Here is the message that went out to Booksurge publishers earlier today:

Dear Publisher:

I’m writing to share some exciting news with you: BookSurge and CreateSpace, both a part of one company, On-Demand Publishing LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, are collaborating to offer publishers access to enhanced features, services, and functionality. In the coming weeks, your publisher account will be transitioned from BookSurge to the CreateSpace platform.

What will change for you?
We are doing everything that we can to make this transition as seamless for you as possible, and anticipate very few changes for you.

  • You will have access to enhanced features, functionality and services through CreateSpace.
  • Throughout the transition, you will receive uninterrupted service and your books will continue to be available through Amazon.com and other distribution channels.
  • Your book files and account history have been transferred to CreateSpace. Your account history with BookSurge will also be made available to you in a downloadable Excel or CSV format.
  • You will receive a new login and will be able to reset your own password.

What will not change?
Your Account Manager will not change, and you will continue to receive great customer support.

CreateSpace Benefits:

  • View and edit your royalty profile.
  • Schedule daily, weekly or monthly royalty reports that go directly to your email.
  • Order copies of your titles and track the progress of your orders via your account.
  • Access our Preview Gallery where you can share content and gather feedback directly from other CreateSpace members.
  • Access your Message Center and receive real-time alerts and updates on your account, orders, and updates.
  • Use Cover Creator, our free online tool, to create customized covers.

How the transition to CreateSpace will work?

  • We expect to activate your new CreateSpace account on October 28th, 2009.
  • On October 28th, 2009, we will send you an email with your new log in and instructions on how to access your CreateSpace account. Until then, you will still have full access to your current Global Publishing System (GPS) account with BookSurge.
  • After October 28th, 2009, your CreateSpace account will be your primary account and your BookSurge GPS account will be deactivated.
  • Upon logging into your CreateSpace account for the first time, you will be prompted to accept CreateSpace terms and conditions. This agreement reflects your current operating terms and license fee (royalty) structure, which have not changed.

Where do you go for more information?
We expect you may have some questions about this transition and have developed a dedicated resource center with a host of support materials, including video tutorials and FAQs for your reference: www.createspace.com/Help/Index.jsp.

For additional questions, please send your inquiries to: publishersupport@createspace.com. As always, feel free to contact your Account Manager directly with any questions or concerns you may have about this transition to the CreateSpace platform.

You, our Members, are our highest priority, and rest assured, we are happy to assist you with this transition.

Best regards,
Kim Stone
Manager, Enterprise Services

My take? The Booksurge website was always a real mess but it was cheaper to use Booksurge than CreateSpace and they had much more flexibility with trim sizes and other details. So while I appreciate that the CreateSpace website will be easier to use, I hope this doesn’t equal a price increase or limit our print sizes.

My other worry: How will shipping costs compare?

For a long time, I have prefered Booksurge over CreateSpace despite the occational issues with their site so I am going to have to wait and see what this change means for my business. However, if you were trying to decide between the two programs, this makes your decision for you.

Lastly? “How the transition to CreateSpace will work?” <–hilarious proofreading fail right there

So what do you think?