Self-Publishing Distribution Options

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Start with a Kindle book on Amazon, then add the paperback, the audiobook and other stores one at a time, and spend most of your time on the format that earns the most. For me IngramSpark is the winner now. The right formatting tool puts your book into every format at the push of a button.

First, grab my free 12-step self-publishing checklist so you don’t skip a step.

How many formats and stores do you need?

When I first started self-publishing, I started with Amazon. I got my Kindle book on the market, then the paperback (through CreateSpace at the time, now KDP Print), then the audiobook through ACX for Audible. I thought that was enough. I was wrong. Other authors were talking about money they made through other distribution channels.

Some readers only buy a certain format through a certain store. You decide whether you want your book in those places or want to risk losing those sales. For me it is straightforward: I need my books where my readers are. Hardbacks were my first addition. If you are unsure what to prioritize, see the survey results on what authors need most.

Why not stay on Amazon only?

Once I put my ebooks on other stores through Draft2Digital and IngramSpark, money started coming in from multiple sources, and I no longer depended on Amazon alone. Amazon can threaten or take down an author’s books, so having several income sources is much more powerful in the long run. Content marketing is another way to keep traffic under your own control: How Can Content Marketing Help Me Sell Books? Walmart is another store people ask about, see whether you can sell ebooks on Walmart.

What do the main options give you?

Draft2Digital advises against listing the same book in two places at once because it splits your sales ranking. Check each platform’s current fees on its page before you start, because they change.

Do I need to buy an ISBN for Draft2Digital?

No. Draft2Digital assigns an ISBN to any book published through its system free of charge, and it is listed as the vendor of record. That ISBN can’t be used outside Draft2Digital’s services, so it will not work if you later set up the same book on KDP. Draft2Digital says you keep the rights to your story, and that your listings go live within hours to a few days in most stores, with library retailers usually slowest and print books about two weeks.

How do I leave Draft2Digital and go direct without losing anything?

Draft2Digital’s FAQ says you can unpublish your books to delist them, and an account with no titles in distribution doesn’t pay the maintenance fee. Its Mass Remove All Books from All Stores tool, under Account > Multi-Book Actions, sends a delist request for every book. If you later republish, the maintenance fee has to be paid before distribution restarts. Keeping the account open avoids a future activation fee, and to close it you work with author support. It also doesn’t recommend listing the same book twice, because that splits your sales ranking.

Its Terms of Service, effective 14-Apr-26, say it tells the sales channels to cancel listings within five business days, but some channels may not stop selling straight away.

My advice: delist from Draft2Digital first, and wait until each store shows the book gone before you upload it direct, so the same edition isn’t listed twice. Check each store a week later, and write to Draft2Digital support with the store and the link if a listing is still up. Give the direct edition your own ISBN, for the reason in the ISBN section above. Keep Draft2Digital’s sales reports and tax forms.

What should you do first?

Start simple so you do not burn out. We want to make self-publishing easy. Do one thing at a time until you have mastery. If you have no Kindle book yet, stop everything and get it on the market. After that, in this order:

1. KDP Print for the paperback.
2. ACX for the audiobook (it needs your Kindle version).
3. IngramSpark, where I’ve been making more money than anywhere else lately, though everyone’s experience differs.
4. Draft2Digital, using the EPUB version of your ebook.

A formatting program that does all the formats makes this simple. Atticus is a one-time purchase, so it is a cheap tool compared with paying for formatting on every book. When you know you can handle the formats, jump in.

Which formats earn you the most?

Look at which versions are earning you the most and spend most of your time there. If audiobooks do the most for you, put your time into audio. For me it used to be audiobooks, and now IngramSpark is the winner. Over time, get all your books into every format, and with the right tool you hit a button and it exports the format you need. Don’t ignore it. For more on wasted spending, read Stop Losing Money on Self-Publishing NOW!

Which self-publishing distribution options are you using? Let me know in the comments.

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