In addition to printing and distributing your titles, Lightning Source functions as an organizational resource for the business side of your publishing endeavors. Several reporting tools are available on your account.
From the Dashboard, click on the “Reports” tab near the top of the screen, and then click on the type of information you’re looking for. All reports prompt you to specify the dates you need information for and the correct unit of currency. Below is information on how to generate each report.
Invoice Report
On your Lightning Source account, you will receive invoices/charges for services such as title setup, revisions, orders, etc. To review invoices on your account, you will run an Invoice Report.
When running this report, you will be asked for different filter criteria.
-- Operating Unit – This specifies from what country/currency your invoices were charged. For example, if a title setup was paid for in US Dollars, you would select LS US as the Operating Unit. If a publisher order was printed in the UK and paid for in Euros, you would select LS UK – Euros.
-- Date Range or Period – Here you can select a specific date range (01/01/2016 to 01/31/2016) or a period (January 2016).
*If a date range is greater than 100 days, you will need to select "Email Delivery as file attachment" instead of using the Screen Display option. Also, date ranges cannot exceed 366 days. If you would like to see a report for a longer date range, you will need to run multiple reports.
-- Invoice Number – If there is a specific invoice you are searching for and you already know the invoice number, you may include it here.
-- Credit Card Reference Number - If you know the credit card reference number, you may include it here.
-- Output Format – You are able to review the Invoice Report on your screen, or you may choose an email delivery option. Reports are sent as a PDF document with email delivery.
Billing Statement
You can run a Billing Statement to see any payments you’ve paid to Lightning Source for closed accounting months.
-- Operating Unit – This specifies from what country/currency your invoices were charged. For example, if a title setup was paid for in US Dollars, you would select LS US as the Operating Unit. If a publisher order was printed in the UK and paid for in Euros, you would select LS UK – Euros.
-- Period – You may select a month and a year.
-- Email Address – The only method of reviewing your Billing Statement is via email. A PDF report will be sent to the email address you provide.
Transaction History
The Transaction History Report provides a summary report of sales history and any credits applied. This report is screen display only.
-- Operating Unit – This specifies from what country/currency your invoices were charged. For example, if a title setup was paid for in US Dollars, you would select LS US as the Operating Unit. If a publisher order was printed in the UK and paid for in Euros, you would select LS UK – Euros.
-- Date Range or Period – Here you can select a specific date range (01/01/2016 to 01/31/2016) or a period (January 2016).
Pre-Order Report
The Pre Order Report displays any pre-order sales that have not yet been printed. This report is screen display only.
-- Date Range or Period – Here you can select a specific date range (01/01/2016 to 01/31/2016) or a period (January 2016).
-- ISBN(s) – You have the option to include one or more ISBNs if you choose.
eBook Sales Report
With the eBook Sales Report, you can build a report that provides information on your eBook sales through our distribution channels. CoreSource will report eBook sales during the first week of each month. CoreSource Plus retailers have 25 days after month end to report sales to CoreSource. For this reason, the sales report received will be for sales 60 days prior. For more detailed information, click here.
-- Date Range or Period – Here you can select a specific date range (01/01/2016 to 01/31/2016) or a period (January 2016).
*If a date range is greater than 100 days, you will need to select "Email Delivery as file attachment" instead of using the Screen Display option. Also, date ranges cannot exceed 366 days. If you would like to see a report for a longer date range, you will need to run multiple reports.
*Selecting the period option for a sales report, for a specific month and year, will match the publisher compensation payment for that month of sales.
-- Operating Unit/Currency – This specifies the country/currency that was used when your eBook was purchased. For example, if someone in Australia purchased your eBook, you would select LS AU as the Operating Unit and AU Dollars as the Currency.
*Only one Operating Unit and Currency can be used at one time.
-- Compensation Type – This refers to eBook sales and specifies whether your eBook was sold through Apple or another retail partner.
- Selecting CoreSource Agency will display sales through Apple ONLY.
- Selecting only CoreSource will display sales through all of Ingram’s other retail partners, excluding Apple.
*You cannot select both CoreSource and CoreSource Agency in the same report if the output format is Screen Display. If you select both, you will need to choose “Email Delivery as file attachment.”
-- Optional Filter Criteria – You have the option to include ISBNs, titles, and an author name if you would like a more specific report.
-- Output Format – Screen Display and Email Delivery are both options when running a sales report. If you select Email Delivery, we recommend selecting Adobe PDF as the attachment type.
Print Sales Report
The Print Sales Report provides information regarding sales for your print book through our distribution channels.
-- Date Range or Period – Here you can select a specific date range (01/01/2016 to 01/31/2016) or a period (January 2016).
*If a date range is greater than 100 days, you will need to select "Email Delivery as file attachment" instead of using the Screen Display option. Also, date ranges cannot exceed 366 days. If you would like to see a report for a longer date range, you will need to run multiple reports.
*Selecting the period option for a sales report, for a specific month and year, will match the publisher compensation payment for that month of sales.
-- Operating Unit/Currency –This specifies the country/currency that was used when your book was printed and purchased. For example, if someone in Australia purchased your book, you would select LS AU as the Operating Unit and AU Dollars as the Currency.
*Only one Operating Unit and Currency can be used at one time.
-- Compensation Type – Here you will select POD because your book was printed on-demand at one of our facilities.
-- Optional Filter Criteria – You have the option to include ISBNs, titles, and an author name if you would like a more specific report.
-- Output Format – Screen Display and Email Delivery are both options when running a sales report. If you select Email Delivery, we recommend selecting Adobe PDF as the attachment type.
Publisher Compensation Report
We will provide a monthly Sales Report to you via email. At a minimum, Lightning Source monthly reports include book title, ISBN, quantity shipped, the wholesale price of books sold, cost of printing, and net compensation per title. Reports will be emailed within five (5) business days of month-end and will include sales for the current month. Click HERE to learn more about compensation payments. (see this article for ebook reporting information)
*If there were no distribution sales, you will not receive a compensation report email.
Direct Deposit
Because your publisher compensation is sent to you via direct deposit, it is important to make sure your information is correct and up-to-date. If you need to review or update your direct deposit information, you can do this on your Lightning Source account.
- Click on Account
- Select Publisher Compensation on the left-hand side of the page
- Click the gray Edit button to make any changes, and click the blue Save button to ensure that any changes will be saved
The publisher compensation report may contain returns information if any books were returned in that reporting period. For more information regarding returns please see our Returns article.
When Are Sales Not Reported?
Sales are recorded when your books are either shipped from our facility or downloaded and delivered to one of our retail partners. These sales are noted in your Publisher Compensation Report, and you receive compensation for these sales; however, certain purchases will not be reflected in your Publisher Compensation report:
- Books purchased as ‘used’ or from a third party, for example, would not be shown in your report as a ‘sale’ since the seller is already in possession of a copy of the title, and we would not be printing a book to fulfill the order for that title.
- If your title is listed with another printer, books printed through these sources also will not be reflected on your publisher compensation report.
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