What Createspace does

Createspace is a print-on-demand self-publishing service for independent authors and publishers, originally founded in 2002 and acquired by Amazon in 2005. The platform enables indie authors to upload manuscripts, set pricing, and distribute printed books globally without inventory costs, leveraging Amazon's retail and fulfillment infrastructure for worldwide reach. CreateSpace operates on a transaction-fee revenue model, taking a commission on each book sale routed through Amazon's marketplace, and is part of a broader Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) ecosystem that includes digital publishing (KDP Select), audiobook creation (ACX), author dashboards (Bookshelf, Reports), and marketing tools.

In 2018, Amazon merged CreateSpace operations into KDP, effectively sunsetting the standalone CreateSpace brand. The current CreateSpace web presence (kdp.amazon.com/createspace-transfer) functions primarily as a transition portal directing legacy authors to KDP's unified publishing platform. The service supports multi-language onboarding across English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch, and serves authors in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Japan. CreateSpace does not operate as an independent business; its strategic direction, technology investments, and P&L are subsumed within Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).

Name

Createspace

Legal name

Amazon.com, Inc.

Website

https://createspace.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Createspace is Amazon's print-on-demand self-publishing service for independent authors, now operating as a transition portal to Kindle Direct Publishing following its 2018 consolidation into KDP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Publishing Platform

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Books Printing (323117)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Publishing Platforms (KDP-style Marketplaces & Portals) (MPAJAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Print-on-Demand Enablement for Indie Authors (Book POD & Fulfillment) (MPAJAJAD), Self-Publishing & Author Platforms (BPAMAJAF)

Keywords

• Print on demand publishing
• Self-publishing platform
• Indie author publishing
• Book distribution services
• On-demand book printing

Headquarters

HQ city

North Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Book Sales Revenue Share: Authors earn royalties from sales of their print books through Amazon's marketplace. Platform takes commission on each transaction.
2. KDP Select Global Fund: Authors enrolled in KDP Select earn from a monthly global fund based on page reads and engagement (Kindle Unlimited)

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CreateSpace is an Amazon-owned print-on-demand self-publishing platform that enables independent authors and publishers to produce, print, and distribute physical books without holding inventory. Authors upload manuscripts, set pricing, and reach global readers through Amazon's retail and fulfillment infrastructure, with the service now operating primarily as a transition portal into Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

Product overview

Createspace is part of Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) ecosystem, a unified self-publishing platform offering print-on-demand book publishing through CreateSpace, digital exclusivity through KDP Select, audiobook production via ACX, community support, sales reporting, and marketing tools. The platform enables independent authors to publish print books, eBooks, and audiobooks with distribution through Amazon's global marketplace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing): Amazon's self-publishing platform enabling authors and publishers to publish and sell books globally in digital and print formats.
• KDP Select
• ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange)

Products and services

• CreateSpace Amazon's self-publishing platform for independent authors to publish print-on-demand books, providing on-demand printing, fulfillment, and global distribution through Amazon's marketplace.
• ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCreateSpace is an Amazon service for indie print publishing, fully integrated into the Amazon KDP ecosystem. CreateSpace merged into KDP, with this page serving as the transfer/transition portal for authors moving from CreateSpace to KDP's unified publishing platform.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Lulu: Self-publishing platform providing print-on-demand, eBook, and distribution services for independent authors. Closely comparable business model and target customer (indie authors) to CreateSpace.
• Barnes & Noble Press: B&N's self-publishing platform for indie authors to publish print and eBooks sold in B&N retail and online. Comparable POD + digital indie publishing offering for authors seeking non-Amazon channels.
• Smashwords: Ebook-focused self-publishing and distribution platform for indie authors, distributing to major retailers and library platforms. Comparable indie author value proposition, though primarily digital rather than print.
• Apple Books for Authors: Apple's self-publishing platform enabling indie authors to publish and sell books directly on Apple Books. Comparable indie distribution and royalty model; competes for the same indie author base as CreateSpace/KDP.
• Kobo Writing Life: Rakuten Kobo's self-publishing portal for indie authors distributing eBooks and audiobooks through the Kobo store. Comparable indie author platform with global distribution ambitions outside Amazon.
• IngramSpark: Leading independent print-on-demand and distribution platform for indie authors and small publishers, offering broad retail and library distribution outside Amazon. Direct POD competitor to CreateSpace.
• Draft2Digital: Indie author distribution aggregator that converts and distributes eBooks and print books to major retailers. Competes with CreateSpace's indie distribution mission, particularly for multi-channel reach.
• BookBaby: Self-publishing services company offering POD printing, eBook conversion, editing, and distribution for indie authors. Comparable target customer and service mix to CreateSpace.
• Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): Amazon's unified self-publishing platform that absorbed CreateSpace in 2018. Direct successor offering POD and digital publishing for indie authors; the entity CreateSpace now redirects to.

Others

• ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange): Amazon's audiobook self-publishing platform connecting narrators with authors. Operates alongside CreateSpace within the KDP ecosystem as a complementary multi-format offering for the same indie creator base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CreateSpace
• Facebookfacebook.com/CreateSpace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/createspace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Createspace