PublishDrive Review: Worth Leaving KDP For?

About this video

Dale reviews PublishDrive, a wide-distribution platform founded in 2014 that switched from revenue share to a subscription model around September 2019, so authors keep 100% of net profits. He contrasts that with Draft2Digital taking 10% of retail price, Lulu taking 10 to 20% of net profits, and StreetLib taking 15 to 30%. For ebooks he cites 29 distribution channels, with royalties of 70% at major retailers except Barnes & Noble at 65%, 25 to 60% on subscription services, and 50 to 70% through library distributors. Print runs through partners including Ingram at 39,000 stores and a 45% royalty; his own proof cost $3.78 and $17.74 total, arrived in 10 days, but he faults the lack of pre-publication print proofs and a fingerprint on the cover. Audiobooks reach 13 outlets at 20 to 50% royalties. Plans run from a free single-ebook tier to a pro plan at $83.99 to $99.99 per month for 48 books, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. He concludes PublishDrive suits authors with an audience and marketing plan, while warning that books disappear from distribution if the subscription lapses.

Key takeaways

• PublishDrive charges a subscription instead of a royalty share, so authors keep 100% of net profits
• Ebook distribution covers 29 channels, with 70% royalties at most major retailers and 65% at Barnes & Noble
• Print proofs cannot be ordered before publishing, which Dale calls the platform’s biggest flaw
• His test proof cost $3.78, $17.74 with shipping and taxes, and arrived in 10 days
• He warns that titles vanish from PublishDrive distribution if the monthly subscription stops being paid

Episode details: published December 1, 2025 · 22:39 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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