After your manuscript has been edited and the cover and layout have been designed, the next step is publishing! Now you have an important decision to make: Which platform or platforms will you use to self-publish your book?
You don’t have to choose just one! Let’s explore some of the different options available to you.
Self-Publishing Retailers vs. Aggregators
The first thing you need to know is that there are two types of self-publishing platforms: retailers and aggregators.
Retailers
Retailers like Amazon KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, and Apple Books sell directly to readers through their own platforms. When you publish your book with Amazon KDP, for example, Amazon handles everything—they list it in their online store, process orders, print copies on demand, and pay you royalties.
Aggregators
Aggregators like IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, and PublishDrive act as middlemen. You upload your book once to the aggregator, and they distribute it to multiple retailers on your behalf. This saves you from uploading to each platform individually, but it adds a layer between you and the end retailer. Some aggregators take a percentage of your royalties for this convenience, while others (like Draft2Digital) offer the service for free and earn their cut from the retailers instead.
Important note: To publish with an aggregator, you must own your ISBN, while most retailers will provide you with a free one—though this typically comes with some limitations.
Popular Self-Publishing Retailers
Amazon KDP and Barnes & Noble Press are two of the most popular retailers for self-published authors.
Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
Cost: Free to publish.
Formats available: Paperback, hardcover, and e-book.
Hardcover options: Case laminate (printed hardcover) only—no dust jackets available.
Print method: Print-on-demand.
Royalty rates: E-book: 35% or 70% (70% only available in certain countries and price ranges). Print: Approximately 60% of list price minus printing costs.
Other details: KDP is the largest book retailer in the world and is relatively easy to use, making it a very common choice for self-published authors. Its Kindle Select program offers promotional tools that can get more eyes on your e-book, but it requires exclusivity—meaning you cannot publish the book anywhere else. However, books published through only KDP have little to no distribution beyond Amazon.
Barnes & Noble Press
Cost: Free to publish.
Formats available: Paperback and e-book (no hardcover option).
Print method: Print-on-demand.
Royalty rates: E-book: 65% for books priced $2.99-$9.99; 40% outside that range. Print: Approximately 55% of list price minus printing costs.
Other details: B&N Press gives you direct access to Barnes & Noble’s online store and potential visibility in physical stores, though in-store placement isn’t guaranteed. The platform is straightforward but offers fewer options than KDP. Books published through B&N Press are not available for purchase outside of Barnes & Noble.
Popular Self-Publishing Aggregators
Let’s compare the two most common aggregators: IngramSpark and Draft2Digital.
IngramSpark
Cost: $49 setup fee per format—for example, one fee for paperback, another for hardcover, and another for e-book.
Formats available: Paperback, hardcover, and e-book.
Print method: Print-on-demand and offset printing for bulk orders.
Hardcover options: Both case laminate (printed hardcover) and dust jacket options available.
Distribution: IngramSpark distributes to Amazon as well as 40,000+ physical and online retailers and libraries—but that is not automatic or guaranteed. This just means your book will be available for stores or libraries to order if they choose to do so.
Royalty rates: Varies based on discount structure—typically 55% wholesale discount, leaving you with 45% minus printing costs.
Other details: IngramSpark is the gold standard for wide distribution, especially for print books. It’s the best option for getting your book into libraries and brick-and-mortar bookstores—but again, that’s not guaranteed. It is more technical and less author-friendly than other platforms, and the discount and pricing structures are more complex. Returns are also enabled by default, which can impact your net income.
Draft2Digital
Cost: Free to publish.
Formats available: Paperback, hardcover, and e-book.
Print method: Print-on-demand (through their print service, launched in partnership with Lulu).
Hardcover options: Dust jackets available.
Distribution: Draft2Digital distributes e-books to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, OverDrive (libraries) and many other retailers. Through their Lulu partnership, they distribute print books to their own online book store and select online retailers. Draft2Digital does not distribute to Amazon, or physical bookstores or libraries.
Royalty rates: You receive the same royalty you’d get by publishing directly with retailers—Draft2Digital takes their cut from the retailer’s side, not yours.
Other details: Draft2Digital is known for being extremely author-friendly and having excellent customer service. However, their print service is quite new and has limited distribution, and you’d have to also publish with another platform if you want your book sold on Amazon.
Choosing Your Self-Publishing Platform(s)
When To Publish Only on KDP
About 80% of book sales happen on Amazon. If your primary goal is to get your book published and in the hands of readers, Amazon KDP is all you need. And if you don’t want to spend money on ISBNs or other additional fees, publishing only on KDP is also your best bet.
When To Publish on IngramSpark and/or Draft2Digital
But if you want your book to be available for wide distribution—bookstores, libraries—you’ll want to publish through IngramSpark. Some authors publish all versions of their book through IngramSpark, but many use it only for their print books, while using Draft2Digital for their e-books. Remember, IngramSpark charges a fee for every format of your book, and Draft2Digital does not. Not to mention, Draft2Digital is more user-friendly, and it is commonly considered the better platform for e-books.
When To Publish on IngramSpark + KDP
If you use IngramSpark and/or Draft2Digital to publish your book, you may still consider publishing on KDP as well. Although IngramSpark makes your book available to Amazon, that doesn’t mean Amazon will necessarily stock it. Should they decide to stock your book, they’ll be ordering wholesale copies from IngramSpark, which means the list price is often higher than if you published through KDP, you won’t be able to run promotions on Amazon, and your book may not be eligible for Prime shipping, causing readers to wait longer for it to arrive. Amazon can also pull your listing at any time if the book isn’t in high demand.
Ultimately, as a self-publishing author, it’s up to you to decide where to publish your book. As part of our full-service packages at Aha! Editorial, we guide authors through the self-publishing process and help them make key decisions such as this one.
This decision is the first of many you’ll make during the publishing stage. To explore some of the other crucial questions you’ll need to answer, check out our comprehensive guide to self-publishing.
Owner of Aha! Editorial
