For most self-published authors the answer is not KDP or IngramSpark but both: KDP for your ebook and Amazon paperback, IngramSpark for print copies that bookshops and libraries can order. Choose KDP alone if you only care about Amazon and want the simplest set-up; add IngramSpark when you want your paperback or hardback stocked, ordered or returned by shops outside Amazon.

This guide includes a few product links near the end. As an Amazon Associate, Freyja Publishing earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

This guide explains what each platform actually does, how the royalty maths compares on the same book, how to run them side by side without ISBN or distribution clashes, and the mistakes that cost authors money when they set up print distribution.

At a glance

• KDP sells your ebook and print book directly to Amazon customers, with the highest per-copy earnings on Amazon itself.
• IngramSpark is a wholesale distributor: it makes your print book (and ebook, if you choose) available for bookshops, libraries and non-Amazon retailers to order.
• The usual hybrid: KDP for the ebook and Amazon paperback; IngramSpark for wider print distribution, with KDP Expanded Distribution switched off.
• Use an ISBN you own if you plan to use both. A free KDP ISBN cannot be used anywhere else.
• Bookshops generally expect a 55% wholesale discount and returnable stock, which sharply reduces what you earn per copy.

What each platform actually does

Amazon KDP

Kindle Direct Publishing is Amazon’s own self-publishing service. You upload an ebook, a paperback and, if you like, a hardback, and Amazon sells them in its stores around the world. Print copies are printed on demand when a customer orders. KDP is free to use; Amazon earns its share from each sale.

KDP also offers Expanded Distribution, which makes your paperback available to some other retailers and libraries. It pays a lower royalty and does not let you offer bookshops the discount and returns terms they usually want, so it rarely gets books onto physical shelves.

IngramSpark

IngramSpark is the self-publishing arm of Ingram, one of the largest book wholesalers. It does not sell to readers directly. Instead, it lists your book in the catalogues that bookshops, libraries, schools and online retailers order from, and prints copies on demand when they do. You set the wholesale discount and decide whether shops can return unsold copies. It can also distribute ebooks to non-Amazon retailers.

KDP vs IngramSpark: side-by-side comparison

Factor	Amazon KDP	IngramSpark
Who buys from it	Amazon customers	Bookshops, libraries, schools, online retailers (wholesale)
Ebook earnings	70% or 35% royalty, depending on price and marketplace	A share of what retailers pay IngramSpark (85% of its net receipts, per its user guide)
Print earnings	60% (or 50% on lower prices) of list price minus printing on Amazon; 40% minus printing via Expanded Distribution	List price minus the wholesale discount you set, minus printing
Wholesale discount control	No	Yes; 53-55% plus returns gives the widest availability, per IngramSpark
Returns for bookshops	No	Optional (you choose)
Ebook exclusivity	Optional through KDP Select (90-day terms)	None
Marketing tools	Amazon Ads, KDP Select promotions	Very limited; it is a distributor
Payment timing	Monthly, roughly 60 days after the end of the sales month	90 days from the end of the sales month
Free ISBN	Yes, but usable only on KDP	US only, non-transferable and owned by IngramSpark
Time to appear for sale	Usually within about 72 hours	2-6 weeks to reach retailer systems, per IngramSpark

The royalty maths on the same book

Ebooks

KDP pays 70% on ebooks priced inside its 70% band, minus a small delivery fee based on file size, and 35% outside it. From 7 July 2026 Amazon widened the US band to $2.99-$12.99, with equivalent changes in other marketplaces (for example £1.77-£12.99 in the UK and A$3.99-A$15.99 in Australia, per KDP’s list price help page). In some marketplaces, including India, Japan, Brazil and Mexico, the 70% rate also needs KDP Select enrolment.

Going wide with ebooks through IngramSpark, or through an aggregator such as Draft2Digital or PublishDrive, pays a share of what each retailer pays the distributor. Many wide authors upload directly to the largest stores and use an aggregator for the rest; see Draft2Digital vs PublishDrive for that choice.

Paperbacks: a worked example

KDP’s own help page uses a 333-page black-ink paperback with a $15 list price and a $5.00 printing cost. Here is how that same book compares across channels. The IngramSpark printing cost is assumed to be the same $5.00 to keep the comparison simple; real print costs differ by platform, page count, trim, ink and market, so run your own numbers in each platform’s calculator.

Channel	Calculation	You earn per copy
KDP, sold on Amazon (60%)	$15 x 0.60 – $5.00	$4.00
KDP Expanded Distribution (40%)	$15 x 0.40 – $5.00	$1.00
IngramSpark at 55% discount	$15 x 0.45 – $5.00	$1.75
IngramSpark at 40% discount	$15 x 0.60 – $5.00	$4.00

Two things stand out. Selling on Amazon through KDP is hard to beat per copy. And the 55% discount bookshops expect cuts IngramSpark earnings sharply, so wider print distribution is about reach, credibility and library or shop orders rather than profit per copy. A lower discount earns more per sale but makes shops much less likely to stock the book.

Note KDP’s price threshold too: on Amazon.com, paperbacks listed at $9.98 or less earn 50% rather than 60%, according to KDP’s paperback royalty help page. Short, cheap paperbacks can end up earning very little, which is one reason to read how to price your book for profit before you set a list price.

Returns: the setting that can cost you money

Traditional bookshops buy stock on the understanding that they can send back what does not sell. IngramSpark lets you choose: non-returnable, returnable with copies destroyed, or (in the US and Canada) returnable with copies delivered back to you. Returnable status makes shops more willing to order. It also means you pay for returned copies, and a large return can wipe out months of earnings.

A cautious approach is to start non-returnable unless you are actively pitching shops or events that need returnable stock, then switch on returns for a specific purpose and watch your reports closely.

How to use KDP and IngramSpark together

Running both is common and allowed, but the order and settings matter. This sequence avoids the usual clashes:

1. Buy your own ISBNs. Get them from your country’s ISBN agency (for example Bowker in the US, Nielsen in the UK, Thorpe-Bowker in Australia; some countries, such as Canada, issue them free). You need a separate ISBN for each format. Our ISBN guide covers the details.
2. Decide on ebook exclusivity first. If you want Kindle Unlimited, enrol the ebook in KDP Select and do not distribute that ebook anywhere else. Exclusivity applies to the ebook only, so print can still go wide. See should you enrol in KDP Select.
3. Publish the paperback on KDP using your own ISBN, and leave Expanded Distribution switched off.
4. Publish the same paperback on IngramSpark with the same ISBN, matching interior and cover specifications as closely as each platform allows.
5. Set the IngramSpark wholesale discount and returns on purpose, not by default, based on whether you are targeting shops and libraries.
6. Order a proof from each platform and check colour, trim and paper before you announce.
7. Keep the same list price (or prices that make sense in each market) so retailers do not undercut each other in confusing ways.

If you publish on IngramSpark first, Amazon may list your book from Ingram’s feed. Many authors publish to KDP first so the Amazon listing is controlled by KDP, but either order can work if you watch for duplicate listings.

Which should you choose? A decision checklist

KDP alone suits you if

• Most of your readers buy on Amazon, as is common in genres such as romance that lean on Kindle Unlimited
• You want the simplest set-up and fastest route to market
• You are not planning bookshop events, library outreach or school sales

Adding IngramSpark makes sense if

• You want bookshops, libraries or schools to be able to order your print book
• You have local events, talks or a non-fiction subject that libraries buy
• You want a hardback with a dust jacket or print options KDP does not offer
• You want your ebook in non-Amazon stores and are not using KDP Select

IngramSpark alone is unusual

It can work for a publisher focused on trade and library sales, but most self-published authors lose too much Amazon income by skipping KDP. For a wider look at the options, see book distribution channels explained.

Costs to plan for

KDP charges nothing to publish. IngramSpark removed its standard title set-up fees in 2023, but its rate card lists other charges, including fees for revisions after approval and some distribution and handling fees. Check IngramSpark’s current pricing guide before you upload, because the platform can change its schedule. Proof copies, shipping and your own ISBNs cost money on both routes, and prices vary by country. For a full budget, see what self-publishing really costs.

Common mistakes

• Using a free KDP ISBN for a book you also want on IngramSpark. It cannot be used elsewhere, so you would need a new ISBN and a separate edition.
• Leaving KDP Expanded Distribution on while using IngramSpark. The two can conflict, and Expanded Distribution pays less anyway.
• Accepting a default discount without thinking. A 55% discount without returns gives you lower earnings without the full benefit of bookshop terms.
• Switching on returns casually. Returns can arrive months later and cost more than the sales earned.
• Pricing a paperback too low. After printing costs and discounts, some channels pay little or nothing per copy.
• Expecting IngramSpark to market the book. Being orderable is not the same as being stocked; shops still need a reason to buy.
• Skipping proofs. Printers differ, and covers or margins that look right on one can shift on the other.

Sources this guide draws on: Amazon KDP Help (paperback royalty, eBook list price requirements and KDP Select pages), the IngramSpark user guide, IngramSpark FAQs and the IngramSpark 2026 rate card.

FAQ

Can I use KDP and IngramSpark for the same book?

Yes. Many authors publish the paperback on both, using the same ISBN they own. Turn off KDP Expanded Distribution for that title, and if your ebook is in KDP Select, keep that ebook off IngramSpark and every other store.

Is IngramSpark worth it if I only sell on Amazon?

Probably not. Its main value is making your print book orderable by bookshops and libraries. If those are not part of your plan, KDP alone is simpler and pays more per Amazon sale.

Does IngramSpark get my book into bookshops?

It makes your book available for shops to order, but it does not place it on shelves. Stocking usually depends on a returnable status, a standard discount, local demand, events or your own outreach to shops.

Which pays more per copy, KDP or IngramSpark?

For Amazon sales, KDP almost always pays more per paperback because Amazon keeps 40% and there is no wholesale discount to a separate retailer. IngramSpark pays less per copy at standard bookshop discounts but reaches buyers KDP does not.

Do I need my own ISBN to use both platforms?

In practice, yes. A free KDP ISBN works only on KDP, and IngramSpark’s free US ISBN is owned by IngramSpark and cannot be used on other platforms. Owning your ISBN keeps you listed as the publisher everywhere.

How long does IngramSpark take compared with KDP?

KDP titles usually go live within about 72 hours. IngramSpark says it can take 2-6 weeks for a book to appear on retailer websites and ordering systems after distribution is enabled.

Start with KDP, add IngramSpark when you have a real reason to reach shops and libraries, and decide your ISBN, discount and returns settings before you upload. Those three choices matter more than the platform names. For tools that make the rest of publishing easier, see the author toolkit guide.