KDP vs IngramSpark vs Draft2Digital at a glance
All three let you self-publish for free, but they pay in different ways and reach different stores. Amazon KDP sells on Amazon, with optional Expanded Distribution to other stores. IngramSpark is Ingram’s service for bookstores, libraries and online stores worldwide. Draft2Digital (D2D) sends ebooks to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, libraries and more, and also offers print books through D2D Print.
| Platform | Ebook royalty | Paperback royalty | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| KDP (Amazon store) | 70% from $2.99 to $12.99, minus $0.15/MB delivery; 35% otherwise | 60% of list at $9.99 or more (50% below) minus printing | None |
| KDP Expanded Distribution | — | 40% of list minus printing | None |
| IngramSpark | About 85% of what the store pays (≈ 60% of list at most stores) | List minus your wholesale discount (30–55%) minus printing | 1.875% of list on each sale (from February 2026); setup and revisions free |
| Draft2Digital | About 60% of list at most stores (D2D keeps ~10% of list) | About 45% of list minus printing (D2D Print) | None up front |
US terms, checked October 2026. Store rates vary; each platform shows exact figures when you set your price.
Example: a $19.99 nonfiction paperback and $9.99 ebook
Take a 240-page, 6 × 9 inch black-and-white paperback. KDP prints it for $3.88, so a sale on Amazon pays 60% × $19.99 − $3.88 = $8.11. Sold through KDP Expanded Distribution it pays only $4.12. Through IngramSpark at a 40% discount, with about $4.83 print cost and the 1.875% fee, it pays about $6.79; at a 55% bookstore discount that drops to about $3.79. D2D Print pays about $4.16.
For the $9.99 ebook with a 3 MB file, KDP pays $6.99 − $0.45 delivery = $6.54, while IngramSpark and Draft2Digital pay about $5.94 and $5.99 through most stores.
Which should you use?
- Paperbacks: KDP pays the most for sales on Amazon itself. For bookstores and other online stores, IngramSpark usually pays more than KDP Expanded Distribution and is what bookstores and libraries order from. A common setup is KDP for Amazon plus IngramSpark for everyone else, with KDP Expanded Distribution turned off.
- Ebooks: you choose between KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited page reads, but the ebook must be exclusive to Amazon) and going wide with Draft2Digital or IngramSpark to reach Apple, Kobo, B&N, Google and libraries. Our KENP calculator shows what Kindle Unlimited pays.
- Bookstore placement: bookstores usually expect a 53–55% discount and returns. That lowers your IngramSpark royalty a lot, so only offer it if you are actively selling to stores.
- Hardcovers and colour: this calculator compares black-and-white paperbacks. Use each platform’s own calculator for other formats.
For KDP royalties on paperback, hardcover and ebook in several marketplaces, use the KDP royalty calculator, and check printing with the KDP print cost calculator.