What Do I Put as the Publisher on KDP?

Type the same publisher name that is on your ISBN record, exactly. If you use the free KDP ISBN, KDP fills the field in for you and the publisher shows as “Independently published”. If you use an ISBN from Bowker or a service, the name you type must match the record, or KDP will not let you publish.

What does “Independently published” mean on KDP?

It is the imprint KDP attaches to its free ISBN. KDP’s ISBN help page says a free KDP ISBN shows the imprint as “Independently published”, and that this ISBN can only be used on KDP. Paperbacks and hardcovers can use the free number. Ebooks do not need one.

The word “independently” tells bookstores and libraries the book came from Amazon’s own tools. That is fine if you only sell on Amazon. It gets in the way when you want the same paperback in IngramSpark’s catalogue.

What do I put in the publisher field if I use my own ISBN?

Put the publisher name you gave when you registered the ISBN. KDP’s help page says you must enter the same title, author name and publisher you used to register it, that the entries are case-sensitive, and that a mismatch means you cannot publish. It also says not to use placeholders such as “unknown” or “n/a”, and the field holds up to 100 characters.

So “Baird Books” on the ISBN record and “Baird books” in KDP is a problem. Copy the name, don’t retype it from memory.

The agency that runs the ISBN system says the publisher is the one who applies for the ISBN, and that an author who self-publishes can be the publisher (ISBN International). A business or brand name works as an imprint.

What does the publisher mean for IngramSpark and bookstores?

IngramSpark works the same way. Its free ISBN page says the free number carries IngramSpark’s own Indy Pub imprint, not yours, and that it can only be used on IngramSpark. It also says the ISBN cannot be transferred to another account, and that moving from a free number to your own later means a new or revised title with a different ISBN.

Put the two together. A KDP free ISBN works on KDP only, and an IngramSpark free ISBN works on IngramSpark only. If you want one paperback on both, you need an ISBN that belongs to a publisher, not to a printer. I go through that choice in how much an ISBN costs and the rules for publishing on both in IngramSpark vs Amazon KDP.

Can I use someone else’s imprint?

Yes, when a service registers the ISBN under its own imprint. You publish from your own KDP or IngramSpark account, and the imprint name goes in the publisher field. The limit is that the ISBN stays with that imprint. If you later set up your own, the book needs a new ISBN and counts as a new edition.

Can I change the publisher later?

Not on the same ISBN. The imprint belongs to the ISBN record, so a different publisher name means a new ISBN for each format. Decide before you upload, because the number is part of your book’s listing, your reviews and your sales history.

What I do about it

If you want one ISBN that works on KDP and IngramSpark, and you don’t mind the publisher being Urgesta AS, I can publish your book under my imprint. You keep all rights and royalties, and I deliver the ISBN and barcode within 2 business days of getting complete book details. In KDP, the publisher field is typed exactly “Urgesta AS”. There is a 7-day money-back guarantee. See how it works.

If you’re still deciding, start with how much an ISBN costs, or read where to get an ISBN number first. If you are still choosing between the two printers, see which is better, Ingram or KDP?