Okay, so it was $315.00 for all three books to upload title and provide proofs. That’s $75.00 each for the title and $30.00 for each proof).
For all the trouble I had with the the format of PDF/X-1a:2001, and finally just having my Book Cover designer put them on Lightning Source’s templates (NOTE: My book covers were sent in without cropping out the rest of the template/white space. Just put the overlay on the template area and sent the entire sheet back the way they sent it to me)… they didn’t look too bad, though the packaging could be a bit better. It was just in a box and one of the books got bent (just a wee bit) during the shipping process. So the presentation wasn’t very nice…but maybe that’s just because their proofs. CreateSpace and Lulu put like shrink wrapped and bubbled stuffing and things to keep the books from moving about, but Lightning Source, the most expensive one for proofs, mind you, just had a tight fitted box, not securely sealed (just had the tabs tucked in and it could just easily be pulled and the books taken out and tucked back in with no problem…then you could just get an empty box–but stealing my books…I guess I wouldn’t have minded too much 
).
But no matter. I’m in and the hardest part is over and the distribution is what is the main goal here.
The printing quality is okay, but I still like CreateSpace space overall for print quality. LuLu kind of squished the pictures in some of the covers I’ve ordered, and I’m still waiting back to hear what they’re going to do with one of my books that printed the first 45 pages twice (and at least it did print to the end).
So anyway, I’ve ordered Soooo many proofs between the three POD to get things looking right, or when I’ve had mistakes in my books. Hopefully, now I’m completely done with buying proofs.
So, now, I just have to approve my proofs with Lightning Source, and figure out what the next steps are.
Uh Wait…
Already, I’ve messed up. I uploaded the WRONG file for my Irid book. I’ve accepted The Made and Ruby, Flesh and Heart proofs, but Irid….gottah pay $40.00 for a revision. Sigh….
Until next time.