Lightning Source 2005 Holiday Season Fulfillment

I’ve been using Lightning Source for print on demand publishing since 2002, and I’d gotten used to seeing the delivery time estimates on Amazon drop from 24 hours in mid December to 11-14 days, or even 2 to 3 weeks. Not this year! Amazon and Lightning Source came through for print on demand publishers in 2005, our titles never lost the 24 hour shipping designation right through New Years. It may have been due to Amazon laying in a larger stock of books, to better Amazon – Lightning Source coordination, or to the "always in stock" status Lightning Source titles now have at Ingram.

It will be interesting to compare 2005 holiday sales with previous years when the numbers come in. Since none of my titles are what you would call "impulse buys" I’m not sure how badly they were hurt in the past by a couple weeks of poor availability. Throughout the same period, Barnes&Noble.com carried all of my titles on 2-3 day shipping, their current standard for Lightning Source printed books. In any case, here’s hoping the Lightning Source – Amazon relationship lasts throughout 2006 so I can post good news again next year.