KDP or IngramSpark — which should I use?
Use KDP for Amazon sales and IngramSpark for everywhere else. KDP pays a better margin on Amazon and prints faster; IngramSpark is the route bookshops and libraries actually order through. Most serious indie authors run both.
Work it out yourself, free
The Retail Sheet →Free: the metadata, categories and specifications every storefront asks for, on one sheet.
Where each one wins
KDP: better print royalty on Amazon, no setup fee, fastest turnaround, and the storefront where most indie sales happen anyway.
IngramSpark: catalogue distribution to bookshops, libraries and international wholesalers, plus a returns programme booksellers require before they will stock you.
Running both without conflict
The common arrangement is KDP for the Amazon paperback and ebook, IngramSpark for the same paperback everywhere else and for hardcover. You must own your ISBN to do this cleanly.
Do not enrol the same edition in exclusive programmes and wide distribution at once. Read each contract's exclusivity clause before you tick anything.
What neither of them does
Neither sells your book for you. Both are printers with a catalogue attached.
Neither produces your audio or film edition. That is a separate build, priced here on word count and delivered at retail specification for the storefronts you choose.
Asked and answered
- Do I need my own ISBN for IngramSpark?
- Effectively yes. A free KDP-issued ISBN cannot be used at Ingram, and Ingram's own imprint appears if you take theirs.
- Which pays more?
- KDP pays a higher royalty on Amazon sales. Ingram reaches buyers Amazon never touches, which is a different kind of more.
- Can I use both for the same book?
- Yes, and most authors selling in print do — provided you own the ISBN and avoid exclusivity clauses.
Also asked
Every answer in the hall
- How much does it cost to make an audiobook?
- What is a film book?
- How long is an audiobook by word count?
- Book trailers: how do you make one, what does it cost, and how is it different from a film book?
- How many voices does an audiobook need?
- How do you turn a book into a video?
- Can I narrate my own audiobook?
- How long does it take to make an audiobook?
- How do you make an audiobook?
- Should I use ACX or a professional audiobook producer?
- How much does a film book cost?
- How do I get my audiobook on Audible and Spotify?
- What does audiobook production for indie authors involve?
- How much does an audiobook narrator cost?
- How do I record an audiobook?
- How do I publish an audiobook?
- What do book marketing services actually do?
- How do I self-publish a book?
- How many words are in a novel?
- How do I copyright a book?
- What is BookTok?
- How much do authors make per book?
- How long does it take to write a book?
- How do I find the best narrator for my audiobook?
- How do I get reviews for my book?
- What should be on my book launch checklist?
- How do I write a book blurb?
- Will AI replace authors?
- Is AI narration good enough for my audiobook?
- Do I have to disclose that I used AI?
- Can I copyright a book written with AI?
- Is AI voice cloning safe for authors?
- How do I market my book?
- What is an author platform and how do I build one?
- How do I grow an email list as an author?
- How do I use video to sell my book?
- How do I promote my book with no money?
- How much does it cost to publish a book?
- How do I get an ISBN?
- How do I write a query letter?
- How many chapters should a book have?
- Do I need an ebook formatting service?
- How much does a book cover cost?
- How should I price my book?
- How many pages is 1,000 words?
- How much does book editing cost?
- Traditional publishing vs self-publishing — which is better?
- How do I find a literary agent?
- How do audiobook royalties work?
- How do Amazon ads work for authors?
- What is a video book?
- How do I make a video book?
- What should an author website include?
- What do audiobook narration services actually include?
- How much does an audiobook cost per finished hour?
- How much does a book trailer cost?
- How do I turn my book into a movie?
- How do I choose an audiobook production company?
- Should I make an audiobook or a video book?
- How long does it take to make a video book?
- How do I make a video of my children's book?
- How do I turn my book into social media content?
- Can I turn my novel into a video game?
- How much does a book-to-game adaptation cost?
- How do I make a film book?
- What are the alternatives to ACX for making an audiobook?
- What is a movie book?
- Film book vs audiobook: which should I make first?
- How do I market an audiobook?
- What file formats does an audiobook need?
- How do I license music for a book trailer or film book?
- Who owns my audiobook when someone else produces it?
- How do I make sure names are pronounced correctly in my audiobook?
- How long does it take to turn a novel into a video game?
- Royalty share or flat fee — how should a narrator be paid?
- What should an audiobook retail sample be?
- How long should a book trailer be?
- How do I make book videos for Reels and TikTok?
- What goes in an author press kit?
- How do you produce an audiobook or film book for a whole series?
- How much does it cost to turn my book into a video?
- What does audiobook narration cost per word?
- Can I sell an audiobook of my own novel?
- Do audiobooks sell better than ebooks?
- What does an audiobook producer actually do?
- How do I make a video for my book for free?
- What writing contests are actually worth entering as an author?
- Are there book contests with no entry fee?
- Are writing contest entry fees worth it?
- How do I win a writing contest?
- How do I spot a writing contest scam?
- Can I win a free audiobook or film book production?
- What comes after audiobooks for authors?
- What are the alternatives to making an audiobook?
- What formats can a book be published in?
- Should I make an audiobook or a film book first?
- Who invented the film book?
Strength and Solidarity LLC — 98 answers kept in this hall