Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, ISBNs, Barcodes, & More!

If you’re planning to self-publish your book, one of the big questions is which platform you should use to publish. There are so many options out there: KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, Kobo, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, and more. Do you really have to choose just one? Wouldn’t more platforms equal more exposure? Which platform is the best and why? Should you buy your own ISBN or take advantage of the free one offered by some platforms?

Of course, opinion on any of these questions is relative, but I’ve compiled my recommendations based on research, personal publishing experience, and what I have heard from many of my clients. The bottom line is that I recommend using IngramSpark and investing in your own ISBN, but why? Read on for more information on each of these platforms and why I went the route I did with my book, Horse Cents.

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Amazon offers a free ISBN and free upload/publishing to their KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) platform. You can choose from eBook and/or paperback, and they have recently begun the process to roll out a hardcover option as well. Amazon is also a worldwide online store, and therefore, in theory, should have a broad reach. Unfortunately, this isn’t as cut and dry as you’d think.

Kindle Unlimited

Kindle Unlimited is a wonderful program for those who read often. Subscribers pay a monthly subscription fee (around $10) and can download and read up to ten books per month for free—that’s only about a dollar a book! Think of it like an online library (with a nominal membership fee). The benefit to the author is that you will likely get a ton of exposure in this manner and you get a royalty based on pages read in addition to your regular purchases from the Kindle store, which is where you would earn your usual royalties.

When you publish through Amazon KDP, be aware that your ebook will automatically be included in Kindle Unlimited. To remove your book from the program, make sure to unenroll from KDP Select. Why do I suggest that you avoid enrolling in Kindle Unlimited? Because although it sounds ideal for exposure, Kindle Unlimited (ironically) limits you as the author. While enrolled in the program (a minimum of 90 days is required), you can’t publish your ebook anywhere else—not on IngramSpark, not in other stores, and not even on your own website. 

If you are interested in the exposure that Kindle Unlimited can provide, go ahead and enroll in the program for the first few months, but then be sure to opt not to re-enroll when the contract expires. This way, you will be free to publish elsewhere and even sell directly from your own author website.

Expanded Distribution

Amazon also offers an Expanded Distribution program. It sounds great in theory—they promise to help you “reach more readers through bookstores, online retailers, libraries, and academic institutions.” However, this will also limit you from publishing with other platforms, just like their Kindle Unlimited program. Surprisingly, Amazon’s reach isn’t as great as you’d think. When libraries or bookstores purchase a book to add to their stock, they want to buy it at a fair wholesale price so they can make a profit off the sales. Unfortunately, the author doesn’t have a choice on the discount these entities would receive with Amazon KDP, which makes your book less attractive to retailers.

The Process

If you still feel Amazon’s KDP platform is the way to go for you and your book, follow this step-by-step guide on Amazon’s website that will walk you through getting the final steps completed to publish your book.

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IngramSpark can get your ebook and print book in stores across the globe, including online stores like Amazon and even brick-and-mortar stores. Like Amazon, IngramSpark also offers a free ISBN to use with their platform. They have a wide array of options such as trim size, color, book jackets, and more, so you can customize your book exactly how you want it to appear. They also have a much better rate over other platforms of getting self-published books into the big book stores such as Barnes & Noble (which is who owns IngramSpark). This is likely because you can choose between 30 and 55 percent for your wholesale discount for retailers (I recommend choosing at least 40 to 50 percent; after all, more exposure equals more sales equals more profit, even if you cut per book is less).

Global Connect

Just like Amazon KDP’s Expanded Distribution, IngramSpark can make your book available worldwide with their Global Connect program, even in paperback format. By partnering with printers all over the world, this program helps get your book anywhere in the world without the hefty costs and time that comes with overseas shipping. When your book makes a sale, the closest and soonest available printer will be selected so your book can reach your customer in a satisfactory timeframe and for a reasonable price.

If this sounds good to you, you don’t have to do a thing—your book is automatically enrolled in Global Connect when you publish with IngramSpark. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to use this program, simply make sure to deselect it.

Title Setup

The only drawback that I could find for this platform was, while it is free to publish to Amazon KDP, IngramSpark used to have a title setup fee (the fee charged to publish with their platform). It wasn’t much—$25 to $49, depending on what format you wished to publish in. During that time, I was able to provide a code that gave my clients free title setup with IngramSpark. But even better, as of May 1, 2023, anyone can enjoy this luxury—no code required. Which means, the only drawback to choosing to publish with IngramSpark over Amazon KDP has been eliminated!

The Process

To publish your book with IngramSpark, follow the instructions below.

STEP 1: Create your account by going to the IngramSpark website.

This will include the basics like your contact name, email address, and password.

STEP 2: Complete all of the required paperwork.

Think of this like getting a new job. You will need to submit quite a bit of information in order to publish, including your tax information (IRS form W-9), billing & shipping addresses, credit card (for any fees or costs you might owe, like with returns), publishing imprint (if you have one), bank information (so you can receive your royalties), and currency type (US dollar, pounds, euros, Australian dollar, or Canadian dollar).

STEP 3: Complete your title setup.

NOTE: You will not be able to proceed with Step 3 until you have fully completed Step 2.

Need more help? Follow this step-by-step guide on IngramSpark’s website that will walk you through getting the final steps completed to publish your book on their platform!

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Okay, now that we have settled which platform to use to publish your book, should you use the free ISBN? Sure, it would be easier. But it’s really not that difficult to purchase an ISBN, and the benefits are endless. Let’s dig into this topic.

Free vs Purchased

As mentioned above, both IngramSpark and Amazon offer free ISBNs. However, keep in mind that if you opt to use them, you will be limited as to where and how you can sell your book, including on your own website. And to top that off, the platform’s imprint will be automatically added to your book.

Yep, if you use the free ISBN and barcode provided by your platform of choice, then you are essentially handing over some of the rights to your book. After all the hard work you’ve put into your book baby, why would you want to do that?

Because of this, I highly recommend investing in the purchase of your own ISBN in order to fully own your book and eliminate any question of what you can and can’t do with it.

Cost of ISBNs

That being said, ISBNs are expensive. As of the last update of this article (February 2024), they cost $125 each on Bowker (US). The good news is you can buy in bulk to save money in the long run.

Even if you aren’t planning to publish more than one book (ever), keep in mind that each version of your book will need its own ISBN. If you plan to have an eBook and a paperback version, you will need two ISBNs. At that point, you may as well buy in bulk since you’ll be spending almost as much for two ISBNs at the individual pricing ($250) as it costs to buy a block of ten ($295).

Therefore, buying your ISBNs in bulk will grant you tremendous savings in the end at less than $30 a piece! If that’s pushing your budget, you also have the option of buying an ISBN during your title setup with IngramSpark at a discounted rate of $85 each (a $40 discount).

Choose whatever works best for you, but understand that purchasing your own ISBN will be the best option in the long run for your rights as the author.

Barcodes

Note that this ISBN package only includes the ISBNs, not the barcodes that go with them. If you only plan to sell your books online, then it’s not a problem. But if you plan to sell them in brick-and-mortar stores, they’ll want to be able to scan them for sales—meaning, you’ll need to purchase a barcode as well ($25 each). If you have a paperback and hard cover, you will need two barcodes just like you will need two ISBNs.

INSIDER’S TIP: Your cover designer may be able to create a barcode for you, or if you publish through IngramSpark, you can use their Cover Template Generator to create a free barcode to use with your ISBN!

Suggested Retail Price

If you choose to assign a suggested retail price for your purchased barcode, understand that it can’t be changed once you generate it. If you wish to change the price of your book at a future date, you can use the same ISBN, but you will need to purchase a new barcode.

One argument for including the price on the back is that it makes your book appear professionally made and offers a suggested retail price to the brick-and-mortar stores who sell it. Some stores may even refuse to carry your book simply because it does not have the price on the back. However, if you still don’t want to include a price on your barcode, simply enter “90000” for the price, which is a null code that indicates there is no pricing information for that barcode (this is what I did with my book).

But while we’re on this topic, how do you choose the price for your book? Unfortunately, there is no cut-and-dry easy answer. You’ll have to do some research. Start by checking your cost to print each book. After all, you don’t want to lose money when making sales. Next, research other books in your genre to get an idea of what people are willing to pay for them. This may take some time and patience, but it’s worth it. People won’t buy a product that is overpriced, which ultimately means you will lose sales.

Where to Purchase ISBNs (& Barcodes)

When you are ready to purchase your ISBNs, make sure you do so from the authorized retailer for your country. ISBNs are not transferrable, so if you buy yours somewhere other than those on the list below, you are being scammed.

Check the International ISBN Agency for a full list of ISBN distributors, but if you live in:

• The United States, visit Bowker
• Australia, visit Thorpe-Bowker
• The United Kingdom, visit Nielsen Book ISBN Agency
• Some countries, including Canada, give self-publishing authors free ISBNs

More Information

For more information on ISBNs, check out this article on the IngramSpark website. There is a brief video at the bottom with Bradley, an IngramSpark employee, who is very informative and answers all the FAQs.

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My Recommendation

To sum up my suggestions:

• use IngramSpark
• enroll in Global Connect
• purchase your own ISBNs in bulk
• use IngramSpark’s Cover Template Generator to create your free barcode
• use the 90000 code rather than specific suggested retail pricing
• allow for returns
• offer wholesalers the maximum discount of 55%

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Bonus Tip!

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Red Quill Editorial LLC

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