Two platforms dominate self-publishing distribution: Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing and IngramSpark. Most authors eventually hear that they should use both, and most of the advice on the internet about how to use both is wrong — or at least incomplete. This is the comparison we give clients before they publish, built from launching hundreds of titles through both platforms over the past decade.
What KDP does well
KDP is Amazon's own platform and the largest single self-publishing channel in the world. If your reader is buying books on Amazon — and for most genres they are — KDP is the fastest, simplest way to get your book in front of them. Setup takes an afternoon. Royalties are paid monthly. The dashboard is well-documented and easy to navigate even for first-time authors.
KDP's eBook royalties are strong: 70% on books priced between $2.99 and $9.99, 35% on everything outside that range. For print, they pay 60% of the list price minus the cost of printing — which ranges from roughly $2.50 to $6.50 depending on page count and format.
KDP Select, Amazon's exclusivity programme, gives your eBook access to Kindle Unlimited (the subscription library) and additional promotional tools. In exchange, your eBook cannot be sold anywhere else — no Apple Books, no Kobo, no direct sales. For most authors, the Kindle Unlimited page-read royalties do not compensate for lost sales elsewhere. Enrol only if your analytics show your readers are specifically on KU.
What IngramSpark does well
IngramSpark is the self-publishing arm of Ingram Content Group, the largest book wholesaler in the world. That wholesaler relationship is the critical difference: when your book is distributed through IngramSpark's expanded distribution, it becomes orderable by any bookshop or library that orders through Ingram — which is most of them.
This is not a small thing. A bookseller who wants to stock your title needs to be able to order it through their existing supplier account. KDP's expanded distribution is technically available but largely ignored by trade booksellers because the terms are unfavourable to retailers. IngramSpark's expanded distribution is the real route into physical retail.
IngramSpark also handles hardcovers, case-laminate finishes, and some non-standard formats that KDP does not offer. If your book requires a specific production spec — foil, deboss, a custom trim size — IngramSpark is usually the only self-publishing option that can deliver it.
The recommended approach for most authors
The configuration we use for the majority of American Publisher clients:
- eBook: KDP only. If you enrol in KDP Select, be deliberate about it. If you want Apple Books and Kobo sales, stay out of Select and distribute the eBook through Draft2Digital alongside KDP.
- Paperback: IngramSpark with expanded distribution enabled. Do not enrol in KDP's expanded distribution for print — the retailer discount is too low for stores to accept it.
- Hardcover: IngramSpark exclusively. KDP does not offer meaningful hardcover options for most formats.
The one complication: IngramSpark charges a setup fee (currently $49 per title for print, $25 for eBook) and requires annual fees if you want to maintain distribution. KDP is free. For authors publishing a single title on a tight budget, KDP's simplicity may outweigh IngramSpark's distribution advantages.
Print quality: is there a real difference?
For standard trade paperbacks (6×9 inches, B&W interior), both platforms produce comparable quality. We have tested them side by side and the differences are minor — paper brightness varies slightly, spine printing can be marginally sharper on one platform than the other in any given print run.
For colour interiors, children's books, and anything with detailed illustrations, IngramSpark's printing partners have a slight edge, particularly for consistent colour accuracy across batches. This matters for a children's picture book or a coffee-table style title. It matters less for a business memoir.
The question of ISBNs
KDP offers a free ISBN. Do not use it. KDP's free ISBN lists Amazon as the publisher of record, which limits your distribution options and looks unprofessional if the book ever ends up in a library catalogue. Buy your own ISBN through Bowker (US) or Nielsen (UK) and use it on both platforms. The cost is $125 for a single ISBN and $295 for ten. If you are publishing more than one book, buy ten.