10 Best Places to Publish eBooks

About this video

(Summary based on the Arabic caption track.) Dale ranks 10 places to publish eBooks mainly by royalty per sale, using reach as a tiebreaker. Apple Books for Authors is available in 51 regions and pays 70% with no hidden fees or exclusivity, so a $9.99 eBook earns $6.99, plus a 7% affiliate commission if you drive the sale. Google Play Books Partner Center reaches over 75 countries and pays 70% in most regions but 52% in listed regions including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan and others. Kobo Writing Life pays 70% for eBooks over $2.99 and 45% below that, and adds Kobo Plus, which pays by minutes read or listened to rather than pages, and OverDrive library distribution. Amazon KDP pays 35% or 70%, with the 70% tier for $2.99 to $9.99 minus delivery costs, and KDP Select is a 90-day exclusive program tied to Kindle Unlimited page reads. Smashwords pays 85% direct in its store or about 77% via Draft2Digital, Gumroad charges a flat 10% fee before payment-processor fees, and Lulu takes a 90/10 split in its own store but much less through global distribution. Payhip has Free, Plus and Pro plans with declining transaction fees, StoryOrigin direct sales offer 95% before its processor and subscription costs, and Later Press takes 0% on direct payments, leaving only Stripe processing, though direct-sales platforms require authors to bring their own traffic.

Key takeaways

• Ranking is by royalty per sale first, with reach used mainly when royalty rates are equal
• Apple Books pays 70% in 51 regions and Google Play Books pays 70% in most regions but 52% in its listed lower-rate regions
• Kobo Writing Life pays 70% above $2.99 and 45% below, with extra reach through Kobo Plus and OverDrive libraries
• KDP’s 70% tier applies between $2.99 and $9.99 minus delivery costs, and KDP Select requires 90-day exclusivity
• Direct-sales options like Gumroad, Payhip, StoryOrigin and Later Press keep a higher share but require authors to drive their own traffic

Episode details: published April 27, 2024 · 31:36 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: Draft2Digital Review: Self Publishing Books Beyond KDP · Next: Amazon KDP Reviews: Are They REALLY That BAD??? →

All Dale L. Roberts videos · Dale L. Roberts profile · Dale L. Roberts on YouTube