The number of self-published authors is increasing more than ever. There are many different eBook publishing platforms available as a result.
These websites simply give you a place to promote and market your eBook. Each one operates slightly differently and will take a modest cut of the revenue.
The best publishing websites are reviewed and ranked below.
Top 6 platforms for publishing eBooks
In order to reach other retailers, many authors upload their eBook to Amazon KDP first and then to an aggregator website. But avoid going bonkers. Your time commitment will increase as you deal with new platforms. Additionally, it serves no purpose to send your book to the same retailers more than once.
Here is our list of the best sites for publishing eBooks, but we urge you to check them out for yourself:
Draft2Digital
Free of Charge Royalties of Up to 60%
One of the greatest places to publish your eBook is Draft2Digital. They went to all the major retailers, including Kobo, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Amazon.
You can use the author page and book tabs provided by Draft2Digital in place of creating your own website. Additionally, the helpful sales tracker enables you to see how well your books are selling.
The automated formatting function offered by Draft2Digital is its strongest feature. This transforms your straightforward Word paper into a clever, expert eBook for no cost.
Early in 2022, Draft2Digital made the announcement that they were joining forces with their major rival Smashwords (more on their platform below). The platforms will continue to operate under their own names until the merger is finished. You can still utilize both platforms as usual for the time being.
Smashwords
Free with 60% from the retailer and up to 85% from the Smashwords Store in royalties.
One of the top online eBook aggregators is Smashwords. Your book will be available on Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and a ton of other merchants and library networks if you upload it through them.
If you desire an ISBN, they provide one for free. Additionally, they give you daily sales data from the main retailers so you can monitor how well your book is selling.
60% of any sales made through a store will go to you because Smashwords also gets a tiny share. You will receive 85% of any sales made through the Smashwords Store (70.5% of affiliate sales).
As previously indicated, Draft2Digital purchased Smashwords at the beginning of 2022. You can use both platforms as usual while they're still being integrated.
Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon (KDP)
Free of Charge Royalties of Up to 70%
Because Amazon sells such an enormous quantity of eBooks, Amazon KDP, their publishing platform, is also quite well-liked. You may connect with a huge audience with it.
The platform is compatible with many different file types. But in the end, they are all turned into Kindle books that are solely available on Amazon. Your book receives a free ASIN from KDP, which functions like an ISBN.
Higher royalties and promotional tools are offered via the optional KDP Select program. However, you must make your book exclusive to Amazon (i.e., you can't sell your book digitally anywhere else).
Otherwise, you will receive 35% of the proceeds from books sold outside of the "70% territories" (a limited number of nations) and 70% of the proceeds from books sold inside the "70% regions."
Several free pieces of software are also available from KDP if you want to publish illustrated books. For picture books, you can use the Kindle Kids' Book Creator, and for graphic novels and original artwork, you can utilize the Kindle Comic Creator.
Lulu
Free Royalties at 80% of Cost
An emerging eBook aggregation website is Lulu. Your eBook will be sent to all the main retailers (including Amazon).
They won't assist you with formatting, unlike Draft2Digital, and your book must pass their Quality Assurance exam in order to be accepted. As a result, you might be better off looking elsewhere unless you're confident doing this yourself.
Writing Life on Kobo
Free of Charge Royalties of Up to 70%
A large retailer of eBooks is Kobo. Despite not being as good as Amazon or Apple, Kobo is accessible in more than 190 nations.
Your manuscript will be converted to EPUB format. And you'll get 70% of the list price of your book as long as it costs £1.99 or more (or an equal). You will receive 45% of any books that are sold for less. Additionally, if you choose, you are still able to publish your books elsewhere.
Press of Barnes & Noble
Free Royalties at 70% Off
This is the official Barnes & Noble eBook publishing website, formerly known as Nook Press. They have a sizable following both here in the UK and in the US.
Any eBook purchased between $0.99 and $199.99 will earn you 70%. You will therefore make more money by distributing through B&N directly as opposed to an aggregator website. However, uploading your books to certain sellers is more difficult.
You will profit from all the additional advertising that the B&N website provides (they have millions of customers). They also provide a simple-to-use dashboard so you can keep tabs on sales.
Where should your eBook be published?
There are many different factors to take into account when selecting a publishing platform. First, the majority of publishing websites will belong to one of the two groups listed below:
These websites serve as both publishers and retailers of eBooks (online stores), selling books directly to customers. They consist of companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
They distribute your eBook to a variety of merchants - Also referred to as aggregators, these websites will send your book to the stores mentioned above as well as others.
The second alternative may seem more enticing because more merchants must equal more customers, right? However, keep in mind that most retailers will take a percentage of your profits. Additionally, keep in mind that a sizable chunk of eBook purchases occur through Amazon alone.
How do you pick the best platform for you? As with anything, have a look at a few and contrast the salient aspects:
How much do they charge (the majority don't charge anything) to host or convert your book?
Do you require a unique ISBN number?
Can you send us a Word version of your book?
Which formats will be created for your book? The most popular and adaptable eBook format is EPUB (short for "electronic publication," however other sites might use others as well).
What is the conversion time?
Is it possible to download the converted EPUB if necessary (it's useful for marketing)?
If you decide to switch to another publishing platform in the future, is that possible?
How soon will your book be available in bookstores? which retailers?
How much will you make in royalties from each sale? Remember that both the retailer and your publishing platform will demand a cut.
When, how, and in what currency will you get paid?
Is it possible to download the converted EPUB if necessary (it's useful for marketing)?
If you decide to switch to another publishing platform in the future, is that possible?
How soon will your book be available in bookstores? which retailers?
How much will you make in royalties from each sale? Remember that both the retailer and your publishing platform will demand a cut.
When, how, and in what currency will you get paid?
Different ways to publish besides using a platform
An eBook may be published much more easily thanks to publishing platforms. They can also assist you in promoting your position to clients. But you are not required to use them.
Here are some additional choices you might consider:
When you're done, save your text file as a PDF. You can do this for free with some word processing applications.
You may also have the option to save your document as an EPUB in some word processing systems. But keep in mind that it can be a little sloppy with the arrangement.
You may create your own EPUB from scratch if you're more tech-savvy. You can also give Calibre a try, a free desktop converter that enables you to go deep into the code and get behind the scenes.
Then, from your own website or blog, you can sell PDF or EPUB files. In this manner, you have total control and all of your earnings are yours.
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