What you need before you start
IngramSpark is a distribution account, not a storefront, so the setup is closer to opening a trade account than to filling in a retail form.
An IngramSpark account
Register at myaccount.ingramspark.com. There is no cost to create an account or to set up a new book, and one account covers print and ebook titles under the same imprint.
An imprint or publisher name
IngramSpark lists a publisher of record for every title. If you want your own imprint on the book, decide the name now and use it consistently across the ISBN registration, the copyright page and the metadata.
An ISBN for every format
ISBNs are required and every format needs its own: paperback, hardcover and ebook are three separate numbers. You can buy from your national agency, buy through IngramSpark for $85, or take a complimentary IngramSpark ISBN, which is non-transferable and owned by IngramSpark.
Tax and payment details
Complete the tax form for your country and add the bank account that receives compensation. Ingram pays by market, so a US and a UK account will both earn if you distribute in both.
Final files and a final page count
IngramSpark computes the cover spine from the page count, so the interior must be finished before the cover is generated. Any change to the interior means a new cover file.
Which AIWriteBook files go where
Two files do the work here, and both come out of the Format step ready for a print-on-demand pipeline.
Print PDF
This is the interior. It uploads on the file step of title setup and must satisfy the PDF/X-1a:2001 standard, with fonts embedded and no live transparency or layers.
Wrap cover PDF
This is the cover: back cover, spine and front cover on a single spread, sized for your page count and paper choice, with the ISBN barcode on the back.
EPUB
Only needed if you also set up an ebook title on IngramSpark. It is a separate title setup with its own ISBN, and most authors distribute their ebook through a retailer or an aggregator instead.
eBook cover JPG
Used with the EPUB if you run the ebook title. It is not used anywhere in the print setup.
DOCX
Not accepted. IngramSpark takes print-ready PDFs only, so keep the DOCX for editing.
Exact file and metadata specs
Ingram's file review is automated first and human second. These are the requirements that decide whether it passes the automated stage.
| Interior standard | PDF/X-1a:2001. That standard disallows transparency, layers and embedded colour profiles, and requires all fonts to be embedded. An ordinary export from a word processor usually fails it. |
|---|---|
| Interior page size | The page size must equal the trim size you selected in setup. Bleed, where your design needs it, extends the content past the trim edge rather than changing the declared trim. |
| Cover | A single wraparound PDF covering back, spine and front as one spread, with the spine width derived from page count, paper stock and binding. |
| Barcode | The cover carries the ISBN as a printed barcode on the back cover, and that ISBN must be the same number you entered in the metadata. |
| Resolution | Images at 300 DPI at final size. Upscaled artwork prints visibly soft and is the single most common cause of a cover being sent back. |
| Title and author | Must match the cover and the title page. Ingram feeds this metadata straight to retailers and libraries, so a mismatch propagates everywhere before you can correct it. |
| Description | Written as retail copy. It is what appears on Amazon, on Barnes & Noble and in library catalogues, so it should read as a jacket blurb rather than a summary. |
| BISAC categories | IngramSpark uses BISAC subject codes rather than a store's own category tree. Choose up to three, and pick precise codes; librarians and buyers search on them. |
| File review | Ingram checks the uploaded files after submission and reports any problems back to you before the title is released for printing. |
| Distribution lead time | Once files are approved, retail listings appear within a few days and expanded reach into bookshops and library systems builds over the following weeks. |
The title setup walkthrough, screen by screen
IngramSpark splits setup into title information, then print and file specifications, then market and pricing. You can save and return at any point, and nothing is submitted until the final review page.
- 1
Start a new title
From the dashboard choose to add a title and select the format: print book, ebook, or both. Choosing both runs the print setup first and then repeats the metadata for the ebook.
Click: Add a New Title > Print Book (or Print & Ebook).
- 2
Enter the title information
Fill title, subtitle, series name and number, edition, contributors with their roles, and the language. The contributor section is where an illustrator, editor or translator is credited, and those credits carry through to retail listings.
Fields: Title, Subtitle, Series, Edition, Contributors, Language.
- 3
Enter the ISBN and publisher details
Enter the ISBN for this format, or request one from IngramSpark. Set the imprint, the publication date and the copyright year. The publication date should be the date you want retailers to show, not the date you are filling the form.
Fields: ISBN, Imprint, Publication Date, Copyright Year.
- 4
Add the description and subject codes
Paste the retail description, add the BISAC subject codes, the audience, and keywords. If the book is part of a series or has a regional focus, say so here rather than burying it in the description.
Fields: Description, BISAC Codes, Audience, Keywords.
- 5
Choose the print specifications
Select interior colour, paper stock, binding type, laminate finish and the trim size. These choices set the printing cost and the spine width, so they must be settled before the cover is produced.
Fields: Interior Colour, Paper, Binding, Laminate, Trim Size.
- 6
Upload the interior and cover files
Upload the PDF/X-1a:2001 interior, then the wraparound cover PDF. The uploader validates the files and reports errors immediately, before you move on.
Click: Upload Interior File > Upload Cover File.
- 7
Set the wholesale discount and returns
Choose the discount you offer the trade and whether the book is returnable. This is the screen that decides whether a physical bookshop can order your title on normal terms.
Fields: Wholesale Discount, Returns Option.
- 8
Set prices per market
Enter a list price for each market you enable: US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and others. IngramSpark shows the print cost and the resulting compensation per copy as you type.
Fields: List Price per market, Markets enabled.
- 9
Review and submit
The final page restates every choice. Check the ISBN, the trim size and the page count against your files one more time, then submit the title for file review.
Click: Submit Title.
- 10
Order and approve a proof
Order a printed proof and check the trim, the gutter margin, the spine alignment and the colour before you release the title to distribution. Approving without a proof is how covers end up a few millimetres off.
Click: Order Proof, then approve the title once the proof is correct.
Discounts, returns and what you earn
IngramSpark does not pay a flat royalty. Your compensation is the list price, minus the discount you grant the trade, minus the print cost. Those two settings are the whole commercial decision.
| Wholesale discount, US and Canada | You can set a discount between 40% and 55% for the US and Canadian markets. The higher the discount, the more attractive the book is to a retailer, and the less you keep per copy. |
|---|---|
| Wholesale discount, international | International markets allow 35% to 55%. The same trade-off applies, and you can set different discounts in different markets. |
| Returns | Publishers traditionally give booksellers the right to return unsold copies, and IngramSpark lets you choose whether your book is returnable. Physical bookshops rarely stock a non-returnable title, so the setting matters much more if you want shelf placement than if you expect online orders. |
| Compensation formula | Your payment per copy is the list price less the wholesale discount less the print cost. Set the list price high enough that this stays positive at the discount you chose, not just at the lowest one. |
| Setup cost | There is no cost to create an account or set up a new book. |
| ISBN cost | Bring your own, buy one through IngramSpark for $85, or take the complimentary IngramSpark ISBN, which IngramSpark owns and which cannot be transferred to another publisher or platform. |
Proofing and common rejections
IngramSpark's file review is the strictest of the platforms in this series, which is exactly why its print quality is trusted. These are the failures it reports most often.
PDF is not PDF/X-1a:2001
The standard bans transparency, layers and embedded colour profiles. Export with the PDF/X-1a:2001 preset rather than a generic 'high quality print' preset, and flatten any drop shadows or transparent overlays first.
Fonts are not embedded
Any font the printer cannot resolve gets substituted, which changes line breaks and page count. Embed every font at export, including the ones used only in headers or page numbers.
Spine width is wrong
The spine is computed from page count, paper and binding. If you changed any of the three after generating the cover, regenerate it; a spine that is out by a millimetre wraps the artwork onto the front.
Barcode or ISBN mismatch
The ISBN in the metadata, the ISBN on the copyright page and the barcode on the back cover must all be the same number. This is a frequent failure when a paperback cover gets reused for a hardcover.
Low resolution images
Anything under 300 DPI at final print size is flagged. Replace the source image rather than upscaling it.
Trim size disagreement
The PDF page size must equal the trim size you chose in setup. Uploading a 6 x 9 in file against an A5 selection fails immediately.
Metadata does not match the cover
Title, subtitle and author must be identical in the form, on the cover and on the title page. Ingram distributes the metadata to retailers, so fixing it after release means chasing corrections across several catalogues.
After the title goes live
Distribution is a slow-moving pipeline. These are the things worth checking once the file review clears.
Watch the retail listings appear
Online retailers pick up the title within a few days of approval, while bookshop and library catalogue reach builds over the following weeks. Search for your ISBN rather than your title, because titles collide and ISBNs do not.
Link editions on retailer pages
If you also publish a Kindle edition through KDP, the two sometimes land on separate Amazon pages. Ask Amazon support to link the editions, quoting both ISBNs or ASINs.
Keep the metadata current
Description, price, categories and discount can be updated from the title dashboard, and changes flow back out to retailers. A new file upload, by contrast, means a new file review.
Use it alongside a retailer account
Many authors run KDP for Amazon print and IngramSpark for everyone else, precisely because Ingram reaches the bookshops and libraries Amazon does not.
Track compensation by market
Reports are per market and settle on Ingram's schedule rather than instantly. Look at compensation per copy after discount and print cost, not at gross sales, when you judge whether a price is working.
Questions people actually ask
Do I have to buy my own ISBN for IngramSpark?+
No. You can buy from your national agency, purchase one through IngramSpark for $85, or take a complimentary IngramSpark ISBN. The complimentary one is owned by IngramSpark and is non-transferable, so it ties that edition to them.
Is there a setup fee in 2026?+
No. IngramSpark states there is no cost to create an account or set up a new book.
Why does IngramSpark insist on PDF/X-1a:2001?+
It is a constrained PDF standard that removes the things that print unpredictably: transparency, layers and colour profiles that the press cannot honour. Meeting it is what makes the printed result match what you saw on screen.
Should my book be returnable?+
If you want physical bookshops to stock it, yes, because the trade expects to return unsold stock. If your sales are overwhelmingly online, the risk of paying for returned copies may not be worth it.
Can I use IngramSpark and KDP at the same time?+
Yes, for print. Many authors run KDP for the Amazon paperback and IngramSpark for everything else. Just use a different ISBN for each printing source if you set up both as separate editions.
How long before bookshops can order the book?+
Retail listings appear within a few days of file approval, and wider bookshop and library availability builds over the following weeks as catalogues refresh.
The bottom line
IngramSpark asks more of you up front than any retailer does: a real ISBN, a real imprint, a PDF that meets a print standard, and a commercial decision about discount and returns. In exchange it puts your book in the catalogue that bookshops and libraries actually order from.
The file requirements are where most time is lost, and they are entirely mechanical. If you formatted in AIWriteBook, the print PDF and the wraparound cover come out of the Format step already built around the trim size, page count and spine width Ingram is going to check.
Complete guides for every other store
Seven platforms, seven walkthroughs. Each one covers the files, the form fields, the royalties and the rejections for that store.
Write the book, then send it to the trade
AIWriteBook drafts your book chapter by chapter, designs the cover, and exports the print PDF and wraparound cover PDF that IngramSpark's file review expects.
No credit card required. First chapter on the house.