Lightning Source Order Checklist: 7 Steps I Follow Before Every Print Run

This checklist is for publishers and authors using Lightning Source (the Ingram Content Group's POD manufacturing arm) who want to avoid the mistakes that turn a $500 order into an $800 headache. I've managed our company's print-on-demand budget—around $180,000 cumulative over 6 years—and I've documented every order that went sideways. Most problems? Preventable with a 15-minute pre-order review.

If you're doing your first Lightning Source order, or you've had a few that didn't turn out right and you're not sure why, this is for you. Seven steps. Maybe 20 minutes total. I run through this every single time now.

Step 1: Verify Your Interior PDF Specifications

Before anything else, check that your interior file matches Lightning Source's requirements exactly. I'm not talking about "probably fine"—I mean verified.

Check these specifically:

• Resolution: 300 DPI minimum at final size (this is industry standard for commercial print)
• Color space: CMYK for color interiors, grayscale for black-and-white
• Trim size matches your selected product exactly
• Bleed: 0.125" on all sides if your design extends to the edge
• Fonts embedded, not linked

Everyone told me to always check specifications before approving. I only believed it after skipping that step once and eating an $800 mistake. The file looked fine on screen. Printed with fuzzy images because the designer had placed 72 DPI web graphics.

Lightning Source's file review will catch some issues, but not all. And if they don't catch it, you own it.

Step 2: Confirm Cover Template Alignment

Download a fresh cover template from Lightning Source for your exact specifications. Every. Single. Time.

Here's something vendors won't tell you: spine width calculations change based on paper stock and page count. That template you used for your 200-page book on cream paper? It's wrong for your 180-page book on white paper. The difference might be 0.02 inches. That's enough to shift your spine text off-center.

Verify:

• Spine width matches the template exactly
• Barcode placement zone is clear
• Safety margins respected (keep important elements 0.25" from trim)
• Cover file dimensions match template dimensions

I'd have to check the exact number, but we've had maybe 4 or 5 cover reprints over the years. Every single one was a spine width mismatch.

Step 3: Calculate Your True Total Cost

Don't look at the per-unit price and call it done. That's how you get surprised.

In Q2 2024, when we switched from another POD provider to Lightning Source for a specific title, I almost made a decision based on unit cost alone. The per-book price was higher. But when I calculated TCO—total cost of ownership including Ingram distribution access, wholesale discount structures, and the returns we'd have handled ourselves—Lightning Source was actually 12% cheaper for our use case.

Calculate:

• Unit manufacturing cost × quantity
• Shipping to your location (or direct-to-customer costs)
• Publisher compensation settings (this affects your margin on retail sales)
• Any channel-specific fees

What most people don't realize is that Lightning Source's pricing makes more sense when you're using the Ingram distribution network. If you're just printing and shipping to yourself, the math might be different. Run your actual numbers.

Step 4: Review Distribution Channel Settings

This is the step most people skip because it seems like "set it once and forget it." It's not.

Your distribution settings determine where your book appears, at what discount, and whether it's returnable. These settings directly impact whether bookstores and libraries will order.

Confirm for each title:

• Wholesale discount percentage (industry standard for trade bookstore stocking is typically 55%)
• Returnability setting (bookstores often won't stock non-returnable titles)
• Which channels are enabled (Ingram catalog, Amazon, etc.)
• Pricing in each currency if you've enabled international distribution

I recommend this for publishers who want bookstore distribution, but if you're dealing with direct-to-consumer only sales where you're fulfilling yourself, you might want to consider different settings. No point paying for returnability you won't use.

Step 5: Order a Physical Proof (Yes, Every Time)

I know. It costs money. It takes time. Do it anyway.

Digital proofs show you layout and basic color. They don't show you how ink sits on that specific paper stock, whether the binding cracks when you open it, or if the cover lamination has that slight orange-peel texture that looked fine on screen but feels cheap in hand.

Looking back, I should have ordered a proof for the 2023 anthology project. At the time, the standard delivery window seemed safe, and we'd done similar specs before. It wasn't the same. The interior color saturation on the new paper stock was noticeably different. We approved it anyway because of timeline pressure—had about 3 days to decide before the event—and I still hear about it from the editor.

Proof checklist:

• Check spine alignment—does the text sit centered?
• Open the book fully at several points—any cracking?
• Review image quality on actual printed pages
• Confirm paper color/weight feels right
• Check trim—are edges clean?

If I could redo that decision, I'd build proof time into every project schedule as non-negotiable, not "if we have time."

Step 6: Set Calendar Reminders for Reorder Points

With POD, you don't hold inventory. That's the point. But it also means you need to monitor sales velocity and ensure your files stay active and settings stay correct.

This isn't about Lightning Source specifically—they don't deactivate titles arbitrarily. It's about you staying on top of:

• Price changes you might need to make
• Metadata updates
• File updates if you find errors post-publication
• Seasonal pricing promotions

I set quarterly reminders to review active titles. Takes 30 minutes. Catches things like the time we'd set a promotional price six months earlier and forgot to revert it.

Step 7: Document This Order for Future Reference

After tracking maybe 200 orders over 6 years in our procurement system—maybe 180, I'd have to check—I found that 60% of our "why did we do it that way?" questions could've been answered if we'd documented decisions when we made them.

Record:

• Final file names and versions submitted
• Specs selected (trim size, paper, binding)
• Distribution settings at time of setup
• Why you made non-obvious choices ("chose cream paper because author preferred," "set 53% discount because targeting library market")
• Proof approval date and any noted concerns

Put another way: future you will not remember why you chose 50lb paper instead of 55lb. Write it down.

Common Mistakes This Checklist Prevents

Based on our order history, here's what goes wrong most often when people skip steps:

Skipping Step 2 (cover template): Off-center spine text. You won't notice until you're holding the book. Then you can't un-notice it.

Skipping Step 3 (true cost): Surprise shipping costs. Lightning Source prints where it makes sense geographically, which is usually great, but shipping to your location varies. A "cheap" per-unit price from a facility far from you might cost more total.

Skipping Step 4 (distribution settings): Your book is technically available but no bookstore will touch it because it's non-returnable at 40% discount. You find out six months later when sales are zero.

Skipping Step 5 (physical proof): That $25 proof you didn't order would've caught the problem that now requires a $400 file fix and resubmission.

This solution—running through a checklist before every order—works for 80% of cases. Here's how to know if you're in the other 20%: if you're doing extremely complex color work, unusual trim sizes, or specialty materials, you need more than a checklist. You need a conversation with Lightning Source support before you submit anything.

The checklist isn't magic. It's just... remembering to check the things that are easy to forget when you're rushing.