Draft2Digital Launches Print on Demand Books | KDP Alternatives

About this video

Dale L. Roberts interviews Draft2Digital CEO Chris Austin and director of marketing Kevin Tomlinson about the full launch of Draft2Digital (D2D) Print, a print-on-demand service after beta testing, presented as a KDP alternative. Featured tools include an ebook cover converter that turns an ebook cover into a full wrap-around print cover (adding back-cover description, author bio/photo and colophon), free interior layout templates that can match ebook and print, free ISBNs for print, no upload fee, and the ability to convert an existing ebook into a print manuscript in a few clicks. Distribution goes through Ingram’s wholesale network rather than directly to Amazon; Amazon and thousands of bookstores/websites can order through wholesale. Their recommended strategy is to use KDP Print for Amazon (with expanded distribution turned off) and D2D for expanded distribution, since Amazon prefers its own version and authors earn more there. On royalties, D2D Print is fixed at a 55% discount, so authors earn 45% of the wholesale/list price minus unit cost, compared with Amazon’s 40% discount/60% and IngramSpark’s selectable 30-55% discount range. IngramSpark is acknowledged to offer more, including hardcovers D2D does not. A physical print proof costs $30, is expedited (typically 2-3 days in the US), and is not watermarked. Author copies cost unit cost plus shipping/handling — as an example, a 250-page book has a unit cost of about $4.50.

Key takeaways

• D2D Print offers free ISBNs, no upload fee, free layout templates and an ebook-to-print cover converter and manuscript conversion
• Distribution is via Ingram’s wholesale network, not direct to Amazon; recommended strategy is KDP Print (expanded distribution off) for Amazon plus D2D for expanded distribution
• D2D royalty terms stated in interview: fixed 55% discount, author earns 45% minus unit cost, vs Amazon 60% and IngramSpark’s 30-55% discount range
• Physical print proof costs $30, is expedited to about 2-3 days in the US, and is the same unwatermarked book readers buy
• Author copies are unit cost plus shipping — example given: about $4.50 unit cost for a 250-page book; D2D does not offer hardcovers like IngramSpark

Episode details: published March 16, 2023 · 23:35 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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