KDP vs IngramSpark: Which Should You Use (or Both)?

KDP is the simpler, cheaper way to sell on Amazon. IngramSpark is the better way to make your print book orderable by bookstores and libraries. Many self-published authors use both for the same paperback: KDP for Amazon and IngramSpark for everywhere else, with one ISBN they own.

The table below compares the two side by side. The sections after it explain when each one makes sense.

KDP and IngramSpark at a glance

Factor	Amazon KDP (paperback)	IngramSpark
Main reach	Amazon stores worldwide; optional Expanded Distribution to other retailers	Ingram's wholesale network: bookstores, libraries, online retailers (including Amazon)
ISBN	Required. Use KDP's free ISBN (KDP-only) or your own	Required. Your own ISBN for each format. A free KDP ISBN can't be used
How you're paid	60% of list price minus printing on Amazon (50% below $9.99 on Amazon.com); 40% with Expanded Distribution	List price × (1 − wholesale discount of 30–55%) − printing cost
You set the discount?	No, the rate is fixed by KDP	Yes, within IngramSpark's allowed range
Returns option	Not offered	You choose whether books are returnable
Interior file	Print-ready PDF	Print-ready PDF, with stricter technical checks
Cover file	One PDF: back + spine + front, 0.125" bleed on every edge; KDP places the barcode	Full-wrap PDF built on IngramSpark's own template (spine width and barcode position can differ from KDP)
Ebooks	Yes, Kindle store	Yes, to multiple retailers
Best for	Amazon-focused authors, first books, low budgets	Bookstore and library availability, events, wider print distribution

These rates come from each platform's published terms and can change. Confirm current numbers in your KDP dashboard and with IngramSpark's own calculator before you price your book.

Reader reach on KDP and IngramSpark

Which platform reaches more readers depends on where your readers buy.

KDP puts your book directly on Amazon. For most self-published authors, especially in genre fiction and practical non-fiction, Amazon is where most sales happen. KDP also gives you Amazon-specific tools that IngramSpark can't touch, like Kindle Unlimited for ebooks and Amazon ads.

IngramSpark puts your book into Ingram's catalog. Bookstores and libraries already order from that catalog, so your book can be ordered by a store even if it isn't stocked on the shelf. If you plan to do signings, sell through a local shop, approach libraries or reach retailers outside Amazon, that catalog listing matters.

KDP has a shortcut called Expanded Distribution, which makes your paperback available to other retailers. It costs you royalty (40% instead of 60%), and you can't set a returns policy or choose your discount. Many bookstores won't stock a book that can't be returned. So Expanded Distribution gets you listed elsewhere, but it rarely gets you onto shelves.

If you're planning to publish wide across many stores, our guide on what going wide means covers the bigger picture.

ISBN requirements for KDP and IngramSpark

IngramSpark requires your own ISBN for each format: one for the paperback, a different one for the hardcover, and another for the ebook if it has one. A free ISBN from KDP is tied to KDP and can't be used on IngramSpark.

For KDP paperbacks you have a choice:

• KDP's free ISBN: costs nothing and works fine if you'll only ever sell the print book through KDP. Your book will list KDP's imprint, not your own.
• Your own ISBN: bought from your country's ISBN agency. Your imprint name appears as the publisher, and you can use the same ISBN on IngramSpark.

If there's any chance you'll want IngramSpark later, buy your own ISBN now. Switching later means a new ISBN and, in practice, a new edition with separate listings and reviews that may not carry over. Prices for ISBNs vary by country and by how many you buy at once, so check your national ISBN agency.

KDP ebooks don't need an ISBN at all, since Amazon assigns a free ASIN. For more detail, see do I need an ISBN?

Royalties and wholesale discounts compared

The two platforms use different models, which makes direct comparison tricky.

KDP uses a fixed rate. On Amazon, you get 60% of the list price minus the printing cost. On Amazon.com that drops to 50% for books priced below $9.99. With Expanded Distribution, sales through other channels pay 40% minus printing. You don't choose a discount. KDP handles that.

IngramSpark uses a wholesale model. You set a list price and a wholesale discount, typically somewhere between 30% and 55% based on IngramSpark's terms. The retailer buys at that discount, then IngramSpark subtracts the printing cost. The rest is yours.

A simple illustration of the arithmetic: if your list price is $15 and you set a 40% discount, the wholesale price is $9. Your payout is $9 minus the printing cost for your page count, trim size and ink. Use IngramSpark's own calculator for the real printing cost, because it depends on your exact specs.

The trade-off:

• A higher discount (closer to 55%) makes bookstores more willing to order, because they keep more margin. You earn less per copy.
• A lower discount (closer to 30%) pays you more per copy, but many physical stores won't order at that margin. Online retailers often still list the book.

Returns work the same way. Making your book returnable makes stores more comfortable ordering. It also means you can be charged when copies come back. Only turn it on if bookstore placement is a real goal.

To check your Amazon numbers, try the KDP royalty calculator. Compare it against IngramSpark's calculator for the same price and page count before deciding.

File requirements that differ between KDP and IngramSpark

Both platforms want a print-ready interior PDF at your chosen trim size. The differences are in how strict they are.

KDP is more forgiving. Its previewer flags common problems such as text outside the margins and missing bleed, and many files pass on the first try.

IngramSpark checks files more strictly and is more likely to reject a file that KDP accepted. Read their current file creation guide before you export. The usual trouble spots:

• Fonts not embedded. Every font has to be embedded in the PDF.
• Image resolution. Low-resolution images that look fine on screen can be rejected for print.
• Color settings. Black-and-white interiors should be truly grayscale. Stray color elements can cause issues or change how the book is printed.
• PDF format. IngramSpark's guide specifies which PDF standards it prefers. Export to match it rather than using a generic "save as PDF."
• Trim size and paper. Not every trim size and paper combination is available on both platforms. Pick one that both support if you plan to use both.

If you use both platforms, build one interior that meets IngramSpark's stricter rules. That same file will almost always pass on KDP too.

Inkora exports a print-ready interior PDF at eight common trim sizes, including 5x8, 5.5x8.5 and 6x9. It's a reasonable starting file, but always check it against each platform's previewer before you approve anything.

How the cover templates differ

This is where most authors get caught out. You usually can't upload the exact same cover PDF to both platforms.

KDP wants one PDF containing back cover, spine and front cover, with 0.125" bleed on every edge. KDP places the barcode in the bottom-right of the back cover, so keep that area clear of important text or art.

IngramSpark wants a full-wrap PDF built on IngramSpark's own cover template, which you generate from their site using your ISBN, trim size, page count and paper type. The template includes the barcode position. Their spine width and barcode placement can differ from KDP's, even for the same book.

Spine width depends on page count and paper type, and each printer calculates it slightly differently. A spine that's off by a small amount can push your title off-center or onto the front cover.

A practical workflow:

1. Design your front cover and back cover art once.
2. Estimate the spine with a book spine width calculator while you design.
3. Download KDP's template and IngramSpark's template for your final page count and paper.
4. Place your artwork on each template separately, adjusting the spine and barcode area for each.
5. Export two cover PDFs and label them clearly.

Inkora's cover designer outputs a full-wrap cover PDF with spine width calculated from your page count, plus a Kindle cover JPG at 1600 × 2560. Treat the full-wrap as your base design and check it against each platform's template before uploading.

Using KDP and IngramSpark for the same book

Running both platforms for one book is a common setup, and it works well if you follow a few rules.

• Use your own ISBN on both. The same paperback ISBN goes on KDP and IngramSpark. Don't use KDP's free ISBN if you want IngramSpark too.
• Turn off KDP Expanded Distribution. Expanded Distribution routes through other distribution channels, which can conflict with your IngramSpark listing for the same ISBN. Let KDP handle Amazon and IngramSpark handle everyone else.
• Keep metadata identical. Title, subtitle, author name, trim size, page count and edition should match exactly on both platforms. Mismatches can create confusing duplicate listings.
• Keep prices consistent. Set the same list price in each currency on both. Retailers watch prices, and a big gap can cause problems on either side.
• Use the same interior content. Small printer differences are fine. Different content under the same ISBN is not. A meaningfully revised book generally needs a new ISBN.
• Order a proof from each. Paper, color and trim can look slightly different between printers. A proof copy from each lets you catch issues before readers do.

Each platform has its own setup steps. Our walkthroughs for publishing on Amazon KDP and publishing on IngramSpark go through them in order. Inkora's Publishing Hub has step-by-step checklists for both. You still upload the files in your own accounts.

When to choose KDP only

KDP alone is a good fit if:

• Most of your readers buy on Amazon, which is common for genre fiction and many practical non-fiction niches.
• This is your first book and you want the simplest, lowest-cost path.
• You want to enroll your ebook in KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited.
• You have no plans for bookstore events, library outreach or retail placement.

You can always add IngramSpark later, as long as you used your own ISBN from the start.

When to choose IngramSpark, alone or with KDP

IngramSpark makes sense if:

• You want bookstores and libraries to be able to order your book.
• You're planning launch events, signings, school visits or local shop placement.
• You want control over your wholesale discount and returns.
• You want hardcover options beyond what KDP offers. Check IngramSpark's current list of formats and bindings.

Using IngramSpark alone, without KDP, is less common. Your book can still reach Amazon through Ingram, but you earn the wholesale-based payout there instead of KDP's direct rate. You also have less control over the Amazon listing. Most authors who want bookstore reach use IngramSpark alongside KDP rather than instead of it.

Common problems and fixes

"I used KDP's free ISBN and now want IngramSpark." That ISBN can't move to IngramSpark. Buy your own ISBN and publish a new paperback edition. You can unpublish the old KDP version or keep both, but they'll be separate listings. Keep the new edition's metadata consistent with the old one so readers aren't confused.

"IngramSpark says my title or ISBN is already in use." This usually happens because KDP Expanded Distribution was switched on with the same ISBN. Turn off Expanded Distribution in KDP, wait for the change to take effect, then contact IngramSpark support to release the title so you can set it up.

"My cover was rejected on IngramSpark but worked on KDP." You're almost certainly using the KDP cover file. Generate IngramSpark's template for your exact ISBN, page count and paper, then rebuild the wrap on it. Check the spine width and barcode area especially.

"My interior failed IngramSpark's file check." Look for unembedded fonts, low-resolution images, color in a black-and-white interior, or a PDF exported in the wrong format. Fix the source file, re-export to their guide's specs, and upload again.

"The spine text is off-center on my printed proof." Your page count changed after the cover was made, or you used the wrong paper type on the template. Regenerate the template with the final page count and paper, then shift the spine artwork to fit.

"I changed the price on one platform and not the other." Update both to match. Price changes can take time to show up at retailers, so make the change on both platforms on the same day.

"I made edits after publishing." Small fixes such as typos can usually go up as a revised file on both platforms. Check each platform's current terms for any revision fees. Upload the same corrected file to both so the two editions don't drift apart.

Pick KDP if Amazon is where your readers are and you want the simplest start. Add IngramSpark, with your own ISBN and Expanded Distribution turned off, when you want bookstores and libraries to order your book. Build one strict interior and two cover files, and the two platforms will work side by side without trouble.