IngramSpark vs. KDP: What Self-Publishers Need to Know

If you’re new to self-publishing, you’re probably wondering about the services offered by IngramSpark vs. KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). Both are widely popular self-publishing platforms for independent authors. Both offer distribution services, and both claim to connect your book with retailers around the world. So which platform is right for you? 

In this comprehensive comparison, we’ll dive deep into both KDP and IngramSpark and go over the factors that matter most to independent authors.

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Topics considered in “IngramSpark vs. KDP: What Self-Publishers Need to Know”

KDP vs. IngramSpark: Two Top POD Companies Compared
     Cost
     Royalties
     Distribution Network
     Trim Size
     Optimization
     Advertisement Options
     Ease of Use
     Formats
     Extra Perks
     Preorders
     Print Quality
     Customer Experience
Is KDP or IngramSpark Better for Me?
Conclusion

KDP vs. IngramSpark: Two Top POD Companies Compared

While both KDP and IngramSpark offer print-on-demand services for independent authors, they are two very different companies. The right choice for your book depends entirely on your publishing goals and level of comfort with each company.

In the most recent installment of my Ask a Self-Publishing Expert column for The Independent Publishing Magazine, I gave an overview of each company to help readers decide whether to use KDP or IngramSpark to distribute their book. In this post, I’ll dig even deeper into the aspects that matter most to independent authors and offer my thoughts on which company excels in each.

Cost: KDP

In a welcome move, IngramSpark did away with its setup fees back in May of 2023. This put IngramSpark on par with KDP; now, you can publish with either company for free. However, keep in mind that IngramSpark charges a $25 fee to upload new files after 60 days. (Revising files with KDP is always free.)

Assuming you’re not planning to revise your files months after publication, the two companies are just about equal on this point. But if you end up adjusting your call to action, adding a new blurb to your back cover, fixing typos, or making any other changes, KDP sneaks over the line with its “always free” business model.

(Finally, this isn’t technically a cost of using the service, but it’s worth mentioning: IngramSpark allows you to set your books as returnable, which makes your book more attractive to retailers. If a bookstore returns several books to IngramSpark because they aren’t selling, you’ll be responsible for that cost. Since returns can happen weeks or months after the initial sale, this cost can come as a shock.)

Royalties: KDP

Because KDP is the publishing arm of Amazon, there’s no middleman between the publishing platform and the marketplace. KDP takes its cut of your sales, but that’s pretty much it—there’s no other company to share your Amazon royalties with. This gives you one of the highest royalty rates in self-publishing: you’ll make 70% (minus delivery costs) on ebooks and 60% (minus print costs) on print books.

On the other hand, IngramSpark doesn’t have its own store. It is purely a distribution platform, acting as an intermediary between you and the retailers in its network. This means there are more companies taking a cut of your royalties. What’s more, retailers will expect a hefty wholesale discount, which further eats into your royalties.

Distribution Network: IngramSpark

In addition to acting as a direct pipeline into Amazon’s marketplace, KDP also offers expanded distribution. This makes your book available to US and UK distributors, where retailers around the world can order your book. However, just because they can order your book doesn’t mean they actually will.

Bookstores and libraries don’t typically order books distributed by KDP for two main reasons. First, bookstores will typically expect books to be returnable in case your book doesn’t sell well. KDP does not offer returns on these orders. Second, while the industry-standard wholesale discount is 53–55%, the highest KDP only offers wholesale discounts of 35%.

By contrast, IngramSpark distributes directly to thousands of retailers around the world. (This is what’s known as “publishing wide.”) By distributing through IngramSpark, your book will be listed in the Ingram catalog, which bookstores and libraries use to order books.

That still doesn’t mean they will order your book—the unfortunate truth is that bookstores don’t tend to prioritize self-published books. But a wholesale discount and returnability at least puts seeing your book on physical shelves within the realm of possibility.

Trim Size: IngramSpark

In another recent change to IngramSpark’s offerings, both KDP and IngramSpark offer standard and custom trim sizes. However, there are a few caveats.

First, while IngramSpark will distribute your book to its global network regardless of the trim size, some distributors may not be able to accommodate a custom trim size. If there’s no good reason to do otherwise, it’s best to use a trim size found in IngramSpark’s drop-down menu.

The factor that tips this in IngramSpark’s favor is that custom trim sizes are not eligible for KDP’s expanded distribution. But, as you know, IngramSpark has superior distribution options. If you’re using KDP to publish directly to Amazon and IngramSpark for wider distribution, this limitation shouldn’t affect you.

Optimization: KDP

As an independent author, optimizing your book listing is one of the best things you can do for your book. The wrong keywords and categories can mean missing out on Amazon displaying your book to relevant readers. By optimizing your KDP book listings with Amazon-friendly keywords and competitive categories, you have a better chance of reaching the right readers (and achieving that coveted Amazon Bestseller status!).

(Here’s another insider tip: PublisherRocket—$199 at the time of this writing—can help you easily find the best keywords and categories for your book. We exclusively use PublisherRocket for our KDP keyword research. It’s our secret weapon that has helped most of our publication clients achieve Amazon Bestseller status!)

Of course, you can also choose keywords and categories for your IngramSpark metadata.  But because IngramSpark distributes that same metadata to everyone in its network, you can’t target specific bookstores like you can with KDP/Amazon.

Advertisement Options: Tie

Both companies offer paid advertisement opportunities, but the scope of these services are very different. That said, we’re calling this a tie because the best choice for you depends on your goals.

Amazon Ads is an excellent way to get your book in front of Amazon readers looking for books like yours. Here are some of your options:

• Sponsored Product: A cost-per-click ad for your book listing (appears in shopping results and product detail pages)
• Sponsored Brand: A cost-per-click ad for your author brand (appears in shopping results; features a custom headline, logo, and books)
• Sponsored Display: A self-service display ad (appears for relevant audiences based on Amazon shopping history)
• Lockscreen Ads: A good option for targeting e-book readers (appears on Kindle lockscreen displays)
• Other Amazon Ad options

(In a recent update, PublisherRocket now includes tools to help you determine the right Amazon Ad strategy for you. To help you get started, PR recently launched a free Amazon Ad course, where you can learn the strategy founder Dave Chesson has taught to bestselling authors like Pat Flynn and Jeff Goins.)

Because IngramSpark markets primarily to booksellers, not individual buyers, its ad options focus on retailers rather than individuals. Depending on the Title Discoverability tier you choose, promotion opportunities include the following:

• Inclusion in IngramSpark’s “seasonal books” catalogs sent to booksellers
• Inclusion in book lists and articles on popular reader community websites
• Digital book flyers sent to independent retailers
• Optimization recommendations from book-selling experts 
• Samples of your book made available to retail and library buyers, giveaway programs, and reader community websites
• Promotion in the Ingram Content Group UK book ordering catalog

Note that these promotions must be approved by IngramSpark and are currently only available to US-based authors.

Ease of Use: KDP

IngramSpark has recently made a lot of improvements in its user interface. That said, KDP’s simpler dashboard makes for a better user experience than IngramSpark’s complex and often buggy database.

Here’s another insider tip for updating information (like prices or royalty structure) with IngramSpark: If it doesn’t look like your change worked, don’t push the button or change the value again right away! Just hold tight for a moment and wait for the change to take effect. With such a vast network of retailers, IngramSpark’s website is working hard behind the scenes, and patience is key.

Formats: IngramSpark

KDP and IngramSpark offer many of the same formatting options. Both offer cream and white pages; both offer matte and glossy covers; both offer hardcover options. Both offer full color interiors, and both accept reflowable and fixed-layout ebooks (though fixed-layout ebooks aren’t accepted by all retailers).

But between the two platforms, IngramSpark is currently the only one to offer dust jackets for hardcover editions. With KDP, hardcover artwork is printed directly on the cover (called “case laminate”). While the print quality is solid, we just don’t think case laminate covers look as nice as professional dust jackets.

Further, while not all of these options are available for distribution, IngramSpark offers a wide variety of additional formatting options:

• Two-sided printing on paperback covers (called “duplex”)
• Perforated interior pages for select color formats
• Additional “ultra premium color” tier
• Personalized opening pages
• Digital cloth hardcovers

If you’re printing in color, there are minimum page limits with both KDP and IngramSpark:

• KDP paperback: 24 pages
• KDP hardcover: 76 pages
• IngramSpark: 18 pages

These POD services also have page minimums for including text on the spine:

• KDP paperback or hardcover: 80 pages
• IngramSpark paperback: 48 pages
• IngramSpark hardcover: 18 pages

While both of these services will be sufficient for most authors, when it comes to hardcover options, color printing, and very short books, IngramSpark offers more formatting versatility than KDP.

Extra Perks: Tie

In addition to their built-in marketing opportunities, both IngramSpark and KDP offer unique benefits to readers. This is another area where the “better” set of options depends on your unique goals. Here’s a look at what you can expect with each platform.

Here are a few of the benefits of publishing with KDP:

• Books published through KDP are available to readers via Amazon Prime, which offers faster delivery than most other retailers.
• KDP offers a KDP Select program through which authors can make their ebooks available in Kindle Unlimited.
• If you’re enrolled in KDP Select, you’re eligible for other promotional opportunities and contests.

Because IngramSpark’s focus is a little different, it has a different set of benefits:

• In addition to its wider distribution network, IngramSpark offers a direct sales opportunity called Share & Sell. With this program, you can sell your books directly to readers through custom purchase links and avoid the wholesale discount.
• IngramSpark offers comprehensive video courses to help authors understand metadata, social media marketing, book design, and other important facets of self-publishing.
• IngramSpark’s new sales report dashboard is exceptionally easy to navigate.

Preorders: IngramSpark

If your marketing plan includes making your book available for preorder, IngramSpark is your best bet. You can set up both print and ebook preorders up to a year before your publication date. By contrast, KDP currently only offers preorders for ebooks. (That said, if you’re like many independent authors, know that a KDP preorder can actually work against you.)

One key point is that IngramSpark preorders go out to all participating retailers in the company’s distribution network, including Amazon. This will remove your ability to manage your Amazon sales page, categories, and keywords from your KDP bookshelf. Unless you have a very important reason to make your book available for preorder, it isn’t a strategy we recommend.

Print Quality: Tie

Historically, IngramSpark has been known as the better place to print a book if you want high printing quality. These days, I’m seeing just about the same level of quality for black-and-white and color books with both platforms.

To the well-trained eye, IngramSpark might have a tiny leg up when it comes to the quality of the binding. But compare that to KDP’s slight edge on color printing and I’m calling this one a tie.

Customer Experience: Tie

We’ve been working with both IngramSpark and KDP for several years, and we’ve seen many changes along the way. Every now and then, one company pulls ahead in its customer service performance. But if we look at what the customer experience has been like over time, we consider this a tie.

KDP’s customer service is typically the faster of the two. For years, we’ve consistently gotten responses from KDP within around one business day after reaching out. The speed and consistency of this response time has us impressed.

Here’s another insider tip: When it comes to KDP’s customer service, simple, clear questions will give you the best results. Our lead editor recently had a few issues with her Author Central account, and it took 16 (!) email exchanges and several baffling misunderstandings before the issue was fixed. If you have multiple issues, your best bet is to address them one by one, and include ASINs where relevant.

As of this writing, IngramSpark’s Help page also claims to return emails within one to two days. But that doesn’t always mean your problem will be solved by then. We’ve had experiences where IngramSpark has sent a timely email letting us know that they’ve received our request, but then we had to wait another month (or more) for our issue to be resolved.

When it comes to your book, not having an immediate solution to your problems can definitely be frustrating. But regardless of which company you’re dealing with, be clear and direct, and be patient. Remember, everyone is trying their best.

Is KDP or IngramSpark Better for Me?

As I’ve said throughout this comparison, the best platform for you depends on your unique goals for your book.

If you’re looking for ease of use, never having to pay for distribution, and direct access to Amazon’s massive customer base—including KDP Select—KDP is the publisher for you.

On the other hand, if you want to publish wide, you have the patience to handle a more complex dashboard, and you don’t anticipate needing to update your book after the first couple of months, IngramSpark might be right for your distribution plan.

But here’s the good news: you don’t have to choose a single platform. By using both platforms simultaneously, you can leverage KDP for its Amazon optimization potential while using IngramSpark to maximize your distribution channels and potential reach. This is the strategy recommended by ALLi, and it’s what we recommend to our clients.