The Lightning Source/Ingram Pre-Flight Checklist: How to Avoid Costly POD Submission Mistakes

The Lightning Source/Ingram Pre-Flight Checklist: How to Avoid Costly POD Submission Mistakes

I’ve been handling print-on-demand book orders for publishers and authors through Lightning Source (Ingram) for about six years now. I’ve personally made—and meticulously documented—over a dozen significant submission mistakes, totaling roughly $2,800 in wasted budget between reprints, missed sales, and rush fees. That’s not a brag; it’s the reason I built and now maintain our team’s internal pre-flight checklist. If you’re about to hit "submit" on a Lightning Source title, run through this first. It’ll save you money, time, and a serious headache.

This checklist is for anyone submitting a book to Lightning Source for the first time, or for seasoned pros who want a systematic catch-all before finalizing an order. We’re talking about the stuff that looks fine on your screen but gets your files rejected or results in a physically flawed book. No theory, just the steps.

The 7-Step Lightning Source Submission Checklist

Step 1: Verify Your ISBN & Metadata Match… Exactly

This seems obvious, but it’s the most common source of delays. I once submitted a file where the ISBN on the copyright page had a transposed digit compared to the ISBN I entered in the Lightning Source title setup. The system flagged it, and we lost three business days sorting it out. Check these three places for perfect alignment:

• Your purchased ISBN (from Bowker or your national agency).
• The ISBN embedded in your PDF’s copyright page.
• The ISBN you type into the Lightning Source title management screen.

Do it side-by-side. A single digit off, and everything stops.

Step 2: The Trim Size & Bleed Double-Check (The Silent Killer)

You picked a trim size (like 6x9") when you set up the title. Now you must ensure your interior PDF and cover PDF are built to that exact dimension, including bleed. Here’s the mistake I made in early 2022: I set up the title as 5.5" x 8.5" but sent a cover file built for 6" x 9". The system accepted it, but the printed cover was scaled down awkwardly, with text too close to the edges. We had to trash 50 author copies—a $400 lesson.

Action: In your design software, confirm the document size matches your chosen Lightning Source trim size. For covers, remember Lightning Source requires a full wraparound template with bleed; download their template for your exact trim size, paper, and page count, and don’t modify its dimensions.

Step 3: Page Count Validation & "White Page" Scan

Lightning Source printing requires your total page count to be divisible by 2. More critically, it must be divisible by 4 for some binding options. But here’s the sneaky one: blank pages. Your word processor or PDF generator might insert a nearly invisible blank page at the end. If your last page is page 200, but there’s a hidden blank page 201, your count is now 201, which isn’t divisible by 2. Submission rejected.

Action: Open your final print-ready PDF. Scroll to the very end. Use the page thumbnails panel to visually check for any blank pages. Manually confirm the final page number. Then, do the math: Final Page Number ÷ 2 = Whole Number. If it’s not, you need to add or remove a page (often by adjusting back matter).

Step 4: Cover Spine Width Calculation – Don’t Guess

This is where intuition fails. The spine width for your cover is a function of your paper type (cream/white, 50/60lb) and your exact page count. Guessing or using an old calculation is a guaranteed error. I ordered 250 copies of a 300-page book using the spine width for 50lb paper when I’d selected 60lb. The spine was 0.06" too narrow. The books looked pinched and unprofessional. Total loss.

Action: Do not calculate this yourself. Use Lightning Source’s official online spine width calculator. Input your final, confirmed page count and your exact paper choice. Use that number in your cover design file. Double-check that the calculator’s result is typed correctly into your design document.

Step 5: Color Space Audit (CMYK vs. RGB)

All files for print must be in CMYK color mode, not RGB. RGB images on screen will look vibrant; printed via CMYK, they can appear dull and muddy. The system might not reject an RGB file, but the printed result will be wrong. We printed 100 full-color children’s books where the illustrator’s RGB files made the greens look brownish. The author was (rightfully) furious.

Action: In Adobe Acrobat Pro, go to Tools > Print Production > Preflight. Use a preflight profile like "Convert to CMYK" or check for "RGB images." For your cover design file (likely from InDesign or Illustrator), ensure the document color mode is set to CMYK from the start. Convert all linked images to CMYK before placing them.

Step 6: Font Embedding & Subset Confirmation

All fonts used in your PDF must be fully embedded. If they’re not, Lightning Source’s rasterization process might substitute a font, breaking your careful typography. “Subsetting” fonts (embedding only the characters used) is generally recommended as it creates a smaller file.

Action: Again, in Acrobat Pro’s Preflight tool, run a check for "Fonts not embedded." Fix any errors by re-exporting your PDF from the source application with the correct embedding settings. In InDesign/Word/etc., when exporting to PDF, choose the "PDF/X-1a:2001" or "PDF/X-4" preset, as these force font embedding.

Step 7: The Physical "Dummy" Proof (The Step Everyone Skips)

You can approve a digital proof online, but it’s a 2D representation. The numbers said our 6x9" 400-page paperback was fine. My gut said to check the spine thickness one more time. I’m glad I did. I took a similar book off my shelf (same page count, roughly), measured the spine, and realized our calculated width felt off. Turns out I’d mis-typed a digit in the spine calculator. This step caught a $650 mistake before it went to print.

Action: Before final approval, find a physical book similar to yours in page count and paper weight. Hold it. Feel the spine. Look at the margin proportions. Does your digital proof feel like it would translate to this object? This tactile check often reveals proportional issues that screens hide.

Important Notes & Common Pitfalls

• Don’t Rush the Proof Review: Lightning Source’s standard proof timeline is there for a reason. Rushing approval to save 2-3 days isn’t worth a month of dealing with bad inventory. I still kick myself for a rushed approval that led to a reprint.
• Understand "Distribution" vs. "Printing": Enabling global distribution through Ingram gets your book into online retailer catalogs. It doesn’t mean physical copies are shipped to stores automatically. That’s a different sales channel. Clarify your goals.
• File Naming: Use their recommended convention (ISBN_Title.pdf). It prevents internal processing confusion.

This checklist has caught 23 potential errors for our team in the last year alone. It’s boring. It’s meticulous. But after that first $400 mistake, I realized the boring work is what protects the creative work. Take the ten minutes. Check the list. Then submit.