10 Best Self Publishing Companies for Print Books

About this video

Dale Roberts ranks ten print-book publishing companies primarily by royalty per sale, warning to check base print costs and trim/distribution options before chasing the highest percentage. Draft2Digital Print (launched early 2023, fulfilled by Ingram) pays 45% minus print fees, offers six trim sizes and one free update per title every 90 days, then a $25 change token. BookBaby charges upfront instead of splitting revenue — $399 for global distribution or $149 for its Bookshop only, where printed books earn 50%, versus 10-30% through other retailers. PublishDrive charges a monthly subscription, says 100% of net profits, and pays 50% via Amazon/China Print/Repro India and 45% via Ingram. Barnes & Noble Press pays 55% minus print fees. Blurb’s Global Retail Network pays 60% minus print fees on its broad wholesale option or 45% on comprehensive, while its bookstore lets authors set profit above base cost. Amazon KDP pays 60% minus print fees for paperbacks (40% minus print fees for expanded distribution, which he advises avoiding in favour of IngramSpark directly). StreetLib, Italy-based, has a $49 setup fee and a complex breakdown he summarises from its calculator. IngramSpark offers the widest reach, 32 trim sizes, wholesale discounts of 30-55% depending on market giving roughly 45-70% royalties, plus a 1% distribution fee and a $25 update fee after 60 days. Lulu pays 80% of gross profits in its bookstore and 100% via Lulu Direct, but global distribution royalties are very low. BookVault (UK) leaves roughly 35-75% minus print fees, 90% minus print fees through the Great British Bookshop, and 100% after print/shipping via direct sales integrations.

Key takeaways

• Rankings are by royalty per sale, but base print costs matter — a higher royalty can still mean a poor margin unless the retail price rises
• Free ISBNs from any of these platforms cannot be used on other platforms, and using one Ingram-fulfilled service can block using another with the same ISBN
• KDP pays 60% minus print fees, but Roberts advises skipping its 40% expanded distribution and going directly to IngramSpark for wider reach and better royalties
• IngramSpark offers the widest distribution and 32 trim sizes, with market-dependent wholesale discounts, a 1% distribution fee, and a warning not to enable returns unless prepared to pay for them
• Direct-sales channels pay best in several cases: Lulu Direct at 100% of gross profits, BookVault direct at 100% after print/shipping, and BookVault’s Great British Bookshop at 90% minus print fees

Episode details: published May 18, 2024 · 34:34 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.

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