IngramSpark vs. BooksOasis: Distribution Network or Your Own Storefront?

IngramSpark and BooksOasis both let an independent author sell a printed book without printing a single copy in advance, but they are built for different jobs. IngramSpark is a distributor: it lists your book in the Ingram catalogue so bookshops, libraries and online retailers around the world can order it. BooksOasis is a bookstore: readers browse and buy directly from it, and you keep the full price of every ebook you sell there.

That difference drives everything else in this comparison: how you earn, who sets the final price a reader pays, which readers can find you, and how much control you keep. This guide walks through each point, with figures checked at each platform's own pages, and ends with the setup many authors use: both at once, each for its own job.

Whichever route you choose, the files matter first. A clean, correctly sized interior and a cover built to the exact spine width decide whether a print book looks professional. LiberScript exports print-ready PDFs and EPUBs that work on IngramSpark, BooksOasis and every other major platform, so formatting once serves them all.

At a glance: IngramSpark vs. BooksOasis

What IngramSpark does

IngramSpark is the self-publishing arm of Ingram, one of the largest book distributors in the world. When you publish a print book through IngramSpark, it enters a catalogue that bookshops, library suppliers and online retailers use to order stock. A bookshop that wants your book orders a copy through its usual channel; IngramSpark prints it and ships it on the retailer's behalf.

That reach is the reason authors choose it. KDP Print is simpler and usually pays more on Amazon, but most bookshops don't order from Amazon. If you want a local bookshop to be able to stock your book, or a library to order it, IngramSpark is the usual route.

IngramSpark also changed its pricing in 2026. According to industry reports, it removed title setup fees and, from February 2026, its revision fee, and it now charges a market access fee of 1.875% of the list price on sales, up from 1.5%. Printing costs also rose for many books, especially hardcovers. Always check IngramSpark's own calculator for your exact book.

What BooksOasis does

BooksOasis is an online bookstore made for independent authors and small presses. You list a book once and can offer it as an ebook, a paperback and a hardcover on the same listing, each with its own price. Readers browse genres, series, new releases and books on sale, buy directly, and read ebooks in the Oasis Reader app on their phone, tablet or computer.

Instead of a commission, BooksOasis charges a flat yearly plan: $29.99 for up to 10 books, $179 for 100 and $599 for 500. Because the plan covers the store, every ebook sale pays you its full price. Print copies are printed on demand when a reader orders; you earn the price minus the printing cost and a handling fee of 30% of that printing cost, and the reader pays shipping at checkout.

BooksOasis does not send your book to other stores, bookshops or libraries. It is one storefront, not a distribution network, which is why it sits naturally alongside a distributor like IngramSpark rather than replacing it.

How you earn on print

This is where the two differ most. On IngramSpark, you set a list price and a wholesale discount. The discount is the share a retailer keeps; bookshops generally expect around 40% or more before they will consider stocking a book. From what remains, IngramSpark deducts the printing cost and its fees, and the rest is yours. A high discount opens the door to bookshops but leaves you less per copy; a low discount pays more online but makes bookshop stocking unlikely.

On BooksOasis there is no wholesale discount, because BooksOasis is the store. You set the price readers pay, and your earnings are that price minus the printing cost and the 30% handling fee on it. BooksOasis shows each print format's printing cost and its minimum price (printing cost plus the fee) in your dashboard, and a format can't be sold below that minimum.

How you earn on ebooks

IngramSpark distributes ebooks to retailers too, and your earnings are the retailer's payment under IngramSpark's terms. Many authors, though, publish ebooks directly with the big stores or through an aggregator and use IngramSpark only for print.

On BooksOasis, every ebook sale pays you 100% of the price, whatever price you choose. There are no price bands and no delivery charges. That makes BooksOasis a useful place to send your own readers, from your newsletter or website, when you want the whole price of a sale to reach you.

Reach: who can find your book

IngramSpark's reach is wide but indirect. Your book becomes available to order, but a bookshop still has to decide to stock it, and online retailers decide how to display it. Distribution is not the same as discovery; most authors still need to drive readers to their book.

BooksOasis's reach is narrower but direct. Your book sits in a store where readers are actively browsing for something to read, with genre shelves, series pages, a Coming Soon shelf for pre-orders, and banners for books on sale. It will never put your book on a bookshop shelf, but it gives you a storefront with its own readers.

Formats, sizes and files

IngramSpark offers a very wide range of trim sizes, papers and bindings, including hardcovers with dust jackets. BooksOasis supports five common trim sizes (5 x 8, 5.5 x 8.5, 6 x 9, 7 x 10 and 8.5 x 11 inches), paperbacks from 32 to 800 pages and hardcovers from 24 to 800. It checks your interior and cover automatically before submission and shows the exact cover size and spine width once your interior is uploaded.

Both need a print-ready interior PDF and a full-wrap cover built for your page count. If you format in LiberScript, you choose the trim size, and the export matches it, so the same interior can go to either platform. Remember to build a separate cover for each printer, because each has its own template and spine calculation.

ISBNs and ownership

IngramSpark requires an ISBN for each format. In the US, many authors buy them from Bowker; in some countries ISBNs are free from the national agency. BooksOasis identifies each edition in its own store, so an ISBN is optional. If you sell the same print edition through several channels, owning an ISBN lets you use it consistently everywhere.

Neither platform takes your rights. Your manuscript, cover and ISBNs remain yours, and you can remove or change listings whenever you need to, for example to release a revised edition.

Getting live, and keeping things tidy

Timelines differ too. An IngramSpark title can take a while to appear across every retailer's catalogue, because each retailer picks up Ingram's data on its own schedule; allow extra time before a launch date. On BooksOasis, a book goes through a review and a print-readiness check, then appears in the store, and you can set a future release date so readers can pre-order it before launch.

Maintenance is lighter than it sounds. When you update an interior, remember that a changed page count means a new spine width and therefore a new cover on both platforms. Keep one folder per book with the final interior, each platform's cover and a note of prices, so an update never leaves one channel out of step.

Pricing the same book on both

If a book is on both platforms, readers may compare. A simple rule is to keep your print list price the same everywhere, and let the difference sit in what you earn rather than what readers pay. On IngramSpark, a retailer may still discount your list price, which you can't control; on BooksOasis, the price you set is the price readers see, unless you choose to run a promotional price with start and end dates. For ebooks, many authors keep the same price across stores and use BooksOasis for the sales they send there themselves, since the whole price reaches them.

Using both: a common setup

1. Format once in LiberScript and export a print PDF and an EPUB.
2. Publish print on IngramSpark for bookshops and libraries, with a wholesale discount that fits your goals.
3. List the ebook, paperback and hardcover on BooksOasis as a storefront where you keep 100% of each ebook sale and set your own print prices.
4. Send your own readers to the store that pays you most for each format.

Because neither requires exclusivity, the two don't conflict. Just keep your prices consistent across channels so readers never feel they paid more than necessary.

When IngramSpark fits better

• You want bookshops and libraries to be able to order your print book.
• You need specialist formats such as dust-jacketed hardcovers or unusual trims.
• You plan local events and want shops to stock copies.
• Your readers mainly buy print from their usual retailer.

When BooksOasis fits better

• You want to keep the full price of every ebook sale.
• You want to set the exact price readers pay for print.
• You'd like a storefront with its own browsing readers, series pages and pre-orders, for a flat yearly fee.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use IngramSpark and BooksOasis for the same book? Yes. Neither requires exclusivity. Many authors use IngramSpark for wide print distribution and list the same book on BooksOasis as a direct storefront.

Does BooksOasis distribute to bookshops? No. BooksOasis sells your books in its own store. For bookshop and library distribution, IngramSpark is the usual route.

Does IngramSpark still charge setup fees? According to industry reports, IngramSpark removed title setup fees and, from February 2026, its revision fee, and charges a market access fee of 1.875% of list price on sales.

Who pays shipping on BooksOasis print orders? The reader pays shipping at checkout, so it never comes out of your earnings.

Do I need an ISBN for BooksOasis? No, an ISBN is optional on BooksOasis. IngramSpark requires one for each format.

Can LiberScript files be used on both? Yes. LiberScript exports standard print-ready PDFs and EPUBs. Choose the trim size you'll use on each platform and build each cover from that platform's own template.

For a closer look at the store side, see IngramSpark alternatives and print-on-demand costs explained on the BooksOasis publisher site, and our own IngramSpark vs. KDP guide.

The bottom line

IngramSpark and BooksOasis aren't rivals so much as two different doors to readers. IngramSpark opens the door to bookshops and libraries, at the cost of wholesale discounts and fees. BooksOasis gives you a storefront where you set the price, keep every ebook sale in full, and pay one flat yearly plan. Format your book once in LiberScript, and you can walk through both.