Special Editions & Books Kept Off the Store
Add a separate book and set it to No distribution. That's the setup for a Kickstarter edition, signing copies with bonus chapters, a color version of a black and white book, or anything you only ever want to sell yourself.
Keeping a Book Out of the Store
Set the book to No distribution. It won't appear in our store and bookstores won't be able to order it, but you can still order as many of your own copies as you want.
You never have to distribute a book to print it with us. Plenty of authors print here purely for direct sales and never list a title.
A Special Edition Is Its Own Book
If your special edition has different content, a different interior, or different print options, add it as a separate book rather than changing the existing one. Use the Duplicate option in the three dot menu on the book card so you don't have to retype the metadata.
Give it a title that tells the two apart in your list and on our production floor, such as adding "(Kickstarter Edition)" or "(Color Edition)".
The ISBN on a Special Edition
You can't use the same ISBN on two books that are distributed. If your special edition isn't being distributed, leave the ISBN field blank. That's what the field is for, and it keeps the two books from colliding.
A Color Version of a Black and White Book
Interior color is one of the options that locks once your digital preview is approved, so you can't flip an existing book to color. Duplicate the book instead, set the copy to color and No distribution, and order your color copies from that record while the original stays in the store.
What Special Editions Can Include
Options that work well on a special edition:
- Duplex covers, with artwork printed on the inside of the cover
- Printed edges, with the edge art built into your interior file
- Bonus chapters or extra art, which change the page count and so need their own cover template
- A different trim size or paper from the retail edition
Sprayed edges and foil aren't available yet.
Plan the Page Count First
Bonus content changes your page count, which changes your spine width, which means the cover template for your retail edition won't fit the special edition. Settle the interior first, then download a fresh template for the new book.