KDP vs Lulu vs IngramSpark: self-publishing platforms compared
Choosing between Amazon KDP, Lulu and IngramSpark is one of the first practical decisions a self-published business author makes. Here is how the three compare on royalties, fees, distribution reach, print quality, ISBNs and support, and which one suits which goal.
The short answer
Amazon KDP: best if most of your sales will happen on Amazon. Free to use, simple, and fast.
IngramSpark: best if you want bookshops, libraries and retailers beyond Amazon to stock your book, and you care about print options. Free title setup, wide wholesale reach.
Lulu: best if you want to sell directly to readers or clients from your own website or the Lulu Bookstore, with an 80% revenue share on direct sales.
Many business authors use KDP for Amazon and IngramSpark for everywhere else, using their own ISBN on both.
Royalties and fees
Royalties are a percentage of the list price minus printing costs. The formula on KDP is: (royalty rate x list price excluding tax) minus printing costs.
Amazon KDP pays 60% on paperbacks sold through Amazon (50% on lower-priced books, under certain thresholds such as $9.99) and 40% through Expanded Distribution. Ebooks earn up to 70%. There is no fee to publish.
IngramSpark has had free title setup since 2023 and free revisions within 60 days of first production. Since April 2025 it charges a 1.5% market access fee on books sold through its global distribution network, and you set the wholesale discount retailers receive, which drives what you earn.
Lulu pays 80% of revenue after printing costs on sales through the Lulu Bookstore. Sales through its global distribution channels carry retailer discounts, so the per-book earning is lower than the headline rate suggests.
Distribution reach
KDP lists your book on Amazon worldwide. Expanded Distribution makes paperbacks available to distributors in the US and UK so bookshops and libraries can order them, but hardcovers are not eligible and acceptance is not guaranteed.
IngramSpark connects your book to a network of over 45,000 retailers, libraries, universities and educators. This is the route most bookshops, including independents, order from.
Lulu sells through its own bookstore, your own online shop via Lulu Direct, and global distribution to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Ingram catalogue.
Why print quality matters
High print quality reflects on the author's professionalism and the book's perceived value. If you hand books out at speaking engagements or use them as a business tool, the physical product has to match your positioning.
IngramSpark is generally regarded as having the strongest print and finish options, including premium colour. KDP is consistent for standard paperbacks. Lulu's hardbacks have a premium feel.
Print options and restrictions
6x9 and 5x8 inches are the popular non-fiction trim sizes, available on all platforms and usually cheapest and fastest to produce.
IngramSpark offers multiple hardback options but requires separate title setups for each version. KDP offers fewer hardback options but links them to existing paperback data, which is simpler.
ISBNs
Each format needs its own ISBN. KDP provides a free ISBN that largely restricts distribution to Amazon. Lulu offers a free ISBN, but Lulu then becomes the publisher of record. IngramSpark offers free ISBNs only to US-based authors.
Buy your own from Nielsen in the UK or Bowker in the US if you want full control and to be named as publisher. You do not need to buy a separate barcode: distributors generate one during publishing, so leave a blank space on the back cover.
Customer service
KDP runs a mostly automated system, with responses typically within 24 hours and up to 72 hours by policy. Lulu is user-friendly but slower, so plan schedules conservatively. IngramSpark offers live chat in business hours but requires account number, ISBN and personal details up front.