Think Strategy, Not Platform
The biggest mistake new authors make is picking one platform and calling it done. Each distribution service fills a different role in your publishing business. Amazon gives you marketplace visibility. IngramSpark gets you into bookstores. Books.by gives you the highest margins and customer data. Draft2Digital goes wide with ebooks.
Smart indie authors use 2-3 platforms in combination. The question isn't "which one is best?" — it's "which combination matches my goals?"
Here's a quick overview before we go deep on each platform. Use the royalty calculator to plug in your own book's numbers.
| Platform | Role | Ebook | Royalty Rate | Setup Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books.by | Direct sales | ✓ | ✓ | ~97% | From $99/yr |
| IngramSpark | Trade/bookstores | ✓ | ✓ | Variable* | $49/title |
| Draft2Digital | Wide ebook | ✓ | ✓ | 60–70% | Free |
| Amazon KDP | Amazon marketplace | ✓ | ✓ | 35–70% | Free |
| Lulu | Print + wide | ✓ | ✗ | Variable | Free |
| BookBaby | Full service | ✓ | ✓ | Variable | $99–$399/title |
*IngramSpark royalty depends on your wholesale discount setting (typically 40–55% off list price).
Filter the Platforms by What You Need
The matrix above is comprehensive, but most authors only care about three or four features. Tick what you actually need and the platform list shortens fast.
Quick Royalty Math by Platform
The royalty rates above are abstract until you put a price on them. Plug your numbers in:
Books.by — Direct-to-Reader Sales
Books.by isn't a traditional distributor — it's your own storefront with built-in print-on-demand. You sell directly to readers at books.by/yourname. No middleman retailer taking a cut. You keep everything above printing cost and standard credit card processing fees (about 97% of revenue).
The critical advantage beyond royalties: you get the customer's email address with every sale. No other platform gives you this. When you launch your next book, you can email your readers directly instead of hoping an algorithm shows them your listing.
Books.by also lets you sell ebooks directly from the same storefront — readers get an instant download after purchase, you keep ~97% of the price, and there are no $2.99–$9.99 pricing windows like Amazon imposes. Ebook + print under one link, one checkout, one customer record.
Strengths
- ~97% royalties (highest in the industry)
- Customer email capture on every order
- Your own branded storefront
- Free ISBNs included
- No per-title fees
Limitations
- No marketplace discovery — you drive your own traffic
- Annual subscription cost (from $99/yr)
- Not available in physical bookstores
IngramSpark — Bookstore & Library Distribution
IngramSpark is how indie books reach physical bookstores and libraries. It's the self-publishing arm of Ingram, the largest book distributor in the world. If a bookstore buyer searches Ingram's catalogue and finds your book, they can order it. That's distribution reach no other indie platform matches.
The trade-off: IngramSpark's economics are built for trade distribution, not direct profit. You set a wholesale discount (usually 55% off list) to make your book attractive to bookstores. After printing costs and the discount, your per-book margin is thin. This isn't where you make most of your money — it's where you build credibility and reach.
Draft2Digital — Wide Ebook Distribution
Draft2Digital is the easiest way to distribute ebooks to every major retailer except Amazon (which you handle directly through KDP). One upload, and your ebook appears on Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, and a dozen smaller retailers. They handle formatting conversion, pricing, and payments.
D2D also acquired Smashwords in 2022 and now offers print distribution through their partnership with Ingram. The print side is newer and less proven than using IngramSpark directly, but it's getting better.
Amazon KDP — The Marketplace Giant
Amazon sells roughly 50% of all books in the US. You can't ignore it. KDP gives you access to that marketplace with no upfront cost. The ebook royalty is 70% on books priced $2.99–$9.99 (minus a small delivery fee), dropping to 35% outside that range. Print royalties are about 60% of list price minus printing cost.
KDP also offers KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited enrollment). You make your ebook exclusive to Amazon in exchange for access to KU subscribers and promotional tools. It works for some authors — especially in romance, thriller, and sci-fi — but it means giving up all other ebook channels. See our KDP Select vs Going Wide guide for the full analysis.
Lulu
Lulu has been around since 2002 and offers print-on-demand with optional distribution to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers. Their Lulu Direct integration lets you sell print books through Shopify stores. Print quality is good, printing costs are moderate, and there are no upfront fees.
Lulu's main weakness is that it tries to be everything — direct sales, marketplace distribution, print-on-demand — without being the best at any of them. For direct sales, Books.by gives better margins and a purpose-built author storefront. For Amazon distribution, KDP is better. For trade distribution, IngramSpark reaches more retailers.
BookBaby
BookBaby is a full-service option aimed at authors who want to pay upfront and have someone else handle distribution. You pay per title for setup and distribution, and BookBaby handles placement on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and others. They also offer editing, cover design, and marketing services at additional cost.
The per-title pricing model makes BookBaby expensive for prolific authors. If you're publishing one book ever, the convenience might be worth it. If you plan to publish regularly, the math doesn't work — you'll pay hundreds per title when platforms like KDP and Draft2Digital do distribution for free.
Recommended Distribution Strategies
Strategy 1: Maximum Control (Most Authors)
Strategy 2: Bookstore Presence
Add IngramSpark to Strategy 1. Set 55% wholesale discount and enable returnability. This won't guarantee shelf placement, but it makes your book orderable by any bookstore or library in Ingram's network. Best for non-fiction authors, local/regional books, and authors who do in-person events.
Strategy 3: Amazon All-In
KDP Select (exclusive ebook) + KDP Print + Books.by for direct print sales. Ebook lives entirely on Amazon/Kindle Unlimited. Print sold direct through Books.by and through Amazon. This works for authors in KU-heavy genres (romance, thriller, LitRPG) who can afford to give up other ebook channels. Keep Books.by for your direct print channel — Amazon can't stop you from selling your own print books.
Ready to claim the direct-sales channel?
Books.by gives you the highest royalty in the table above (~73% effective on print, ~97% on ebooks) plus customer email capture every other platform refuses to share. $99/yr, 100-day money-back guarantee.
Start Your Books.by Store — $99/yr →Frequently Asked Questions
No single service is best. Use a combination: Books.by for direct sales (highest royalties), KDP for Amazon visibility, and IngramSpark or Draft2Digital for wider reach. Most successful indie authors use 2-3 platforms.
Yes. Just avoid listing the same format on platforms that distribute to the same retailer. For example, don't use both IngramSpark and Draft2Digital to distribute print to Amazon — use KDP directly for Amazon and IngramSpark for bookstores.
Use IngramSpark with a 55% wholesale discount and returnability enabled. This makes your book orderable by any bookstore. For local shops, approach them directly for consignment. See our full guide: getting your book into bookstores.
Books.by: ~97%. KDP ebooks: 35–70%. KDP print: ~60% minus print cost. IngramSpark: list price minus print cost minus wholesale discount. Draft2Digital: 60–70%. Plug your numbers into the royalty calculator to compare.
Printing produces the physical book. Distribution gets it into sales channels. Some platforms (KDP, IngramSpark, Books.by) handle both. Others (Draft2Digital for ebooks) handle only distribution. You can use different services for printing and distribution.
