Skip to main content

Has Anyone Heard that Amazon is Merging Createspace into KDP Print (?)

Amazon is about to throw a wrench in authors' carefully made plans.

Reports are coming in that some time in the next month, Amazon will be sending Createspace users an email informing them that Createspace is merging into KDP Print. Yes, the inevitable is about to happen, but it’s not all bad; according to my source, legacy pricing for existing Createspace users will still be available (Createspace’s pricing was better in some markets).

Launched in July 2016, KDP Print is intended to give authors an easy to to manage both their print and digital books in a single location. In its early days access was quite limited, but the service opened for a public beta test early last year, and Amazon has been adding features ever since.

The newer platform doesn’t quite have the same features as Createspace, but according to experts there are good reasons to choose either one. It appears, however, that Amazon might soon no longer give authors a choice.

Or so early reports suggest; I am still working to confirm this rumor. The Createspace website is down at this time, thus making it impossible to see if they have posted a notice, and Amazon hasn’t responded yet to my query.

Have you been told anything by KDP or Createspace support? Can you go ask them and see what they say?

Update: I think we have confirmation from Amazon:

We don’t comment on rumors or speculation. However, as we’ve said previously in response to author inquiries, CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing are both part of the same team that helps authors publish and sell their books. They also use the same facilities and printers. Both services will be fully integrated in the future. This will allow us to innovate even faster for customers.

image by blogefl via Flickr

Similar Articles


Comments


Allen F June 21, 2018 um 6:20 pm

Adapt or die.

Amazon is still adapting. 'Still day one' I think Jeff called it.

Some will see this as good, okay, or a disaster. But like KU, most of those crying disaster will stay with it instead of going elsewhere.

The times they are a changing …


Rob Siders June 22, 2018 um 1:48 pm

I got to https://www.createspace.com/ numerous times yesterday.


S. J. Pajonas June 23, 2018 um 5:54 pm

I really prefer Createspace but if they port over my books for me and I don’t have to do anything? Okay then. *shrugs*


Joe Follansbee June 24, 2018 um 10:06 am

This transition has been f*cked up since the beginning. This is what happens when monopolies rule an industry.


Hannah Steenbock June 27, 2018 um 4:42 am

"using the same printers…"

Nope, that’s not true. CreateSpace has only ever used US printers, and refused to allow author copies to be printed in Europe, for example. That’s where KDP Print comes out on top.

Now if they actually "merge" the two and keep the best of both worlds – i.e. distribution in the US AND printing in centers all over the world – I’d be delighted.

Nate Hoffelder June 27, 2018 um 6:41 am

"refused to allow author copies to be printed in Europe"

If KDP Print does allow this then this one detail strongly suggests that Amazon planned all along to replace Createspace.


Hannah Steenbock June 28, 2018 um 5:17 am

Yes, KDP Print explicitely offers author copies printed in Europe. A friend of mine from the Netherlands has already tested this and got his author copies within a few days (even though KDP Print also makes it clear that actual customer orders have precedence).


Anthony Pero June 28, 2018 um 9:29 pm

I wonder if this is just for books? Will CreateSpace continue on for my CDs and DVDs? I would assume so. That’s probably a bigger portion of their business anyway.


Eric V. Van Der Hope July 8, 2018 um 7:37 pm

Yep, it’s inevitable … thus the reason I no longer recommend to my students and clients to use Createspace. I now recommend using KDP Print, including Lightning Source or Ingram Spark (rather than use Createspace Expanded Distribution). Article all about the reasons why are here: http://ericvanderhope.com/createspace-vs-kdp-print-its-time-to-make-the-switch-2/


Rebecca July 16, 2018 um 5:34 pm

In speaking to CS long time employees. they say there is NO intention to close Createspace at all for the foreseeable future.

KPD Print is for Kindle writers that want to offer print versions of their books. For them to have to log into two dashboards one on Createspace and one on KDP made no sense so Kindle brought printing in house.

Createspace is for PRINT authors that rarely if ever use Kindle so there is no need for them to ever use KDP at all. I create Low content books like journals so my books can never be eBooks.

The rumors began when CS laid off workers and closed down under-performing departments.. so all the chicken littles that want to sell you things jumped on that without ever really getting confirmation from Amazon that CS was going away.

That said KDP is slow and bloated and I can create 20 books on Createspace in the time that it takes ONE book to upload to KDP Print.. so with over 1000 titles and growing for me and my business I am staying put right where I am.

It ain’t like your ISBN from CS will become worthless since Amazon will always sell them.

Hope this helps folks on their journey.


Eric V. Van Der Hope July 16, 2018 um 8:31 pm

Createspace WILL be closing (whether it happens over a short period of time or a long period of time), it’s inevitable.

Rebecca wrote: "Createspace is for PRINT authors that rarely if ever use Kindle so there is no need for them to ever use KDP at all. I create Low content books like journals so my books can never be eBooks."

Seriously …!? That’s couldn’t be more further from the truth!

Rebecca wrote: "The rumors began when CS laid off workers and closed down under-performing departments.. so all the chicken littles that want to sell you things jumped on that without ever really getting confirmation from Amazon that CS was going away."

The rumors DID NOT start there, they started way back in July 2016, when KDP Print Beta was established.

Rebecca wrote: "That said KDP is slow and bloated and I can create 20 books on Createspace in the time that it takes ONE book to upload to KDP Print.. so with over 1000 titles and growing for me and my business I am staying put right where I am."

Again, seriously …!? It takes the same if not faster to upload to KDP Print.

Nate Hoffelder July 17, 2018 um 7:16 am

Agreed.

Creapespace might go like Mobipocket, which was stripped for parts to build the Kindle platform, or like Booksurge, which was Amazon’s POD service before it was swallowed by CS.

Eric Van Der Hope July 17, 2018 um 10:41 am

Agreed …


David August 28, 2018 um 4:47 am

Well it has happened and we are all off to KDP. Does anyone know if the legacy pricing will be honoured as it is cheaper with Createspace than KDP in the UK?


Susan Grossey August 29, 2018 um 10:41 am

I am an author being migrated from CreateSpace to Kindle Print. The one thing I want to know is whether it will now be cheaper for me to order author copies of my books (I’m in the UK). In the past I had to pay international shipping rates for them to be sent from CreateSpace in the US to me in the UK. Earlier replies seem to suggest that Kindle Print has printing facilities in the UK. So it will be shipping UK to UK…?


Remain Calm: the update (CreateSpace is digested at last by KDP) April 10, 2019 um 8:08 pm

[…] most important information first, here’s some background on what happened to CreateSpace. Most people in the print-on-demand industry saw this coming. I didn’t. I guess I just got comfortable with the way things worked already: it was a good […]


Write a Comment