Distribution: Why Selling Only on Amazon Leaves Half the Market Behind

Amazon accounts for about 50 to 55 percent of total US book sales when you combine print and digital. That is a large share, and it makes sense that many authors focus there. But focusing only on Amazon means the other 45 to 50 percent of the market is inaccessible to you.

Physical books represent 70 to 75 percent of total US book revenue by dollar value. Most of those physical book sales happen through retail channels that are entirely separate from Amazon, including independent bookstores, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Costco, airport retailers, and libraries. None of these channels are served by publishing exclusively on KDP.

The Library Market Is Larger Than Most Authors Realize

There are over 17,000 public libraries in the United States alone, and all of them have dedicated acquisition budgets. Libraries purchase books primarily through two wholesale distributors: Ingram and Baker and Taylor. A book that is not listed in Ingram's catalog is essentially invisible to library buyers, regardless of how popular it is on Amazon.

Libraries matter beyond the direct sale. Readers who discover a book through a library frequently go on to buy other titles by the same author. Library circulation also feeds Goodreads and review activity, which supports the book's visibility on retail platforms. The library market is a long-term discovery channel, not just a single sale.

Independent Bookstores and the Ingram Requirement

As of 2024, there are around 2,500 independent bookstores operating in the United States, a number that has grown steadily since 2009. Independent bookstores almost exclusively order through Ingram. If your book is not listed in Ingram's catalog with the right metadata, the right pricing discount, and returnable status, these stores will not stock it.

The standard trade discount for bookstores is 55 percent off the retail price. Setting a lower discount, which some POD publishing setups default to, disqualifies the book from most bookstore orders. Returnability is equally important. Bookstores order on consignment terms and need the ability to return unsold copies. A book marked as non-returnable will be passed over.

IngramSpark and Wide Distribution

IngramSpark is the primary tool for indie authors who want access to bookstores and libraries. It connects directly to Ingram's wholesale network, which distributes to over 39,000 retailers and libraries in more than 100 countries. Setting up a title on IngramSpark costs around $49 per book, though this fee is frequently waived through partnerships with author organizations.

For ebook distribution beyond Amazon, Draft2Digital is the most commonly used aggregator. It distributes to Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Scribd, OverDrive, Hoopla, and other platforms from a single upload, taking a 10 percent royalty with no upfront cost. This covers the library ebook market, which is accessed through OverDrive and Hoopla and reaches tens of millions of library card holders.

The KDP Select Exclusivity Tradeoff

KDP Select requires that an ebook be sold exclusively on Amazon for 90-day rolling periods. In exchange, the book is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited and the author earns per page read. For certain genres, particularly romance, thriller, and sci-fi, where Kindle Unlimited has a large active readership, this tradeoff can be worth it.

But the cost of exclusivity is real. A KDP Select book cannot be sold on Apple Books, Kobo, or through OverDrive for library lending during its exclusivity window. Apple Books has significant revenue for many authors, particularly in international English-language markets. OverDrive serves 92 million library card holders. Choosing exclusivity means choosing to be absent from those audiences entirely.

Metadata Is the Foundation of Distribution

Distribution infrastructure only works if the metadata attached to your book is correct and complete. Metadata includes your BISAC subject categories, which retailers use to place books in the right browse sections. It includes your book description, which appears on every retailer page. It includes your territorial rights settings, which determine which countries can sell your book. And it includes your ISBN, which is the universal identifier that connects all these systems.

Authors who use Amazon's free ASIN instead of purchasing their own ISBN are essentially tying their book's identity to a single retailer. An owned ISBN, purchased through Bowker in the United States, connects the book's identity to the author and persists across every distribution channel independently.

Treating metadata as a one-time upload task is one of the most common and costly mistakes in book distribution. The title, categories, keywords, and description are live marketing assets that should be reviewed and updated as the market evolves and as the book accumulates reviews and social proof that can be reflected in the description.