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IngramSpark vs KDP: print and distribution differences

IngramSpark vs KDP is a print and distribution comparison, not a quality ranking. KDP sells print on Amazon and, if you turn it on, through Expanded Distribution. IngramSpark offers the book to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers through Ingram's wholesale network, and it is not exclusive. Using both for the same print book means you own the ISBN and you leave Expanded Distribution off. Checked against the official pages on 6 October 2026.

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The short answer

  1. KDP print on Amazon pays 50 or 60 percent of list price minus printing cost. Expanded Distribution pays 40 percent minus printing cost.[23]
  2. IngramSpark's pricing page says it costs nothing to open an account or to upload a print book or ebook. Ebook sales pay 85 percent of the net revenue IngramSpark receives.[27]
  3. IngramSpark is not exclusive. Its FAQ says that if you also publish the print book on KDP, leave Expanded Distribution off.[220]
  4. A free KDP ISBN works only on KDP. A free IngramSpark ISBN is owned by IngramSpark and cannot be transferred. An ISBN you own can be used on both.[51][220]
  5. A wholesale discount near 53 to 55 percent, with returns allowed, is what IngramSpark says generally opens the widest bookstore availability. No page guarantees a store will stock the book.[221][222]

01

What does each platform distribute?

KDP prints a paperback or hardcover when a reader orders it and sells that copy on Amazon marketplaces where print distribution is offered. If you enable Expanded Distribution, the paperback royalty page says the royalty is 40 percent of the list price in that channel minus printing cost. Paperbacks published in Japanese cannot be enrolled in Expanded Distribution. IngramSpark, once you enable wholesale distribution, says the book is made available for purchase through its network of bookstores, libraries, and online retailers. It sends a metadata feed so buyers can order through Ingram's system. The FAQ says that listing can take 2 to 6 weeks to appear, and sometimes longer or shorter. Its discount article says that network reaches more than 45,000 retailers and libraries. That is IngramSpark's figure, not a count of stores that will order your book.[23][27][220][221][224]

  • KDP hardcover, where it is offered, pays 50 or 60 percent of list price minus printing cost. Hardcover publishing is not supported on kdp.amazon.co.jp. The hardcover royalty page does not describe an Expanded Distribution rate.
  • IngramSpark also sells ebooks. The pricing page says you earn 85 percent of the net revenue it receives, regardless of retailer. Converting a print file to an ebook through IngramSpark is listed at $0.60 per page. That conversion fee is separate from uploading a file you already made.

02

Can you use both?

Yes, if you own the ISBN. IngramSpark's FAQ says it is not exclusive, so you can use other printers and distributors. It also says that if you publish the print book directly with KDP, do not select Expanded Distribution. The point is to avoid two wholesale offers of the same print book. KDP itself does not forbid an IngramSpark listing. Draft2Digital, separately, says not to use its own print service together with IngramSpark or with KDP Expanded Distribution.[26][78][220]

  • You can still sell the KDP paperback on Amazon while IngramSpark handles wholesale orders.
  • An ebook in KDP Select does not block print on either service. Select's limit is the digital book.

03

How do ISBNs interact?

IngramSpark says a book you intend to distribute needs an ISBN for each format. If you are not distributing, it can assign a non-distributable SKU for printing only. For publishers based in the United States it lists three ISBN choices: buy from Bowker, buy an ISBN you own from the IngramSpark account at the $85 rate stated on the FAQ, or take a free ISBN that IngramSpark owns and that cannot be transferred. Outside the United States it tells you to buy from your own agency and names Thorpe-Bowker for Australia, the agency its FAQ spells Neilsen for the United Kingdom, and Raja Rammohan Roy for India. KDP's free ISBN is only for paperback and hardcover, can be used only on KDP, and is registered with the imprint Independently published. That free KDP number cannot be the ISBN you give IngramSpark.[50][51][220]

  • Paperback and hardcover are different products. Each needs its own ISBN if you assign one.
  • A Kindle ebook does not need an ISBN on KDP.

04

What are the setup and fee differences?

The KDP paperback and hardcover royalty pages do not list an account fee or an upload fee. They subtract printing cost from the royalty. On Amazon.com, list prices at or below $9.98 pay 50 percent and prices at or above $9.99 pay 60 percent, then printing cost comes off. Other Amazon marketplaces use their own thresholds on those pages. IngramSpark's pricing page says it costs nothing to sign up or to upload a print book or ebook. Publisher pay on a wholesale sale is list price minus the wholesale discount minus print cost. The discount article also says a market access fee is deducted. Neither that article nor the pricing page fetched on 6 October 2026 states the percentage. Do not budget a percentage the current public page does not show. Check the compensation calculator in the account.[23][27][221][222][224]

  • The user guide dated 24 August 2026 gives an illustration, not a quote: a $20 list price, a 53 percent discount, a $9.40 wholesale price, a $3.66 print cost, and $5.74 compensation. Your print cost will differ.
  • The publishing cost calculator prices editing, cover, and formatting. It does not price an IngramSpark or KDP print order.

05

When do bookstores order through IngramSpark?

IngramSpark does not say bookstores prefer one printer's quality. It says bookstores order from wholesalers. The discount article says most bookstores will not buy a book directly from the author, and that a wholesale discount plus returns is how a book becomes orderable alongside other stock. The article says the trade discount most publishers choose is 55 percent, and that IngramSpark lets you set 40 percent to 55 percent. A discount under 55 percent can limit bookstore orders. The user guide, version 3.3 dated 24 August 2026, says the minimum discount is shown on the title setup page and can change, and that 53 to 55 percent with a returnable status generally allows the widest availability. It also says no wholesaler or retailer is obliged to buy or display the book, whatever the discount. Use the number in your account.[23][221][222]

  • KDP Expanded Distribution is a different channel, paid at 40 percent of list price minus printing cost. It is not the same offer as an IngramSpark wholesale discount you set yourself.
  • Enabling distribution does not place a copy on a shelf. A store still has to order it.

06

What about hardcover and returns?

Both services can make a hardcover. KDP's hardcover royalty is 50 or 60 percent of list price minus printing cost, and hardcover publishing is not supported on kdp.amazon.co.jp. IngramSpark's user guide describes case laminate hardcovers and says hardcover books are not available in Sharjah, UAE. Returns are a publisher choice on IngramSpark. The same guide, version 3.3, says non-returnable is available in all markets and that IngramSpark will not accept returns for those titles. Yes-Deliver is described as available in the U.S. market only, and the same section also says it applies to books sold in the United States or Canada. A return to a US address is charged the current wholesale cost plus $3 shipping and handling. A return to a non-US address is charged the wholesale cost plus $20. The guide does not guarantee the condition of a returned book. Yes-Destroy is available in all markets except Global Connect: you are charged the wholesale cost, there is no shipping fee, and the book is destroyed. All titles are printed non-returnable in the UAE.[23][220][222][224]

  • The FAQ states only that you choose whether books are returnable. The dollar charges above are from the 24 August 2026 user guide.
  • KDP's paperback royalty page does not describe a bookstore returns program for Expanded Distribution.

Use the guided answer

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