Amazon KDP vs IngramSpark: Which Should You Use?

For most self-published authors the answer is both: KDP for sales on Amazon, where it pays more per copy, and IngramSpark so bookstores and libraries can order your book. If you only plan to sell on Amazon, KDP alone is enough.

The short version

How KDP pays

KDP pays 60% of the list price on Amazon for paperbacks priced at $9.99 or more on Amazon.com, then subtracts the printing cost. Below $9.99, the rate is 50%. Printing cost depends on page count and ink, not trim size.

KDP's own example: a $15, 333-page black-and-white paperback earns (0.60 × $15) − $5.00 = $4.00 per copy on Amazon.com.

KDP's Expanded Distribution sends your book to other retailers at 40% minus print cost, so you earn less per copy there than on Amazon.

How IngramSpark pays

IngramSpark sells your book to retailers at a wholesale discount you choose, often 40% or 55%. You receive the list price minus that discount, minus print cost, minus a 1.875% distribution fee.

The Alliance of Independent Authors estimates that a 200-page, 6x9 black-and-white paperback at $15 with a 40% discount now earns roughly $3.50–$3.70 per sale, down from about $4.00 before the February 2026 changes.

What changed at IngramSpark in 2026

From February 1, 2026:

• Revisions are free. The old $25 fee for changes made more than 60 days after publication is gone.
• Distribution fee rose from 1.5% to 1.875% of list price on distributed sales.
• Print costs changed. Most formats rose slightly; hardcovers and colour books rose most.
• Title setup remains free.

Why bookstores prefer IngramSpark

Bookstores and libraries already order through Ingram, and IngramSpark lets you offer the trade discounts and returns they expect. KDP doesn't accept returns, which makes many shops reluctant to stock KDP-printed titles.

That said, a higher discount and returns cut your margin. ALLi suggests that if a 55% discount with returns isn't bringing bookstore sales, switching to 40% with no returns recovers margin.

How to use both

1. Buy your own ISBN for each format. Free ISBNs from KDP or IngramSpark only work on their own platform, so you'd end up with two numbers for the same book. (See our ISBN guide.)
2. Publish on KDP for Amazon, and leave KDP's Expanded Distribution off.
3. Publish the same files on IngramSpark for everywhere else, using the same ISBN.
4. Set prices so your IngramSpark margin is worth having. ALLi suggests aiming for around $3 or more per sale; otherwise treat IngramSpark as making the book available rather than as your main income.

IngramSpark's file requirements are stricter than KDP's in places, so build files that pass both from the start.

Which should you choose?

• Amazon only: KDP alone.
• Local launch, events, bookstores or libraries: KDP plus IngramSpark.
• Hardcover with a dust jacket: IngramSpark offers dust jackets; KDP hardcovers are case laminate only.