Publish Setup · IngramSpark Topic 3 of 8
ISBN on IngramSpark
What to do
Understand IngramSpark's ISBN policy, which is a meaningfully different tradeoff than KDP's, plan to supply your own ISBN for the strongest results.
Why it matters
This is one of the biggest practical differences between the two platforms. KDP gives every paperback and hardcover a free ISBN automatically. IngramSpark's whole business is built around wholesale distribution to other retailers and libraries, and a free, platform-owned ISBN limits how well that works, most experienced self-publishers who choose IngramSpark specifically to get their own imprint out into stores and libraries buy and use their own ISBN.
Step-by-step
- See the Choosing an ISBN topic earlier in this stage (in the KDP walkthrough) for the general background on what an ISBN does and the difference between a free platform-assigned one and one you own, that explanation applies here too and isn't repeated in full below.
- The IngramSpark-specific difference: IngramSpark does offer an optional free ISBN, but like KDP's free ISBN, it's owned by IngramSpark, non-transferable, and lists IngramSpark's own "Indy Pub" imprint as publisher rather than your name or your own imprint, so it carries the same core limitation as the free KDP ISBN, just under a different platform's name.
- If your reason for using IngramSpark in the first place is bookstore/library reach and your own publisher identity, buy and enter your own ISBN (in the US, from Bowker's MyIdentifiers, or your country's ISBN agency, the same source mentioned in the earlier ISBN topic). IngramSpark also sells ISBNs directly during title setup at a discounted bundled rate, if you'd rather buy it there instead of separately.
- Remember the same cross-platform rule from the earlier ISBN topic: a free ISBN assigned by KDP cannot be reused on IngramSpark, and a free ISBN assigned by IngramSpark cannot be reused elsewhere either. Each edition, on each platform, needs an ISBN it's actually allowed to use there, an ISBN you personally own is the only kind that travels with you across platforms.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming IngramSpark's free ISBN option gives you the same ownership and imprint control as buying your own, it doesn't; it carries the same platform-lock and "Indy Pub" imprint limitation as any other platform-assigned free ISBN.
- Trying to reuse a free ISBN that KDP already assigned to your book on IngramSpark, that's not allowed; that specific ISBN belongs to KDP's system.
Completion checklist
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Troubleshooting
I already own an ISBN I used on KDP. Can I use that same one on IngramSpark?
Yes, an ISBN you personally own and control (not one KDP or IngramSpark assigned to you for free) can be reused for the same edition across platforms. That portability is exactly why owning your own ISBN is worth the small upfront cost if you plan to use more than one platform.
Do I need a different ISBN for my IngramSpark paperback and hardcover?
Yes, same rule as KDP: each distinct format needs its own unique ISBN.