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?
Strength and Solidarity LLC — 45 answers kept in this hall