Print on demand (POD) is a wonderful new technology that allows authors to have their books printed quickly with little upfront cost. Plus, books integrate with online retailers without any effort from the author. Woohoo! And if you thought that was great, POD also handles all the logistics for customer orders so you don’t have to go to the post office and ship books. Double woohoo! It’s never been easier to be an indie author.
There are many companies that provide POD services. The two most popular are from Amazon and Ingram. These book powerhouses have a lot to offer, but depending on how you want to sell your books, one will likely be a better option than the other. Let’s take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of KDP (Amazon) and IngramSpark’s POD services.
Amazon’s KDP Service
Kindle Direct Publishing, or KDP, is easy to use and great for beginners. Everything is directly connected to Amazon, and there are a limited number of steps for setup. Best of all, it’s free! You are able to publish ebooks and paperback print books in a variety of sizes. KDP can supply an ISBN for you and help you create a cover and format your book. There is even a tool to help you select the price for your book. You can also set up an ebook preorder and run ads through AMS (Amazon Marketing Services) to market your book directly on Amazon. These are all the positives of publishing through KDP.
There are also several drawbacks. One of the most notable is that they don’t print hardback books. They also don’t offer premium interior color printing, though they do print in regular color. If you are in a rush to make a pub date, you can’t get expedited service on print proofs. You can select an option to be included internationally on Amazon’s other sites, but you can’t control the price for other countries. One thing to remember is that if you go with KDP, you will only be available on Amazon, and not with other retailers. Amazon is customer focused, which is one of the reasons KDP does not have the best reputation with their support for authors.
IngramSpark and Lightning Source
Ingram is the largest book distributor in the US. They have an incredible network built from decades of experience with retailers. Ingram is retailer focused. Customers cannot go directly to Ingram and purchase books. Ingram has a distribution list of book titles that bookstores, libraries, and other retailers can access. They can also list your books on Amazon. One arm of the Ingram giant is IngramSpark (IS), which uses Lightning Source (their printer) to provide a print on demand service. Although IS recently revamped their site, it still isn’t as user friendly as KDP and requires more steps to get your book uploaded.
Even though it’s a bit more work, IS has great benefits. In addition to ebooks and paperbacks in many sizes, they also print hardback books. And they have the option of printing the interior in premium color. They offer tools to help with your cover and formatting like KDP and even better, their customer support is very helpful to authors. After you select your US price, you get to choose what you would like to charge in other countries. They have an easy to use chart that auto-fills with how much money you will make per book based off of your retail price. If you’re running late, you can pay for expedited printing and shipping to get a proof to you quickly, which can be a lifesaver.
The biggest benefit is when you toggle the option to include your title in their distribution. Your book is included on their distribution list that thousands and thousands of retailers use. They also auto-upload your print book to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, WalMart, and Target. They distribute your ebook to Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and Kobo. Your book isn’t just on Amazon, it’s everywhere!
Of course, everything isn’t all wine and roses. First, IS isn’t free. They have an upload charge per book. You also have to supply your own ISBNs, which is another expense. As I said earlier, there are more setup steps, including BISAC information that’s needed for libraries. You aren’t able to setup any kind of preorder, and it takes multiple days to get your electronic proof preview (Amazon takes fifteen minutes). For your pricing, you’re required to give a wholesale discount since retailers don’t pay list price. That takes a little bit of math to figure out your best option.
One of the bigger drawbacks is related to Amazon. If you use IS to upload to Amazon for you, there is a delay in communication between them. So changes take time to go into effect. Also, you won’t be able to run AMS ads since you won’t have a product listed under your own Amazon account. All things to consider.
How do I choose between KDP and IngramSpark?
Both of these services will help you create your book, and the print costs are comparable for each. Amazon is the biggest book retailer in the US by far, but they don’t have all of the market. So how do you choose between the two? It depends on what you want and where you are in your writing career. Is this your first book and you want an easy way for people to buy it? I would recommend KDP. Are you writing children’s books and having a hardback option with a quality color interior are important to you? Then definitely IS. Think about your individual situation and your goals with your book. If you want it to be available in the most places possible, then IS is for you. If you want to focus on the biggest book retailer and run AMS ads, then KDP. I created the chart below to compare the two services in an easy-to-digest format. Use it to help you with your choice.
What I Do – A Blended Approach
I am often asked which one I use, and the answer is both. I like to change my keywords on Amazon without a delay, and I also run AMS ads for my books. In order to do that, I must have something up on Amazon. So I upload my Kindle ebook to KDP to have those options I like, and then I use IS for everything else. That way I get the best of both worlds. The only hitch is sometimes it takes a few days to link my ebook to my print books. On the Amazon listing, they’re shown separate for about two days. It doesn’t bother me enough to outweigh the benefits.
The important thing is that you find what works best for you. There is no right or wrong choice. Talk to other indie authors and see what they use. Read some blog articles about each choice. No matter what you decide, you will get the opportunity to make the book you want and that is what truly matters.
Ready to think about your cover? Check out this article by Chris Holmes, Font Tips for Book Covers.
| KDP/Amazon | IngramSpark | |
| User friendliness rating (1 – 5) | 4 | 2 or 3 |
| Free to upload | Yes | No |
| Does print books and ebooks | Yes | Yes |
| Offers variety of trim sizes | Yes | Yes |
| Prints hardbacks | No | Yes |
| Offers premium color printing | No | Yes |
| Supplies an ISBN | Yes | No |
| Requires BISAC information | No | Yes |
| Offers cover and file creation tools | Yes | Yes |
| Preferred print file type | ||
| Preferred ebook file type | MOBi | ePub |
| Allows you to set up a preorder | Yes | No |
| Lets you control internat’l pricing | No | Yes |
| Requires wholesale discount | No | Yes |
| Time to get eproof | 15 minutes | 1 – 3 days |
| Expedited print proof option | No | Yes |
| Auto-uploads to multiple retailers | No | Yes |
| Includes book on retail distribution list | No | Yes |
| Instantly communicates with Amazon | Yes | No |
| Gives you ability to run AMS ads | Yes | No |
| Customer service rating (1 – 5) | 2 | 4 |
| © 2020 Arielle Haughee | ||
Arielle Haughee
Update: A colleague informed me that with the new updated version of Ingram spark, you are able to do pre-orders. I have not done it myself, so I don’t know the details.
VERONICA H HART
People should know that IS is very expensive upfront and KDP does wonderful interior colors, just not hardcovers.
Arielle Haughee
You’re right…way it is worded sounds like KDP doesn’t print color. I am going to reword that part. Thanks for pointing that out.
I was debating whether or not to include the tip about coupon codes for IS. I don’t pay any upload fees for IS because I am a member of another author organization that gives you a coupon code to make it free. I ended up leaving it out because I didn’t want to promote another organization on FWA’s blog.
Terry Lombardo
Thanks for this informative comparison. Very helpful!
Arielle Haughee
I am so glad you found it helpful, Terry. Thanks for reading!
Shutta Crum
Helpful comparison.
Arielle Haughee
Thank you, Shutta!
Bonnie-Sue Brandvik
Thanks for your informative article! It’s difficult for an author to make publication decisions, especially when they would rather focus on creating/editing their next book. I especially appreciated the chart, which allows for an apple to apple comparison.
Arielle Haughee
I am so glad you like the chart–I am a very visual person and I have to see information in a clear way to digest it better.
Bonnie-Sue Brandvik
Thanks for this informative article. The apple to apple comparison chart was especially helpful!
Bonnie-Sue Brandvik
Sorry – I thought I lost my first comment had gotten lost in cyberspace.
Arielle Haughee
No worries! Happens to all of us.
Erik Deckers
How much does it cost to upload a book at Ingram Spark?
Arielle Haughee
Some organizations offer discount codes. You can check out their regular pricing here: https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-self-publish-a-book#:~:text=Uploading%20a%20Book%20with%20IngramSpark,and%20an%20ebook%20is%20%2425.
Temple Emmet Williams
I user Kindle for paperbacks and e-books, and IS for hardbacks.
Arielle Haughee
I am a fan of the mixed approach, too!
Mark H. Newhouse
Thank you for an excellent article. Very helpful. Can you use Ingram if you already have a print book on Amazon?
Arielle Haughee
Sure can! You will have to reformat for how IS likes books formatted, though.
Gail Rose Thompson
I am totally technically illiterate. Does your Orange Blossom publish books? ie: put the eBook on Amazon then put the paper and hard back on IS? For a fee, of course. I have paid to have two of my books published by Outskirts, one by Xlibris (they ere terrible) and one I did with a friend on KDP. I am in the middle of a biography that might be ready by summer’s end and am trying to decide what to do.
Arielle Haughee
Hi Gail! Yes, I can do author services and get your books up for you. When you’re ready, email me at info@orangeblossombooks.com and we can chat about what all you need. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Charlene Edge
Thanks for this comparison – a valuable tool for making such an important decision.
Three plus years ago, I used Ingram Spark for my memoir, Undertow, and about six months later, I had them convert it to an eBook. Before I contracted with them, to check the quality of their paperbacks, I requested a sample copy that matched the size, page count, and choices, like the kind of cover, that my book would have. That excellent sample was an important reason I chose them.
Also, IS has distribution channels in place to get your book into the world. That took a lot of work off my list of to-dos. Your electronic files are sent to Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Target, and for eBooks, they have a number of additional eBook-only vendors they send your files to, including Apple. Lastly, IS makes accounting easier for me. IS emails me reports every month, then book sale monies from all vendors are sent in one lump sum, direct deposit every monthly to my bank account.
Their updated website has lots of helpful info to help you decide if they’re worth the extra money you might pay elsewhere.
Arielle Haughee
I’ve been very happy with IS, too. It’s a great option if you have the time to learn it. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Carolyn
Thanks for the helpful information, Arielle. I’m considering the blended approach for my third novel, and I appreciate your clear explanations of both services.
Arielle Haughee
Thank you for reading, Carolyn! I am so glad you find the info useful.
Verne Wheeler
Can you mail me your address? I’m writing but not finalized yet and I live in NW Florida
Arielle Haughee
Hello Verne,
My email address is info@orangeblossombooks.com . Looking forward to hearing from you!