The indie publishing journey: Choosing a platform
To indie publish your book, you need to use a publishing platform that will get the book into readers’ hands. There are many such platforms out there these days, but how do you choose one? How do they differ from each other? Today’s post explores the most popular publishing platforms and what you should consider when deciding which one to use! →
SERIES CONTENTS
🤷♀️ What, why and how | 💰 Business mechanics | 📝 Editors and editing | 📚 Choosing a platform | 📜All things “legal” | 🎨 Designing the book | 📈 Marketing 101 | ⚙️ Tips, tricks and tools
Key terms to be aware of
One of the questions I often get is: how does indie publishing actually “work”? The short answer is that you need to use a publishing platform that gets your book into the hands of readers. There are several such platforms out there, and this post will take you through the basics. But before we get started, here are a few platform-related terms you should familiarise yourself with:
Retailer: A publishing platform/company that will sell your book through their online store. In some contexts this term is used in relation to ebooks only.
Aggregator: A publishing platform/company that will circulate your book to several retailers at the same time. This term is also used solely in relation to ebooks in some contexts.
Distributor: A company that supplies/sells your book to online booksellers and brick-and-mortar bookstores. This term is generally used for print books only.
Indie publishing platforms
As mentioned above, there are several platforms out there these days that enable you to indie publish your book. Below is an overview of some of the most popular platforms being used by indie authors. Click on the platform logo to go to their website for more information!
PLATFORM | TYPE | FORMATS | NOTES |
---|---|---|---|
Aggregator / distributor | ebook, paperback, hardcover | Best option for reaching brick-and-mortar bookstores | |
Retailer* | ebook, paperback, hardcover** | Owned by Amazon; dominates the ebook market | |
Aggregator / distributor | ebook, paperback | This platform acquired aggregator Smashwords in 2022 | |
Retailer | ebook, paperback, hardcover | Almost all sales are made in the US | |
Retailer | ebook | Doesn’t require exclusivity | |
Aggregator / distributor | ebook, paperback, hardcover | Many support options but high set-up costs |
*KDP has an “expanded distribution” option that can sell to other retailers, but many booksellers won’t order books through Amazon; **KDP only publishes case laminate hardcover books, whereas other platforms offer both a case laminate and a jacketed option
Considerations when choosing a platform
It’s important that you thoroughly research the platform(s) you’re interested in before you proceed with publishing. You need to understand what you’re getting yourself into and ensure the platform will address your needs. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of things to think about when choosing a platform:
- What format(s) you want your book published in: Not all platforms publish books in every format. Some only publish ebooks, while others can publish paperbacks and/or different types of hardcovers. So if there’s a format you want your book to be published in, you’ll need to choose a platform that offers that kind of format to its users.
- Where you want your book to be sold: Each platform enables your book to be sold in a different suite of bookstores. If you’re publishing through a retailer (e.g. Barnes & Noble Press), then your book will only be available in their store. If you really want your book to be available in brick-and-mortar stores, you’re best to go with IngramSpark. Also keep an eye on exclusivity requirements: some platforms may require you publish exclusively with them, while others don’t.
- What kind of royalty rates you’re after: All platforms provide different royalty rates to their authors, so make sure you look into how much you’re likely to earn per sale on each platform if this is something that’s important to you. Keep in mind that many platforms pay different royalty rates depending on the price of the book.
- What fees you might need to pay: Every publishing platform also has a different schedule of fees. Some have set-up fees or regular account fees, while others don’t, and these can change over time. It’s vital you understand what fees you may have to pay for using each publishing platform so you’re never caught off guard by an unexpected bill!
- The level of support you require: Taking your finished manuscript and converting it to a publishable format can be finicky. This is true of both ebooks and hardcopy books. Some platforms provide resources and support services to help you with this. If that’s something you’re interested in, you might want to choose one of these platforms.
- Whereabouts in the world you live: The majority of publishing platforms out there are very much geared towards US users, so it can sometimes become confusing if you live anywhere else in the world. Some platforms have specific US tax treaty requirements if you’re a non-US user. If you’re publishing a hardcopy book and don’t live in the US, try and find out where proof copies of your book will be printed and shipped from, as this influences shipping times and costs.
7 Comments
Andrew McDowell
My novel’s new publisher, Fae Corps, uses a combination of Amazon KDP and B&N Press (they previously used Draft2Digital).
Using more than one can sometimes, I’ve observed, result in slight alterations in page numbers and covers, though that’s usually nothing to worry about. However, sometimes they may have different requirements regarding page count and book size (particularly when it comes to children’s books).
Rebecca Alasdair
That’s a very good point Andrew, and one I didn’t really get into here. I also know people who have used both IngramSpark and KDP simultaneously. Going through KDP for ebooks does have its advantages, as IS does with hardcopies. Double the platforms can just mean more work for us indie authors!! 😅
Alex W.
Hi Rebecca! I apologize if this comment is showing up multiple times. I had some issues while commenting. Anyway, I found your tips to be very helpful. I have not published yet. However, I plan to keep your post in mind. I learned a lot from it.
Take care.
Rebecca Alasdair
Glad to hear you found it helpful Alex! Doing your own research is 100% required, but sometimes it’s good to get a few tips of where to start 😊
Alex
Definitely 🙂 And you helped to point us in the right direction.
Hope you’re doing well! :).
K.M. Allan
So interesting and helpful, Rebecca! Thank you.
Rebecca Alasdair
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it useful 😊