Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) vs. Barnes & Noble Press: A Print Quality Comparison

If you have landed on this blog post, then you are probably like me, and a total “newb” in the world of print-on-demand books. Thanks to needing not one but three major appliances repaired this summer, my printing and marketing budget is zero dollars.

 Whether you find yourself with no budget or are new to the world of self-publishing and a little nervous about the upfront costs of printing your books, print-on-demand is probably the best option for you.

Shameless book plug: If you’d like to support our future appliance repairs, please consider purchasing A Perfect Pet for Oliver James on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. It is also currently available for free to Kindle Unlimted subscribers.

PROCESSING AND SHIPPING TIME:

While this post’s purpose is to compare the print quality between KDP and Barnes & Noble Press, I just want to mention the significant difference in wait time between the Amazon and Barnes & Nobles print-on-demand services.  I ordered author proofs through both services.  My paperback is with KDP and my hardcover is with Barnes & Noble.

Paperback (KDP): 3 days from the time I placed my order to the time it arrived at my house. 

Hardcover (B&N Press): 18 days from the time I placed my order to the time it arrived at my house.  The book was delivered 5 days earlier than originally estimated at the time of checkout.

Is it possible that the format of the books played a part in the significant difference in the printing time between the two companies?  Possibly.

I have also seen experienced indie authors mention that Barnes & Noble Press uses IngramSpark for their printing services.  You can find this information here on the Barnes & Noble website.  This may explain the slower printing time from Barnes & Noble Press when compared to KDP.

Cover

KDP Paperback Author Proof- The colors are more vibrant and accurate to what I created in Procreate. However, the lack of contrast has washed out the texture in the bacground.

Barnes & Noble Press Hardcover Author Proof- The colors re more muted and the overall appearance of the cover is darker.

As you can see, the KDP paperback cover is much more vibrant when compared to the Barnes & Noble Press hardcover. The KDP cover is a more accurate replica of my original artwork (pictured below) in regards to the characters. On the other hand, the Barnes & Noble Press cover appears to have greater contrast and preserved the textured look of the background. Having worked in elementary school libraries for years, I can tell you that the KDP cover is more likely to appeal to kids versus the Barnes & Noble Press cover. Yes, children definitely judge books by their covers.

Cover art and text for A Perfect Pet for Oliver James.

Interior

KDP Print Quality

The color in the KDP printed book appears to be more saturated when compared to the Barnes & Noble Press book. I also like that the ink has a gloss sheen to it. Overall, it gives a higher quality feel to the book.

Barnes & Noble Press Print Quality

The Barnes & Noble Press book is softer in color and not as vibrant as the KDP book. The ink has a matte finish to it, so it doesn’t quite “pop” off the pages like the KDP book. The contrast isn’t as sharp as it was on the cover. I do feel that the interior print is more accurate to the colors in the original art than the cover is.

Interior view of KDP paperback book on the left and Barnes & Noble Press hardover on the right.

Overall

Misty showing off how the books look next to her beautiful fur coat.

For me, based on my library experience over the years with some very picky book consumers, I prefer KDP print quality. The Barnes & Noble Press (IngramSpark) print quality isn’t bad, but it just doesn’t quite “pop.” If you are looking for a print-on-demand publishing service that is going to give you glossy ink, with vibrant colors, then I recommend using Amazon KDP.

However, if you are looking to try to market your book to libraries and bookstores, then you need to consider IngramSpark. I have a local bookstore that will consider self-published books on consignment, but they require it be available through IngramSpark.

Have experience publishing through KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, or IngramSpark? Share your thoughts in the comments!