The Three Paths to Publication
Every author eventually faces the same fundamental question: how do I actually get this book into the world?
There are three meaningful answers, and each comes with tradeoffs that most publishing guides don't explain honestly.
Path 1: Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
KDP is Amazon's self-publishing platform. It's free to use, fast to publish, and gives you 70% royalties on ebooks priced $2.99–$9.99 and 60% on print books after printing costs.
What KDP does well:
What KDP doesn't do:
KDP is the right choice for authors who want Amazon distribution and are willing to handle all other channels separately.
Path 2: IngramSpark
IngramSpark is a professional publishing distributor that gets your book into the Ingram catalogue — the single largest book distributor used by libraries, bookstores, and online retailers worldwide.
What IngramSpark does well:
What IngramSpark doesn't do:
Most serious authors use both KDP and IngramSpark simultaneously — KDP for Kindle/Amazon-first strategy, IngramSpark for global print distribution.
Path 3: Traditional Publishing
Traditional publishing means submitting to major publishers (or their imprints) through a literary agent, waiting 6–18 months for a response, and — if accepted — signing a contract that typically gives you 10–15% of the book's list price.
What traditional publishing does well:
What traditional publishing doesn't do:
For most non-fiction experts publishing to establish authority and generate business, traditional publishing is the wrong choice.
The BPL Recommendation
We publish every book through both KDP and IngramSpark simultaneously. The author retains 100% of all royalties from both platforms. There is no reason to go traditional unless your specific goal is a major bookstore advance or literary prestige.
Calculate your projected royalties under each model using our [Royalty Calculator](/revenue-calculator) before you decide.