20 Amazon KDP Alternatives for Authors

About this video

Prompted by Amazon changing print book royalties, Dale presents 20 platforms for publishing wide across ebooks, print, and audiobooks, in no order of importance, warning that KDP Select exclusivity blocks wide ebook distribution until enrollment ends. For ebooks he covers Apple Books for Authors (70% royalty, paid 30 days after month end), Barnes & Noble Press (70% for ebooks priced between 99 cents and $200), Kobo Writing Life (70% at $2.99 or more, 45% below, plus library reach via OverDrive and non-exclusive Kobo Plus paid by time read), and Google Play Books (70%, available in over 60 countries). Aggregators include Draft2Digital (takes 10% of list price), PublishDrive (subscription starting at $14.99 per month, access to 400-plus stores), IngramSpark, Lulu (90% of net revenue, $4.99 one-time setup fee for global distribution, paid every 90 days), StreetLib, and direct-to-reader LaterPress. For print he warns many services route through Ingram Book Group, so using them all risks duplicate listings. He details IngramSpark (over 40,000 retailers, $25 update fee 60 days after launch), Draft2Digital print (45% royalty minus printing cost), Lulu and Lulu Direct, BookVault, and PublishDrive’s print reach to India and China. For audiobooks he covers the split of Findaway Voices into Spotify for Authors and Voices by InnoAudio, Author’s Republic (80% of net profits, over 50 platforms), Google Play (52% royalty), Kobo Writing Life (45%), and selling direct via Payhip plus BookFunnel.

Key takeaways

• Going wide across ebooks, print, and audiobooks reduces dependence on Amazon when KDP changes royalty rules, but KDP Select exclusivity must end before an ebook can go wide.
• Direct ebook platforms discussed include Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press, Kobo Writing Life, and Google Play Books, mostly at a 70% royalty in the cases Dale specifies.
• Aggregators such as Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, IngramSpark, Lulu, and StreetLib trade a cut or subscription fee for distribution to many stores from one dashboard.
• Print services overlap through Ingram Book Group, so authors should not use IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Lulu, and KDP expanded distribution all at once or they risk duplicate listings and royalty problems.
• Wide audiobook options include Author’s Republic, Google Play, Kobo, the post-Findaway Spotify/InnoAudio split, and direct sales through Payhip with BookFunnel delivery for 100% of revenue minus payment processing fees.

Episode details: published May 20, 2025 · 27:56 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: Amazon KDP Just Made a Brutal Change · Next: Stop Wasting Time Self-Publishing — Do This Instead →

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