Originally published February eighteen, 2019; most recently updated Nov 22, 2021.

To keep things simple for first-time authors, I frequently propose they stick with Amazon's ecosystem, using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) for both ebooks and impress books. All the same, there is another major actor in the print-on-demand (POD) space: IngramSpark (IS), which is the POD service from Ingram, a major book distributor.

In this overview article, we'll look at why yous might choose one POD service over the other—and the strategy for using both. I'm likewise doing an in-depth series that takes each section into greater detail. I will update this commodity with links as they become added. If you accept specific questions, let me know and I will do my best to incorporate answers for y'all.

Since I work primarily with nonfiction books, in this commodity I'll use the case of a standard 6×ix, 150-page, blackness-and-white volume. (We're not going to cover colour books or ebooks hither.)

Print Options

For paperback books, KDP and IngramSpark offering similar options. They both have multiple standard and nonstandard trim sizes and offer glossy and matte covers. I discover the difference in paperback quality betwixt KDP and IS to be negligible (YMMV), though I have a slight preference for KDP due to their thicker paper (55# vs 50# on IS).

Until 2021 IngramSpark was the but option for POD hardbacks (betwixt these ii services); at present KDP is offering some limited hardback functionality. IS offers many trim sizes and clothbound with a dustcover or casebound (where the cover image is printed on the difficult encompass) and some variations. KDP offers five trim sizes and casebound only (no dust jackets).

For most details, here's a meaty 1700-word postal service on print options.

User-Friendliness

Both platforms crave basically the same elements to prepare a book (interior file, encompass file, metadata); however, KDP makes the procedure far, far easier.

KDP's interface is straightforward. It'south gratis to upload files, and if you find a mistake later and demand to upload fresh files, no problem—just do it. Post-publication, their reporting dashboard is clean and simple.

IS's interface and processes are unintuitive and their instructions are poor. IS charges setup fees of almost $25 per file ($49 for both interior and cover). Once you've approved your book, if you need to upload new files for whatever reason, you must pay fees over again. Reporting dashboard? Serious headache.

I rarely have issues that crave me to contact KDP's customer service. I've talked to IS more times than I tin count and I've been frustrated with them more often than not. Currently (Nov 2021), IS can only be contacted past email; they have disabled their live chat function and are non taking phone calls. Seriously.

Proof Copies

Before approving your book for sale, chances are you'll want to see a concrete re-create of it.

KDP gives you the option of ordering up to five proof copies. They come with a large "PROOF" label on the cover, then they are non copies you could sell. But what yous want before approval your book for auction is a chance to run into if there are whatever mistakes, and then to me that is not an issue.

IngramSpark does not give you an selection for proof copies. They have a two-step approval process, in which you first approve for printing, then approve for distribution. To get a tangible re-create, you have to approve your book for press. So you lot tin can order an author copy for review before y'all corroborate your book for distribution. Still, since y'all've canonical your book to print, if you lot demand to brand any changes after seeing a print copy, y'all have to upload a new file and pay another fee. Hmmm.

Author Copies

Both platforms allow authors to buy their own books at cost plus shipping. Printing costs are in a like range, simply KDP is consistently less expensive than IngramSpark.

For example, a unmarried six×9, 150-page book is $2.65 to impress on KDP and $3.32 on IS. When you add together shipping (and an order fee for IS) for ten copies, the all-in unit cost is around $3.45* on KDP and $iv.51 on IS. Over time, a dollar more per book adds up. (*When y'all order author copies on KDP, the books are sent to your Amazon cart, where shipping costs are shown. This is a change from when I originally wrote this article, and I couldn't get an updated shipping cost for this fictional scenario.)

Hardback is more expensive than paperback by most 2.5x. The same volume that was $2.65 on KDP in paperback is $7.xxx in hardback. On IS, the $3.32 paperback becomes $9.47 as a hardback.

Distribution

People tend to mistiness the different parties involved in self-publishing. Distinguish them thus:

  • You lot, the author, are the publisher.
  • The POD service you choose (KDP or IS) is the printer.
  • Amazon, other online stores, bookstores, and then on are distribution channels.

When you use KDP, y'all can choose to sell your book on Amazon and through KDP'south "expanded distribution" to attain non-Amazon channels, such as other online booksellers, bookstores, libraries, and bookish institutions.

Using KDP for impress-on-demand appears to give you an edge in the Amazon search engine algorithm over books published elsewhere (like on IngramSpark). All other things being equal, greater visibility leads to greater sales.

IngramSpark is the equivalent of KDP, merely IngramSpark does not accept an owned sales platform equivalent to Amazon. What IngramSpark has is the near-equivalent of KDP'southward expanded distribution, which is Ingram, the sibling-company book benefactor. (In fact, KDP'due south expanded distribution goes through Ingram.)

When you utilise IngramSpark, you tin brand your book bachelor to online stores (such as Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com) and to Ingram (the book distributor), which makes your book bachelor to bookstores, libraries, so on.

One of the big benefits of using IngramSpark is that bookstores and other brick-and-mortar retailers are already used to buying books from Ingram (the distribution channel) as a part of their regular purchasing process.

Additionally, to get into bookstores, your book nigh e'er needs to exist returnable. When bookstores have books that don't sell, they send them back to the publisher for a refund. IngramSpark makes books returnable; KDP does non. (Note: You the publisher bear the expense of returns. If bookstores aren't your focus, you can brand your books not returnable.)

Royalties

When y'all sell a book, three components make up one's mind how much money yous brand:

  • the cost,
  • the cutting the sales channel takes,
  • and the printing cost.

Let's consider our 150-page b/w book again, priced at $10.

When yous publish on KDP and sell through Amazon, Amazon gets xl% of the price (you lot'll meet this referred to as their "discount"), so the calculation is:

  • List price = $ten
  • minus Sales aqueduct (40%) = $4
  • minus Press cost = $2.65
  • equals your acquirement = $3.35

If you go through KDP'southward expanded distribution, the sales channel gets threescore%, so your acquirement is $i.35.

When your volume is sold through IngramSpark'south distribution, the calculation is the same equally that for KDP, but on IS y'all have a pick of what discount to give the distribution aqueduct.

The minimum discount you can offer is 30%; the maximum is 55%. To effectively sell to bookstores, you need to offering a fifty–55% discount; if you plan to sell primarily online and to use your book for marketing, you tin can set the discount at thirty% so you retain as much profit equally possible.

Setting a 30% discount for the sales channel gives you $3.68 in acquirement. Setting a 55% discount for the sales aqueduct gives you $1.18 in acquirement.

Notice that even with IngramSpark'due south higher print costs, you lot tin can brand more money on book sales with IS than y'all can with KDP if you get with the lowest possible disbelieve.

The Strategy for Using KDP and IngramSpark

Based on your needs, at that place tin be skilful reasons to stick with one platform or the other. KDP is piece of cake, flexible, and has lower-toll author copies. IngramSpark is not user-friendly and nickel-and-dimes you lot on fees, but information technology offers more hardback options, potentially higher royalties, and better (potentially cheaper) distribution into non-Amazon retailers.

Many indie authors, however, apply both POD platforms. The strategy:

  • Purchase your ain ISBNs. You lot tin use the same ISBN across platforms as long as the book is identical–that is, the same trim size, the same cover type, and and so on. (Be certain to understand how ISBNs piece of work before using this strategy.)
  • Employ KDP for Amazon sales simply. Set up your book upwardly on KDP first, and do Non enable KDP's "expanded distribution." (If you prepare IS first, the IS data feed will go to Amazon, which is what you lot don't want.) Rationale: Using KDP gets your book some benefit in the Amazon search engine. Bonus: By setting upwards KDP first, you accept the chance to order proof copies and right whatsoever problems before you upload to IS, thus reducing the need to incur revision fees on IS.
  • Use IngramSpark for all other sales channels. Fix your volume up on IS 2nd. Rationale: If you lot sell primarily online, having your book on IS lets you fix a lower disbelieve than Amazon takes. If your strategy entails bookstores, your book can be more than highly-seasoned due to returnability and retailers' existing familiarity with Ingram's distribution processes.

Overall the dual-platform strategy can exist a stiff approach to maximize sales and turn a profit.

Resources

KDP'south Printing Cost and Royalty Calculator.

IngramSpark'due south Publisher Comp Calculator and Print and Ship Computer (for author copies and driblet shipments).

KDP and IngramSpark Press Options for more details comparing the two platforms.

Withal have questions? Please read the comments. Then if that doesn't do it, e-mail me at karin@clearsightbooks.com and if it'southward something new, I'll try to answer your question and add our commutation to the comments. (Comments are airtight because I got tired of the spam!)