Deciding to self-publish your book is exciting and nerve-wracking. Once your book has been edited, designed and you have a marketing plan, you still need to figure out how you will publish and distribute your work; the number of options available is so great that it can be a bit overwhelming.
There are many companies that advertise their services to self-publishing authors. some of them have good reputations, but many of them are vanity presses looking to prey on aspiring authors.
You are reading: Best self publishing books
In this article, we’ll walk you through the 17 Best Desktop Publishing Companies in the Industry to see which ones you might want to work with, based on the book you’ve written.
ebook distributors
The beauty of eBook publishing is that any author can upload and launch their books without outside help. Generally speaking, you can take two approaches to this process:
- sell directly through book retailers, such as amazon and b&n press. These are online bookstores where your book can be discovered and sold. large book retailers usually provide a branded ebook publishing platform for you to upload your book individually.
- use an aggregator, such as draft2digital and smashwords, to distribute it to a group of book retailers suddenly. this will probably save you time and energy, although you will have to pay an additional fee for their services.
When you publish an e-book, regardless of the focus, you’ll keep most of the profits. most retailers and aggregators will only get a portion of the royalties once a copy of your book is sold.
but what’s best for your book will depend on your personal situation. so first, we recommend that you take this short 1-minute quiz that will help you find the best desktop publishing company for you.
That said, if you want an overview of the eBook publishing landscape, keep reading!
Let’s start with the four most prominent book stores. Book retailers are the stores through which you will sell your book to the public, which means they are quite important when it comes to your self-publishing ambitions. As we mentioned before, each retailer offers their own eBook publishing platform for authors to upload their books. where they differ is in the cut they take from your royalties and their exclusivity programs.
1. amazon kdp
💰 price: free of charge💸 royalties: 70% on ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99 or 35% if the price is less than $2.99
Amazon is the titan of online bookstores, accounting for 74% of US bookstores. uu. ebook sales in 2015: It is the largest seller of digital volumes in the world. It’s no wonder Amazon is often the first retailer authors consider selling their titles.
kindle direct publishing (kdp) is amazon’s desktop publishing platform (not to be confused with “amazon publishing,” its division that operates like a traditional publisher). any author can self-publish using kdp, though you’ll need to do it manually.
Please note that amazon kdp is not the same as amazon kdp select. kdp select is amazon’s exclusivity program, which means that if you choose to enroll in it, you can only sell your book on amazon In exchange for this, Amazon will give you:
- access kindle countdown deals and free promotions. you can discount your book, and even set it free in the kindle store, for a set period every 90 days. Learn more about the power of discounting (and the smart way to do it) in this live.
- sign up for kindle unlimited . ku is amazon’s subscription service for readers, allowing members to read as much as they want. it’s very popular and a good portion of amazon customers only read ku titles these days.
If you’ve researched these advantages and decided that kdp select is the route for you, then you don’t need to read the rest of this post, since you’ve essentially agreed not to use any other desktop publishing company 🙂 instead, you can familiarize yourself with the program kdp select with these resources:
- kdp select vs. “going wide”: which option is right for you?
- how to self-publish with amazon
- the complete guide to ebook distribution
2. apple books
💰 price: free freight💸 royalties: 70% on most books
another big name that everyone should know, apple founded its desktop publishing division in 2010. in 2012, apple announced that 400 million books were downloaded on apple books (although it’s important to note that the number of downloads differs of the number of books sold, as the digital reader clarifies in this post). Although Amazon has far eclipsed it as the leading e-book reading platform ever since, Apple’s books still get their fair share of eyes.
While figuring out ways to monetize a book on Apple Books can be challenging, it’s much easier to publish one. Using iBooks Author, self-publishing authors can easily upload their titles to Apple Books, all without paying a fee!
3. barnes & noble press
💰 price: free upload💸 royalties: 70% on eBooks priced over $0.99
Unsurprisingly, barnes & Noble Press (previously known as Nook Press) is the desktop publishing platform belonging to the great bookstore. it has fought rather infamously for market share against amazon. However, when it comes to interfaces, b&n press is easy to use and like the other big retailers, it’s free to upload your book. exclusivity is not required to publish with b&n press.
It is important to note that you can set up your book for free on this platform. in addition, barnes & noble is still working to innovate and add new features for self-published writers. In January 2021, b&n press introduced an announcement portal to help new authors create marketing campaigns on the barnes & noble website for your books. See this page for more information on self-publishing on b&n press.
4. rakuten kobo
💰 price: free upload💸 royalties: 70% on eBooks priced over $2.99 in the us. uu. o 45% for books priced under $2.99
rakuten kobo is the last big retailer you need to know about. it is a Canadian company (which is a subsidiary of the Japanese e-commerce giant rakuten); as such, it has a large reach in the international e-book market. Kobo is only the No. 5 store in terms of market share in the US. uu., although it grows year after year.
if you hope to reach readers outside the us. uu., kobo is a good candidate. Kobo’s desktop publishing arm, Kobo Writing Life, is simple and free to use. It also comes with several benefits, including exclusive promotional opportunities, if you choose to distribute through Kobo and not an aggregator.
Speaking of aggregators… if you get a migraine just thinking about uploading your book to all these different book stores by yourself, then maybe aggregators are what you’re looking for.
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aggregators collect and manage all of these markets: they send your book to each retailer and centralize everything in a single sales report. With a single upload to, say, draft2digital, your book would be on sale at amazon, b&n press, apple books, kobo, and even smaller retailers.
You will then be able to track your sales at all of these retailers through the aggregator interface and receive monthly royalty checks. In exchange for this service, an aggregator will take an additional portion of your royalties, which means this route is for anyone who wants to save time quickly and doesn’t mind paying more.
5. draft2digital
💰 price: 10% of the book’s retail price per copy sold📇 distributed to: amazon, apple books, barnes & noble, google play books, kobo, playster, tolino, overdrive, scribd, bibliotheca — more info here
if you decide to use an aggregator, draft2digital is the one we recommend at reedsy. why that? many factors, including excellent customer support, an easy-to-use control panel, and a sleek website design. Not to mention the extra perks that d2d includes in the deal: they do the formatting for you. d2d too:
- provides authors with universal book links (ubl). As the name suggests, these ubls make books discoverable by allowing authors to generate a link to each of their books, which goes directly to the customer’s preferred book store.
- promotes an “automated back issue” tool. This nifty service automatically adds your newly published ebook to the “also by this author” section of any other book you’ve distributed through d2d.
Add in the fact that it’s distributed to all the major eBook stores, and you pretty much have the complete package at draft2digital.
6. smash words
💰 price: 15% of the retail price on smashwords and 10% on other platforms per copy sold📇 distributed to: apple books, barnes & noble, scribd, kobo, blio, the smashwords store — more info here
The original aggregator, smashwords, was the undisputed king of town until draft2digial came onto the scene. however, smashwords is still very popular today.
In a simple side-by-side comparison, smashwords and draft2digital offer similar pricing and royalty structures. Where Smashwords falls short is in terms of its user experience – you have to format yourself in Smashwords, which is definitely not a piece of cake. smashwords also does not distribute books to amazon. That said, outside of Amazon, it has a slightly more extensive distribution network than Draft2Digital, so if you want to sell your book to smaller retailers, this might work. kindlepreneur’s dave chesson wrote a detailed version of the differences between smashwords and draft2digital, which you can read here.
7. post unit
💰 price: 10% of retail price per copy sold or subscription price📇 distributed to: amazon, apple books, google play, barnes & noble, scribd, overdrive, playster, odilo, bookmate — more info here
publishdrive may be the new kid on the block, but you’ve definitely made the most of your time. Founded in 2015, it works with over 4,500 publishers and can now connect you with over 400 stores. It has all the functionality of the other aggregators: a modern interface and regular sales reports to keep you updated on your earnings. What sets publishdrive apart from the rest are:
- publishdrive subscription pricing options. If you simply agree to pay $100 per month, you can keep all of your royalties, which could be a good option for established authors.
- Your distribution options. Along with all major Western retailers, Publiquedrive also specializes in international distribution, giving independent authors access to foreign markets that were previously out of reach.
8. streetlib
💰 price: 10% of retail price per copy sold📇 distributed to: amazon, google play, apple books, barnes & noble, kobo, scribd, overdrive, indigo, baker & taylor — more info here
another international distributor, streetlib gives you even more options if you want to reach an international audience. It has a strong presence in Latin America and Europe, to the extent that its dashboard can be set to English, Italian, Spanish, Hindi, and more! Another example of its international strength: in January 2019, it began offering its services for authors in Egypt.
Originally founded in Europe, streetlib is certainly great for international distribution, but if your plan is to include the US. uu. and united kingdom in addition, also covers your back. As of April 2019, it distributes books to major western stores.
9. xinxii
💰 price: 30% of net sales for books priced over $2.49 or 60% for works under $2.48 📇 distributed to: amazon, hugendubel, angus & robertson, thalia, buecher, whitcoulls, indigo, kobo, livraria cultura, kobo, scribd — more info here
xinxii isn’t actually chinese, it’s based in berlin. (surprise!) As such, it offers authors foreign distribution channels that might not be available elsewhere. Note that it has a particularly strong presence in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. however, its customer service can be lacking and its user interface a bit clunky – trade-offs the author will need to make in order to do business with xinxii.
authoring services for desktop publishing authors
Now, if you haven’t gotten as far into the publishing process as you have into the actual publishing, and you’re still concerned about editing, design, and formatting of your book, then perhaps the companies listed above don’t quite match up. what you are looking for. Fortunately, there is a place where you can access world-class talent to take care of the three of you, and you are already there 😉.
10. cane
💰 price: average costs here🖋️services: editing, interior design, cover design, illustrations and more.
reedsy, a marketplace for independent publishing professionals, is where authors can connect with editors and designers with years of relevant traditional publishing experience. each professional sets their own rate: you can get quotes from up to five of them at a time and find the ones that best suit your needs and budget.
In addition to the marketplace, reedsy has a book formatting tool that allows any author to quickly create a professional-quality ebook and print book file, at no cost.
print-on-demand services for desktop publishing authors
While most self-publishing authors will rely on the e-book market for the majority of their sales, that doesn’t mean they should overlook the print book. after all, there’s nothing like having a beautifully designed paperback in hand! And with print-on-demand technology that allows copies to be produced only when purchased, almost any independent author can put a paperback up for sale, without breaking the bank.
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If that sounds good to you, here’s a quick look at some of the top players in the pod.
11. kdp print
💰 price: learn more here📇 distributes to: amazon (naturally), others via expanded distribution.
Formerly known as CreateSpace, Amazon’s own print-on-demand service has the advantage of sharing Kindle’s direct publishing platform. Authors already selling eBooks on KDP can easily launch a print edition by uploading a formatted PDF and a spine and back cover design. With kdp’s expanded distribution option, authors can sell to stores and libraries around the world, although it’s important to note that many booksellers prefer to order through amazon.
12. ingramspark
💰 price: learn more here📇 distributes to: amazon, apple books, barnes & noble, follett, ebsco, booktopia, kobo, zola books, 24 symbols, book companion
ingramspark, owned by ingram, the world’s largest book wholesaler. If your goal is to get your book into physical stores, it’s worth setting up your book with this company (perhaps in addition to KDP Print, which you can use to sell your book on Amazon). for more information, read our ingramspark review.
13. blurb
💰 prices: more information here
📇 distributed to: amazon, apple books, the blurb bookstore
blurb is one of the most well-known and trusted print-on-demand services out there. We recommend it especially for visual works, such as magazines and photo albums. for a detailed evaluation of its ease of use and images of the quality of its printed books,go to this review.
14. baby book
💰 price: learn more here📇 distributes to: amazon, google play, vearsa, apple books, kobo, bookshop, barnes & noble, powell books, a million books
With an easy-to-use interface and reliable customer support, bookbaby is a choice for many first-time authors. for more information about bookbaby, go to this review.
marketing services for desktop publishing authors
Getting your book published is only half the battle, of course. he has created a wonderful book and released it on the world’s largest retail platforms, but he still needs to find a way to get people to buy it. To help your book reach its potential, there are a few companies you can turn to for help.
15. cane discovery
💰 price: $50
reedsy discovery helps thousands of desktop publishing authors get the boost they need every month. When you submit your book, you get an editorial review in time for the release date, as well as the chance to be featured in our weekly newsletter, which is sent to over 200,000 enthusiastic readers.
In addition to reviews, the reedsy marketplace has dozens of book marketing experts who can help you optimize your book’s product page, plan an ad campaign, and hone your email marketing strategy.
16. book
💰 price: varies by gender
Bookbub, perhaps the largest individual promotion platform in the publishing industry, offers self-publishing authors a powerful way to advertise their discount offers. Through bookbub’s featured offers and self-serve ads, an author can tap into their subscriber base and access devoted fans of almost any genre.
However, these days, it’s incredibly difficult for desktop publishing authors to secure one of their featured deals. Fortunately, bookbub has more than a little competition.
17. print media
💰 price: varies between platforms
With a variety of platforms offering free and discounted books (the most prominent of which are their newsletters), print media provides another way for authors to connect with thousands of readers. Along with freebooksy and gangbooksy (promoting free and bargain books, naturally), wmm has other sites dedicated to steamy romances, new releases, and even audiobooks.
and if that’s not enough, you can find more services in reedsy’s directory of book promotion sites.
Whatever options you choose, understand that it may take some trial and error until you figure out your perfect self-publishing system. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, which is part of learning how to self-publish a book in the first place.
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