Best Self-Publishing Platforms That's NOT Amazon KDP

About this video

Sean lists self-publishing platforms beyond Amazon KDP for diversification, different formats, or reaching other stores — while warning that anyone banned on Amazon must not route books back to Amazon through these platforms or they will likely be banned there too. He says he built a multiple six figure KDP business which he eventually sold for $820,000. Draft2Digital: free to upload ebooks and paperbacks (he uses it for ebooks) and distributes to Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Smashwords, Tolino, Overdrive and more; he says he usually makes $500 to $1,000 a month from it. IngramSpark: ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers, but it does not accept low-content books like journals and planners, while accepting activity, coloring and standard fiction/nonfiction; he praises its print quality and a distribution network of over 40,000 stores including bookstores, libraries and universities, at $49 for print and ebook or just print and $25 for ebook. Lulu: offers formats KDP lacks — photo books, notebooks, calendars, children’s books, comic books, magazines and cookbooks — plus coil bound, saddle stitch and linen wrap bindings and premium paper; its own marketplace brings few sales. Findaway Voices: audiobook distribution for people outside the US, UK, Canada and Ireland who cannot use ACX/Audible, sending audiobooks to Audible, Amazon, Spotify, Apple, Google, Kobo and others, free to sign up and upload. PublishDrive: keeps 100% of royalties but charges a membership instead, starting at $14 a month paid yearly or $17 monthly, up to $100 a month; it promises over 400 stores and 240,000 libraries, but he found many stores kept his book pending for months or over a year, so the fees were not justified for him. Smashwords: ebooks only with its own marketplace but confusing, platform-specific formatting; since Draft2Digital acquired Smashwords, he advises reaching it through Draft2Digital. His recap: keep KDP number one, and use IngramSpark or Draft2Digital for added income streams.

Key takeaways

• Draft2Digital is free and distributes ebooks widely (Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Overdrive and more); Sean says he usually makes $500 to $1,000 a month from it.
• IngramSpark rejects low-content books but offers print quality and distribution to over 40,000 stores, libraries and universities for $49 (print) or $25 (ebook).
• Lulu’s value is formats KDP lacks — calendars, magazines, photo books, comic books — and bindings such as coil bound, saddle stitch and linen wrap.
• Findaway Voices is his audiobook route for publishers outside the US, UK, Canada and Ireland who cannot use ACX, and it is free to upload.
• PublishDrive lets you keep 100% of royalties for a membership from $14-$17 up to $100 a month, but Sean found many of its 400-plus stores left books pending for months, so it was not worth it for him.

Episode details: published January 27, 2023 · 11:41 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Sean Dollwet’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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