In the span of a single week, I have heard from several authors experiencing problems with making their book available on Amazon—especially for pre-order—when distributing solely via IngramSpark. One is a self-published author; another is published by a small press using IngramSpark. Amazon has not announced a policy change, although one publisher told an author there has been a change in policy.
So what is going on? TL;DR: I don’t believe there has been a policy change, but authors may experience the usual kinks in the system. David Wogahn, who runs AuthorImprints and manages this process for clients, wrote me recently, “This month and next I had/have three books on pre-order on Amazon via IngramSpark, and everything is fine. I do have a book that was recently removed from Amazon after being there on pre-order via Ingram. This can happen if a new file is submitted after the book is formally approved for distribution. Ingram has a warning message about this. Most of the time it doesn’t come down, but it did for this book (about one in 20 times in my experience). And of course the client is freaking out and this is after I warned him. So I wonder if they made a change to their book during distribution. All this being said, I’ve experienced a bunch of Ingram-related issues the last six or so months.”
Another author who regularly self-publishes, Darcy Pattison, says these problems happen with some regularity when Amazon and Ingram don’t play nice with each other. So she always publishes directly on Amazon (using KDP) even though it’s a bit of a pain, since they have slightly different specs on covers. “But I want my books available with no problems,” she wrote me.
I also asked Andrea Fleck-Nisbet at the Independent Book Publishers Association if they have any guidance on the matter, and her contact at Ingram said Amazon is not suppressing pre-orders to their knowledge. A word to the wise: Membership in an organization like IBPA or ALLi can greatly help you sort through difficulties like these when they occur.
Best practice: Like Darcy Pattison, most authors are best served by having both an Amazon KDP and IngramSpark account if they plan to sell print editions widely. Don’t check “expanded distribution” when using KDP in such a scenario. ALLi has full guidance on this.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
Yes, there are problems around many corners at Ingram. I’m back up there publishing after a six-year layoff (for my new novel, Sins of Liberty). Service has declined, and by that I mean the support system is now overwhelmed. It seems there’s a paid-ticket level of service that might be needed. Going to a chat for support is promised at 8-10 minutes response and often turns out to be three times that long. While you wait, Ingram emails you to ask how it’s going with your ticket, before they’ve even added a bit of help. Two million titles a year publish now, and Ingram is the narrow funnel for the bookstore channel. Expect delays. by all means, set up your paperback for production at KDP.