How to Sell Puzzle Books on IngramSpark Alongside KDP

You can sell puzzle books on IngramSpark and KDP at the same time, and many independent publishers do. KDP reaches Amazon shoppers, while IngramSpark puts your paperback in the Ingram catalog that bookstores and libraries order from.

The two can coexist cleanly, but only if you set them up in the right order. This guide explains the fees, what wholesale discounts and returns really mean, a worked royalty table at $9.99 and $12.99, the ISBN rules, the setup steps, and an honest view of when IngramSpark is worth the effort for a puzzle book.

What does IngramSpark do that KDP doesn't?

IngramSpark distributes your paperback through Ingram, the wholesaler most bookstores and libraries already order from. KDP sells mainly on Amazon, and a bookstore owner is much more likely to order from Ingram than from Amazon.

KDP does offer Expanded Distribution, which pays 40% of list price minus printing and also reaches outside retailers. For a publisher who wants real bookstore and library access, though, IngramSpark gives more control over discount and returns, and the two approaches should not be mixed on the same book (more on that below).

What does IngramSpark cost?

Listing a title on IngramSpark costs nothing up front. The costs show up in four places, based on the figures we verified in September 2026:

• Setup: free.
• Revisions: $25 per revision after you approve the proof. Check files carefully before approving.
• Market access fee: 1.875% of list price per sale, introduced in February 2026. On a $9.99 book that is about $0.19.
• Printing: roughly $1.33 plus $0.0146 per page for a small-trim black-and-white book, so a 110-page 6x9 interior costs about $2.93 (estimate). Larger trims such as 8.5x11 use a different rate, so check IngramSpark's calculator.

You also need an ISBN you own. That is a separate purchase, covered in the ISBN section.

What are the wholesale discount and returns?

The wholesale discount is the share of the list price that goes to the retailer and distributor. Returns let a bookstore send unsold copies back for credit. Both are settings you choose on IngramSpark, and together they decide whether a bookstore will stock your book.

Wholesale discount, in plain terms

IngramSpark lets you set a discount from 30% to 55%. If your book lists at $12.99 with a 55% discount, the retail side keeps about $7.15 and your share is the remaining 45%, before printing and the market access fee come out.

Bookstores generally expect 55%. A lower discount pays you more per copy but mostly limits you to online retailers and special orders.

Returns, in plain terms

A returnable book can come back unsold, and when it does the sale is reversed and charged back to your account. Bookstores rarely stock books that cannot be returned, so returnable plus 55% is the standard bookstore setup.

The risk is real at small volume. A ScribeCount example shows 12 copies sold, 3 returned, and $4.77 earned in total.

How much do you make per copy on IngramSpark vs KDP?

On a $9.99 6x9 puzzle book, you make about $3.69 per Amazon sale through KDP and about $1.38 per sale through IngramSpark at a 55% discount. The table compares the main options at two prices for a 110-page 6x9 black-and-white book.

Estimates. KDP figures use the published 60% rate at $9.99 and above and the flat $2.30 print cost for 24 to 110 pages. IngramSpark figures use list × (1 minus discount) minus about $2.93 printing minus the 1.875% market access fee. Your exact numbers depend on page count, trim and market.

On a large 8.5x11 trim, KDP pays about $3.15 at $9.99 and $4.95 at $12.99 for 110 pages, because large-trim printing is $2.84. Run IngramSpark's own calculator for large trims, since its rate differs.

The pattern is clear: price has more effect than platform. At $12.99 even the bookstore setting leaves a workable margin, while at $9.99 it barely covers the effort. The free KDP royalty calculator shows the Amazon side for any page count and trim.

What are the ISBN rules for KDP and IngramSpark?

Use one ISBN you own for the paperback on both platforms. The free ISBN KDP offers is meant for KDP only, so a book that will also go through IngramSpark needs your own ISBN (in the US, from Bowker).

Then follow three rules, as laid out in the Alliance of Independent Authors guide to using IngramSpark and KDP together:

1. Same ISBN, same edition. Trim size, page count and content should match on both platforms, because the ISBN identifies one specific edition.
2. Never enable KDP Expanded Distribution for a book that is also on IngramSpark. Both would try to feed the same ISBN into the same wholesale channels, which causes conflicts.
3. Publish on KDP first, then set up IngramSpark with its Amazon channel turned off, so Amazon sells the KDP-printed copy and pays you KDP's higher royalty.

How do you set up IngramSpark alongside KDP, step by step?

Plan an afternoon for the first title. Later titles go faster because you reuse the same settings.

1. Buy your own ISBN and assign it to the paperback edition.
2. Publish on KDP using that ISBN, with Expanded Distribution left off.
3. Create a free IngramSpark account and add a new print title.
4. Enter the book details: the same ISBN, title, trim size, black-and-white interior and paper as on KDP.
5. Set price, discount and returns for each market: 55% and returnable for a bookstore push, or a lower discount and non-returnable for online and special orders.
6. Turn off the Amazon channel so Amazon keeps selling your KDP edition.
7. Generate IngramSpark's cover template for your ISBN, trim and page count, and build the cover on it.
8. Upload the interior and cover PDFs and review the e-proof page by page.
9. Approve the proof only when everything is right, since revisions after approval cost $25.
10. Order a printed proof if you plan to show the book to a store owner, so you know exactly what they will hold.

How do you export the interior and cover from the Book Studio?

The interior is the easy part. The Book Studio exports a print-ready interior PDF at the trim you choose, with page numbers, answer keys and margins, and the same file can go to both platforms when the trim matches.

1. Build the book in the Book Studio at a trim both platforms support, such as 6" × 9" or 8.5" × 11".
2. Export the interior PDF and upload it to KDP and IngramSpark unchanged.
3. Export the cover for KDP. The Studio's full-wrap cover is sized to KDP's spine math.
4. Rebuild the wrap for IngramSpark on their template. IngramSpark's paper gives a different spine width, so reuse your front art and back text but size the spine to their template, not KDP's.

If you are not ready to buy a plan, you can still build and preview the whole book, and download the first 10 pages plus the cover free to check the layout. The full interior download is on the Publisher plan ($14.99/mo or $149/yr).

Every puzzle made with PuzzlePage can be sold commercially under our licence, in print and in bookstores, with no royalties. Single-puzzle makers like the word search maker and sudoku maker are free if you are assembling a book another way.

When is IngramSpark worth it for a puzzle book?

IngramSpark is worth it when you have a real plan to get the book into physical stores or libraries. It is usually not worth it if nearly all your buyers are on Amazon.

Worth it when

• You will pitch local bookstores, gift shops or museum shops, which expect to order through Ingram.
• Your book suits libraries, such as large-print puzzle books for seniors or regional-themed books.
• You can price at $12.99 or more, where the bookstore discount still leaves a margin.
• You sell at local events and want stores nearby to stock the same book.

Not worth it when

• Your price is $9.99 and your buyers find you on Amazon. The extra channel adds little and pays about $1.38 a copy at 55%.
• You are publishing many low-cost titles quickly. ISBNs, templates and proofs add cost and time per title.
• You cannot absorb returns. A few returned copies can wipe out a small month.

What about Barnes and Noble Press, Lulu and Draft2Digital?

They are options, each with a catch for puzzle books:

• Barnes and Noble Press: from April 22, 2026 the minimum print list price is $14.99, which rules out a typical $9.99 puzzle book.
• Lulu: a print-on-demand service with its own store and wider distribution options. Compare its print costs with IngramSpark's before choosing.
• Draft2Digital Print: pays roughly 45% of list minus printing (approximate). Worth a look if you already use Draft2Digital for ebooks.

For most puzzle publishers, the practical combination is KDP for Amazon plus IngramSpark for stores and libraries, with the others as niche add-ons.

Where does IngramSpark fit in a wider plan?

IngramSpark covers physical retail. Other channels cover digital buyers.

• Compare every platform in how to sell puzzle books everywhere.
• Sell printable editions direct with Gumroad and Payhip.
• Turn a book into classroom packs on Teachers Pay Teachers.
• See grounded Amazon numbers in how much KDP puzzle books make.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sell the same puzzle book on KDP and IngramSpark?

Yes. Use your own ISBN on both, publish on KDP first with Expanded Distribution turned off, then list the same edition on IngramSpark with its Amazon channel turned off. Amazon then sells the KDP copy and IngramSpark reaches bookstores and libraries.

Why should I not enable KDP Expanded Distribution with IngramSpark?

Both would feed the same ISBN into the same wholesale channels, which causes listing and pricing conflicts. Pick one route to outside retailers, and for bookstore and library access that route is usually IngramSpark.

How much does IngramSpark cost?

Setup is free. IngramSpark charges $25 for revisions after proof approval, a 1.875% market access fee on list price per sale (from February 2026), and the printing cost, which is about $2.93 for a 110-page 6x9 black-and-white book (estimate).

How much does a $9.99 puzzle book earn on IngramSpark?

About $1.38 per copy at a 55% wholesale discount and about $2.88 at a 40% discount, for a 110-page 6x9 book (estimates). The same book earns about $3.69 per Amazon sale through KDP.

What does returnable mean on IngramSpark?

A returnable book can be sent back unsold by a bookstore, and the sale is then reversed and charged to your account. Bookstores usually expect returnable books with a 55% discount, but returns carry a real cost at small volumes.

Can I use KDP's free ISBN on IngramSpark?

No. KDP's free ISBN is meant for KDP only. A paperback you want on both platforms needs an ISBN you own, which in the US you buy from Bowker.

Is the IngramSpark spine width the same as KDP's?

Not always. IngramSpark's paper can give a different spine width, so download IngramSpark's cover template for your ISBN, trim and page count, and size the spine to that template rather than reusing the KDP cover file.

Can I sell a $9.99 puzzle book on Barnes and Noble Press?

Not in print. From April 22, 2026, Barnes and Noble Press requires a minimum print list price of $14.99, so a $9.99 puzzle book would need a higher price to qualify.