From the press release:
Ingram Content Group Inc. today announced it will expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific market by establishing a full-scale Lightning Source print-on-demand book manufacturing operation in Australia.
“The expansion of our Lightning Source global print solution into Australia is a significant step in the ongoing mission of Ingram Content Group to help content reach its destination swiftly and efficiently to retailers and readers worldwide,” said David “Skip” Prichard, President and CEO, Ingram Content Group. “This expansion of Ingram’s global presence, from the United Kingdom to France and now Australia, provides publishers with expanded market reach and sales opportunities, as well as makes thousands of books available quickly and affordably to booksellers and their customers.”
Marvelous! Lets hope they follow up with printing operations in Hong Kong (China) and Singapore (India & SE Asia). And while they are at it, those of us on the west coast would love to see POD at their Oregon facility.
Let’s hope the Australian operation, if indeed it ever sees the light of day, does better than LS/US. My publisher, Bewrite Books, uses LS — and publisher and authors are experiencing the embarrassment of LS taking such a long time to fill orders that it’s hardly worth using LS. Books ordered 22 October 2010 arrive today. How come Amazon manages to get its orders to its Australian customers within a week, but LS takes 2 months??? Also I gather that my publisher has many other problems with LS.
If LS bring these slack and unprofessional methods to Australia they’ll be laughed out of business within a month.
“Lightning’ is the wrong title for this company. Slow, incompetent and determined to ruin their customers, is the more appropriate title.