Every self-published author asks this question eventually: which print-on-demand service should I use? The answer they usually get is “it depends,” followed by a vague overview that doesn’t tell them anything they can act on.
Here is the straight version. Amazon print on demand (KDP Print), IngramSpark, and Lulu each serve different needs. The right choice depends on where you want your book to sell, how much you care about physical quality, and what your royalty math needs to look like. This guide gives you the actual numbers and a clear verdict for each use case.
What Amazon Print on Demand Actually Is
Print on demand means your book is printed individually each time a customer orders it. No print run, no inventory, no upfront cost. The provider prints the book, ships it directly to the customer, and pays you a royalty from the sale price after subtracting their printing cost.
Amazon’s POD service is called KDP Print. It’s the largest print-on-demand platform in the world by volume, and it’s where most self-published authors start. IngramSpark is the second major option, built on Ingram Content Group’s wholesale distribution network. Lulu is the third, primarily serving the direct-sales and specialty format market. None of them are interchangeable.
Amazon Print on Demand (KDP Print): What You Get
KDP Print is the simplest starting point. It’s free to set up, requires no minimum order, and your book can be live on Amazon within 72 hours. For authors whose primary market is Amazon, it does exactly what it needs to do.
The royalty formula: 60% of the list price, minus the printing cost. The printing cost depends on page count, trim size, and interior type. Here is what the math looks like for a standard 6×9 inch book with a black-and-white interior:
| Page count | Approx. print cost | Royalty at $12.99 | Royalty at $14.99 | Royalty at $17.99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 pages | ~$2.15 | $5.64 | $6.84 | $8.64 |
| 150 pages | ~$2.70 | $5.09 | $6.29 | $8.09 |
| 200 pages | ~$3.25 | $4.54 | $5.74 | $7.54 |
| 250 pages | ~$3.83 | $3.96 | $5.16 | $6.96 |
| 300 pages | ~$4.40 | $3.39 | $4.59 | $6.39 |
| 350 pages | ~$4.98 | $2.81 | $4.01 | $5.81 |
| 400 pages | ~$5.56 | $2.23 | $3.43 | $5.23 |
KDP Print costs are approximate and subject to change. Check current rates at kdp.amazon.com. These figures are for US sales; international printing costs differ.
The core advantage: when a customer orders on Amazon, the book is printed at Amazon’s own facilities and fulfilled like any Amazon order. Fast shipping. Prime-eligible. This is why KDP Print royalties on Amazon sales are generally better than any other POD provider’s Amazon royalties.
The core limitation: expanded distribution to non-Amazon retailers is largely ineffective. The royalty on expanded distribution drops to 40% of list price minus print cost, and actual bookstore pickup through KDP’s channel is minimal. KDP Print gets you into Amazon. It doesn’t get you anywhere else.
IngramSpark: What You Get
IngramSpark is built on the infrastructure of Ingram Content Group, the largest book distributor in North America. Their wholesale network reaches more than 40,000 retailers and libraries globally — independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones (UK), academic libraries, public libraries, and international retailers.
That distribution reach is IngramSpark’s entire value proposition. If you want your print book to be orderable by bookstores and libraries, IngramSpark is how you do it. The setup cost is $49 per title for print. The file requirements are stricter than KDP: print-ready PDFs with correct bleed, trim, and specifications. A Word document won’t work here.
Here is IngramSpark’s approximate cost structure for the same standard 6×9 B&W paperback:
| Page count | Approx. IS print cost | Royalty at $14.99 (40% net) | Royalty at $17.99 (40% net) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 pages | ~$2.40 | $3.60 | $4.80 |
| 150 pages | ~$2.95 | $3.05 | $4.25 |
| 200 pages | ~$3.55 | $2.45 | $3.65 |
| 250 pages | ~$4.13 | $1.87 | $3.07 |
| 300 pages | ~$4.75 | $1.25 | $2.45 |
| 350 pages | ~$5.35 | $0.65 | $1.85 |
| 400 pages | ~$5.95 | $0.05 | $1.25 |
IngramSpark royalties are based on 40% of publisher compensation (list price minus wholesale discount). Figures are approximate. Verify at ingramspark.com.
Two things stand out immediately. First, IngramSpark’s per-copy royalty on most page counts is lower than KDP Print’s for the same Amazon sale. This is why the professional recommendation is to use KDP Print for your Amazon listing and IngramSpark for everything else, not to pick one or the other.
Second: longer books on IngramSpark at lower prices earn almost nothing per copy. A 400-page book priced at $14.99 through IngramSpark earns roughly $0.05 per sale. Price it at $17.99 and you get $1.25. This is not a reason to avoid IngramSpark — it’s a reason to price long books correctly when they go through IS distribution.
Lulu: What You Get
Lulu occupies a different position. It’s the platform that makes sense when your book doesn’t fit the standard mould. Format options are the widest of the three: large-format books, coil binding for workbooks, square trim sizes for photography or illustrated books, comic sizes, and a broader range of paper types.
The royalty model is also different. On Lulu’s own bookstore, you set your price above the base printing cost and keep whatever margin you set. Through Lulu’s external distribution (which covers Amazon and some other retailers), the royalty is lower. Lulu’s print costs are generally slightly higher than KDP Print for standard paperbacks.
Approximate Lulu printing costs for 6×9 B&W paperback:
| Page count | Approx. Lulu print cost | Net margin available at $14.99 |
|---|---|---|
| 100 pages | ~$2.80 | $12.19 before channel fees |
| 200 pages | ~$4.20 | $10.79 before channel fees |
| 300 pages | ~$5.80 | $9.19 before channel fees |
| 400 pages | ~$7.30 | $7.69 before channel fees |
Lulu prices vary by format, paper type, and quantity. These are estimates for standard paperback. Check lulu.com for current pricing.
For direct sales through Lulu’s own platform, Lulu works well. For authors who sell primarily through their own website or at events, the direct-to-consumer model is genuinely useful. For standard paperback format competing on Amazon, Lulu is not the obvious choice.
The 15-Factor Head-to-Head
| Factor | KDP Print | IngramSpark | Lulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | Free | $49/title | Free |
| File requirements | Word or PDF | Print-ready PDF only | Word or PDF |
| Amazon royalty | Highest (60% minus print) | Lower than KDP for Amazon | Varies |
| Bookstore distribution | Limited / ineffective | Extensive (40,000+ outlets) | Moderate |
| Library distribution | Limited | Yes (via Ingram wholesale) | Limited |
| International retailers | Limited | Yes (Waterstones, etc.) | Moderate |
| Hardcover option | Yes (limited trim sizes) | Yes | Yes |
| Color interior | Yes (expensive) | Yes (premium option) | Yes (best quality) |
| Specialty formats | Limited | Good range | Best range |
| Paper quality | Standard (slight yellow tint) | Standard to premium (whiter) | Standard to premium |
| Returns policy | Non-returnable | Returnable option available | Non-returnable |
| Publication speed | 24–72 hours | 2–5 business days | 3–5 business days |
| Direct sales option | No | No | Yes (Lulu storefront) |
| ISBNs provided | Free (Amazon as publisher) | Free or your own | Free (Lulu as publisher) |
| Minimum order | None | None | None |
The Returns Issue Nobody Talks About
Bookstores don’t stock books they can’t return. This is an industry standard, and most self-publishing guides skip over it entirely. When a Barnes & Noble buyer or an independent bookshop decides whether to order your title, one of their first questions is whether it’s returnable.
KDP Print books are non-returnable. IngramSpark gives you the option to make your title returnable — it costs you per returned copy, but it dramatically increases your chances of actual bookstore placement. If physical retail is a genuine goal, enabling returnability in IngramSpark is not optional. It’s the cost of doing business with retail buyers.
Lulu books are also non-returnable through their distribution channels, which is one reason Lulu rarely makes sense for authors targeting retail placement.
Print Quality: The Honest Assessment
All three services produce acceptable quality for commercial paperbacks. None of them match offset-press quality. The paper is lighter, the binding is perfect-bound (glued spine, not sewn), and color accuracy for full-color books is serviceable rather than exceptional.
KDP Print paper has a slightly yellowish tint compared to IngramSpark’s whiter stock. For text-heavy books, this doesn’t matter much. For books with photographs or detailed greyscale illustrations, the difference is more noticeable.
IngramSpark offers a premium color print option that produces noticeably better results than KDP Print’s standard color option for color-interior books. If you’re publishing a color-illustrated nonfiction book, the quality difference is worth the cost difference.
Lulu’s color quality is generally considered the best of the three for specialty formats. For a photography book or a heavily illustrated children’s book, Lulu is worth the higher per-unit cost.
Which One Should You Use? The Verdict by Use Case
| Your situation | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Selling primarily on Amazon | KDP Print only |
| Want bookstore + library distribution | KDP Print (Amazon) + IngramSpark (everywhere else) |
| Specialty or non-standard format | Lulu |
| Selling direct to your own audience | Lulu (via Lulu storefront) |
| Simplest possible setup | KDP Print |
| Physical bookstore placement is a goal | IngramSpark (with returnability enabled) |
| Color-heavy book (photography, illustrated) | Lulu or IngramSpark premium color |
| International distribution (UK, Australia, Europe) | IngramSpark |
| Academic or library market | IngramSpark |
The Hybrid Setup Most Professional Self-Publishers Use
The most common professional setup: KDP Print for your Amazon listing, IngramSpark for all other distribution. This gives you the best Amazon royalties and the widest non-Amazon reach. The $49 IngramSpark setup fee per title is the only additional cost.
One important technical detail: if you use both KDP Print and IngramSpark, disable IngramSpark’s Amazon distribution channel inside your IngramSpark account. If both distribute to Amazon simultaneously, you create competing listings and pricing confusion. Let KDP Print handle Amazon exclusively and IngramSpark handle everything else.
This setup, combined with a professionally formatted, well-designed book, is the print infrastructure that gives a self-published title a realistic chance of appearing in bookstores, being ordered by libraries, and showing up in international retail channels. Our complete guide to how Amazon KDP works and our full platform comparison cover the broader picture.
If you’d like a publishing team to handle your print setup, distribution configuration, and formatting professionally, XpressPublisher works with authors in the US and UK — you keep all rights and all royalties.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amazon Print on Demand
Is Amazon print on demand (KDP Print) free?
Yes. There is no setup fee to publish a print book through KDP Print. Amazon deducts the printing cost from your royalty on each sale. The standard royalty is 60% of the list price minus the per-unit printing cost, which varies by page count and trim size. You pay nothing upfront and only earn royalties when copies sell.
Can I use both KDP Print and IngramSpark for the same book?
Yes. Many professional self-published authors use KDP Print for Amazon sales and IngramSpark for bookstore and library distribution. If you do this, disable IngramSpark’s Amazon distribution channel inside your IngramSpark account to avoid creating competing listings. Let KDP Print handle Amazon and IngramSpark handle all other channels.
What is the print quality difference between KDP Print and IngramSpark?
Both produce acceptable quality for commercial paperbacks. IngramSpark’s paper stock tends to be whiter than KDP Print’s, which has a slight yellowish tint. For text-heavy books, the difference is minor. For greyscale photography or detailed illustrations, IngramSpark generally produces better results. For full-color books, IngramSpark’s premium color option is noticeably superior to KDP Print’s standard color option. Lulu typically produces the best color quality of the three, at a higher per-unit cost.
Does Amazon print on demand allow bookstore distribution?
KDP Print offers expanded distribution as an option, but actual bookstore pickup through this channel is minimal. Most physical bookstores do not order through Amazon’s distribution network. For genuine bookstore distribution, IngramSpark is the practical choice. IngramSpark also offers a returnable option, which is required for most retail buyers to consider stocking your title.
How much does IngramSpark cost compared to KDP Print?
KDP Print has no setup fee. IngramSpark charges $49 per title for print setup. Per-unit printing costs are broadly similar, with IngramSpark slightly higher for most page counts. The royalty structure differs: KDP Print pays 60% of the list price minus print cost for Amazon sales, while IngramSpark pays 40% of the list price minus print cost. This is why using KDP Print for Amazon and IngramSpark for other channels is generally the most profitable setup.
Is Lulu better than KDP Print for self-publishing?
Lulu is better than KDP Print for specialty formats (large format, coil binding, square trim, photo books), for authors selling directly to their own audience through Lulu’s storefront, and for color-heavy books where Lulu’s print quality is superior. KDP Print is better for standard paperback format books with Amazon as the primary sales channel, because its royalty structure on Amazon sales is more favorable. For most standard trade paperbacks, KDP Print plus IngramSpark covers more ground than Lulu alone.