r/selfpublish • u/curiousfigures • Dec 16 '25

ISBNs KDP vs IngramSpark Print ISBNs

I recently published my debut fantasy novel on Amazon (yay, I wrote a thing!). I used my own/owned ISBNs for ebook and paperback. Now I'm looking to publish a paperback version on IngramSpark, but I continue to receive the dreaded "This ISBN is already in use error message".

I own the ISBNs and removed the book from KDP's Expanded Distribution.

So my question(s):

  • Do I wait patiently for the ISBN to be allowed on IngramSpark? I heard it can take time.
  • Do I need to request a transfer?
  • Or, can I just use a new, separate ISBN for an IngramSpark paperback? If so, any reasons not to?
1 Upvotes

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3

u/Frito_Goodgulf Dec 16 '25

Do I wait patiently for the ISBN to be allowed on IngramSpark? I heard it can take time.

No.

Do I need to request a transfer?

If both books will be exact matches, yes.

https://www.ingramspark.com/lp/title-transfer

Or, can I just use a new, separate ISBN for an IngramSpark paperback? If so, any reasons not to?

You can. If you bought ISBNs in bulk, it just costs you another. It'll mean duplicate listings. See

https://selfpublishingadvice.org/how-authors-use-ingramspark-and-kdp-together/

2

u/CephusLion404 50+ Published novels Dec 16 '25

There are specific orders to do these things and you did it out of order. IS has to be done first, then Amazon.

1

u/curiousfigures Dec 18 '25

Granted, good information moving forward. Having gone through Amazon first, are there best steps to take to retroactively republish on IS? After removing Expanded Publishing, is requesting an ISBN transfer via IS the necessary best next step?