KDP and IngramSpark are not competing products. They serve different markets, solve different distribution problems, and most serious indie authors end up using both. Understanding how they differ — on distribution, royalties, formatting requirements, and print options — is essential if you want to maximize your book’s reach and revenue.

This comparison covers everything you need to decide how (and whether) to use each platform, with particular attention to the formatting requirements that trip authors up at upload time.

What each platform is

Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is Amazon’s self-publishing platform. It handles ebooks (Kindle format), paperbacks, and hardcovers through print-on-demand. When you publish through KDP, your book appears on Amazon — the single largest book retailer in the world, accounting for roughly 70-80% of US ebook sales and a dominant share of online print sales.

KDP is Amazon’s way of ensuring there’s always something to sell. The platform is designed to make publishing easy because Amazon benefits from every title added to their catalog.

IngramSpark is the self-publishing division of Ingram Content Group, the world’s largest book distributor. Ingram is the infrastructure that traditional publishing runs on. When you publish through IngramSpark, your book enters Ingram’s distribution catalog — the same catalog that major publishers use. Your title becomes available to over 40,000 retailers, libraries, and distributors worldwide, including Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores, Baker & Taylor (the primary library supplier), and international retailers across Europe, Australia, Asia, and beyond.

The simplest way to think about it: KDP gets your book on Amazon. IngramSpark gets your book everywhere else. Whichever platform you choose — or both — your formatting tool needs to produce files that pass each platform’s validation. Cambric exports print-ready PDFs that meet both KDP and IngramSpark requirements from the same project.

Distribution: Amazon vs the world

This is the fundamental difference, and it drives every other decision.

KDP distributes exclusively through Amazon’s ecosystem. Your Kindle ebook lives on the Kindle Store. Your print book is listed on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.jp, and other country-specific Amazon stores. This is an enormous market, but it is one retailer.

KDP does offer an “Expanded Distribution” program that technically makes your print book available to other retailers through Amazon’s wholesale channel. In practice, this is a poor substitute for real distribution. The terms are unfavorable (Amazon takes a significantly larger cut), and bookstores are reluctant to order from Amazon — their direct competitor. Few brick-and-mortar stores will stock a KDP-printed book ordered through Expanded Distribution. If you want your book in physical bookstores, Expanded Distribution won’t get you there.

IngramSpark distributes through Ingram’s global network. This is the distribution infrastructure that the publishing industry was built on. When an independent bookstore owner opens their Ingram catalog to place their weekly order, your IngramSpark title appears right alongside titles from Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. The bookstore doesn’t know or care whether your book was published by a Big Five imprint or by you in your home office. It’s in the catalog. It’s orderable. It ships from the same warehouse.

For ebooks, IngramSpark distributes to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, and numerous smaller retailers. However, many indie authors handle ebook distribution separately — either through direct uploads to each platform or through aggregators like Draft2Digital — since those channels offer more control over pricing and promotions.

The practical reality: If you want your print book to be orderable by independent bookstores and libraries through their normal ordering systems, you need IngramSpark. KDP alone cannot deliver this.

Pricing and fees

Setup costs

KDP: Free. No setup fees, no annual fees, no per-title charges. This has been true since launch and is fundamental to Amazon’s strategy of maximizing catalog size.

IngramSpark: Also free since February 2024, when Ingram eliminated both their $49 title setup fee and $25 revision fee. This was a significant change. The old fee structure was a real barrier, especially for authors publishing in multiple formats (paperback, hardcover, ebook) — each format counted as a separate title. Today, the cost to publish through IngramSpark is zero, putting it on equal footing with KDP in terms of upfront investment.

Royalties and compensation

This is where the models diverge, and the math matters.

KDP ebook royalties:

  • 70% royalty tier: Available for ebooks priced $2.99-$9.99. Amazon keeps 30%. A $4.99 ebook earns you $3.49.
  • 35% royalty tier: Applies to ebooks priced below $2.99 or above $9.99. A $0.99 ebook earns you $0.35.
  • A small delivery fee applies on the 70% tier based on file size, but it’s negligible for text-heavy fiction.

KDP print royalties:

  • You set a list price. Amazon deducts a fixed printing cost (based on page count, trim size, ink type, and marketplace) and takes 40% of the list price. Your royalty is the remainder.
  • Example: A 300-page, 6x9, black-and-white paperback in the US has a printing cost of approximately $4.85. At a $14.99 list price, your royalty is: $14.99 - $6.00 (Amazon’s 40%) - $4.85 (print cost) = $4.14 per sale.
  • Model your specific numbers with our KDP royalty calculator.

IngramSpark compensation:

  • IngramSpark uses a wholesale discount model. You set a list price and choose a wholesale discount — typically 55% for bookstore distribution or 40% for online-only distribution.
  • Ingram deducts the printing cost and the wholesale discount. Your compensation is the remainder.
  • Example: Same 300-page, 6x9 paperback at $14.99 with a 55% wholesale discount. Print cost is approximately $4.90. Your compensation: $14.99 - $8.24 (55% discount) - $4.90 (print cost) = $1.85 per sale.
  • With a 40% discount: $14.99 - $6.00 (40% discount) - $4.90 = $4.09 per sale.

The math reality: KDP pays substantially more per unit on Amazon sales. IngramSpark pays less per unit but opens markets that KDP cannot reach. These aren’t competing economics — they’re complementary. This is why the dual-platform strategy exists.

The wholesale discount question

IngramSpark’s wholesale discount setting is the single most strategic decision you’ll make on the platform.

Independent bookstores need a 55% discount to stock your book and make their standard margin. They also typically want returnability — the option to return unsold copies to Ingram. Setting a 55% discount with returnability enabled makes your book orderable on the same terms bookstores expect from any publisher.

Setting a lower discount (40%) saves you money per sale but effectively removes your book from consideration for physical bookstore shelving. Online retailers will still list it, but no brick-and-mortar store will order a book at a 40% discount when every other title on their shelf comes at 55%.

There’s no universally right answer. Romance, thriller, and sci-fi authors who sell almost entirely online typically set 40% and save the margin. Authors pursuing bookstore placement, library adoption, or in-person events set 55% and accept the lower per-unit return as a distribution cost. Know your audience and your strategy.

Both platforms use print-on-demand technology, and both actually use Ingram’s printing network for at least some orders. (KDP routes certain orders through Ingram’s presses.) The print quality is comparable.

Notable differences:

  • Paper stock: Both offer cream and white paper options. The exact paper weight and feel vary slightly between printing facilities. Some authors report a marginal preference for IngramSpark’s paper quality, but the difference is subtle.
  • Cover finish: Both offer matte and glossy lamination with comparable results.
  • Color printing: Both support full-color interiors at higher per-page costs. Quality is similar.
  • Hardcover options: KDP offers case laminate hardcovers — a printed image wrapped directly on the board. IngramSpark offers case laminate, cloth, and dust jacket hardcovers. If you want a traditional dust jacket edition, IngramSpark is your only POD option.

For standard fiction paperbacks with black-and-white interiors, the quality difference between platforms is negligible. Your readers won’t be able to tell which platform printed their copy.

Formatting requirements

This is where the comparison matters most for your day-to-day workflow. Both platforms accept PDF interiors and cover files, but their specifications differ in ways that can cost you hours of troubleshooting if you’re not prepared.

Interior PDF specifications

KDP requirements:

  • PDF/X-1a or press-quality PDF
  • All fonts embedded
  • Images at 300 DPI minimum
  • Bleed: 0.125” on all sides if your design extends to the page edge (not required for text-only interiors)
  • Color space: RGB or CMYK accepted (KDP converts automatically)
  • Page count must be even
  • Trim sizes: Fixed set of standard options (5x8, 5.25x8, 5.5x8.5, 6x9, and others)

IngramSpark requirements:

  • PDF/X-1a:2001 (a stricter specification than what KDP accepts)
  • All fonts embedded, no exceptions
  • Images at 300 DPI minimum
  • Bleed: 0.125” on all sides for elements extending to the trim edge
  • Color space: CMYK required for color interiors (IngramSpark will reject RGB color files)
  • Trim sizes: Wider range than KDP, including some sizes KDP doesn’t support
  • Spine width: Must be calculated precisely based on page count and paper type — use our spine calculator for exact measurements
  • Cover: Must be submitted as a single PDF spread including front, spine, and back (KDP allows a separate front-cover-only upload)

Which platform is harder to format for?

IngramSpark is stricter. Their automated file review catches issues that KDP’s more permissive system would accept and auto-correct. Common IngramSpark rejections include:

  • Incorrect spine width, even by fractions of a millimeter
  • RGB color space in files intended for color printing
  • Fonts not fully embedded (subset embedding sometimes triggers rejection)
  • Bleed elements not extending far enough past the trim line
  • PDF version or standard mismatches

Here’s the practical rule: if your formatting tool can produce IngramSpark-compliant PDFs, those same files will pass KDP without issue. The reverse is not always true. Authors who format to KDP’s more forgiving specs and then upload the same file to IngramSpark frequently hit rejections on color space, spine width, or PDF standard compliance.

This asymmetry has a clear implication for your workflow. Format to IngramSpark’s specs first. KDP compliance comes free. Cambric handles this automatically — select your target platform at export time and the tool generates the correct PDF standard, color space, and bleed settings. No manual file adjustments between platforms.

For step-by-step guidance, see our guides on formatting for KDP and formatting for IngramSpark, plus our guide on proper book bleed setup.

Cover specifications

Cover requirements differ more than interior requirements, and the cover is where most first-time IngramSpark rejections happen.

KDP lets you upload a front cover image (minimum 625 x 1000 pixels, recommended 2560 x 1600). You can use Amazon’s Cover Creator to generate a full wrap, or upload a full cover PDF yourself. KDP is forgiving about exact specifications and will adjust minor issues.

IngramSpark requires a single-file cover PDF containing the front cover, spine, and back cover as one continuous spread. The spine width must be calculated to Ingram’s exact formula based on your page count, paper type, and binding. The total cover dimensions depend on trim size, page count, paper type, and binding style. Getting the spine width wrong by even half a millimeter can trigger rejection.

Our spine calculator generates the exact spine width for both platforms. Cambric calculates spine width automatically based on your page count and paper type, embedding the correct value in the exported cover PDF — but the calculator is useful for verifying the numbers or planning your cover design independently.

Ebook distribution

KDP publishes ebooks exclusively in Kindle format to the Kindle Store. If you enroll in KDP Select (which requires Amazon exclusivity), your ebook is available through Kindle Unlimited. KDP Select is a powerful revenue driver for many genres — particularly romance, thriller, and sci-fi — but it locks you out of all other ebook retailers.

IngramSpark distributes EPUB files to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and other ebook retailers. This is a viable “wide” distribution path, though many authors prefer to handle ebook distribution through platform-specific uploads (direct to Apple Books, direct to Kobo) or through aggregators like Draft2Digital for more granular control over pricing and promotions.

For most indie authors, the ebook distribution decision is separate from the print distribution decision. Many authors use KDP Select for their ebook (Amazon exclusive, Kindle Unlimited access) while simultaneously using IngramSpark for wide print distribution. The exclusivity requirement in KDP Select applies only to the ebook, not to print editions.

Hardcover options

Hardcovers have become increasingly popular among indie authors, and the platforms differ meaningfully here.

KDP offers case laminate hardcovers — a printed cover image applied directly to the board. No dust jacket option. The result is clean and professional, and hardcover sales through KDP have grown steadily. It’s a straightforward format that looks good on a shelf.

IngramSpark offers case laminate, cloth, and dust jacket hardcovers. The dust jacket option is significant — it’s the standard format for traditionally published hardcovers and the only POD option for producing them. If you want a premium edition that looks and feels like a bookstore hardcover, IngramSpark’s dust jacket option is how you get there.

Using both together: the standard strategy

The most common approach among established indie authors is straightforward:

  1. Use KDP for Amazon sales. Higher royalty rate on the world’s largest bookstore.
  2. Use IngramSpark for everywhere else. Bookstores, libraries, international retailers, and non-Amazon online sellers.
  3. Disable IngramSpark’s Amazon distribution channel to prevent two listings for the same book competing on Amazon. In IngramSpark’s distribution settings, uncheck Amazon. Your KDP listing handles all Amazon sales at the better royalty rate.

This gives you maximum reach and maximum per-unit revenue on each platform. Amazon sales earn KDP’s higher royalty. Non-Amazon sales go through IngramSpark’s distribution network.

ISBN considerations

KDP provides a free ISBN for print books, but it’s an Amazon-assigned ISBN that lists Amazon as the publisher of record. Your book’s metadata in industry databases will show Amazon, not you or your imprint.

IngramSpark requires an ISBN for every format. You can purchase ISBNs through IngramSpark or supply your own (purchased from Bowker in the US). Using your own ISBN lets you list your own publishing imprint as the publisher of record — important for authors who want their books to appear as independently published rather than “published by Amazon.”

Many authors purchase a block of ISBNs from Bowker (a pack of 10 for $295, or 100 for $575) and use their own for both platforms. This maintains consistent publisher identity across all distribution channels and keeps your imprint name in industry databases.

The formatting tool connection

The choice between KDP and IngramSpark isn’t really a choice — you should be using both if wide distribution matters to your business. The real question is whether your formatting tool can produce files that satisfy both platforms’ requirements without extra work.

Dedicated formatting tools like Vellum, Atticus, and Cambric generate separate output files optimized for each platform. You select your target platform at export time and the tool adjusts spine width, color space, PDF standard, and bleed specifications automatically. No manual file tweaking. No rejection-retry cycles.

Manual formatting in Word or InDesign requires you to understand and implement each platform’s specifications yourself. This is entirely doable if you have the technical knowledge, but it’s error-prone and time-consuming — especially for IngramSpark’s stricter requirements.

If you’re publishing to both platforms, a formatting tool that handles both sets of requirements saves you real time. The alternative is spending hours adjusting PDF settings, recalculating spine widths, and converting color spaces — hours you could spend writing.

Cambric ($109, Windows and Mac) generates platform-specific exports for both KDP and IngramSpark from the same project, handling the specification differences automatically. Your book formats once. Your files export to each platform’s exact requirements. For more on choosing the right tool, see our complete formatting software comparison.

Quick reference comparison

KDPIngramSpark
DistributionAmazon only40,000+ retailers, libraries, bookstores
Setup costFreeFree (since Feb 2024)
Ebook royalty70% ($2.99-$9.99) or 35%Wholesale discount model
Print per-unitHigher (40% Amazon cut)Lower (55% wholesale for bookstores)
PDF standardPDF/X-1a (flexible)PDF/X-1a:2001 (strict)
Color spaceRGB or CMYKCMYK required for color
Cover submissionFront only or full wrapFull wrap required
HardcoverCase laminate onlyCase laminate, cloth, dust jacket
ISBNFree (Amazon as publisher)Required (your own or purchased)
ReturnabilityNoOptional (needed for bookstores)

The bottom line

KDP and IngramSpark aren’t alternatives. They’re complements. KDP maximizes your revenue per sale on the world’s largest bookstore. IngramSpark puts your book in front of the other 40,000+ retailers and libraries that KDP doesn’t reach.

Use both. Format to IngramSpark’s stricter specifications first and KDP compliance comes free. Disable IngramSpark’s Amazon channel to avoid duplicate listings. And pick a formatting tool that handles the technical differences so you can focus on what actually grows your publishing business — writing the next book. Cambric generates compliant exports for both KDP and IngramSpark from a single project at $109 one-time, runs locally on Windows and Mac, and includes tools like automatic margin calculation and print cost estimation so you can model your economics before you upload.

For detailed formatting guides, see formatting for KDP and formatting for IngramSpark. To calculate your per-book economics, use our KDP royalty calculator and spine width calculator.