CreateSpace
Corporate brand
UnclaimedCreateSpace was Amazon's on-demand self-publishing service for producing and distributing books and other media.
Last updated August 25, 2026
Overview
CreateSpace was an Amazon-owned self-publishing and print-on-demand service operated by On-Demand Publishing, LLC. The business began in South Carolina in 2000 under the name BookSurge and was acquired by Amazon in 2005. Following the acquisition, it developed into a platform through which authors could make books available for sale without commissioning a conventional print run or maintaining physical inventory. The service's defining model was print-on-demand production. A title could be listed for purchase, and an individual copy was manufactured only after an order was placed, including orders made through Amazon. This approach reduced the upfront cost and inventory risk associated with traditional publishing and allowed authors to distribute works in relatively small quantities. CreateSpace accepted books containing substantive content and did not provide a general editorial or verification function; responsibility for the content largely remained with the person submitting the work. CreateSpace's scope was broader than a simple book printer. It provided production and fulfillment services connected with self-publishing, allowing authors to prepare titles for commercial distribution while avoiding the need to arrange printing, warehousing, and order handling independently. The available reference material identifies books as the principal output and does not document a complete catalog of separate product lines. The brand operated for approximately eighteen years after its creation. By 2018, it had reportedly published 1,416,384 books for more than 15,000 authors. That scale made CreateSpace a notable participant in the expansion of accessible self-publishing and digital-commerce distribution, although the service was not an editorial gatekeeper and did not establish the same review or selection process associated with traditional publishers. In July 2018, CreateSpace announced that its media-related services would be transferred to Amazon's Media on Demand operations over the following months. Later that year, CreateSpace was merged with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing service. The CreateSpace brand therefore ceased operating as a standalone service, while parts of its self-publishing functionality continued within Amazon's broader publishing infrastructure. The available material does not identify a separate founder, standalone public listing, or independent headquarters for the brand.
History
CreateSpace originated in 2000 in South Carolina as BookSurge, a business focused on on-demand publishing. Its operating company was On-Demand Publishing, LLC. The original model addressed a longstanding problem in book publishing: conventional printing generally required a publisher or author to commit to a print run, manage inventory, and absorb the risk that unsold copies would remain in storage. BookSurge's on-demand approach instead enabled copies to be produced in response to actual purchases. Amazon acquired BookSurge in 2005. After the acquisition, the service operated under the CreateSpace name and became connected to Amazon's retail and fulfillment ecosystem. Authors could submit books for production and sale, with copies printed when customers ordered them. The service's role was primarily technological, production-oriented, and logistical. The available reference material states that CreateSpace accepted books with substantive content but did not edit or verify them, meaning that the platform did not function as a conventional editorial publisher or as a general content-review organization. CreateSpace's practical significance came from lowering barriers to publication. Authors did not necessarily need to finance a large print run or arrange their own warehousing and distribution. The print-on-demand process also made it possible to keep a title available even when demand was modest or irregular. Distribution through Amazon connected the service to an established online retail channel, although the reference material does not provide a detailed account of territories, pricing, formats, royalty arrangements, or specific media categories beyond books. The service continued under Amazon for roughly eight years after the period described in the source material as its publishing-services operation, and it reached substantial cumulative output. By 2018, CreateSpace had reportedly published 1,416,384 books for more than 15,000 authors. This figure illustrates the scale of its contribution to self-publishing, but it should not be interpreted as evidence that the company selected, edited, or endorsed every title it produced. In July 2018, CreateSpace communicated that its media services would move to Amazon Media on Demand over the ensuing months. Later in 2018, CreateSpace merged with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing service. The consolidation brought the CreateSpace operation into Amazon's broader self-publishing structure and removed CreateSpace as an independent service brand. The available material does not describe a separate post-merger company, a new standalone owner, or a continuing CreateSpace operation. CreateSpace is therefore treated as a defunct brand whose functions were absorbed into Amazon's publishing and media-on-demand services.
- 2018
CreateSpace reports cumulative publishing scale
[1]By 2018, the service had reportedly published 1,416,384 books for more than 15,000 authors.
- 2018
Media services transfer announced
[1]CreateSpace announced the planned transfer of its media services to Amazon Media on Demand.
- 2018
CreateSpace merges with Kindle Direct Publishing
[1]The CreateSpace service was merged into Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing operation.
- 2005
Amazon acquires BookSurge
[1]Amazon acquired BookSurge, bringing the on-demand publishing business into its corporate portfolio.
- 2000
BookSurge is founded
[1]The business that later became CreateSpace was founded in South Carolina as BookSurge.
Products and positioning
A low-inventory, accessible self-publishing service that combined author-submitted content with print-on-demand manufacturing and Amazon distribution.
Publishing service
Print-on-demand books
CreateSpace produced books only when customer orders required them. This reduced the need for advance print runs, inventory storage, and author-funded production commitments. Authors could submit substantive book content for commercial availability through Amazon, while CreateSpace handled the physical production associated with orders.
Author services
Self-publishing and fulfillment services
The service combined author-submitted content with print production and Amazon-linked fulfillment. Its value proposition was operational rather than editorial: CreateSpace did not generally edit or verify submitted books, but enabled authors to make titles available without independently arranging printing, warehousing, and order handling.
Brand decisions
2018
Transfer of media services to Amazon Media on DemandStrategyBackground
Amazon announced a structural change to the CreateSpace operation as the service reached the end of its standalone life.
Action taken
CreateSpace announced that its media services would be transferred to Amazon Media on Demand over the following months.
Aftermath
The transfer was followed by the later consolidation of CreateSpace with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing service.
2018
Merger with Kindle Direct PublishingM&ABackground
Amazon consolidated related self-publishing capabilities rather than continuing CreateSpace as a separate brand.
Action taken
CreateSpace was merged with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing service.
Aftermath
CreateSpace ceased operating as a standalone service, with its functions continuing within Amazon's broader publishing infrastructure.
Recent events
- 2018
CreateSpace announces transfer of media services to Amazon Media on Demand[1]
M&A
CreateSpace announced that its media services would be transferred to Amazon's Media on Demand operations during the following months.
- 2018
CreateSpace merges with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing[1]
M&A
CreateSpace was consolidated with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing service, ending its operation as a separate brand.
Sources1 sources
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