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

5-star
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2-star
1-star

Replied to 100% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 24 hours

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Andrew! 

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 4 out of 5 stars

My only complaint is that I wish Ingram…

My only complaint is that I wish Ingram would allow changes to be made while they are processing pre-orders from previously uploaded files. Waiting for the pre-orders to be printed created a week's delay in uploading an absolute final file (as often happens, a minor mistake was found in the book at the eleventh hour). That said, once I was able to upload a new file, Ingram approved it within an hour and I've now ordered proof copies for the author, although they won't arrive until after book goes on sale in a few days. Overall, I'm pleased with Ingram's service.

October 22, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Darryl! 

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

Kind Regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The troubleshooting was lucid and the…

The troubleshooting was lucid and the problem was solved.

October 20, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Gary, 

Thank you for your kind words; we're so happy our team was able to correct the issue and help you move forward with publishing your book. We wish you much success with your publication! 

Cheers, 
IngramSpark

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Good experience, recommended

Purple Diamond Press, Inc enjoys working with IngramSpark.We’ve been using IngramSpark for five years to print our children’s books, and overall, we’ve had a positive experience. The platform is user-friendly, and the ability to print on demand has greatly benefited our business. Over the years, we’ve encountered a few issues, but the customer service team has consistently responded quickly and rectified any problems. One area where we feel there could be improvement is the paper quality for children’s books. While the current quality is acceptable, enhancing the paper’s texture and thickness could elevate the reading experience and better showcase the illustrations in children’s literature. We’re happy with IngramSpark and look forward to continuing our partnership.

October 21, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Purple Diamond Press, 

We're so glad to hear that you've enjoyed our service and support from our team, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with you.  

Best wishes, 
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Awesome service

Awesome service, very happy

October 19, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Sepehr, 

We're so glad to hear that you've enjoyed our services, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with you!  

Best wishes, 
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Appalling and demoralizing customer service

Easily the worst customer service I have experienced in decades.

Ingram Spark's absolute refusal to deal with issues on a simple phone call, combined with the hours (sometimes days) it takes them to read and respond to emails, means they make terrible mistakes costly to writers in the end.

Example: [EDIT: Given that Ingram's problems are systemic more than individual, I am removing the agent's name] cancelled my title (an active and ongoing publication) after failing to read my email properly. To be clear: this was not for content integrity/account violation reasons. The title was/is in the process of being transferred to another account and [Agent's Name Withheld] either did not understand or chose not to care. One 5-minute phone call would have resolved and clarified the situation... but that's not how Ingram roll. Ask to be called and they will offer their premium "Ingram Connect" service in which you must pay additional fees for a call. Don't want to pay? Then you have to put up with their relentlessly inefficient email/chat "support" instead.

Ingram Spark are literally nothing without authors, for whom they presently show zero respect in their "customer service". Because of their monopolistic position in US and international POD distribution, they clearly have no incentive to raise their game. Disgruntled authors speaking up are the only way this vital but lazy company will ever change. So please: speak up.

Ingram print quality is good, generally better than KDP, although not by much. So long as you have literally NO issues with your files, account information, banking information (etc etc etc) -- anything that warrants interacting with their customer service -- you should be fine. As soon as you have an issue, prepare for a relentless nightmare of back-and-forth on email that very rarely gets you anywhere fast.

October 15, 2024
Unprompted review
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Zoe, 

Our team is always looking for ways to create a better customer experience. We appreciate you providing valuable and honest feedback.

Best, 
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Disappointing experience

I'm very disappointed to learn that Ingram will allow retailers to return books after an unlimited number of days. This is a ridiculous policy that is in now way supportive of authors. You're already using a 55% wholesale percentage compared to 40% by other distributors.

October 16, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Leslie, 

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

Best,
IngramSpark

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Good quality books

The wait times for responses 3-4 days are ridiculous as 60 days is not long enough , The live talk feed to pay 30$ extra on top of everything else to get a problem resolved faster is not worth the time or money as I paid for it and they only waited 10 min before cancellation the appointment .The quality of the books is great, customers service times could be faster. Overall satisfied

October 11, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Jenny, 

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

Kind Regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

It's not perfect but overall it has…

It's not perfect but overall it has been a wonderful experience: some site issues and bugs.

October 15, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Bill, 

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

Laura

Laura! you are the best. you always make sure to solve my concerns. Thank you so much.

October 15, 2024
Unprompted review
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Danilo,

Thank you so much for the positive review and letting us know how well Laura assisted you! We’ve shared your awesome comments with her and hope you’ll let us know if we can further assist!

Best wishes,
IngramSpark

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I ordered the book about a month before…

Normally, they're extremely good. I love their quality as well as their price point and distribution powers. They also do a good job of presenting sales info and orders.

I ordered my book about a month before my book sale. October is my big month. I wasn't notified there was an issue until a week before. By then, it was too late. I had to sell old copies and didn't have any more. I didn't have any for the stores I usually sell in either. Not thrilled.

I will say that one of the gals on their customer service team was pretty good and patient when I contacted them regarding the order.

October 11, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Eileen, 

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, and we're glad to hear that you had a good experience working with our support team.

Best, 
IngramSpark

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Some Good, Some Not-So-Good

I love the e-commerce function where you can sell paperbacks at a discount in the USA, direct from the printer. I love the control of this.

The print quality is uncontrollable and customer service responds to concerns with links to pre-written articles. There is very little quality control at printers. Often the trim on my covers was off.

IngramSpark responds to concerns fairly quickly but can't do much to fix them. When Amazon claimed to have trouble selling paperbacks (no problem with Kindle) after months of listing the book on pre-order, all IngramSpark can do is repush the information. Amazon has chosen to sell for a while only through 3rd parties. To be fair, this is all any distributor can do re Amazon.

In short, IngramSpark is a good self-publishing option--if you invest in professional designers, but what they do with your design is not reliable and customer service is often ineffective.

October 11, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Betsy, 

Thank you for your review and letting us know about your experience. We truly appreciate you taking the time to provide your valuable feedback as we are always working to improve and look forward to better serving you in the future.

Kind regards, 
IngramSpark

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Horrible Company. Do not waste your time or money.

This company does not support customers. You can’t talk to an actual person. I have had nothing but issues since last year with them. I have not been supported with writing in for support. It’s like talking to scripted robots. I live in Canada and my shipping for 32 books was over $150.00 and I never received my order. I paid for the books and shipping which cost more than $600 Canadian. I wrote to customer services for the millionth time and they said I am out of luck because I chose the cheaper option. Over $150 for shipping is considered the cheaper option. Worst company, customer service sucks and they are not in responsibility for lost or damaged shipments. Huge red flags. The only reason I was using them because I am part of a book collaboration and this is who the coauthors chose. Bad choice and I will be sharing how horrible Ingram Spark is with everyone I know. You might be good for US residents but you suck for Canada. Not even sure why you are in Canada when you suck this much. The review asks me for the date of my experience, all my experiences with IngramSpark have been horrible. Back and forth communication through email, never resolving anything. Like I said, don’t waste your time or money. There are much better companies out there that actually care and want people to succeed. This company is not it.

October 5, 2024
Unprompted review
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Kathryn, 

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

Laurel was helpful

Laurel was helpful, professional and friendly. My request was handled quickly!

October 4, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello O.I.,   

Thank you so much for the positive review and letting us know how well Laurel assisted you! We’ve shared your awesome comments with her and hope you’ll let us know if we can further assist! 

Best wishes, 
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

GRATITUDE Dealing with Joanna, Cherry, Brad, Thato, John Carlo, ivy, mary Grace, Geraly from Ingramstark was a great experience.

The Ingramstark crew of the 21st century is professional, kind and supportive. I have awe for this young IT officers and appreciate their thinking, professionalism and kindness. Thank you Joanna, Cherry, Brad, Thato, John Carlo, Ivy, Mary Grace, Geralyn you are strong and knowledgeble. It was a great experience to have contact with you online. I wish I could meet you face to face.
Kind regards

October 7, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Jerzy,

Thank you for your kind words—we’re so glad to hear about how well these representatives have helped you! We're so glad we could be a part of your self-publishing journey and look forward to seeing your success.

Warmly,
IngramSpark

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good experience.

October 7, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Semere,

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

Book creator limitations

Book creator limitations. Publisher compensation. All things that will make me review how I use Ingram spark. I think you do a great job but lot of work on my end for little reward

October 7, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Wayne, 

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

I love it

I love it, it is very fast and easy

October 5, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hello Matthew 

Thank you for your kind words; we wish you much success with your publication! 

Cheers, 
IngramSpark

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

As if right now life will as we know will get better. MG2025

As if right now. Sales is not as good as the beginning of the year.

October 5, 2024
IngramSpark logo

Reply from IngramSpark

Hi Carter, 

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.  

We look forward to continuing our partnership with you. Please don't hesitate to contact our support team should you ever have any questions.

Best, 
IngramSpark

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