✨Omg Jason! This is the most thorough breakdown of KDP AND INGRAM SPARKS - self publishing process I ever heard. Please continue the good work and you have an amazing platform. Thanks again! You're a godsend🌌🌠💯✨
This was very helpful, especially the part about not setting KDP's enhanced distribution in order to let Ingram Spark take that role. I had no idea. Thank you.
I spent 4 hours on several sites trying to get my questions answered and was still confused. This remarkable video clearly and succinctly sorted all of my problems. You have a very good mind for understanding something complex and describing it simply. That's a rare talent.
Before watching your video, I found myself thoroughly perplexed about utilizing both KDP and Ingram Spark for self publishing. Your video is concise and easy to understand. It cleared my mind and provided the clarity I desperately needed. Thank you!
for the ingramspark fulfilled amazon pre-orders of paperbacks, will those "count" under the new KDP listing when it comes to stats/reviews? or does it start from 0 when the KDP version releases and replaces the ingram pre-orders?
As far as I know, the IngramSpark preorders don't count toward the same stats that KDP orders count towards. In order to fulfill the Ingram preorders, Amazon will order a bulk shipment of books from IngramSpark, and that goes through different processing than KDP books do. A lot of what Amazon does is not public knowledge, and accounts of it will vary, depending on who you ask at Amazon and KDP. I definitely could be wrong on this, but my impression has always been that the IS preorders don't count towards the KDP listing.
An author I work with is in that position for two of her books. I think if you update the ISBN, it's a different version of your book, and any reviews would not port over to the updated one. Will have to confirm that. Otherwise, it's like any other book on Amazon that has a few editions to choose from.
This was one of the best presentations about navigating the mad world of Indie publishing, and the advantages of going with both KDP and Ingram, that I've seen. Thank you.
I'm so glad it's helpful! I had a hard time figuring this out when I was first publishing. I'm surprised there wasn't more info about this online when I was originally searching for it.
@@jasondoroughauthor hello one person from ingramspark says you cant use your own isbn on ingramspark and kdp as they distribute to both and another support worker said otherwise. I don't think that's true is it? Thank you.
Thank you very much for creating a non clickbait, clear and concise video. That is a rare find these days. I'm trying to move beyond Amazon KDP after having several negative interactions with their customer service who clearly struggle with English.
Amazing guidance, Jason! I'm writing a book on women's safety and I want this book in every woman's hand. So, I'm trying to do the best thing possible. More than money, it's the distribution that I messed up last time. Wiser now.
After publishing 22 books at Amazon in 2022, I’ve been trying to plan my Ingram spark release of those books. Thank you for answering a few questions I had that nobody else had answered in their videos.
Excellent video, Jason! I've been publishing my ebooks and paperback books on KDP and Hardcover books on IngramSpark. I've always wanted to publish my paperback on IngramSpark because of their wider distribution but wasn't sure if it would mess up my KDP published paperbacks. But you've cleared that up. So it is ok to go ahead and publish paperbacks already published on KDP on IngramSpark as long as you have your own ISBN and extended distribution isn't set. Cheers!
Both are in review in KDP and processing for Ingramsparks. I clicked published first with KDP several hours before I set it with Ingramsparks for publish. Did I do it correctly Jason?
Apologies if already covered. You say to set up kdp first for paperback, then Ingram, and use the same ISBN. What about ebook? Same thing? Also, You don’t need an ISBN for kdp ebook but you DO for Ingram.. so do I use that ISBN for kdp ebook as well anyway? TIA
If you get reviews on the IngramSpark version on Amazon, do they disappear when you publish the KDP version and Amazon boots the Ingram one off? Thanks for the helpful video!
I've been using IngramSpark exclusively but I'd like to use KDP also so I can get my book into Kindle Unlimited. I get the impression from what you've said here that this is going to be kinda difficult? :(
Will these two books be on the same Amazon page? Or will there be two Amazon pages? Also, what about ebooks? Do you do ebooks on both? And will they be on the same page?
Set the IngramSpark on a later date than KDP? I have a general release date of March 9th. So does that mean IS scheduled days later or could it all have the same released date?
3 days of emails and talking with both KDP and Ingramspark. Ingram wants me to transfer the ISBN from KDP which, they say, will remove from KDP book lineup and make them the only publisher. Both places keep encouraging me to use a new ISBN for the Ingram publication, although it will show up on amazon twice. Which makes me wonder if I should 1. change the cover 2. expand it for an "expanded edition" or 3. leave it as is with a new ISBN and confused the customers. Ingram absolutely will not let me upload as it says "ISBN already in use." The book I'm trying to upload was never in the KDP expanded distribution program so that isn't the glitch. Not sure what to do at this point.
I'm sorry they're giving you trouble on this! Very rarely, I do hear about one place or the other goofing up and having something go wrong like this. It's very uncommon, but it sounds like something did go wrong on the back-end with your book. I can imagine that's frustrating, and I think you're pursuing all the avenues I'd recommend for getting it fixed. I hope you're able to get a good resolution!
You did not mention why it’s so important not to click distribution through KP and you made it clear not to do that. Do I assume you go through mass distribution with ingranspark
KDP's expanded distribution will, in theory, provide mass distribution, but the reality is that many bookstores won't order and stock books distributed that way. They rightly see Amazon as being their biggest competition, and they don't like supporting the company, so they generally won't work with them. For that reason, IngramSpark is the best way to distribute everywhere else. With my own books, I follow the steps I describe in this video, and I have KDP distributing specifically and only to Amazon, and I have IngramSpark distributing everywhere else.
Thank you so much, for your very clear answers to questions I have had for weeks regarding publishing on both IngramSpark and Amazon, the how-to's, which one first, etc. You are the first person who explained it clearly and succinctly. I will send fellow authors to your link!
Excellent video that finally explained how to set up in both KDP & IS successful! I appreciate you succinct video as so many go on and on! LOL 3 keys: buy your own ISBN, use same ISBN on both sites, & don't click expanded distribution on KDP.
Jason, this was incredibly detailed and specific info and exactly what I was looking for. And @Billy down in the comments asked my questions about ebook specifically. Thank you for being SO kind and generous with your time and knowledge!
@@jasondoroughauthor Hey Jason - one "cart before the horse" question here and maybe self explanatory but once you're all set up with (KDP, IS and KDP, D2D for eBook) and are ready to do your presale... how do you do your presale? I'm gonna lurk on your website and see if you've got something like that happening right now but I was just wondering about where you're linking your readers to. Obviously not multiple links, surely. Or maybe yes?
At the time I made this video, KDP didn't give an option to set a release date in advance for a paperback. At this point, I would recommend setting the book up at both KDP and IngramSpark with the same release date set for each ahead of time.
At IngramSpark, there's not an option to select or unselect expanded distribution, because everything there is distributing wide. When you publish a book through IngramSpark and go into their distribution, you can't limit anything like you can at Amazon (aside from some specific situations like being able to opt in or out of Target because of their unfriendly bookselling policies). IngramSpark essentially blasts the book out to everywhere it can (including Amazon). That's the big reason why you need to always set up the book at KDP first. When you set it up at KDP, your ISBN will be logged in Amazon's system as being in use. Then, when IngramSpark later tries to send that same ISBN to Amazon (attached to the IngramSpark version of the book), Amazon will reject it and will keep the ISBN connected to the KDP version you already set up. That's just my longwinded way of saying you don't need to worry about any expanded distribution settings at IngramSpark, as long as you follow the sequence I describe in the video :)
Hi Jason, thank you for this explanation! This is really helpful! I only have one question... but to make a recap of your method for uploading to KDP + IS: Use an ISBN bought by yourself, upload to KDP “without wide distribution” and save it as “draft”. Then upload to IS with the same ISBN, put it on pre-order, and before the actual launch date put it “live on KDP”. My question is the following: Is it not better to set from the beginning the same launch date for both KDP & IS? When I upload to KDP I can set an advanced publication date (e.g. 1st October) instead as saving as “draft”. Afterwards I upload to IS and I set pre-orders with the same “on-sale date” as for KDP (i.e. 1st October as in the previous example). Do you think that this small change to your method is not better than leaving my KDP upload as ‘’draft”? Thank you for your answer!
Thanks for the question! At the time I made this video, KDP didn't offer the option to set a publication date in advance for paperbacks. Now that they do have that option, I definitely do recommend using it exactly as you described. The method I describe in the video is still how I do hardcovers, though, as KDP doesn't yet offer the same scheduling capability for them.
Jason, What are the benefits of putting one’s book live on KDP but wait a bit In IngramSpark? I ask because IS has mass distribution. Could an author get pushback from IS? I heard from another indie author that an author should give IS 6 weeks to get everything organized and ready for distribution. Tell us your opinion on this. Thank you for explaining. I’ll check out your other videos. You have a brand new fan! THANKS.
If you're wanting to use the same ISBN for your book at both KDP and IngramSpark, it's important to set the book up with that ISBN at KDP first, because that will log the ISBN at Amazon right away. You don't actually have to make the book live through KDP at that time; you just need to set it up and save it so that the ISBN is reserved. Then, when you set it up and distribute through IngramSpark with that same ISBN, the IS version won't distribute to Amazon (since the ISBN is already reserved there) but will distribute everywhere else. So the delay in setting up at IngramSpark is just to make sure you set it up at KDP first, so that it has a chance to populate the ISBN into Amazon's database and block it when IngramSpark tries to send the same ISBN to Amazon. With regards to giving IS time to set things up, that can vary a lot. I do think it's a good practice to have everything set up and ready to go as early as possible through any company (KDP, IS, or otherwise), as delays can and do happen, and their regular processes do take some time, too. I don't know that I'd say you need a full six weeks of lead time, but it never hurts to build in as much buffer time as possible. Good luck!
Amazing video, thank you! I have a question. My children's book was already on KDP with KDP ISBN in 2020 when I first published it. I want to make a hardcover version on Ingram Spark using my own ISBN for the hardcover, can I do this with no complications?
Hi Anna! I assume the version from 2020 that's through KDP was a paperback, is that correct? If so, you won't have any trouble making a new hardcover edition through IngramSpark and/or KDP with your own ISBN. You need a different ISBN for each version of a book anyway, and paperback and hardcover count as different versions for that, so they wouldn't affect each other. And, in theory, the new hardcover should automatically connect to the previous version and show up alongside it on the same product page on Amazon. That usually happens within a few days after you publish the new version. If it doesn't happen automatically, you can get Amazon to link the books by emailing support. Good luck!
Great content, thank you! A question - when I submit my book with KDP there is this 72-hour review process. Do I have to ensure that my book has been approved by KDP before I set it up with IngramSpark? Or can I submit to IngramSpark while my book is in review by KDP?
In my experience, you don't need to wait through that review process. I'd never 100% guarantee it, though, because KDP and IngramSpark are both known to occasionally be weird with their timings on things. So, while you probably don't NEED to wait that long, I usually do give it a few days myself before I set things up on IngramSpark, just to make sure.
I have a question. On kdp, is my publication date the day I press publish or when they’ve finished reviewing it? I need it to be the day I press publish, I couldn’t care less the release date. Please help.
The publication date is the date you intend to be the book's release date. The review time at KDP can vary, so we never really know exactly when it'll come out of review (although it's usually fairly quick there). If you're setting up your book for preorder ahead of time, then the publication date will be when the book is released for actual sale and all the preorder customers receive it. If you're setting it up to release right away without a preorder period, you'll usually want to set the release date to be the current day or the following day, and then you'll just have to wait and see how long it takes KDP to complete the review.
Does this apply to hardcovers too? I've written a childrens picture book recently and would love to put it on KDP & Ingram, but i would also love for my book to be a hardcover!
Yes, you can do the same thing with hardcovers. I'm currently doing it with my hardcover version of Akithar's Greatest Trick. The KDP version is distributed to Amazon, and the IngramSpark version is distributed everywhere else other than Amazon. My hardcover for the next book in the series, Lizandra's Deepest Fear, is only going through IngramSpark, because it ended up being longer than KDP's max length for hardcovers. So the IngramSpark version of that hardcover is distributing everywhere, INCLUDING Amazon.
For books that are going to be in Kindle Unlimited, you have to stay exclusive to KDP with the ebooks. You can do anything you want with the print versions, but Amazon requires exclusivity for the e-versions. If you're not going to be in Kindle Unlimited, then I recommend distributing your ebooks to Amazon through KDP but then using Draft2Digital to distribute the ebooks everywhere else. D2D can get them into Barnes & Noble, Kobo, libraries, and all sorts of other places. That's what I'm currently doing with my novella, The Gem of Tagath.
Hi Jason, this video is very informative and extremely helpful. I am creating a children's picture book and wish to have both paperback and hardcover. If I choose hardcover through Ingram Spark, does it change anything or are the steps you've outlined in the video the same? Thank you.
Sadly I made one of the key mistakes before watching this! So if I've put my book on IS first, how do I fix the problem? Can I just unpublish it on IS, then put it on KDP, then IS again?
Hi Jason! Fantastic video! Thank you heaps for sharing such valuable information! I am based in Australia and here the ISBN external provider is called Thorpe-Bowker. I was wondering if apart from the ISBN, I need to buy the barcode too or if KDP and Ingramspark would generate it once I provide the external ISBN. Hope it is not a silly question, I am just on a budget and don't want to buy the barcode if it isn't necessary. An ISBN here would be $55 and ISBN plus barcode $89 or a bit more. I just don't want to buy the ISBN itself and then realised I am "trapped" with Amazon cause they provided the barcode. I greatly appreciate your time! Wishing you the best week!!
Hello! I’m sorry I didn’t see your question until now. You don’t need to buy a bar code. Both KDP and Ingramspark will generate bar codes for you for free after you enter your ISBN during setup. They’ll even do it if you use the free numbers they give you, but I always recommend using your own ISBN. There are also other sites like Kindlepreneur that will generate bar codes for you at no charge, if you publish anything outside of the more common companies. I hope this helps!
@@jasondoroughauthor hi Jason! Please don’t apologise, thank you actually for taking time to respond! 🩷🫶🏻 This is sooo helpful!! I was about to buy both of them, the isbn and barcode, but after what you’ve said, I’ll only buy the isbn, which is half the price! Thank you sooooo so much! This video is just great!! I’m working with a client who has bipolar and special needs, and his passion in life is expressing it all through poetry, and I’m supporting him in publishing his 4th book but independently this time. We’ll think of you often t her laugh out the process and whenever we have the book in our hands!! Just know you’ve been part of the journey of many here! 👣 Have the best week!
What's wrong with KDP Expanded Distribution? You advised against using it, but didn't specifically say why we shouldn't use it? I would have thought publishing to KDP, KDP Expanded Distribution, and IngramSpark would have increased the book's distribution in stores.
The intention behind KDP expanded distribution is to distribute the book into wide stores (Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, etc). It's the same thing IngramSpark does, so you can't do both KDP expanded distribution and IngramSpark; you have to choose one or the other. In practice, KDP expanded distribution doesn't really work, because most bookstores see Amazon as their biggest competitor. They don't want to support Amazon at all, and almost no stores will actually buy from KDP's distribution because they see it as giving money to their direct competition. So, when you set up a book with KDP expanded distribution, it will be available for all the wide stores to buy it, but they typically won't touch it. Stores are used to working with IngramSpark, though, and they will readily buy books there. So, if you are going wide with your print distribution, IngramSpark is the better choice since stores will actually work with them.
Great video this answers a lot of my questions thank you. There is one thing if you would be able to clarify please. I have a four book series on Kdp, got the free isbn on all four. How would I go about publishing the same books on ingramspark? Unpunished from Kdp and then reupload with my own isbn? Or maybe I could leave them on Kdp and then upload on ingramspark with my own isbn
Since you used the free ISBN from KDP, you wouldn't be able to use those same numbers elsewhere. If you left them published on KDP and then published through IngramSpark as well (using a different ISBN), it's likely that each book would show up multiple times on Amazon (once with the KDP ISBN and once with the IngramSpark ISBN), which isn't ideal. If you unpublished from KDP and then used your own purchased ISBN to republish first to KDP (without expanded distribution) and then to IngramSpark--basically following the order of actions in this video--you will be able to have the books showing up in wide distribution without the duplication issue.
Arrgh, I set it up on KDP and accidentally hit publish. Had a heart attack, hit unpublish immediately, too late of course. The book is shown as unavailable. Reset in draft on KDP with a new ISBN, then used that number to set up on IS on preorder. Urk, now KDP is showing the book not available until my release date of Aug. 15. NO OPTION TO PREORDER. And to worsen things, the two books are shown one over the other - the old one still saying it’s unavailable. 😢 Utterly confusing. No option to buy. What happened? Is there no recourse?
Thank you so much for this information. Should I use a barcode with my cover designer while doing my black cover art? I generated barcodes with Ingram Sparks and my ISBN's. Again thank you so much!!!!
I always have my designer leave space for the barcode in the design, but I don't have her actually include the bar code when she sends me the art. I just have KDP and IngramSpark add the bar code into the space she left for them when I set the books up. Good luck!
@jasondoroughauthor my goodness.. Thank you, man (a designer just kinda gypped me when I asked them to insert my various price containing barcodes). They wanted so much from me. Thank you, big time, sir! Also, I am more than ready to put my two books out after 10 years of writing. But I just don't know my books, trim sizes, or optimal price to finish the cover design!!! Any advice would be extremely appreciated!
Thank you!! This is EXACTLY what I needed. This is the best video I have seen in a long time. Very concise and all around just perfect. BRAVO!! Keep it up. One question...do you purchase the barcodes with the ISBN #?
Thanks for your video, it’s incredibly helpful. I’ve set up an account with kdp and am now in process of setting up Ingram account, I wondered whether it’s better to keep ebooks solely with kdp or opt for the ebook and print with Ingram or just stick with print only on Ingram?
If you're going into Kindle Unlimited, then you'll need to stay exclusive with KDP for your ebooks. If you want wide distribution with your ebooks, though, I recommend using KDP for distribution to Amazon and Draft2Digital for distribution everywhere else. That's what I use for my one widely-distributed ebook, The Gem of Tagath.
In theory, you can, but I don't publish my ebooks through IngramSpark. I use KDP for the Amazon-distributed version of the ebook, and I use Draft2Digital for the non-Amazon distribution. Basically everything works the same as with the print versions and IngramSpark, except that D2D fills the wide distribution role that IngramSpark handles for my print. I do everything else the same as described, using my own ISBN for the ebook and setting up the KDP one first.
This is very detailed and I love it. I have a question. What if I setup on kdp already with their free isbn. Can I buy my own and change it on kdp and go ahead and publish on ingramspark?
I haven't tried that myself, but my best guess is that you'd need to set up a new listing for the book on KDP using your own ISBN. Amazon might be able to combine the previous listing with the KDP ISBN into your new listing with your own number, but I'm not positive whether that would work. It might result in a duplication of your book listing on Amazon. In that case, you'd probably just have to unpublish the original version that used the KDP number and then set up the new version using your own ISBN. Good luck!
Hi Jason, do you know if we can only add the ebook with Amazon’s own ISBN for KDP select while we publish the part back with our own ISBN in KDP and Ingram
You can use your own ISBN for paperback at KDP and IngramSpark while using KDP's free ISBN at KDP. I always recommend not using the free ones at all, though, if it's in your budget, because using your own ISBN gives you more flexibility in the future.
I have an LLC to distribute my books and other merchandise but it wasn't set up as a publishing company and does not have "publishing" in the name of the business. Can I/should I use my business name as the publisher's name?
I have never worked with an LLC myself, so I don't know enough about them to be able to give accurate advice. I do know a lot of author friends who have set up LLC as their publishing imprints, though, and they do list the name of their LLC as the publisher name. I just use my own name, though.
Yes, IngramSpark does distribute to Walmart and Target. Target has some odd requirements for indie distribution, though, and a lot of authors find their requirements unpalatable. Because of that, IngramSpark allows you to opt out of distributing specifically to Target. That's what I decided to do, so my books are distributed through IS to Walmart but not to Target.
@@jasondoroughauthor Ah, thank you very much! I don't have any Targets close to me, so I will just publish to only Walmart as well, lol. I know it's not a 100% guarantee, but it would be cool to see my book in a physical store. Just another thing, do you assign your book to the ISBN fist and then publish it to KDP and Ingram? I assume you do, but just really isn't sure.
@@rocksreviewsreactions337 Yes, I always set up the ISBN at Bowker and then assign it to my book at KDP and then to the book at IngramSpark. Setting it up at Bowker just involves filling out a form in my account there and then waiting while they catalog the info I've given them for that particular ISBN and the book I'm assigning it to.
what IF you did check expanded distribution in the past and now unchecked? Also trying to set existing book(and ebook) in KDP in IngramSpark with my own ISBNs encountering error "The print ISBN is already in use." what would you suggest?
If you ever set KDP expanded distribution to be active, then your ISBN would have been distributed out to all the other bookstores and websites, associated with the KDP version of your book. Unfortunately, there's not really a way to go back from that, and your ISBN will be blocked in all those other locations (which could be why you're getting that error message). Even if you later uncheck the box and take the book out of expanded distribution, the ISBN will still be logged in all those other systems and won't be removed. In that situation, you might have to either just stick with the KDP version or unpublish the book from KDP and then republish with a different ISBN, being careful to not check the expanded distribution box this time.
@@jasondoroughauthor Thank you Jason, but the ISBN was purchased through Nielsen, not Amazon. there must be a way to make my books available through Ingram regardless if published already in KDP
Whether you get the ISBN from KDP or elsewhere only matters in that KDP-acquired ISBNs can only be used at KDP. That is a separate issue from selecting expanded distribution from KDP. Regardless of where the ISBN originally came from, if you select expanded distribution at KDP, that ISBN will be distributed widely to all the websites and stores in the KDP distribution network (which is pretty much everywhere). After that's done, you can't use that same ISBN to distribute from IngramSpark. The only way to avoid that is to just never click the box for KDP expanded distribution.
This is the most helpful and clear video on the topic - thanks Jason. Can I ask one further question? You recommend using the same ISBN for both the KDP and the IngramSpark version of the book. Ideally the KDP version of my book will be 8.5" X 11" and the IngramSpark version will be 8" X 10" and the font size and total number of pages will be different, but everything else will be identical - covers, titles, content, author name, etc... (the larger size is ideal for Amazon sales but the smaller version is better in order to fit on bookstore shelves). If I follow your directions exactly (using the same ISBN), will everything go well or will KDP or IngramSpark cause some snag if they notice a difference in the book formats with the same ISBN? If different sizing of the KDP and IngramSpark version causes a problem, can I simply use a different ISBN for each to get around this, or will different ISBNs for the same book (with different sizing) cause another problem? Thanks!
This was very helpful. You answered the questions I couldn't find on other You Tubes. One question (kind of off topic), since it costs more to publish on Ingram Spark than KDP in terms of wholesale discounts etc, is it common to price books on KDP to be less expensive than on Ingram Spark? Or should be offer the same price on both platforms?
Oh my goodness I've been trying to figure out how to set up a preorder without having 2 copies of it on amazon! I've been trying to find out if doing it that way works! Thanks so much! Ahh!!
You're welcome! I'm so glad this is helpful! It took a lot of digging around, talking to other authors, and experimenting before I could figure this stuff out. It's definitely not a straightforward process.
I would ask Amazon and IngramSpark, if that's OK with their policies. So, they would NOT close your account! Like publishing industry experts suggest, I prefer to use two different ISBN# for two different publishers. The second book can be the second edition.
Thank you for this in-depth explanation. What happens if your 'blurb' at KDP and the one at IngramSpark do not match: which one is used by which system? The same question applies to the use of keywords.
Jason this was very well done, concise & clear! Thank you for taking the time to do this. Any advice if you are coming to this after the book is setup and in distribution with Ingramspark?
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Goodness I needed help understanding this process. I feel so much better now. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge, Jason.
Wow, Jason, you're amazing. This is the first truly clear info I've ever seen on this muddy question. I somehow (accidentally) managed to get your key 3 takeaway steps correct before I saw this, and I'm so relieved! Also, I had no idea you could enable the. book for preorder on Ingram Spark and have it show up as available for preorder on Amazon. I had heard stories about Amazon showing the dreaded "out of stock at the publisher" message instead of listing it for preorder. Know anything about that situation?
Man, thank you for this video. I watched it carefully. Thanks to this video I found out about IngramSpark. I intend to follow your advice to the end. Otherwise, information related to ISBN outside the US. I am from Serbia, in Serbia ISBN is purchased from the National Library of Serbia. So it is very easy to get ISBN in every country.
✨Omg Jason! This is the most thorough breakdown of KDP AND INGRAM SPARKS - self publishing process I ever heard. Please continue the good work and you have an amazing platform. Thanks again! You're a godsend🌌🌠💯✨
Six weeks of information delivered in 17 minutes. Great job, thanks.
This was very helpful, especially the part about not setting KDP's enhanced distribution in order to let Ingram Spark take that role. I had no idea. Thank you.
Little Update: Ingram spark no longer charges the $50 upload fee, up to 2 books per month. But they do charge a revision fee if you need to reupload.
there's a 2 book/mo limit? for no fee?
@@jessieheartart Yes no upload fee.
I spent 4 hours on several sites trying to get my questions answered and was still confused. This remarkable video clearly and succinctly sorted all of my problems. You have a very good mind for understanding something complex and describing it simply. That's a rare talent.
Before watching your video, I found myself thoroughly perplexed about utilizing both KDP and Ingram Spark for self publishing. Your video is concise and easy to understand. It cleared my mind and provided the clarity I desperately needed. Thank you!
for the ingramspark fulfilled amazon pre-orders of paperbacks, will those "count" under the new KDP listing when it comes to stats/reviews? or does it start from 0 when the KDP version releases and replaces the ingram pre-orders?
As far as I know, the IngramSpark preorders don't count toward the same stats that KDP orders count towards. In order to fulfill the Ingram preorders, Amazon will order a bulk shipment of books from IngramSpark, and that goes through different processing than KDP books do. A lot of what Amazon does is not public knowledge, and accounts of it will vary, depending on who you ask at Amazon and KDP. I definitely could be wrong on this, but my impression has always been that the IS preorders don't count towards the KDP listing.
Thanks !!!! Can you update your own ibsn number later if you already uploaded to kdp and took the free ibsn number ?
An author I work with is in that position for two of her books. I think if you update the ISBN, it's a different version of your book, and any reviews would not port over to the updated one. Will have to confirm that. Otherwise, it's like any other book on Amazon that has a few editions to choose from.
This was one of the best presentations about navigating the mad world of Indie publishing, and the advantages of going with both KDP and Ingram, that I've seen. Thank you.
This video was outstanding, thorough, and clear! Thanks so much!
Many thanks for this video it is great help, fast and clear!!!
I come back to this video every time I'm about to publish thank you so much
Thank you! In 15 minutes you've cleared up a question that's been vexing me for some time.
I'm so glad it's helpful! I had a hard time figuring this out when I was first publishing. I'm surprised there wasn't more info about this online when I was originally searching for it.
@@jasondoroughauthor hello one person from ingramspark says you cant use your own isbn on ingramspark and kdp as they distribute to both and another support worker said otherwise. I don't think that's true is it? Thank you.
Thank you very much for creating a non clickbait, clear and concise video. That is a rare find these days.
I'm trying to move beyond Amazon KDP after having several negative interactions with their customer service who clearly struggle with English.
Amazing guidance, Jason! I'm writing a book on women's safety and I want this book in every woman's hand. So, I'm trying to do the best thing possible. More than money, it's the distribution that I messed up last time. Wiser now.
After publishing 22 books at Amazon in 2022, I’ve been trying to plan my Ingram spark release of those books. Thank you for answering a few questions I had that nobody else had answered in their videos.
Thanks for the info. KDP now lets you take preorders on a future publish date. I guess they had a lot of feedback from authors.
Excellent video, Jason! I've been publishing my ebooks and paperback books on KDP and Hardcover books on IngramSpark. I've always wanted to publish my paperback on IngramSpark because of their wider distribution but wasn't sure if it would mess up my KDP published paperbacks. But you've cleared that up. So it is ok to go ahead and publish paperbacks already published on KDP on IngramSpark as long as you have your own ISBN and extended distribution isn't set. Cheers!
Really great and informative video Jason. Untangled in minutes, what can be a damn confusing mess. Thanks
Both are in review in KDP and processing for Ingramsparks. I clicked published first with KDP several hours before I set it with Ingramsparks for publish. Did I do it correctly Jason?
Apologies if already covered. You say to set up kdp first for paperback, then Ingram, and use the same ISBN. What about ebook? Same thing? Also, You don’t need an ISBN for kdp ebook but you DO for Ingram.. so do I use that ISBN for kdp ebook as well anyway? TIA
If you get reviews on the IngramSpark version on Amazon, do they disappear when you publish the KDP version and Amazon boots the Ingram one off? Thanks for the helpful video!
I've been using IngramSpark exclusively but I'd like to use KDP also so I can get my book into Kindle Unlimited. I get the impression from what you've said here that this is going to be kinda difficult? :(
I was scammed for close to $4,000 dollars by Amazon KDP Publications.
Will these two books be on the same Amazon page? Or will there be two Amazon pages? Also, what about ebooks? Do you do ebooks on both? And will they be on the same page?
That was the information I was looking for. Thanks.
Do you have to create your own publisher company when you buy your ISBN numbers?
Hi. If I want to publish with a free isbn on Amazon, but buy one then upload to Ingram, is that okay?
Great presentation. I am a newbie preparing to self publish my first book. this was so helpful and so clear! Thank you!
Set the IngramSpark on a later date than KDP? I have a general release date of March 9th. So does that mean IS scheduled days later or could it all have the same released date?
Thank you for answering questions I've been unable to find answers to!
3 days of emails and talking with both KDP and Ingramspark. Ingram wants me to transfer the ISBN from KDP which, they say, will remove from KDP book lineup and make them the only publisher. Both places keep encouraging me to use a new ISBN for the Ingram publication, although it will show up on amazon twice. Which makes me wonder if I should 1. change the cover 2. expand it for an "expanded edition" or 3. leave it as is with a new ISBN and confused the customers. Ingram absolutely will not let me upload as it says "ISBN already in use." The book I'm trying to upload was never in the KDP expanded distribution program so that isn't the glitch. Not sure what to do at this point.
I'm sorry they're giving you trouble on this! Very rarely, I do hear about one place or the other goofing up and having something go wrong like this. It's very uncommon, but it sounds like something did go wrong on the back-end with your book. I can imagine that's frustrating, and I think you're pursuing all the avenues I'd recommend for getting it fixed. I hope you're able to get a good resolution!
You did not mention why it’s so important not to click distribution through KP and you made it clear not to do that. Do I assume you go through mass distribution with ingranspark
KDP's expanded distribution will, in theory, provide mass distribution, but the reality is that many bookstores won't order and stock books distributed that way. They rightly see Amazon as being their biggest competition, and they don't like supporting the company, so they generally won't work with them. For that reason, IngramSpark is the best way to distribute everywhere else. With my own books, I follow the steps I describe in this video, and I have KDP distributing specifically and only to Amazon, and I have IngramSpark distributing everywhere else.
Thank you so much, for your very clear answers to questions I have had for weeks regarding publishing on both IngramSpark and Amazon, the how-to's, which one first, etc. You are the first person who explained it clearly and succinctly. I will send fellow authors to your link!
Excellent video that finally explained how to set up in both KDP & IS successful! I appreciate you succinct video as so many go on and on! LOL 3 keys: buy your own ISBN, use same ISBN on both sites, & don't click expanded distribution on KDP.
What if you already selected expanded distribution and published on KDP, does this mean you can’t put the book on Ingram Spark?
Jason, this was incredibly detailed and specific info and exactly what I was looking for. And @Billy down in the comments asked my questions about ebook specifically. Thank you for being SO kind and generous with your time and knowledge!
You're welcome, and I'm so glad I was able to help!
@@jasondoroughauthor Hey Jason - one "cart before the horse" question here and maybe self explanatory but once you're all set up with (KDP, IS and KDP, D2D for eBook) and are ready to do your presale... how do you do your presale? I'm gonna lurk on your website and see if you've got something like that happening right now but I was just wondering about where you're linking your readers to. Obviously not multiple links, surely. Or maybe yes?
if you are doing a draft as advised on both which release date box do you tick? release now /schedule a release /preorder ?
At the time I made this video, KDP didn't give an option to set a release date in advance for a paperback. At this point, I would recommend setting the book up at both KDP and IngramSpark with the same release date set for each ahead of time.
I know I shouldn't select expanded distribution with KDP, but should I do that with Ingramspark ?
At IngramSpark, there's not an option to select or unselect expanded distribution, because everything there is distributing wide. When you publish a book through IngramSpark and go into their distribution, you can't limit anything like you can at Amazon (aside from some specific situations like being able to opt in or out of Target because of their unfriendly bookselling policies). IngramSpark essentially blasts the book out to everywhere it can (including Amazon). That's the big reason why you need to always set up the book at KDP first. When you set it up at KDP, your ISBN will be logged in Amazon's system as being in use. Then, when IngramSpark later tries to send that same ISBN to Amazon (attached to the IngramSpark version of the book), Amazon will reject it and will keep the ISBN connected to the KDP version you already set up. That's just my longwinded way of saying you don't need to worry about any expanded distribution settings at IngramSpark, as long as you follow the sequence I describe in the video :)
Just terrific. Thanks a lot. And you speak very well. Not an "um" or an "er" in there. Bravo.
Thank you! I'm glad it helped!
This is incredibly helpful and valuable information. Thanks so much!
Hi Jason, thank you for this explanation! This is really helpful!
I only have one question... but to make a recap of your method for uploading to KDP + IS: Use an ISBN bought by yourself, upload to KDP “without wide distribution” and save it as “draft”. Then upload to IS with the same ISBN, put it on pre-order, and before the actual launch date put it “live on KDP”.
My question is the following: Is it not better to set from the beginning the same launch date for both KDP & IS? When I upload to KDP I can set an advanced publication date (e.g. 1st October) instead as saving as “draft”. Afterwards I upload to IS and I set pre-orders with the same “on-sale date” as for KDP (i.e. 1st October as in the previous example).
Do you think that this small change to your method is not better than leaving my KDP upload as ‘’draft”?
Thank you for your answer!
Thanks for the question! At the time I made this video, KDP didn't offer the option to set a publication date in advance for paperbacks. Now that they do have that option, I definitely do recommend using it exactly as you described. The method I describe in the video is still how I do hardcovers, though, as KDP doesn't yet offer the same scheduling capability for them.
Jason,
What are the benefits of putting one’s book live on KDP but wait a bit In IngramSpark? I ask because IS has mass distribution. Could an author get pushback from IS?
I heard from another indie author that an author should give IS 6 weeks to get everything organized and ready for distribution.
Tell us your opinion on this.
Thank you for explaining. I’ll check out your other videos. You have a brand new fan! THANKS.
If you're wanting to use the same ISBN for your book at both KDP and IngramSpark, it's important to set the book up with that ISBN at KDP first, because that will log the ISBN at Amazon right away. You don't actually have to make the book live through KDP at that time; you just need to set it up and save it so that the ISBN is reserved. Then, when you set it up and distribute through IngramSpark with that same ISBN, the IS version won't distribute to Amazon (since the ISBN is already reserved there) but will distribute everywhere else. So the delay in setting up at IngramSpark is just to make sure you set it up at KDP first, so that it has a chance to populate the ISBN into Amazon's database and block it when IngramSpark tries to send the same ISBN to Amazon.
With regards to giving IS time to set things up, that can vary a lot. I do think it's a good practice to have everything set up and ready to go as early as possible through any company (KDP, IS, or otherwise), as delays can and do happen, and their regular processes do take some time, too. I don't know that I'd say you need a full six weeks of lead time, but it never hurts to build in as much buffer time as possible.
Good luck!
Amazing video, thank you! I have a question. My children's book was already on KDP with KDP ISBN in 2020 when I first published it. I want to make a hardcover version on Ingram Spark using my own ISBN for the hardcover, can I do this with no complications?
Hi Anna! I assume the version from 2020 that's through KDP was a paperback, is that correct? If so, you won't have any trouble making a new hardcover edition through IngramSpark and/or KDP with your own ISBN. You need a different ISBN for each version of a book anyway, and paperback and hardcover count as different versions for that, so they wouldn't affect each other. And, in theory, the new hardcover should automatically connect to the previous version and show up alongside it on the same product page on Amazon. That usually happens within a few days after you publish the new version. If it doesn't happen automatically, you can get Amazon to link the books by emailing support. Good luck!
Great content, thank you! A question - when I submit my book with KDP there is this 72-hour review process. Do I have to ensure that my book has been approved by KDP before I set it up with IngramSpark? Or can I submit to IngramSpark while my book is in review by KDP?
In my experience, you don't need to wait through that review process. I'd never 100% guarantee it, though, because KDP and IngramSpark are both known to occasionally be weird with their timings on things. So, while you probably don't NEED to wait that long, I usually do give it a few days myself before I set things up on IngramSpark, just to make sure.
This was awesome! You answered every question I had clearly and concisely. Thank you!!🙏
What you mean: ISBN # lost if you used it first in IngramSpark? Great info, thanks!
Right? I would think it would work on both platforms if it's your own ISBN.
I have a question. On kdp, is my publication date the day I press publish or when they’ve finished reviewing it? I need it to be the day I press publish, I couldn’t care less the release date. Please help.
The publication date is the date you intend to be the book's release date. The review time at KDP can vary, so we never really know exactly when it'll come out of review (although it's usually fairly quick there). If you're setting up your book for preorder ahead of time, then the publication date will be when the book is released for actual sale and all the preorder customers receive it. If you're setting it up to release right away without a preorder period, you'll usually want to set the release date to be the current day or the following day, and then you'll just have to wait and see how long it takes KDP to complete the review.
Does this apply to hardcovers too? I've written a childrens picture book recently and would love to put it on KDP & Ingram, but i would also love for my book to be a hardcover!
Yes, you can do the same thing with hardcovers. I'm currently doing it with my hardcover version of Akithar's Greatest Trick. The KDP version is distributed to Amazon, and the IngramSpark version is distributed everywhere else other than Amazon. My hardcover for the next book in the series, Lizandra's Deepest Fear, is only going through IngramSpark, because it ended up being longer than KDP's max length for hardcovers. So the IngramSpark version of that hardcover is distributing everywhere, INCLUDING Amazon.
Thank you so much for this video. I've heard others recommend that you launch e-books only through KDP. What is your opinion on this?
For books that are going to be in Kindle Unlimited, you have to stay exclusive to KDP with the ebooks. You can do anything you want with the print versions, but Amazon requires exclusivity for the e-versions. If you're not going to be in Kindle Unlimited, then I recommend distributing your ebooks to Amazon through KDP but then using Draft2Digital to distribute the ebooks everywhere else. D2D can get them into Barnes & Noble, Kobo, libraries, and all sorts of other places. That's what I'm currently doing with my novella, The Gem of Tagath.
Very well spoken and to the point and clear-cut. Thank you.
Hi Jason, this video is very informative and extremely helpful. I am creating a children's picture book and wish to have both paperback and hardcover. If I choose hardcover through Ingram Spark, does it change anything or are the steps you've outlined in the video the same? Thank you.
What is the benefit of preorder?
THANK YOU! I can't thank you enough. This video answered all my questions and more, especially the part about pre-orders, thank you 🙏
Thank you so much for this video. Answered so many of my questions. Much appreciated!
Thank you for this video, really clear and explained at a nice pace.
Excellent. Very helpful. Ive been seeking what to for an age
I set mine up this way. Once I go live on KDP, will my book show up as duplicate listings?
Oh sorry, I just replayed the video for the 5th time and hear you say it doesn’t create a duplicate listing. So excited for my release.
Why does no one do hardback books???
Thank you so much for explaining this process! Much needed. Great teaching!
Nice and clear, thank you!
Thanks for this video Jason. This just answers my question for which one to go for regarding my paperbacks.
Sadly I made one of the key mistakes before watching this! So if I've put my book on IS first, how do I fix the problem? Can I just unpublish it on IS, then put it on KDP, then IS again?
Hi Jason! Fantastic video! Thank you heaps for sharing such valuable information!
I am based in Australia and here the ISBN external provider is called Thorpe-Bowker. I was wondering if apart from the ISBN, I need to buy the barcode too or if KDP and Ingramspark would generate it once I provide the external ISBN.
Hope it is not a silly question, I am just on a budget and don't want to buy the barcode if it isn't necessary.
An ISBN here would be $55 and ISBN plus barcode $89 or a bit more.
I just don't want to buy the ISBN itself and then realised I am "trapped" with Amazon cause they provided the barcode.
I greatly appreciate your time!
Wishing you the best week!!
Hello! I’m sorry I didn’t see your question until now. You don’t need to buy a bar code. Both KDP and Ingramspark will generate bar codes for you for free after you enter your ISBN during setup. They’ll even do it if you use the free numbers they give you, but I always recommend using your own ISBN. There are also other sites like Kindlepreneur that will generate bar codes for you at no charge, if you publish anything outside of the more common companies. I hope this helps!
@@jasondoroughauthor hi Jason! Please don’t apologise, thank you actually for taking time to respond! 🩷🫶🏻
This is sooo helpful!! I was about to buy both of them, the isbn and barcode, but after what you’ve said, I’ll only buy the isbn, which is half the price! Thank you sooooo so much! This video is just great!!
I’m working with a client who has bipolar and special needs, and his passion in life is expressing it all through poetry, and I’m supporting him in publishing his 4th book but independently this time.
We’ll think of you often t her laugh out the process and whenever we have the book in our hands!!
Just know you’ve been part of the journey of many here! 👣
Have the best week!
What's wrong with KDP Expanded Distribution? You advised against using it, but didn't specifically say why we shouldn't use it? I would have thought publishing to KDP, KDP Expanded Distribution, and IngramSpark would have increased the book's distribution in stores.
The intention behind KDP expanded distribution is to distribute the book into wide stores (Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, etc). It's the same thing IngramSpark does, so you can't do both KDP expanded distribution and IngramSpark; you have to choose one or the other. In practice, KDP expanded distribution doesn't really work, because most bookstores see Amazon as their biggest competitor. They don't want to support Amazon at all, and almost no stores will actually buy from KDP's distribution because they see it as giving money to their direct competition. So, when you set up a book with KDP expanded distribution, it will be available for all the wide stores to buy it, but they typically won't touch it. Stores are used to working with IngramSpark, though, and they will readily buy books there. So, if you are going wide with your print distribution, IngramSpark is the better choice since stores will actually work with them.
Thank you very much! Such a useful video and all information!
Great video this answers a lot of my questions thank you. There is one thing if you would be able to clarify please. I have a four book series on Kdp, got the free isbn on all four. How would I go about publishing the same books on ingramspark? Unpunished from Kdp and then reupload with my own isbn? Or maybe I could leave them on Kdp and then upload on ingramspark with my own isbn
Since you used the free ISBN from KDP, you wouldn't be able to use those same numbers elsewhere. If you left them published on KDP and then published through IngramSpark as well (using a different ISBN), it's likely that each book would show up multiple times on Amazon (once with the KDP ISBN and once with the IngramSpark ISBN), which isn't ideal. If you unpublished from KDP and then used your own purchased ISBN to republish first to KDP (without expanded distribution) and then to IngramSpark--basically following the order of actions in this video--you will be able to have the books showing up in wide distribution without the duplication issue.
@@jasondoroughauthor thank you i will do that
Arrgh, I set it up on KDP and accidentally hit publish. Had a heart attack, hit unpublish immediately, too late of course. The book is shown as unavailable. Reset in draft on KDP with a new ISBN, then used that number to set up on IS on preorder. Urk, now KDP is showing the book not available until my release date of Aug. 15. NO OPTION TO PREORDER. And to worsen things, the two books are shown one over the other - the old one still saying it’s unavailable. 😢 Utterly confusing. No option to buy. What happened? Is there no recourse?
And just like that, it appeared properly. Weird. Everything about self-publishing is like reinventing a wheel that is alternately square and round.
I'm sorry I didn't see your question until just now, but I'm glad it worked out in the end!
Thank you so much for this information. Should I use a barcode with my cover designer while doing my black cover art? I generated barcodes with Ingram Sparks and my ISBN's. Again thank you so much!!!!
I always have my designer leave space for the barcode in the design, but I don't have her actually include the bar code when she sends me the art. I just have KDP and IngramSpark add the bar code into the space she left for them when I set the books up. Good luck!
@jasondoroughauthor my goodness.. Thank you, man (a designer just kinda gypped me when I asked them to insert my various price containing barcodes). They wanted so much from me. Thank you, big time, sir!
Also, I am more than ready to put my two books out after 10 years of writing. But I just don't know my books, trim sizes, or optimal price to finish the cover design!!!
Any advice would be extremely appreciated!
Thank you!! This is EXACTLY what I needed. This is the best video I have seen in a long time. Very concise and all around just perfect. BRAVO!! Keep it up. One question...do you purchase the barcodes with the ISBN #?
Thanks for your video, it’s incredibly helpful. I’ve set up an account with kdp and am now in process of setting up Ingram account, I wondered whether it’s better to keep ebooks solely with kdp or opt for the ebook and print with Ingram or just stick with print only on Ingram?
If you're going into Kindle Unlimited, then you'll need to stay exclusive with KDP for your ebooks. If you want wide distribution with your ebooks, though, I recommend using KDP for distribution to Amazon and Draft2Digital for distribution everywhere else. That's what I use for my one widely-distributed ebook, The Gem of Tagath.
@@jasondoroughauthor Thanks for this, very helpful.
Thank you very much. This is very good and helpful content and I am very glad I found your channel.
You're welcome! I'm so glad to help!
Great video! I also love your stuff on the shelves.
Can you use the same method when you are setting up your E-Book?
In theory, you can, but I don't publish my ebooks through IngramSpark. I use KDP for the Amazon-distributed version of the ebook, and I use Draft2Digital for the non-Amazon distribution. Basically everything works the same as with the print versions and IngramSpark, except that D2D fills the wide distribution role that IngramSpark handles for my print. I do everything else the same as described, using my own ISBN for the ebook and setting up the KDP one first.
This is very detailed and I love it. I have a question. What if I setup on kdp already with their free isbn. Can I buy my own and change it on kdp and go ahead and publish on ingramspark?
I haven't tried that myself, but my best guess is that you'd need to set up a new listing for the book on KDP using your own ISBN. Amazon might be able to combine the previous listing with the KDP ISBN into your new listing with your own number, but I'm not positive whether that would work. It might result in a duplication of your book listing on Amazon. In that case, you'd probably just have to unpublish the original version that used the KDP number and then set up the new version using your own ISBN. Good luck!
@jasondoroughauthor Thanks alot. Makes sense.
Hi Jason, do you know if we can only add the ebook with Amazon’s own ISBN for KDP select while we publish the part back with our own ISBN in KDP and Ingram
You can use your own ISBN for paperback at KDP and IngramSpark while using KDP's free ISBN at KDP. I always recommend not using the free ones at all, though, if it's in your budget, because using your own ISBN gives you more flexibility in the future.
I have an LLC to distribute my books and other merchandise but it wasn't set up as a publishing company and does not have "publishing" in the name of the business. Can I/should I use my business name as the publisher's name?
I have never worked with an LLC myself, so I don't know enough about them to be able to give accurate advice. I do know a lot of author friends who have set up LLC as their publishing imprints, though, and they do list the name of their LLC as the publisher name. I just use my own name, though.
Thanks! So it is okay to select expanded distribution on IngramSpark but not on KDP right?
This was a really good video, I subscribed. I have a question, can books uploaded through IngramSpark make it to stores like Walmart or Target?
Yes, IngramSpark does distribute to Walmart and Target. Target has some odd requirements for indie distribution, though, and a lot of authors find their requirements unpalatable. Because of that, IngramSpark allows you to opt out of distributing specifically to Target. That's what I decided to do, so my books are distributed through IS to Walmart but not to Target.
@@jasondoroughauthor
Ah, thank you very much! I don't have any Targets close to me, so I will just publish to only Walmart as well, lol. I know it's not a 100% guarantee, but it would be cool to see my book in a physical store.
Just another thing, do you assign your book to the ISBN fist and then publish it to KDP and Ingram? I assume you do, but just really isn't sure.
@@rocksreviewsreactions337 Yes, I always set up the ISBN at Bowker and then assign it to my book at KDP and then to the book at IngramSpark. Setting it up at Bowker just involves filling out a form in my account there and then waiting while they catalog the info I've given them for that particular ISBN and the book I'm assigning it to.
this was so helpful thank you soooooo much!
You are amazing. Thanks so much!
In Australia your ISBN is via Thorpe-Bowker in Victoria
what IF you did check expanded distribution in the past and now unchecked? Also trying to set existing book(and ebook) in KDP in IngramSpark with my own ISBNs encountering error "The print ISBN is already in use." what would you suggest?
If you ever set KDP expanded distribution to be active, then your ISBN would have been distributed out to all the other bookstores and websites, associated with the KDP version of your book. Unfortunately, there's not really a way to go back from that, and your ISBN will be blocked in all those other locations (which could be why you're getting that error message). Even if you later uncheck the box and take the book out of expanded distribution, the ISBN will still be logged in all those other systems and won't be removed. In that situation, you might have to either just stick with the KDP version or unpublish the book from KDP and then republish with a different ISBN, being careful to not check the expanded distribution box this time.
@@jasondoroughauthor Thank you Jason, but the ISBN was purchased through Nielsen, not Amazon. there must be a way to make my books available through Ingram regardless if published already in KDP
Whether you get the ISBN from KDP or elsewhere only matters in that KDP-acquired ISBNs can only be used at KDP. That is a separate issue from selecting expanded distribution from KDP. Regardless of where the ISBN originally came from, if you select expanded distribution at KDP, that ISBN will be distributed widely to all the websites and stores in the KDP distribution network (which is pretty much everywhere). After that's done, you can't use that same ISBN to distribute from IngramSpark. The only way to avoid that is to just never click the box for KDP expanded distribution.
Thank you so much, very detailed and clear info!
This video gave me hope
This is the most helpful and clear video on the topic - thanks Jason. Can I ask one further question? You recommend using the same ISBN for both the KDP and the IngramSpark version of the book. Ideally the KDP version of my book will be 8.5" X 11" and the IngramSpark version will be 8" X 10" and the font size and total number of pages will be different, but everything else will be identical - covers, titles, content, author name, etc... (the larger size is ideal for Amazon sales but the smaller version is better in order to fit on bookstore shelves). If I follow your directions exactly (using the same ISBN), will everything go well or will KDP or IngramSpark cause some snag if they notice a difference in the book formats with the same ISBN? If different sizing of the KDP and IngramSpark version causes a problem, can I simply use a different ISBN for each to get around this, or will different ISBNs for the same book (with different sizing) cause another problem? Thanks!
This was very helpful. You answered the questions I couldn't find on other You Tubes. One question (kind of off topic), since it costs more to publish on Ingram Spark than KDP in terms of wholesale discounts etc, is it common to price books on KDP to be less expensive than on Ingram Spark? Or should be offer the same price on both platforms?
Thanks for this valuable information.
Oh my goodness I've been trying to figure out how to set up a preorder without having 2 copies of it on amazon! I've been trying to find out if doing it that way works! Thanks so much! Ahh!!
You're welcome! I'm so glad this is helpful! It took a lot of digging around, talking to other authors, and experimenting before I could figure this stuff out. It's definitely not a straightforward process.
Wondering if Ingramspark and Draft2digital covers the same market? Thanks for sharing your experience anyway 🙂
I would ask Amazon and IngramSpark, if that's OK with their policies. So, they would NOT close your account!
Like publishing industry experts suggest, I prefer to use two different ISBN# for two different publishers.
The second book can be the second edition.
Thank you. Very good information.
Thank you for this in-depth explanation. What happens if your 'blurb' at KDP and the one at IngramSpark do not match: which one is used by which system? The same question applies to the use of keywords.
Thank you Jason
Ingram Sparks recently dropped the upload fee. they charge 25 bucks to upload corrections.
Jason this was very well done, concise & clear! Thank you for taking the time to do this. Any advice if you are coming to this after the book is setup and in distribution with Ingramspark?
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Goodness I needed help understanding this process. I feel so much better now. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge, Jason.
Thank you, Jason! This video is so helpful. I've been trying to find a way to publish on both KDP and Ingram.
Wow, Jason, you're amazing. This is the first truly clear info I've ever seen on this muddy question. I somehow (accidentally) managed to get your key 3 takeaway steps correct before I saw this, and I'm so relieved! Also, I had no idea you could enable the. book for preorder on Ingram Spark and have it show up as available for preorder on Amazon. I had heard stories about Amazon showing the dreaded "out of stock at the publisher" message instead of listing it for preorder. Know anything about that situation?
THANK YOU! This is exactly what I needed to know. I'm going to follow your advice when I publish my first book within the next couple of weeks.
Man, thank you for this video. I watched it carefully. Thanks to this video I found out about IngramSpark. I intend to follow your advice to the end.
Otherwise, information related to ISBN outside the US. I am from Serbia, in Serbia ISBN is purchased from the National Library of Serbia. So it is very easy to get ISBN in every country.
This was awesome information.
Glad it was helpful!