How to Publish the Same Paperback at Both KDP and IngramSpark

[@toddpickens]

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.

[@lilchris173]

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.

[@carinagatta]

there's a 2 book/mo limit? for no fee?

[@lilchris173]

@@carinagatta Yes no upload fee.

[@stealthuniversalproduction2729]

✨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🌌🌠💯✨

[@oldgiapetto]

Six weeks of information delivered in 17 minutes. Great job, thanks.

[@kkc9971]

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!

[@MaxRadin]

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.

[@myvids4424]

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.

[@edo.9295]

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!

[@anthonydavinci7985]

Excellent . I appreciate your manner of describing the process, especially compared to others. I subscribed with alert. I look forward to seeing all your shows.

[@richarddelconnor]

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.

[@balakab.ghosal3731]

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.

[@bonzabonza2758]

As a first-time author what a great video, Thanks Jason.

[@holdthetruthhostage]

I come back to this video every time I'm about to publish thank you so much

[@briancolella72]

Thank you! In 15 minutes you've cleared up a question that's been vexing me for some time.

[@jasondoroughauthor]

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.

[@awnfay3791]

​@@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.

[@Tokiofritz]

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.

[@jenifercabaniss7299]

You ROCK AT EXPLAINING the answer to the questions about publishing on both Ingram and KDP! I am saving your video! Thank you for your clarity!

[@DaphneValcin]

This video was outstanding, thorough, and clear! Thanks so much!

[@margaretgreason1785]

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.

[@redboot3872]

Just terrific. Thanks a lot. And you speak very well. Not an "um" or an "er" in there. Bravo.

[@jasondoroughauthor]

Thank you! I'm glad it helped!

[@julanefisherauthor3058]

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.

[@ItsMyMoneywithPatrinaDixon]

What if you already selected expanded distribution and published on KDP, does this mean you can’t put the book on Ingram Spark?

[@variantquran4505]

Great video. Question: We were advised by Ingram to should get a second ISBN for the same title since the ISBN was already in use for that title through KDP ... but our concern is that this will then generate a duplicate entry on Amazon that might confuse customers. If we had previously selected Expanded Distribution, may we turn it off and move forward using the same ISBN on Ingram Spark for a book that has already been published?

[@sherdavidson5246]

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!

[@cheggs9]

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!

[@ShanniCarrillo]

Thank you for this! I love how clear and thorough you are here. Totally cleared up my confusion.

[@jasonguinn2435]

Great video! I also love your stuff on the shelves.

[@marcelst.pierre5499]

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]

You're welcome, and I'm so glad I was able to help!

[@marcelst.pierre5499]

@@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?

[@mickeycarney1]

Really great and informative video Jason. Untangled in minutes, what can be a damn confusing mess. Thanks

[@577zkerr]

Extremely helpful. Thank you!

[@bobbylewisjr5250]

Paused it at 7:19 to say "Man, you're the truth." Thank you so much. I gotta binge your channel now.

[@brendatalksbusinessTV]

This was awesome! You answered every question I had clearly and concisely. Thank you!!🙏

[@TheHashtagHEROTV]

THANK YOU! I can't thank you enough. This video answered all my questions and more, especially the part about pre-orders, thank you 🙏

[@dsg4599]

Great presentation. I am a newbie preparing to self publish my first book. this was so helpful and so clear! Thank you!

[@rickeydean]

I've already done the two things you told us not to do on KDP. I accepted the ISBN and I selected expanded distribution. Wish I had seen this video first.

[@SuperHeroSewing]

You can uncheck the ED anytime you like. If you haven't made sales yet, you could opt to archive the title on KDP and start all over again having purchased an ISBN first. Just an idea.

[@suburbanview]

What you mean: ISBN # lost if you used it first in IngramSpark? Great info, thanks!

[@marycarnahan5716]

Right? I would think it would work on both platforms if it's your own ISBN.

[@esalenchik]

Ingramspark will automatically list it on Amazon. Once they do that the ISBN will already exist on Amazon, so you won’t be able use it on KDP.

[@ZeraPrinc]

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.

[@angstvision7108]

Very well spoken and to the point and clear-cut. Thank you.

[@Georgia-Clare]

Thank you. This was very helpful indeed!

[@moses1]

What a great video Jason! Naive question for anyone: What happens when you go for 2 or more ISBNs for the same book? The only consequence I can imagine is that the book shows up twice on Amazon. Is there anything bad about this?

[@hollysroberts]

Thank you for answering questions I've been unable to find answers to!

[@romanophilip]

Thank you, Jason! This video is so helpful. I've been trying to find a way to publish on both KDP and Ingram.

[@Windward319]

Very clear and helpful, Jason!

[@NCmtnborn76]

That was the information I was looking for. Thanks.

[@NebraskaPrairieLady-ps2dt]

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.

[@JulieDurdenMusic]

Thank you so much for explaining this process! Much needed. Great teaching!

[@pejusimoyan]

This was very helpful! Unfortunately I did it the other way round and uploaded to IngramSpark before KDP. Should I get a free ISBN for the KDP version - that would mean the same book would end up having two different ISBNs. I’ve also considered just using KDP for a hardcover version - that way I will still have a print version on KDP. Thanks in advance!

[@laura_zielke]

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.

[@mariecachet867]

Thank you so much, very detailed and clear info!

[@annsheybani5175]

Super useful. Super clear.

[@michael7770]

In Australia your ISBN is via Thorpe-Bowker in Victoria

[@jmpcpa1]

Thank you for this, I have a question. I have set up my book on KDP, saved as draft. Now on Ingram Spark -- do I set to publish on IS for the preorders? I saw another author indicate that Amazon will buy the preorders from IS and then when it goes live on Amazon, they will return them and cost the author a lot of money. Also, how long of a preorder period do you recommend before publishing live on KDP?

[@kaydon5743]

Thanks !!!! Can you update your own ibsn number later if you already uploaded to kdp and took the free ibsn number ?

[@marycarnahan5716]

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.

[@RNontherun]

This is the error people are getting. [ The print ISBN is already in use.] Please address this?

[@AsYouWishPublishing]

Exactly what I need help with

[@woodystefeneylee7290]

Any answers?

[@AsYouWishPublishing]

@@woodystefeneylee7290 you can transfer the KDP ISBN using Ingram's form. What I decided to do was just create a separate ISBN one for Ingram and one for KDP. It's a more comfortable work around for me. But everything has its up and down sides.

[@77GAN_Cuber]

Did you do it on KDP or Ingramspark first?

[@MsCherries30]

⁠@@77GAN_Cuberhe says toward the end of the video to set it up on KDP first, not Ingram spark 😊

[@musiccreativitylab1724]

Thank you very much! Such a useful video and all information!

[@Artemutacion]

Many thanks for this video it is great help, fast and clear!!!

[@CJEdmunds]

Thanks for this video Jason. This just answers my question for which one to go for regarding my paperbacks.

[@IronEchoDesign]

Thank you so much for this video. Answered so many of my questions. Much appreciated!

[@jenshirley1190]

This is incredibly helpful and valuable information. Thanks so much!

[@jackmiller1660]

Fantastic information

[@kittrzebunia9144]

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?

[@KymberlyStewartMusic]

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.

[@billaltmann1001]

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.

[@KnowingSelfKnowingOthers]

Oooooooh! So helpful! Jason, do you have a checklist to help with these steps? Timing seems key! Thanks

[@musicformusos5196]

Thank you for this video, really clear and explained at a nice pace.

[@chizzyelfizzy]

Thanks Jason for your your detailed guide. I am an author in the UK and I am just about publishing my new book. I opted to do my Ebook, paperback and hardcover through KDP and my paper back and hardcover through Ingramspark. However, I enabled expanded distribution for Ingramspark and now KDP have rejected the ISBN for the print books saying it already exists and I believe this is due to the Ingramspark version. However, when uploading on Ingramspark, I saw no option for disabling Amazon on the expanded distribution list. Please can you advise me on what to do as my launch soon. Thanks very much.

[@jasondoroughauthor]

Hello, and I'm sorry it took a couple of weeks to get back to you! Unfortunately, there's not a way to disable distribution to Amazon when you distribute through IngramSpark. IS's distribution generally sends the book information to all the stores in their distribution network, including Amazon (there are some exceptions, such as that you can specifically opt out of Target distribution through IngramSpark). That's why it's important to set up the ISBNs on KDP first. When you do that, the ISBNs are logged at Amazon with the KDP version. Then, when IngramSpark tries to distribute there, the numbers are already taken at Amazon, so the KDP versions remain intact there.

[@stephaniemarkham405]

Very good video. I have published my ebook but my paperback is on draft not yet published on kdp. I've gone to publish my paper back on I.S & it wont let me says the ISBN is already in use, but my paperback is not live yet? Any ideas please?

[@jasondoroughauthor]

When you set up the paperback on KDP, it sounds like you might have selected for it to do expanded distribution. That’s the only way the ISBN would have gotten into any systems other than Amazon.

[@valmontyvlogs]

Thank you for this. Do i need to get my own barcode? I have designed my own cover and I'm trying to figure out if having the same barcode on both sites matters or not.

[@lynnfendlason4277]

Jason, help :) You instructions are FANTASTIC. I uploaded to KDP effortlessly (use Kindlecreate to format the book), but the KDF file from Kindlecreate isn't being accepted when I upload to Ingram Spark (it says the type of file isn't accepted)--I'm clueless. What can I do to effectively upload the manuscript to Ingram Spark? TU :)

[@kimsutherlandbooks]

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 #?

[@cookiegang1025]

Got the answer I was looking for! Thank you!

[@titithetoad]

Excellent. Very helpful. Ive been seeking what to for an age

[@thejobwelldone]

This was exactly what I was looking for - Thank you so much Jason.

[@jasondoroughauthor]

I'm so glad it's helpful!

[@thejobwelldone]

@Jason Dorough Thank you - I have one more question - I posted above... Appreciate if you could help me please. Thank you so much! 🙏🙏🙏

[@Zara_Beth]

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?

[@jasondoroughauthor]

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.

[@marian2000]

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!

[@jasondoroughauthor]

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.

[@SanjaGonzalez]

excellent detail easy to understand and follow- thank you!

[@alabambam1]

When should you press publish on KDP? Should it be the same date you set for the preorder on IngramSpark, or should you publish 2 days before the set date? Doesn’t KDP take up to 72 hours for your book to go live?

[@bobbylewisjr5250]

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!!!!

[@jasondoroughauthor]

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!

[@bobbylewisjr5250]

@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!

[@authorericar.stinson4849]

Very helpful, thanks! I have been wanting to do something with all of this and did not know where to begin.

[@jasondoroughauthor]

You're very welcome! I'm glad it's helpful, and good luck to you!!

[@lizahermandez57]

How can you fix it, if you checked expanded distribution on KDP?

[@iartol]

Thank you very much. This is very good and helpful content and I am very glad I found your channel.

[@jasondoroughauthor]

You're welcome! I'm so glad to help!

[@hello.pickle]

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!!

[@jasondoroughauthor]

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.

[@evelynbegay2495]

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.

[@jasondoroughauthor]

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!

[@JeffreySykes]

Great insights Jason. Thanks so much.

[@KickinChick06]

Thank you so much for this explanation. I just published my first novel through KDP and used their ISBN. Is it still okay to update the book with my own ISBN, then once I republish, I can publish it on Ingram Spark as well?

[@haleymcdonald197]

How about linking my Hardcover and Ebook that are on Ingram Spark to Amazon? My Paperback is on Amazon. I did check expanded distribution. Do I just have to wait until it shows up on Amazon and I can link it in Author Central and then Contact support to put them on the same product page? How long does that take?

[@susandodge5448]

I added my book to kdp and you now have to set up a release date before you can go and fill in your pricing page. That being the case, I have a provisional date 30th November, so should I approach Ingram spark before this date and publish there first? Thanks

[@ed8945]

Great video. Thanks. If print version by IS better than KDP, then isn't it better to not go live on KDP?

[@errolsidelsky]

Brilliant thank you. What if I have already just uploaded but not released on IngramSpark. Can I still release on KDP? Or is worth let IngramSpark handle it?

[@candicetiann]

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?

[@myvids4424]

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!

[@susandodge5448]

What about when you publish the kindle or laptop format? Is this process the same as described for the paperback?

[@krisballard541]

Thanks for this valuable information.

[@jessicastepp7535]

Thank you for this video, Jason! Super helpful!

[@jasondoroughauthor]

You're welcome! I'm so glad it's helpful!!

[@barbarayuen42]

That was extremely helpful. Thank you so much.

[@charlie-george]

Someone in my facebook group told me this: "Make sure to upload info on both platforms , past the isbn page and save. Then go ahead publish kdp and when ready publish ingram. If you publish kdp and then go to upload info on ingram you will get an error 'isbn already used'" Is it true? I assumed IS would not require a draft save of a book before publishing on KDP but this sounds like you need to have the details setup up on both first even if you publish via KDP first.

[@christinabolander]

Wow! Thank you for this video! 👊✨

[@AnnaJunkerAuthor]

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?

[@jasondoroughauthor]

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!

[@ShoniDavis]

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?

[@damilarefilm]

this video was very informative and got quite a few tips thank you. OWuld have really made it much more intuitive to see screenshots or screen recordings of the pages on KDP and Ingram you were talking about though

[@jasondoroughauthor]

I'm glad it helped! IngramSpark and KDP occasionally change their interfaces, so I felt like including screenshots or recordings could cause the video to become outdated rather easily. The concepts don't change, though, so keeping it to just the descriptions seemed like a better course for the long term.

[@samiistormz]

Hi Jason! Im curious since Amazon KDP offers pre-orders for paperbacks now, is there a different step we should be taking through Ingram to not have the Ingram preorders push out the Amazon ones? (if that makes sense)

[@MarshallJCrawford]

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?