Amazon KDP
★ Most Popular
Kindle Direct Publishing — Amazon's self-publishing platform. Largest book marketplace in the world with 60%+ of ebook sales.
70%
Ebook royalty
60%
Print royalty
$0
Setup fee
~60%
Market share
✓ Pros
• Free to publish — no upfront cost
• Highest ebook royalties (70%)
• Kindle Unlimited income opportunity
• Fast approval (24-72 hours)
• Author Central page + sales dashboards
• Highest ebook royalties (70%)
• Kindle Unlimited income opportunity
• Fast approval (24-72 hours)
• Author Central page + sales dashboards
✗ Cons
• Amazon marketplace only (for print)
• KU requires 90-day exclusivity
• Limited bookstore distribution
• No returnability option for bookstores
• KU requires 90-day exclusivity
• Limited bookstore distribution
• No returnability option for bookstores
Best for: All indie authors. Your first stop — start here, then add other platforms for extended reach.
IngramSpark
📚 Bookstore Standard
The industry standard for wide print distribution. Ingram is the wholesaler that independent bookstores, libraries, and most major retailers order from.
60%
Print royalty
60%
Ebook royalty
$49
Setup per title
40K+
Retailers
✓ Pros
• Widest bookstore + library reach
• Returnable books option
• Professional print quality
• Global distribution coverage
• Standard industry wholesale terms
• Returnable books option
• Professional print quality
• Global distribution coverage
• Standard industry wholesale terms
✗ Cons
• $49 setup fee per title
• Complex setup process
• Slower royalty payments (quarterly)
• Not optimal for Amazon sales alone
• Complex setup process
• Slower royalty payments (quarterly)
• Not optimal for Amazon sales alone
Best for: Authors who want bookstore and library placement. Pair with KDP for complete print coverage.
Draft2Digital
🌍 Wide Distribution
Distribute your ebook to 40+ retailers simultaneously — Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, libraries — with one submission. Free to publish, 10% commission.
~60%
Net royalty
$0
Setup fee
40+
Retailers
10%
D2D commission
✓ Pros
• Free to publish — no upfront cost
• One upload reaches 40+ stores
• No Amazon exclusivity required
• Library distribution included
• Universal book links generated
• One upload reaches 40+ stores
• No Amazon exclusivity required
• Library distribution included
• Universal book links generated
✗ Cons
• 10% commission reduces royalties
• No Amazon channel (use KDP for that)
• Less control per individual retailer
• 70% Apple/Kobo royalty not guaranteed
• No Amazon channel (use KDP for that)
• Less control per individual retailer
• 70% Apple/Kobo royalty not guaranteed
Best for: "Going wide" — authors who want non-Amazon ebook distribution without managing each store separately.
Lulu
🎨 Premium Quality
Premium print-on-demand with exceptional quality. Best for specialty books, photo books, and selling directly to your own audience at high margins.
80%
Direct sale royalty
$0
Setup fee
At cost
Author copies
Premium
Print quality
✓ Pros
• Highest margins on direct sales
• Superior print quality
• Lowest cost for author copies
• Excellent for special editions
• No minimum order quantities
• Superior print quality
• Lowest cost for author copies
• Excellent for special editions
• No minimum order quantities
✗ Cons
• Limited retail distribution
• Smaller reader marketplace
• Higher per-unit cost than KDP
• Less discovery traffic
• Smaller reader marketplace
• Higher per-unit cost than KDP
• Less discovery traffic
Best for: Direct-to-reader sales, specialty/photo books, bulk author copies, or selling from your own website.
Platform Comparison at a Glance
| Platform | Ebook Royalty | Print Royalty | Setup Cost | Distribution | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | 70% ($2.99-9.99) | 60% - print cost | Free | Amazon only | Core platform — always |
| IngramSpark | 60% | 60% - print cost | $49/title | 40,000+ retailers | Bookstore/library reach |
| Draft2Digital | ~60% net | N/A | Free | 40+ stores | Non-Amazon ebooks |
| Lulu | N/A | Up to 80% direct | Free | Limited | Direct sales + quality |
| Smashwords | 60% net | N/A | Free | Multiple retailers | Alternative to D2D |
Royalty rates and pricing based on publicly available information from each platform as of 2026. IngramSpark $49 setup fee may be waived during promotional periods. KDP 70% royalty requires pricing within $2.99-$9.99 range and applies to qualifying geographic markets. Delivery fees may reduce KDP ebook royalties for large file sizes. Always review current terms at each platform before publishing decisions.
Publishing Platform FAQ
KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited) requires 90-day exclusivity — you can't sell the ebook elsewhere during this period. In exchange, you earn per-page-read from the KU fund (approximately $0.0045/page in 2026). KU works best for: romance, fantasy, and genre fiction with voracious reader bases. Going wide (KDP + D2D) works best for: non-fiction, literary fiction, books with strong direct-to-reader marketing, and authors building a long-term platform beyond Amazon. Test both — many authors do KU for the first 90 days then go wide.
Yes, for most authors who want professional wide distribution. IngramSpark is how your print book gets into Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores, libraries, and international retailers. Without it, your book exists only on Amazon. The $49 is a one-time fee per title — think of it as the cost of professional distribution. It often pays for itself with just a few bookstore or library orders. IngramSpark also occasionally offers free setup promotions — check their current offers before paying full price.
Yes, and most serious indie authors do. The standard setup: KDP for all ebooks and for Amazon-only print sales. IngramSpark for print distribution to bookstores, libraries, and non-Amazon retailers. There's one important consideration: if your book is available for print through both, price the IngramSpark version slightly higher than KDP (to account for wholesale discount) or opt out of Amazon expanded distribution in KDP to avoid competing with yourself.
Draft2Digital and Smashwords merged in 2022 (now both part of the same company), but maintain separate publishing interfaces. D2D has a cleaner, more modern interface and is the preferred option for most new authors. Smashwords has a legacy reader base and its own storefront. Both distribute to the same major retailers. Draft2Digital is generally recommended for new authors; Smashwords primarily benefits authors already established on the platform.
KDP first for most indie authors: faster setup, higher Amazon royalties, and Amazon is where most readers buy. Add IngramSpark after for extended distribution to bookstores and libraries. The main exception: if bookstore placement (physical retail) is a priority from launch, IngramSpark first gives you the distribution network KDP lacks. Note: if you enroll in KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited), your ebook must be exclusive to Amazon and cannot be on IngramSpark simultaneously.
Yes, for print -- the same paperback or hardcover ISBN can be distributed through both simultaneously. For ebooks: only if you are NOT enrolled in KDP Select. KDP Select requires ebook exclusivity to Amazon. If you want IngramSpark ebook distribution (Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, etc.), skip KDP Select and use KDP standard 35% royalty for non-Amazon ebook sales.
KDP: free to publish, no setup fees. IngramSpark: $49 per title setup fee (often waived with publisher discount codes -- search for current codes before paying). Both charge printing costs per copy for print on demand. IngramSpark printing costs are typically slightly lower than KDP for print, which matters if you buy author copies in volume. KDP wins on setup cost; IngramSpark wins for bulk print pricing and distribution breadth.