Who This Checklist Is For (And When to Use It)
If you're a publisher or self-published author about to log into Lightning Source for the first time—or the fiftieth—to submit a book for print-on-demand, this is for you. I'm a production coordinator who's handled POD orders for six years. I've personally made (and documented) 11 significant submission mistakes, totaling roughly $3,200 in wasted budget between setup fees and scrapped proofs. Now I maintain our team's pre-flight checklist to prevent others from repeating my errors.
Use this checklist right before you click the login button. It's designed for the 10-15 minute prep work that saves days of headaches later.
Total steps: 5. Let's get to it.
Step 1: Confirm Your File Isn't Just "Screen-Ready"
This is the step everyone thinks they've done, but most haven't done thoroughly enough. Your file looking perfect in Adobe Reader or on your monitor means almost nothing to a printing press.
What to Do:
A. Bleed and Safety Zone Audit: Don't just trust your design software's guides. Manually measure. For a standard 6x9" paperback, that means:
- Confirm your PDF page size is exactly 6x9". (I once submitted a 5.9x8.9" file. It was rejected.)
- Bleed should extend 0.125" (3mm) beyond that on all sides. A solid color or image should fill this area.
- All critical text (like the title on the cover) must be at least 0.25" (6mm) from the trim edge.
B. Embedded Fonts & Images: Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat (the full version, not the reader). Go to File > Properties > Fonts. Every font listed should say "Embedded Subset." If any say "Embedded" alone or, worse, aren't listed, you have a problem. For images, ensure they are at least 300 DPI at final print size. Zoom to 400% in your PDF viewer—if it gets pixelated, so will the print.
My Costly Lesson: In March 2022, I submitted a 300-page interior where I'd used a free font for chapter titles. On my screen, it was fine. The proof came back with generic Courier replacing those titles. 50 proof copies, $450, straight to recycling. That's when I learned to never assume "system fonts" are safe.
Step 2: Gather Your Metadata Outside the Platform
Don't open your browser to Lightning Source login until you have a text document open with all this information copied and ready to paste. The login session can time out, and scrambling for an ISBN or category code leads to mistakes.
Your Pre-Login Info Doc Must Have:
- ISBN(s): For the paperback, hardcover, and ebook if applicable. Double-check every digit.
- BISAC Codes: Have your primary and two secondary codes ready. Don't guess in the dropdown menu.
- Full Title & Subtitle: Exactly as it appears on the cover file, including punctuation.
- Author Name(s): First, last, and correct order for multi-author works.
- Description & Author Bio: Pre-written, proofread, and character-counted. The platform's text boxes are unforgiving.
- Pricing in USD, GBP, EUR, etc.: Know your list price for each territory and channel. I'm not a global tax expert, so I can't speak to optimal pricing strategies for every market. What I can tell you from a production perspective is that changing this after submission is a pain.
Step 3: The One-Time-Only Settings Review
This is the step most veterans forget because they assume their account defaults are set. The industry's evolved—Ingram updates options, and your last project's settings might not be right for this one.
After you log in and start a new title, slow down at the "Distribution" and "Returns" sections.
- Distribution: Are you enabling all channels (Ingram, Amazon, Barnes & Noble) or just a subset? What was best practice in 2020 (enable everything) may not apply in 2025 if you have specific retail strategies.
- Returns: Decide on your returns policy (Yes/No) before you click. This setting can be notoriously difficult to change later without help from support.
- Paper Type & Color: Don't auto-pilot. Is this a novel (cream paper) or art book (white, heavier stock)? The fundamentals of readability haven't changed, but the available paper options have expanded.
Step 4: The Upload & Validation Patience Game
Here's where initial misjudgment hurts. I used to think the upload and automated validation process was a quick formality. Now I know it's a critical waiting period you must not rush.
The Process:
- Upload your interior and cover PDFs.
- The system will process them. This can take 2 to 20 minutes. Do not refresh the page. Do not open another tab to the same account. Just wait.
- Once processed, the system will show a preview. You must click into this preview. Zoom, scroll through every single page. I've had the validation pass but the preview show missing pages or a corrupted cover image.
- If there's an error, the system will tell you (e.g., "low-resolution image on page 47"). Fix it in your source file and re-upload. You're now back to step 1 of this checklist for that specific file.
The Satisfying Part: There's something satisfying about a clean validation pass. After all the prep work, seeing that green "Files Approved" checkmark—that's the first real win.
Step 5: Proof Order & The 48-Hour Cool-Down
You've passed validation. You can order a proof. This feels like the finish line. It's not.
Action: Yes, order a physical proof. Always. The $20-50 cost is insurance.
The Non-Obvious Rule: Once you submit the proof order, do not touch the title setup for at least 48 hours. I've messed up live titles by trying to "tweak" the description while the proof is in production, which can sometimes trigger a re-validation or glitch. Let the proof order process complete undisturbed.
Use those 48 hours to:
- Review your metadata doc one last time against what you entered.
- Check the order confirmation email for any discrepancies.
- Note the expected proof arrival date.
Common Mistakes & Final Notes
Mistake 1: Ignoring the "Lightning Source/Ingram" Dual Identity. Remember, you're logging into a system that feeds the entire Ingram Content Group machine. Settings here affect global distribution. It's not just a printer.
Mistake 2: Rushing Because of Rush Fees. Need a fast turnaround? The rush starts after a perfect submission. A hurried, error-filled submission that gets rejected wastes more time than methodical, slow prep. Based on major online printer fee structures, rushing a 7-day job to 3 days might add a 25-50% premium. A rejection adds 100% more time.
Mistake 3: Going It Alone on Your First Try. My experience is based on about 200 mid-range book orders. If you're working with complex graphic novels, textbooks with unique trim sizes, or photo books, your process might need extra steps. I'd recommend consulting a dedicated print consultant for those one-off, high-stakes projects.
The goal isn't a perfect login session—it's a clean, approved title that moves smoothly to print. This checklist has caught 31 potential errors for our team in the past year. Follow it, and you'll spend less time troubleshooting and more time publishing.
