7 Alternatives to KDP for Self-Published Authors
You're here, so that means you're looking for ways to distribute your book in other places besides Amazon.
That's great. You’ve reached the right place.
First, you need to know that you can distribute your book through retailers or aggregators, as we'll see soon in this article.
Second, PublishDrive is an aggregator that will distribute your book to hundreds of stores (including Amazon), help you with your print-on-demand needs, and with book promotion. So, if you want to start right away, we’re here for all your publishing needs.
What's the Difference Between Retailers and Aggregators?
Retailers: With retailers, you distribute your book to their store, and people will buy it directly from there.
Aggregators: If you choose an aggregator, it will distribute your work across many channels (including many famous retailers), putting your work in front of a wider audience.
Reasons to Distribute through KDP Alternatives
We can't deny that Amazon KDP is the biggest and one of the best self-publishing sites out there, with a major share of the ebooks and print books market.
KDP also offers an exclusive program called KDP Select. This is where you give Amazon 90 days of exclusive rights, meaning you can't list it anywhere else for that time. The advantage of it? You get discount promotions and countdown deals. But the disadvantage is that during those 90 days, you can't make your book available to other big retailers, such as Barnes & Noble or Kobo.
But we get it. KDP is a big deal. Still, even if you go with KDP Press, it's better to have some alternatives to Amazon for your books. Because:
- It gives you better exposure worldwide.
- The competition on Amazon can be quite intense.
- Your sales chances increase once you distribute to various other channels.
Alternatives to Kindle Direct Publishing
If you don't want to limit yourself to Amazon publishing services, here's a list of the best self-publishing companies that work as alternatives to KDP.
Apple Books (Retailer)
Apple Books is an important player in the book retailing industry because it can give you a significant benefit: direct access to Apple users.
Apple fans looove this brand (it's not me who says this, but rather the long lines when a new Apple product is launched), so if you give them the chance to stay on the same device while reading their favorite book, this can benefit you greatly.
If you want to publish directly through this retailer, you have to be a Mac user. But if you're not, and you still want to get to this great KDP alternative, you can go through an aggregator and reach this store and many others.
Since we're at it, you should know that PublishDrive is a trusted Apple partner. And we just added Apple Audiobooks to our distribution list. This is a huge deal because Apple works with just a few trusted partners. For audiobook distribution, even fewer.
Royalties you'll earn from Apple Books: 70%
Kobo (Retailer)
It's estimated that Kobo accounts for 25% of all Canadian eBook sales. This alone can be a good enough reason to see it as a great alternative to KDP. But Kobo's audience isn't just Canadians. It actually has a global reach.
Royalties you'll earn from Kobo: 70% for all books listed for more than $2.99
Barnes & Noble Press (Retailer)
Previously known as NOOK Press, Barnes & Noble Press is an exclusive ebook retailer, meaning all the books you'll self-publish here will be sold via Barnes and Noble's online and physical bookstores.
If you choose Barnes & Noble for self-publishing, you can also opt for their print-on-demand services.
So, if you're on a self-publishing journey looking for a great retailer and alternative to KDP, Barnes & Noble is one of the best out there.
Royalties you'll earn from Barnes & Noble: 60% from all books priced over $2.99
Goog Play Books (Retailer)
Google Play is preinstalled on all Android devices, reaching billions of readers around the world in over 75 countries.
With more than 5 million titles, Google Play Books is one great alternative to Kindle Direct Publishing.
Royalties you'll earn from Google Play Books: 70%
PublishDrive (Aggregator)
PublishDrive is an aggregator that will help you self-publish your ebook or audiobook and distribute it to 20+ channels, 400+ stores, and thousands of digital libraries worldwide.
You can also choose the print-on-demand service and the book promotion toolkit to help your work get more exposure.
Since PublishDrive works with all major online retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble, and even with one of the most popular ebook publishing platforms, IngramSpark, this makes it a perfect alternative to KDP.
In terms of royalties, PublishDrive works on a subscription model, which means that you get all the royalties to yourself from the stores you distribute your book to.
IngramSpark (Aggregator)
IngramSpark is a well-established self-publishing platform. It has a global distribution to 195 countries and additional services such as marketing assistance and design tools.
If you're thinking about print-on-demand, know that IngramSpark offers quality services, which makes this platform another important KDP alternative.
When it comes to pricing, you'll pay per book, ebook, or both formats of the same title.
BookBaby (Aggregator)
Among the best self-publishing companies, you'll find BookBaby publishing. The platform distributes to both the eBook and print markets with major retailers, including Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble.
The platform has other services, such as formatting or social media promotion, to help your self-publishing journey.
This self-publishing company has a calculator to ensure that you stay within your budget. You can calculate the price for a book, ebook, or both.
Conclusion
Online book publishing became a go-to for many authors since traditional publishers are more difficult to reach.
If you want to be your own self-publisher with a great success rate, you can choose more than one retailer or go for an aggregator, such as PublishDrive, that will distribute your book to both retailers and other ebook aggregators.
The thing is, there are alternatives to Amazon for books. We're not saying Amazon is to be ignored. Definitely not. But you should expand your reach to increase your chances of being discovered.