How do you choose between KDP and IngramSpark?
- Not either/or — most indies use both.
- KDP: best for Amazon (highest royalties, fastest setup).
- IngramSpark: best for bookstores, libraries, international.
- KDP Select requires Amazon exclusivity for ebooks; non-Select allows IngramSpark too.
- Setup costs: KDP is free; IngramSpark charges $49 per title (sometimes waived).
Use both, not either. KDP (Amazon) reaches Amazon’s customers with the best royalty rates for ebook and print-on-demand. IngramSpark reaches bookstores, libraries, and international retailers with broader distribution and pricing flexibility. Most indie authors publish to KDP for Amazon and IngramSpark for everywhere else — same book, two channels.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Authors who only publish on KDP miss bookstore and library distribution; authors who only use IngramSpark leave 60-80% of indie sales (Amazon) on the table. The right answer is almost always both — KDP for Amazon ebook + print, IngramSpark for non-Amazon print expanded distribution.
Chapter ii·What to include
- KDP setup: free, Amazon-only ebook + print-on-demand.
- IngramSpark setup: $49/title, expanded print to bookstores/libraries.
- KDP Select: Amazon-ebook exclusivity in exchange for Kindle Unlimited.
- Decide on KDP Select before opening IngramSpark for ebook.
- Print ISBN: use one ISBN for both KDP print and IngramSpark print, or use separate.
- A pricing strategy: keep prices consistent across both.
Chapter iii·Example
A self-publishing romance author uses KDP for ebook (KDP Select for Kindle Unlimited royalties) and IngramSpark for print (expanded distribution to bookstores and libraries). Combined royalties: 67% Amazon, 28% bookstore-via-IngramSpark, 5% library systems. Total: $4,200/month at year three.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom’s Sell studio holds both KDP and IngramSpark metadata in one project — consistent across both channels.
See the Sell studio