The number of self-publishing platforms available today is genuinely overwhelming if you’re approaching this for the first time. Amazon, IngramSpark, Lulu, Barnes & Noble — they all want your book, and the differences between them aren’t obvious from their marketing pages.
This guide cuts through it. Here’s what each major self-publishing platform actually does, who it’s built for, what it costs, and which one (or combination) makes sense for your goals.
What You’re Actually Comparing
Before getting into specific platforms, it helps to know what the variables are — because each platform makes trade-offs across the same set of factors.
Distribution reach covers which stores, retailers, libraries, and territories will carry your book. A platform with narrow distribution might still be the right choice if your market is primarily Amazon — but you need to go in knowing that.
Royalties are calculated differently across platforms. Some take a percentage of the cover price, others work from net receipts after printing costs. The headline percentage can be misleading — always check what your actual per-copy earnings look like at your intended price point.
Control covers things like how freely you can update your files, whether exclusivity is required, and whether you can unpublish at will. These matter more than most authors realise until they’re locked into a situation they can’t easily exit.
Format options determine what physical specifications are available — trim sizes, paper stock, binding types — and whether those options are adequate for your genre and reader expectations.
Upfront costs include any setup fees, ISBN requirements, and proof copy requirements.
Amazon KDP
KDP is the platform most self-publishing authors encounter first, and for straightforward Amazon-focused publishing, it’s hard to argue against it as a starting point.
Ebook royalties are 70% for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99, and 35% outside that range. Print royalties are 60% of the list price minus the per-unit printing cost. Getting to market is fast — usually 24 to 72 hours from upload to live listing.
However, the limitation is distribution. KDP’s expanded distribution to non-Amazon retailers is available, but the royalty on those sales drops to 40% of the list price minus printing costs. Moreover, the actual bookstore pickup rate is very low. Most physical bookstores do not order through Amazon’s distribution channel regardless of what the program says on paper.
KDP Select — the optional program that gives Amazon exclusive ebook rights in exchange for Kindle Unlimited enrollment — can work well in genres where subscription readers are active: romance, thriller, fantasy, and science fiction particularly. In most nonfiction categories, the exclusivity trade-off is rarely worth it.
Best for: Authors whose primary market is Amazon; fiction authors in Kindle Unlimited-heavy genres; first-time self-publishers who want the simplest setup.
IngramSpark
IngramSpark is owned by Ingram Content Group, the largest book distributor in North America. That parentage matters. Indeed, Ingram’s network reaches over 40,000 retailers and libraries globally, including independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones in the UK, and public library systems.
If getting your print book into actual bookstores is a goal, IngramSpark is the practical route. KDP simply does not deliver reliable physical retail distribution — and IngramSpark does.
The setup is more involved. IngramSpark charges a title setup fee (currently $49 for print, with periodic waiver promotions available). It requires print-ready PDFs rather than Word documents, meaning your interior formatting needs to be production-quality before you upload. Most authors find they need professional formatting help for this. Royalties on print books are 40% of the list price after printing costs. That’s generally slightly lower than KDP for direct Amazon sales, but it covers far more channels.
A common and effective strategy: publish print books through IngramSpark for broad distribution, and publish ebooks through KDP directly. This gives you physical retail access plus Amazon’s full ebook ecosystem without the constraints of KDP Select.
Best for: Authors who want print distribution beyond Amazon — bookstores, libraries, and international retailers. Authors with professional-quality manuscript files or a production team behind them.
Lulu
Lulu has been operating since 2002 and works as both a self-publishing platform and a print-on-demand manufacturer. It’s particularly well-suited for niche or specialty formats — photography books, academic works, cookbooks with unusual dimensions, or anything requiring a physical format that KDP and IngramSpark don’t support.
Royalties on Lulu’s own bookstore are set by the author on top of the base printing cost — so you determine your own margin rather than working within a fixed percentage. Distribution to external retailers runs through Lulu’s own network, which covers Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and some international channels, though not as comprehensively as IngramSpark.
The platform’s real strength is format flexibility. Lulu offers comic-book sizes, large-format printing, coil binding for workbooks, and a wider range of paper options than the major platforms. If your book requires a non-standard physical format, Lulu is often the most practical option.
Best for: Specialty, niche, or unusual-format books; authors selling primarily direct to their audience; workbooks, photography books, and academic publications.
Barnes & Noble Press
B&N Press is Barnes & Noble’s self-publishing platform, distributing ebooks to the Nook ecosystem and print books through their website and stores.
The honest assessment: B&N Press is a reasonable secondary platform rather than a primary one. The Nook ebook market is a fraction of the Kindle market. While getting your print book on the Barnes & Noble website is useful, it doesn’t guarantee placement on physical store shelves. For shelf placement, you still need IngramSpark or a direct relationship with B&N buyers — the platform alone doesn’t provide it.
Ebook royalties are 65% for titles priced $2.99 and above. Print is print-on-demand with royalty based on price minus printing cost, similar in structure to KDP.
Best for: Authors who want to cover the Nook ebook audience specifically; best used as a supplement to a KDP and IngramSpark foundation rather than as a standalone platform.
Self-Publishing Platforms: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Amazon KDP | IngramSpark | Lulu | B&N Press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebook royalty | 35–70% | 40% net | Set by author | 65% |
| Print royalty | 60% minus print cost | 40% minus print cost | Set by author above print cost | ~60% minus print cost |
| Setup fee | Free | $49/title | Free | Free |
| Bookstore distribution | Limited | Extensive (40,000+ retailers) | Moderate | B&N only |
| Library distribution | Limited | Yes (via Ingram) | Limited | No |
| Format options | Moderate | Good | Excellent | Moderate |
| File requirements | Word or PDF | Print-ready PDF | Word or PDF | Word or PDF |
| Ebook exclusivity option | Yes (KDP Select) | No | No | No |
| Publication speed | 24–72 hours | 2–5 days | 3–5 days | 2–5 days |
What Self-Publishing Platforms Don’t Cover
The platforms handle distribution. They do not handle everything else that determines whether your book succeeds.
A manuscript uploaded in a default Word export, with a cover made in a free template tool, and a book description written in five minutes will not perform well. Not because the platform failed it — but because the inputs weren’t good enough.
Formatting a print book to professional standards requires knowledge of bleed margins, gutter widths, widow and orphan control, and exporting to press-ready PDF. Cover design for a book is different from general graphic design. Genre conventions exist for a reason, and readers use covers as fast signals about what kind of book they’re about to open. A cover that looks self-made tells a reader something immediately — and usually not what you want them to think.
Furthermore, none of the platforms above provide editing. None provide cover design. None run your marketing campaign or build your reader audience. Getting your book live is one thing. Getting it to the readers who would actually buy it is a separate challenge that the platforms don’t address at all.
This is worth understanding before you decide which platform is “best.” The platform is the last step, not the whole picture.
Do You Need an ISBN — and Where Do You Get One?
Each platform handles ISBNs differently, and the choice affects how retail and library systems identify your book.
KDP provides free ISBNs for print books, but an ISBN assigned by KDP lists Amazon as the publisher of record. If you care about how your book appears in trade databases and on retailer listings, this matters. Purchasing your own ISBN from Bowker (US) or Nielsen (UK) lets you list yourself or your own imprint as the publisher.
IngramSpark also provides ISBNs, and they offer the option to purchase your own independently. Since IngramSpark feeds directly into Ingram’s wholesale catalogue — the same database libraries and bookstores order from — how your publisher information appears there is worth paying attention to.
For ebooks on KDP, Amazon assigns its own ASIN and no ISBN is technically required, though having one is useful if you plan to sell the ebook elsewhere.
The Strategy Most Authors End Up With
In practice, most authors who think carefully about their options end up with a hybrid setup.
KDP for ebook distribution (taking advantage of Amazon’s market dominance and the 70% royalty tier). IngramSpark for print distribution (giving you bookstore and library access without being dependent on Amazon’s limited expanded distribution). Optionally, B&N Press and Kobo Writing Life for ebook reach on non-Kindle platforms — straightforward to set up and worth doing if you’re not in KDP Select.
Ultimately, the decision that genuinely matters is not which platform you choose. It’s how you approach the production work and the marketing. A well-produced, well-marketed book on KDP alone will outperform a poorly produced book on every platform simultaneously.
The Option Many Authors Don’t Consider
There’s a category of publishing services that sits between “do everything yourself on KDP” and “sign with a traditional publisher who takes your rights and most of your revenue.”
Full-service publishing companies handle the work that the self-publishing platforms leave to you — cover design, interior formatting, distribution setup, ISBN management, and marketing — while you keep full ownership of your rights and 100% of your royalties from the platforms themselves.
XpressPublisher works this way. Authors retain all rights. We handle the production, distribution, and marketing work so the book is done properly and positioned to reach readers. The book is yours — we just make sure it competes with traditionally published titles rather than looking obviously self-produced.
If you’ve looked at the platform options above, understood the production work involved, and thought “I want this handled by people who know what they’re doing” — that’s exactly what a full-service publishing service is built for.
See XpressPublisher’s publishing packages →
Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Publishing Platforms
Can I publish on multiple self-publishing platforms at the same time?
For print books, yes — there is no exclusivity requirement on any of the major platforms. For ebooks, you can publish on multiple platforms as long as you don’t enroll in KDP Select, which requires Amazon exclusivity during each 90-day enrollment period. Many authors publish ebooks on Amazon only (KDP Select) or across all platforms (called “going wide”) depending on their genre and strategy.
Which self-publishing platform pays the highest royalties?
For direct Amazon ebook sales, KDP’s 70% royalty tier is the highest available. For print books, KDP and IngramSpark are broadly comparable when selling through Amazon. However, IngramSpark’s royalty structure often works out slightly lower per Amazon copy, while giving you distribution channels KDP doesn’t. For non-Amazon ebook sales, platforms like Kobo Writing Life also offer 70%. The highest royalties overall come from selling direct through your own website, where you keep 95%+ of revenue — though this requires building your own audience first.
Can I get my self-published book into physical bookstores?
Physical bookstore stocking is not guaranteed by any self-publishing platform. IngramSpark gives you the wholesale distribution infrastructure that makes it possible — your book becomes orderable through Ingram’s catalogue, which is what bookstores use. Whether an individual store chooses to stock your title depends on the store’s buying decisions, the book’s professional presentation, genre fit, and sometimes the author’s local profile. IngramSpark makes bookstore distribution accessible; it does not make it automatic.
Do I need to buy an ISBN to self-publish?
For ebooks on KDP, an ISBN is not required — Amazon assigns its own ASIN. For print books and for distribution to bookstores and libraries, a proper ISBN is required. You can use a free ISBN from KDP or IngramSpark, but the publisher of record will be the platform rather than you. Purchasing your own ISBN from Bowker (US) or Nielsen (UK) lets you list yourself or your own imprint as the publisher, which looks more professional and is worth doing if bookstore or library distribution is part of your plan.
What’s the difference between a self-publishing platform and a vanity publisher?
Self-publishing platforms like KDP and IngramSpark charge nothing or minimal fees upfront. You retain all rights and keep your royalties directly from the platform. Vanity publishers, by contrast, charge large fees — often $2,000 to $20,000 or more. The services are variable in quality, and some retain rights or take royalty cuts on top of those upfront fees. A legitimate professional publishing service is not the same as a vanity publisher: it charges transparent rates for production work while you keep full rights and 100% of your platform royalties.
Is IngramSpark worth the setup fee?
For most authors who want distribution beyond Amazon, yes. The $49 title setup fee buys you access to Ingram’s wholesale network — the same channel bookstores and libraries use to order inventory. IngramSpark periodically offers fee waiver promotions, so it’s worth checking before you set up. If your only goal is selling on Amazon and you don’t care about physical bookstores or libraries, KDP may be sufficient on its own and the IngramSpark fee may not be justified.
Which self-publishing platform should I use as a first-time author?
For most first-time authors, starting with KDP is the most practical choice — it’s free, fast, and gives you access to the largest book marketplace in the world. If you also want print distribution to bookstores and libraries, add IngramSpark for your print edition. The more important question than which platform is whether your book is professionally produced. Editing, cover design, and proper formatting will have more impact on your results than your platform choice.
About XpressPublisher: XpressPublisher is a full-service book publishing company serving authors in the USA and UK. We handle editing, cover design, formatting, distribution setup, and book marketing — with authors retaining full rights and 100% of their royalties from publishing platforms. Learn more about our services →