IngramSpark Reviews 1,600

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

2.3

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 102 reviews, most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Many people expressed significant dissatisfaction with the customer service, noting that it is primarily email-based with very slow response times, often taking days or even weeks to receive a reply. Customers also found the website confusing and difficult to navigate, with issues like information not populating correctly and a lack of real-time updates. The overall service was frequently described as non-existent or unhelpful, leading to frustration with the publishing process. Some people also felt that the product quality was inconsistent, with books arriving damaged or with issues like sloppy glue and thin pages. Conversely, a small portion of people were satisfied with the product quality, describing their books as beautiful or excellent. A few other people also felt that the customer service, when eventually reached, was helpful and professional, with specific individuals being praised for their support and efficiency in resolving issues.

What people talk about most

Product

Consumers find product quality to be ambiguous. Many reviewers report issues with print books, describing... See more

Customer service

Clients share negative opinions on customer service, frequently describing it as "horrendous," "terrible,"... See more

Website

Customers had negative experiences with the website, citing numerous glitches and difficulties. Many... See more

Response time

Reviewers express widespread dissatisfaction with response times. Many customers report waiting weeks or even... See more

Service

Customers consistently note negative experiences with service, describing it as abominable and an absolute... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I was thinking of joining IngramSpark and thought to see the reviews. The percentage of overall dissatisfaction is appalling! With a third rating them only one star. What is worse is the obviously aut... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

The process to get a book to market is fine, but IngramSpark fails at the printing press and shipping warehouse. Books routinely arrive damaged and unsellable. Boxes are too big, no packing material.... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Ingram Spark's customer service is essentially email-based only, and the response time is very slow (2-3 days on average). The self-publishing aspect is the worst I've experienced so far. I uploaded m... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

The end product was excellent. My book came out beautiful. Ingram Spark is cost effective their pricing was affordable to a very low budget would be author like myself. That's where the good part ends... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Book Publisher

About IngramSpark

Written by the company

IngramSpark Books

IngramSpark® is an award-winning independent publishing platform offering indie authors and publishers the ability to create professional print books and ebooks in one place. Access to IngramSpark's global distribution network allows you to self-publish a book and make it available to 40,000+ retailers and libraries—both in stores and online. To learn more about how you can share your story with the world, visit www.ingramspark.com.

How it Works Plan Your Book Get Started
IngramSpark Books IngramSpark Books IngramSpark Books

Thank you for being part of the IngramSpark community and trusting us as a partner in your self-publishing journey! We love to hear your success stories, but understand sometimes things don’t go as planned, and we’re here to help. Please contact us directly with your questions → ingramspark.com/help.

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Contact info

2.3

Poor

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

2K reviews

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Replied to 100% of negative reviews

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Print quality is very good and…

Print quality is very good and consistent. Distribution is seemless and easy. Pricing is fair and whenever we've had issues with shipments (damage, print/binding errors) Ingram has been very good.

September 27, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Jeffery,   

Thank you for the positive review!   

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and wish you the best as you continue your publishing journey.   

Kind Regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Deleted my account for no good reason

Unwilling to explain their business decisions

September 22, 2024
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Reply from IngramSpark

Hi David, 

Our team is always looking for ways to create a better customer experience, so thank you for providing valuable feedback. We appreciate your honest review.  

Best, 
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great service for self publishers.

Great service for self publishers.

September 22, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Steve, 

Thank you for your kind words—we're so glad we could be a part of your self-publishing journey and look forward to seeing your success. 

Warmly, 
IngramSpark

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Amazon and Google Play do not charge to…

Amazon and Google Play do not charge to upload and print paperback books
I have an updated eBook, new paperback text and cover and I was charged $75 that is a lot.

September 19, 2024
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Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Roger, 

Thank you for reviewing us. We’re sorry we didn’t meet your expectations and would like to know more about your experience. Please contact our customer service team so we can further review your concerns → https://help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/requests/new  

Kind regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Suffers from lack of competition

For wide distribution, they're the only game in town. But in the terms of Customer Service, transparency, and exporting data, this company leaves a lot to be desired. It would be helpful if we could see what stores are carrying our books. Also, Barnes & Noble seems to be very much against print on demand titles. This makes their claim of getting your book into larger stores and chains something that is not accurate. Finally, their print quality, while most of the time is pretty great, runs into quality control issues when entire batches are printed crooked.

September 18, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Sean,

Thank you for your review and letting us know about your experience. We’re always looking for ways to improve and appreciate your feedback. 

We’re sorry we didn’t meet your expectations and would like to know more about your experience. Please contact our customer service team so we can further review your concerns → https://help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Kind regards,
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Spent over almost $300 for a rush order…

Spent over almost $300 for a rush order of books almost 8 days ago.

Sent multiple emails.

It’s now the 12th and I have no response to my emails, no order, nothing… just out $275.

These place has horrible customer service. Whoever runs that dept needs to be fired and replaced.

September 11, 2024
Unprompted review
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Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Mike, 

Thank you for your review and letting us know about your experience. We’re always looking for ways to improve and appreciate your feedback.  

Kind regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Books not available in EU/Expensive delivery costs

I am from EU and I have selected Ingramspark for printing my book for the international distribution, especially in English Language. Unfortunately all the people in EU (not UK!) that tried to buy my book in Bookstores could NOT even purchase or order the book. They had to order it online. Additionally I have to say that I did not received my order in time (months delay), and only when I asked them I discovered that it was sent back to UK because they said they did not have the right info. Then I sent again exactly the same info and I got it. After months Ingramspark asked me 150 euro for the double delivery. It was obviously that was their mistake (the first 2 orders went through ok) but they simply told me I have to pay. It is a very bad experience because they do not control the process and UPS either. It is a pity but I would not do it again. The books they were anyway of good quality, I did not have issues with that.

September 9, 2024
Unprompted review
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Moira, 

Thank you for your review and letting us know about your experience. We’re sorry we didn’t meet your expectations and are always looking for ways to improve and appreciate your feedback.  

Please contact our customer service team so we can further review your concerns→ https://help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Kind regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The quality has been great with all 4…

The quality has been great with all 4 of my books. Just a couple of hiccups with the new book building tool, but they were resolved quickly. Overall you guys are doing a great job

September 5, 2024
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Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Dave, 

Thank you for the positive review! 

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and wish you the best as you continue your publishing journey.

Kind Regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Great distribution, but sub-par customer service

Ingram provides perhaps the vastest distribution for books, and is trusted by retailers, so if you're not Amazon exclusive you need to seriously consider having your book(s) on Ingram.
Why 3 stars? Their customer service was never top notch and has only declined. Slow to respond. Often respond with a pat answer - that fails to address your concern. They often send the wrong book(s). I could go on.
Main alternative is Draft2Digital who I hear is much more responsive and helpful - but who distribute print via... Ingram Spark. So you're paying more for the same distribution.

September 6, 2024
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Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Preston, 

Our team is always looking for ways to create a better customer experience, so we want to thank you for providing valuable feedback - we appreciate your honest review.

Warm Regards,
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The book was glued shut and couldn't be opened!

I was happy to get the book I ordered from an author from Instagram. But, after opening the package, I immediately noticed the edge was glued shut and the book couldn't be opened. I immediately sent a email, with pictures and packaging slip to the company. This started a circular email chain with no end in sight. I've decided they aren't going to replace or refund this useless book and I'm screwed out of $50. Garbage vendors at work here!

August 27, 2024
Unprompted review
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Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Robyn,

Thank you for reviewing us. We’re sorry we didn’t meet your expectations and would like to know more about your experience. Please contact our customer service team so we can further review your concerns → https://help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/requests/new 

Kind regards,
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Watching the Commitment to Improvement

I've been a customer of Ingram Spark for a number of years now, and while it hasn't been without its aggravations, I have observed a consistent marked improvement in processes and timelines.

August 29, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Howard,   

Thank you for the positive review!   We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and wish you the best as you continue your publishing journey.   

Kind Regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Empowering Authors with Global Reach and Control

As an author, publishing through IngramSpark has been one of the best decisions I've made. The platform offers incredible reach, allowing my books to be available globally, both in print and as e-books. The publishing process is straightforward and user-friendly, giving me complete control over every aspect of my work. IngramSpark is a reliable partner that helps me effectively manage my literary career. Highly recommended!— Marcin Grzesik

August 27, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Marcin,   

Thank you for the positive review!   

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and wish you the best as you continue your publishing journey.   

Kind Regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Is it a glitch or a feature?

"Will it go round in circles?", asked Billy Preston.
Here's the answer: Yes! It will and it does!

Once again I've received another "Catalog Integrity Notice: After review, one or more of your titles are believed to violate our Catalog Integrity Guidelines. The below title has been removed from distribution...If you believe your title(s) has been flagged in error, please provide a reason here."

So I did. Again.
"Subject: Catalog Integrity appeal
Id: #3706330
Created: 6 hours ago
Status: Open
ISBN(s) You're Contesting: 9798218487089
Reason for Appeal: I appeal your decision because my book doesn't contain any of the types of content described in the referenced criteria.
I keep begging you to state which specific criterion do you claim my book violates."

Here we go again... Is it the the circular logic of the machine system Ingram employs to protect its Catalog Integrity or is it old-fashioned censorship baked into the system? I think Jaroslav Hašek must had been a genius. I am on the merry-go-round Švejk, the famous hero of his classic satire, describes:

"I used to know a cabinet maker, who got drunk for the first time on New Year’s Eve of the year 1910 and on January first in the morning he had such a thirst and he felt so sick, that he bought himself a herring and began drinking again, and he’s kept it up daily for four years already and nobody could help him, because on Saturday he always buys the herrings for the whole week. It is a sort of merry-go-round, as an old master sergeant of the 91st Regiment used to say.”

Another telling sign is that my first review hasn't been responded to by IngramSpark which responds to negative reviews within hours or a few days.

August 21, 2024
Unprompted review
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Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Zenny, 

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We have addressed this matter with appropriate teams, who have contacted you directly in an effort to reach a resolution regarding your title. 

Our team is always looking for ways to create a better customer experience, and we appreciate your honest review.

Best Regards,
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

A Frustrating and Unreliable Experience

I invested significant time and effort in uploading my books to IngramSpark, including purchasing ISBNs at my own expense. The platform claims it takes 2-3 days to process and approve books, but after waiting 7 days, I contacted support. They informed me that it could actually take up to 10 business days, which I accepted. However, after waiting 14 business days, my submission was still pending, so I reached out again. I received a generic, copy-and-paste response stating that it would take up to 10 days—despite the fact that 4 days had already passed since that deadline. After pointing this out, I was told my case would be prioritized.

A week later, instead of resolving the issue, I received a message from support informing me that my account would be closed in 45 days, as per their terms. When I asked for an explanation, I was repeatedly given vague references to the terms and conditions without any specific reason for the account closure.

IngramSpark has proven to be an absolutely useless company and a complete waste of time. Their lack of transparency, poor communication, and failure to deliver on their promises are deeply disappointing.

August 16, 2024
Unprompted review
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Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Tom, 

Thank you for your review and letting us know about your experience. We’re always looking for ways to improve and appreciate your feedback.  

Kind regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Ingram Sparks is great

Ingram Sparks is great. They will publish your book on 40,000 + platforms google, amazon, Etc. People writing bad reviews don't upload their manuscripts and artwork correctly like they should, so don't blame Ingram Sparks. They provide great customer service, tools, information, pricing, and overall book publishing capabilities. They are second to none. Just make sure you have your artwork and manuscript formatted correctly of which they clearly show on their website how to do it or hire some. They provide Great telephone email text or live chat support. Do what I say and you will find out how great they are in assisting you in publishing your book throughout the whole universe. Thanks Ingram Sparks for the great assistance tools and services. Keep up the great work.

August 16, 2024
Unprompted review
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi,

Thank you for the positive review!

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and wish you the best as you continue your publishing journey.

Kind Regards,
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Golden gratitude from a golden publisher

I am always grateful for your help and your company, IngramSparks Publishing always attends to my enquiries in prompt time, which I appreciate, thank you

August 12, 2024
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Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Jenn,

Thank you for your kind words; we're so happy our team has been able to assist with your inquiries and help you move forward with publishing your book. We wish you much success with your publication!

Cheers,
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Welcome to the Kafkaesque machine...

My publishing experience on IngramSpark deserves 5 stars. However, the (AI driven?) Catalog Integrity process recorded by "Your request" web page/email is an endless loop of "We won't tell you anything, you're title is prohibited from distribution, and we're not going to respond to this title queries anymore" is an un-American nightmare. Hence the one star.

You have been distributing my book in three volumes for over for a quarter of a century. (ISBNs: 978-1585004287; ‎978-1438916705; 978-1438916774)

Taking advantage of your wonderful IngramSpark platform, I have now published the first updated volume of The Centennial Edition of my translation of the book listed on the New York Public Library's list of 100 most important books of the 20th century in the fourth spot of the tenth section War, Holocaust, Totalitarianism.

I received two Catalog Integrity Notices [attached] that my updated version of the book is ineligible for distribution:

"...believed to violate our Catalog Integrity Guidelines. The below title has been removed from distribution..."

As suggested by the notice, I appealed:

Reason for Appeal: My book exhibits none of the 9 listed prohibited criteria. How can I appeal your decision without knowing which specific criterion do you contend my work violates.

Chrissy (IngramSpark Support) responded by a form letter:

"After further review, your title(s) is not eligible for sale through our distribution channels. We will not respond to further inquiries regarding the distribution status of this title(s)."

That was a response repeating the judgment, but contained no explanation. I decided to provide more information, in case there was some confusion about what my title is:

Reason for Appeal: 1. I want to repair my my book, so that it will be eligible for distribution. Which specific criterion does my work violate?...

Gale (IngramSpark Support) now sent me an exact facsimile of the form response:

"After further review, your title(s) is not eligible for sale through our distribution channels. We will not respond to further inquiries regarding the distribution status of this title(s)."

Is this how partners treat one another? Even the Communists had the habit, if not the decency, to state the reason why they denied me the opportunity to study at ČVUT, [Czech Tech]: "Your attitude toward socialism isn't positive."

Will any human partner actually communicate with me and explain to me how does my book violate your Catalog Integrity criteria? Which of the nine is it? Or is there another, unstated reason or criterion which prevents you from including my volume in the Ingram Distribution Catalogue? Is the transgression of your guidelines that I have committed with my book so horrifying that Ingram cannot publicly or even privately state how I broke your rules?

I'd appreciate if somebody could provide an answer to the simple question how exactly does my book The Fateful Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk During the World War, Book One (The Centennial Edition), ISBN 9798218487089, violate any of the criteria for inclusion in the Ingram Distribution Catalogue.

August 16, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Jerold! 

Thank you for the positive review!   We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and wish you the best as you continue your publishing journey.   

Warm Regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

A reasonably easy and inexpensive way…

A reasonably easy and inexpensive way to publish. It takes a little to get to know the website, but once you’ve done that, you’re on your way. The system provides a wide distribution network and immense satisfaction.

August 9, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Rafael, 

Thank you for the positive review!   We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and wish you the best as you continue your publishing journey.   

Kind Regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I’d give them zero star the worse fake…

I’d give them zero star the worse fake to be good their system messed uploaded files they delete them waste of time .

August 2, 2024
Unprompted review
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Arie,

Thank you for reviewing us. We understand your disappointment that we didn’t meet your expectations and would like to know more about your experience. Please contact our customer service team so we can further review your concerns → https://help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/requests/new 

Kind regards,
IngramSpark

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