16 Best Self-Publishing Companies You Should Know
Making a choice to self-publish your book is both exciting and tasking. After the editing and designing of your book the next thing to figure out how you’ll publish and distribute the book. There are companies out there offering self-publishing opportunities for authors. Some of them are reputable, but many of them are vanity presses out to take advantage of aspiring writers. You need to be careful while selecting the self-publishing company to work with. Here’s a list of 16 best self-publishing companies in the industry to help you decide on the ones you might want to work.
1. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Amazon is the market leader in the online bookstores industry and is the world’s biggest seller of books. KDP is Amazon’s self-publishing platform (not to be confused with Amazon Publishing, their division that operates like a traditional publisher). Any author can self-publish using KDP, as long as they’re willing to upload their book files themselves.
You need to note that Amazon KDP is not the same as Amazon KDP Select. KDP Select is Amazon’s exclusivity program — if you choose to enroll in it, you can only sell your book on Amazon throughout a renewable 90-day participation period. In exchange for this, Amazon will give you: Access to Kindle Countdown Deals and free book promotions: You can discount your book and even make it available for free on the Kindle Store. Enrollment in Kindle Unlimited (KU): This is an Amazon subscription service that allows members to read as many ebooks as they want. It’s a popular option with over 4 million digital books currently available.
2. Apple Books
Apple self-publishing arm was founded in 2010.This is another big name in the self-publishing sector. In 2012, the company announced that 400 million books were downloaded on Apple Books (though it’s important to note that the number of downloads differs from the number of books sold).
Apple Books remains one of the top self-publishing platforms in the world despite the dominance of Amazon. It might be challenging to figure out ways to monetize a book on Apple Books, but thankfully, it’s much easier to actually publish one. After creating an iTunes Connect account, self-publishing authors can quite easily upload their titles to Apple Books, all without having to pay a fee!
3. Barnes & Noble (B&N) Press
B&N Press, formerly known as NOOK Press, is the self-publishing platform owned by the big-box bookseller, which has infamously struggled for market share against Amazon. When it has to do with interfaces, B&N Press is easy to use — and, similar to the other big retailers, it’s free to upload your book. Exclusivity is not required to publish with B&N Press, and it’s important to note that you can even offer your ebook for free on this platform.
4. Kobo Writing Life
Kobo Writing Life, which is owned by Canadian company Rakuten Kobo (also known as just Kobo), is a self-publishing platform that helps writers publish their ebooks to Kobo customers from more than 190 countries— as such, it’s got a strong reach in the international ebook market.
It also comes with several perks, such as exclusive promotion opportunities, if you choose to distribute through Kobo and not an aggregator.
5. Draft2Digital (D2D)
D2D is a very good aggregator which you can use to upload your book to other different book retailers by yourself. They push your book to multiple retailers and centralize the information into one report. This platform gives you opportunity to track your sales across all of these retailers through the aggregator’s interface, receiving monthly royalty checks. In exchange for this service, the aggregator will take an additional cut of your royalties which means that this route is for anyone who wants to quickly save on time and doesn’t mind paying extra.
6. PublishDrive
PublishDrive was founded in 2015 and has the capacity to distribute your writing to over 400 stores and 240,000 libraries. The company has all the workings of the other aggregators: a modern interface and regular sales reports to keep you up-to-date on your profits. PublishDrive stands out among other platforms because it is a subscription-based service which lets authors keep 100% of their royalties. The company charges only a flat monthly rate depending on how many books you want to publish with them. Another unique feature is that it has very good distribution options. Along with all of the major Western retailers, PublishDrive also specializes in international distribution, giving indie authors access to foreign markets that were previously out of reach.
7. StreetLib
StreetLib is a company that was originally founded in Europe. This is another major international distributor which gives users more options to reach an international audience. The company’s website is available in English, Italian, Spanish, Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil, and it offers author and publisher portals in over 21 countries across 6 continents, including the Philippines, Mexico, Egypt, and Nigeria, just to mention a few. StreetLib distributes books to all major Western stores. It is a reliable platform to work with.
8. XinXii
XinXii is a company based in Berlin and offers authors foreign distribution channels that might not be readily available elsewhere. This company has a very strong presence in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. However, its customer support could be found wanting, and its user interface is a bit on the clunky side: trade-offs that the author will need to make to conduct business with XinXii.
9. Reedsy
Reedsy is a marketplace for freelance publishing professionals. This is where authors can connect with editors and designers with years of relevant experience in traditional publishing. The platform allows it professional to set their own rate and you can get quotes from up to five of them at a time and find the ones that best suit your needs and budget. In addition to the marketplace, Reedsy has a book formatting tool that allows any author to quickly create a professional-grade ebook and print book files for free.
10. KDP Print
KDP Print is another very good platform that prints your book on demand and subtracts your printing costs from your royalties. That means you don’t have to pay any costs upfront or carry any inventory. Formerly known as CreateSpace, Amazon’s own POD service has the benefit of sharing KDP’s platform. Authors already selling ebooks on KDP can easily launch a print edition by uploading a formatted PDF and cover design with a spine and a back. With KDP’s Expanded Distribution option, authors can distribute their books to shops and libraries across the globe – though it’s important to note that many booksellers are inclined to order through Amazon.
11. IngramSpark
IngramSpark is a reliable independent publishing platform that offers indie authors and publishers the ability to create professional print books and ebooks. The company is owned by Ingram, the world’s biggest book wholesale distributor. They distribute print books and ebooks to over 40,000 outlets. Authors who want to get their books into brick-and-mortar stores are advised to work with this company (perhaps in addition to KDP Print, which you can use to sell your book on Amazon).
12. Blurb
Blurb is one of the most well-known and trusted Pint-On-Demand services available. This platform is particularly recommended for visual works, such as magazines and children’s books. For an in-depth evaluation of its user-friendliness and pictures of the quality of its printed books, check out this review.
13. BookBaby
BookBaby was founded in 2011 and has grown to become one of the leading self-publishing companies in the world. The company has established the world’s largest eBook and printed book distribution network for self-published authors around the globe and distributes books in over 170 countries through more than 100+ retail stores and distributors. This includes Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, Kobo, and wholesale networks including Baker & Taylor and Ingram. BookBaby offers a full array of publishing services, including eBook conversion and cover design, book printing, formatting, and Print On Demand services. The company has an easy-to-use interface and reliable customer service.
14. Reedsy Discovery
Reedsy Discovery was established founded in the summer of 2014 by Emmanuel Nataf, Ricardo Fayet, Vincent Durand and Matt Cobb. Since then, the company has built a community of over 1 million authors and 3,700 freelance professionals, helping them bring more than 15,000 books to market each year. When you submit your book, you get an editorial review in time for your launch date — as well as a chance to be featured in our weekly newsletter, sent out to over 200,000 eager readers. In addition to reviews, Reedsy’s marketplace has dozens of experienced book marketers who can help you optimize your book’s product page, plan an ad campaign, and perfect your email marketing strategy.
15. BookBub
BookBub is perhaps the single biggest promotional platform in publishing and offers self-publishing authors. Through BookBub’s Featured Deals and self-serve ads, authors can reach a range of fans of almost any genre.
However, it’s incredibly hard these days for self-publishing authors to secure one of their featured deals. Thankfully, BookBub has more than a little competition.
16. Written Word Media
Written Word Media provides authors with another way to connect with thousands of readers. It has a range of platforms catering to free and discounted books, the most prominent of which is their newsletters. Written Word Media has other sites devoted to steamy romances, new releases, and even audiobooks, FreeBooksy and BargainBooksy, platforms that promote free and bargain books.
