KDP or IngramSpark: which should you use, or both?

When you publish independently, the platforms you choose decide where your book can be bought and how you are paid. Two names come up again and again: Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. They do overlapping jobs, but not the same job.

Amazon KDP

KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is Amazon's own platform. It is the route to Kindle eBooks, and to paperbacks and hardbacks printed on demand and sold through Amazon.

Strengths

• It is the most direct way to reach readers on Amazon.
• Set-up is straightforward and uploads are quick to update.
• Royalties are paid to you directly, and rates depend on format, price and territory.
• KDP Select, an optional programme for Kindle eBooks, puts your eBook in Kindle Unlimited and unlocks promotion tools. In return, the digital edition must be exclusive to Amazon for each 90-day enrolment period, which renews automatically unless you opt out.

Limits

• It is built for Amazon. Bookshops and libraries generally order through other wholesalers.

IngramSpark

IngramSpark is the self-publishing arm of Ingram, one of the world's largest book wholesalers. It prints on demand and makes your book available to the wholesale network that bookshops and libraries use to order.

Strengths

• Wide distribution to retailers and libraries. Signing up and uploading a book are free.
• More choice over some print options, including hardbacks.
• Lets you set wholesale terms, which matter if you want bookshops to stock the book.

Limits

• If you want your own imprint named as the publisher, you will need your own ISBN.
• It has its own file requirements and takes a percentage distribution fee on sales through its network. Print costs and terms change, so check them before you start.

Using both

Many independent authors do, because each covers the other's gap:

• KDP for the Amazon listing and Kindle eBook.
• IngramSpark for wider print distribution.

If you use both, you will want ISBNs you control, because a free ISBN supplied by one platform cannot be used on the other. If you plan to use KDP Select, remember that its exclusivity applies to the eBook only, so check whether it fits your plans.

Things to check before you upload

• Your files. Each platform has its own requirements for the interior and the cover. Check them before you start, especially trim size, margins and the cover template. See choosing trim size, paper and finish.
• Your details. The title, description, categories and keywords should be settled. Our guide to book metadata covers them.
• Your ISBN. Decide in advance whose ISBN you are using for each edition. Read ISBNs in the UK first.
• Your price. Set prices for each format and each territory deliberately, using the platform's own tools to see the print cost and your royalty.
• A proof copy. Order one before you approve the book for sale. Colours, margins and cover details often look different in your hands.

Common questions

Can I use the same files on both platforms? Often, yes, but each has its own specifications, so check the interior and cover files against each platform's requirements before you upload.

Which one pays me more? It depends on the format, the price and the territory, and the terms change. Use each platform's current royalty and print-cost calculators for your own book instead of relying on a general answer.

Will IngramSpark put my book in bookshops? It makes your book available through a wholesale network that bookshops and libraries can order from. Whether any shop orders it is up to the shop.

Do I need an ISBN for a Kindle eBook? Not on KDP, though other retailers and platforms may require one. See ISBNs in the UK.

How we handle it

At Fable Studio, your book is published through your own Amazon KDP and IngramSpark accounts, which are in your name. Retailers pay your royalties directly to you, and you see your own sales reports.

A short decision guide

Platform terms and fees change, so always check each platform's current rules before you commit.

If you would like help, our independent assisted book launch service sets up both accounts with you and prepares your book for launch from them.