Are there other good self-publishing platforms apart from lulu.com?

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Yes. The best Lulu alternatives are KDP for Kindle ebooks and paperbacks, IngramSpark for print in bookstores and libraries, and Draft2Digital for ebooks in many stores. I start with KDP, add IngramSpark once the book sells, and use Draft2Digital only if I am not running ads. Here is how each one works and when I would pick it.

How did I find my way around the platforms?

My first book was a Kindle book, because that was the easiest way to start. I wanted real books too, so I moved to CreateSpace, which is now KDP paperbacks. I tested Smashwords and a couple of other options, and tried Lulu once for a hardcover. Today I use IngramSpark alongside KDP. I explained the Kindle side in 11 top reasons to self-publish on Kindle. For a direct comparison of two of the biggest, see Amazon vs IngramSpark.

What are the best self-publishing platforms besides Lulu?

KDP is the biggest bookstore in the world, so start here. Ebooks bring in traffic, and the paperbacks often make you more money. You can run Amazon ads, and you can enroll in KDP Select, a 90-day program for Kindle ebooks (KDP Select help). On ebooks, KDP pays 35% or 70% of the list price, and the 70% option is for in-copyright works only (KDP royalty help).

IngramSpark is the next one to add after the KDP paperback. It says you earn 85% of net revenue received on ebook sales regardless of retailer, and signing up and uploading costs nothing (IngramSpark pricing, checked 12-Nov-26). To distribute there you need an ISBN for each format. You can bring your own, and US authors can also take a free one that IngramSpark owns and that can’t be moved elsewhere (IngramSpark FAQ). KDP’s free ISBN only works on KDP (KDP ISBN help). Since 1 February 2026 IngramSpark also takes a global distribution fee of 1.875% of the list price on each sale (IngramSpark 2026 rate card). See where to get an ISBN.

Draft2Digital is the wide option. You give them your manuscript and they send it to Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and many library services. It keeps approximately 10% of the retail price on ebook sales, there is a one-time $20 account activation fee for new accounts plus a $12 yearly fee for accounts that earn under $100 a year, and print-on-demand pays about 45% of list price minus the printing cost (Draft2Digital FAQ). Smashwords used to be my other pick. Draft2Digital bought it in 2022 (Draft2Digital), and the Smashwords Store is now one of the stores Draft2Digital sends books to.

How does Lulu work out what I earn?

If you already sell on Lulu, this is the number to compare. Lulu starts from your list price and takes off the print cost. On retail sales, 50% of the list price then goes to the distribution channel, while books sold in the Lulu Bookstore have no distribution fee. Of what is left, Lulu keeps 20% and you get 80%. Lulu also says your list price must be at least twice the print cost (Lulu creator revenue). KDP pays 50% or 60% of a paperback’s list price on Amazon.com, minus printing (KDP paperback royalty). Run your own book through both before you move it.

Which one should I pick?

If you are running Amazon ads, which I recommend because it is the easiest route to sales, stay with KDP. If you are not running ads, I would add Draft2Digital for extra distribution. I have tried it myself. Then add IngramSpark for print.

I do not suggest that you start with all of them. Get the book selling on KDP first, then widen. What do other authors do? In the Written Word Media 2025 indie author survey (published 2-Dec-25), Amazon was the top revenue source for 83% of respondents, 38% said all their books are in KDP Select, and 30% said none are. So most authors lean on Amazon, and a good share of them still choose to sell wide. My post on paperbacks and hardcovers shows how I decide which formats to add.

One practical note on exclusivity: KDP Select asks that your Kindle ebook is exclusive to the Kindle Store for the 90-day enrollment period, so you cannot enroll and sell that ebook on Draft2Digital’s stores at the same time. Print can still be sold elsewhere.

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