Book publishing is a key part of personal brand building that is often overlooked. When customers read your book, it is like having a warm conversation with you. It allows them to get to know you and it allows you to tell your story, demonstrate your expertise and build credibility while providing more value to the world.
In this article, we will look at the different self publishing websites that can help you reach a broader audience, as well as options for you to consider when deciding on the route you would like to go to become an author. Whether publishing on KDP or the other platforms, you need to have a solid understanding of what they entail. Below are the main topics this article will cover.
Publishing Online
Before self publishing online you need to first make sure you already have an audience. Don’t dive into releasing a book if no one knows you because it takes a lot of time to grow an audience of supporters. You need that audience to grow from. Do you have an email list? Having an email list will give you that momentum to launch your book successfully. The larger it is, the better. You may also have an active social media following with supporters that you can leverage.
Also, do you have a budget to design and market the book? Your customers are all out there waiting and you need a design that will WOW them. Also, do you have time to promote your book or friends/family to help you promote? If not then that makes the marketing budget even more crucial. As part of your strategy, you also need to consider the self publishing websites that are out there as well as what their advantages are.
Self Publishing Websites
1.) Kindle Direct Publishing
Out of all the self publishing websites, Amazon is the largest online platform for authors to benefit from. It accounts for around 68% of the ebook market. They recently replaced Createspace, their on-demand publisher, with Kindle Direct Publishing. KDP does not print hardcovers, only paperback and ebooks so if you would like your book to have a hardcover then you can publish through Ingram Spark and it will be available on Amazon. By publishing with KDP you have access to an even broader audience along with resources to help you achieve your goals:
Royalties from KDP
Amazon Pays 60 days after the month that the sale is made as long as the sale meets minimum threshhold of $100. If you choose direct deposit then the minimum threshold doesn’t apply. Royalties may vary from paperbacks to ebooks. Factors like country of sale, page count, paper type and list price also determine your royalties.
For Ebook Royalties: KDP has a 35% royalty option and a 70% option:
The 35% Royalty Option Does not deduct delivery costs when calculating royalties. It also applies to sale in any country. This option is for books that don’t fall within the price range of $2.99-$9.99.
35% Royalty Rate x (List Price – applicable VAT) = Royalty
The 70% Royalty Option is only for ebooks that are listed at from $2.99 to $9.99. If you fall within that range then you might be eligible for this option With this option you must set list price at least 20% below the list price on amazon for any physical print book.
70% Royalty Rate x (List Price – applicable VAT – Delivery Costs) = Royalty
For Paperback royalties: The numbers may vary because of printing and shipping costs for different types of books and regions. For paperback, expect a Fixed 60 % royalty minus shipping cost when publishing with KDP. Shipping costs vary depending on the location of the order.
(0.60 x (sell price)) – printing cost,Taxes,withholding = your royalties)
Benefits of Publishing with KDP
1.) Publishing with KDP Offers free ISBN: But note that the free ISBN is only for KDP and can’t be used in other outlets. If you plan to become an author that sells in multiple platforms and channels then you would need to purchase your own ISBN from Bowker. This ISBN Can be used on any publishing websites you choose. Including your own website!
2.) KDP offers expanded distribution: Through this program, your book becomes available to major book stores, online retailers, libraries and academic institutions. However, This does not guarantee it will be ordered by a particular bookseller or library. By offering wholesale discounts you can increase your chances. It also does not provide details on which booksellers made a purchase and can take up to 8 weeks to be available. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you enroll in expanded distribution then you cannot sell your book on any other platform outside Amazon. So if you decide to go to Ingram Spark then you would have to opt-out of expanded distribution first.
3.) Author central: Author central allows you to promote your book among millions of readers. You can create an author page with info, imagery and your book along with a link to your site, social media and purchase. This would help you boost your personal brand as an author.
4.) KDP Select: KDP Select is a marketing program to help you promote through discounts and countdown deals when publishing with KDP. In this program you grant Amazon exclusive distribution of your book for 90 day period and re-enroll at your own convenience. When you enroll in KDP Select you can run free promotions for up to 5 days out of each 90 day KDP Select enrollment period. No royalties are acquired once promotion runs but once free book promotion ends it will enter the paid list.
The goal of KDP select is to create desire or demand for your book because it is discounted for a limited time. This would improve your organic reach and sales after the deal is over because of the built momentum. KDP select is mostly recommended for fiction authors. This is because the shoppers on Kindle Unlimited, where your book will be listed, are usually fiction readers. But note that once your book is enrolled in KDP Select, you can’t list it in other markets, platforms or channels.
5.) Amazon Advertising: Lockscreen ads allow you to target Kindle e-readers, Fire Tablet Lockscreens and Kindle E-Reader homescreens to reach customers at the right time. Only pay when people click on your ad and target based on genre interests. Use sponsored product ads to promote your titles to readers as they search based on keywords of products in search results and product detail pages.
2.) Ingram Spark
Established by Ingram, the worlds leading distributor for print books. Ingram Spark offers global distribution and reaches other top online retailers like Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Below are some considerations to keep in mind when deciding if you would like to become an author through Ingram Spark.
Ingram Spark recently removed their fees in 2024 so It is now free to publish on the platform.
Ingram Spark charges $85 for an official Bowker ISBN or you can purchase one directly through Bowker.
Royalties from Ingram
Receive your royalties 90 days after the sale. Ingram Spark pays 40% royalties for ebooks. Your royalties for print are determined through many factors like book size, page count, paper type, cover type, list price and how much your wholesale discount is. Follow this link to calculate how much royalties you can expect for a paperback or hardcopy book
Benefits of Ingram Spark
1.) Publish Hardcover books along with paperback and ebook. Ingram Spark also offers more cover sizes to choose from when publishing online.
2.) Free publishing tools and resources allow you to benefit and grow as an author(e.g weekly blog, podcast, courses and downloadable guides.)
3.) Use wholesale discounts to expand your reach in major book distribution channels by helping it get picked up by major retailers and wholesalers (brick-n-mortar, Barnes n Noble, Costco, etc.) By selling at a discount you can reach major retailers and compete with traditional published books.) Sell in bulk on Ingram Spark for as low as 30-35% to attract more wholesale buyers. This can be beneficial because most publishers offer 55% to attract wholesalers.
4.) You get a broad distribution. Through Ingram Spark you can still reach Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Barnes & Noble and more.
3.) Barnes & Noble Press
Barne’s & Noble, formerly known as NOOK Press is an online book store for Printbooks, ebooks and magazines. You can take advantage of their self-publishing portal to become an author and reach millions of potential customers. Barnes & Noble is the second largest bookstore in the country. Their national store is purely focused on the US but your customers can easily order from any store across the country. Barnes & Noble is used for only distribution at their online or physical locations.
Royalties from Barnes & Noble
For Barnes & Noble, you can expect royalties of up to 65-70% for ebooks. For printed books, you can expect 55% minus the printing cost. Follow this link to their web page for author royalties.
You can also Follow this link to read more about Barnes & Nobles Royalties
Benefits of Barnes & Noble
1.) Set up preorders before the date of your actual book launch through Barnes & Noble. This can help to build anticipation.
2.) Convenient for hardcopy, as well as both print and ebook publishing.
3.) A variety of resources to help you sell more books, especially if you are new to publishing.
4.) Free, Fast and Easy to Use so you can save your money, time and effort.
5.) A Free ISBN will be provided for publishing only on Barnes & Noble
4.) Ebook Publishing Platforms
i.) Kobo: Controls around 25% of ebook sales in Canada. It is used for only ebook releases and audiobooks, not print. When you publish with Kobo, your Ebook will be available to potential customers in over 190 countries. Royalties can be 20%, 45% or 70% depending on your books price and the region that it is sold. But in the United States:
- If the ebook cost is at or above $2.99 then the 70% royalties apply.
- If below $2.99 then the 45% royalties apply.
- If your book is in the public domain then the 20% royalties will apply.
ii.) Apple iBooks: is also the second biggest ebook retailer after Amazon. Apple Books offers a fixed 70% royalty rate. There are no file delivery fees or third-party ads. Apple will pay you 30days after the end of the month in which your ebook was sold. To publish on this platform you will need a mac device with iTunes. Apple also only accepts EPUB.
Benefits of Ebook Publishing
The reflowable functionality of ebooks allow your readers to change the layout, font size and other attributes based on their own reading preferences.
Eliminate production and shipping/fulfillment costs which can make the shopping experience less convenient for you and your readers. With ebooks they receive their purchase immediately at no extra cost.
Ebooks allow for easier navigation if readers can easily click on the chapter they want from the table of contents. This allows for a more intuitive reading experience.
Ebooks are more sustainable for the environment when you consider the problem of excessive paper printing. This leads to deforestation and environmental concerns.
Ebooks are more portable so your customers can conveniently carry and access several books at once from one device.
Reflowable Ebooks are easier, cheaper and faster to make. So if you are working with a tight budget and a tight deadline to have your book launched then I would highly recommend starting with a reflowable ebook. Ebooks make publishing online simpler.
In conclusion, Publishing online does not have to be complicated. You just need the right support to guide you through the process. I hope you are now able to make more informed decisions on the right self publishing websites to consider. Also, note that the information covered in this article apply as of Jan 2022. These self publishing websites may change how they operate over time. Publishing with KDP, Ingram or Barnes & Noble may be different in the near future. But if you enjoyed this article then you may also like my previous one on 10 ways to sell more books.
