into local stores, cut out the middleman and go direct with Ingram Spark.

So go ahead and be a proud Canadian indie publisher. Put bacon on your poutine, apologize when someone bumps into you, and go the extra mile to be Canadian in an American marketplace.