Monday, May 05, 2014

Which eBook Distributor is Right for You? Compare the Costs and Benefits of the Three Biggest Distributors

Smashwords


Cost - Free

Pays quarterly when balance is over $10.00, keeps small percentage of sales (varies)

File requirements - Word file formatted according to Smashwords Style Guide

Distributes to:
Apple iBookstore
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Sony
Flipkart
Oyster
Baker & Taylor

eBook Partnership

Cost -
For 1-4 titles submitted - set-up fee of $99 per title and an annual fee of $40
Can purchase a block of 5 Distribution Credits for just $199 for use later
5 or more titles - no set up fee - pay rate of $40 per title per year from the outset.

Pays monthly on balances over $30.00 and charges no commission

File requirements - ePub and Mobi

Distributes to:
Amazon
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Gardners
Google Play
Ingram
Kobo
OverDrive
Waterstones
eSentral

BookBaby

Cost:
Free Package - BookBaby retains 15% commission
Standard Package - $99.00, Includes ePub and Mobi conversion, BookBaby retains 15% commission
Premium Package - $249.00, 100% net sales paid

Pays based on a price point you set, as low as $10.00. Once that amount is hit, money is paid the following Monday

File requirements - ePub and Mobi

Distributes to:
Amazon Kindle
iBooks
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Copia
Gardners
Baker & Taylor
eSentral
Scribd
Flipkart
Oyster

Which one is right for you?

36 comments:

  1. Nice roundup of options, Diane!

    Hope you had a good weekend. Finally good weather for once, right?

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  2. Great post! I've never compared the three like this. I'll share for you.

    Have a great week!

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  3. This one is bookmarked for future, when I will need it. :)
    Thanks.

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  4. Thanks for laying this all out for us. I'll come back to this if I ever decide to self-publish.

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  5. I know eBooks are popular, but I just hadn't realized how many options there are for publishing. Good selection.

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  6. I use Smashwords to distribute to Apple and others, but I went straight to Amazon and Nook.

    Honestly, my sales at Smashwords (iTunes) and Nook are almost nil. Since last December, I've only sold 8 ebooks through those channels.

    All my ebook sales are through Amazon for sure. I probably sell more physical books in person, actually.

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  7. That's good to know about!
    I always thought authors just did smashwords and amazon to cover all their bases.

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  8. Happy to know this helps people!

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  9. Good to know if I ever need it!

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  10. This is a very timely post for me. I still have no idea which one is right for me, but it's great to see it all laid out.

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  11. This is great! You are the best at this L. Diane!

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  12. Great comparison, Diane. Last year I went with Amazon to save my sanity. I'll have to reevaluate and I'll be sure to use your chart. Thanks.

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  13. Smashwords would work if I decided to take the distributor route. I checked them out in the past. Nice list.

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  14. excellent info for distributing books! you always have so much knowledge to share!

    thanks! (i always point people in your direction with industry questions!)

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  15. This is really interesting, I didn't know these sites existed. But why wouldn't we just publish directly with amazon?

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  16. I participate in the KDP Select program. Works well for me.

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  17. It's cool that you put up the options. I think it will take a lot of consideration before I decide which one is right. It seems like eBook Partnership is a lot of money--do they do anything to make it worth it?

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  18. I used Smashwords earlier this year for a novella, and I've got no complaints---though I went directly through KDP first, and their formatting instructions were much easier to follow than Smash's. Luckily, I only had to make a few tweaks to my Kindlized version, otherwise I may have become frustrated.

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  19. AnonymousMay 05, 2014

    This is really interesting.

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  20. Didn't know there were so many options. Most of the books I get are through Amazon. Have bought from Smashwords though.

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  21. Mark Coker is going to be one of our main speakers (and is also presenting a master class and a couple of workshops) at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference in Westminster, CO in September. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say.

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  22. I actually didn't even know there were others besides Smashwords. Thanks for the info.

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  23. Smashwords is a good option for folks who are tech savvy or willing to pay for help. I'm sticking with amazon/create space, since I'm so tech-challenged.

    Be well, Diane.

    xoRobyn

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  24. I need to get my head around Smashwords. My publisher has one book on their, but because the other is self published, last time I looked, it got a bit awkward with using my own name. I may have tried to make it more complicated, so now I've got some time, I'll check it out. Thanks for the reminder :-)

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  25. Great post. I'll share this on FB!
    Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com

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  26. This is awesome! Right now I'm on KDP and have used Smashwords in the past. I wasn't familiar with eBook Partnership or BookBaby though, once I picked KDP I didn't do any more research on it. Now I will, thank you!

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  27. AnonymousMay 06, 2014

    This is exactly the kind of information I'm going to need one of these days. As for which one is right for me? I don't know yet. I don't want to put the cart before the horse. Edit first. Edit first. Edit first. Hmm, it didn't work…my book didn't magically edit itself? That's weird! =)

    Elsie

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  28. Nice to have all this information. It sounds complicated though. Thanks!

    Mary Montague Sikes

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  29. Great roundup of options, thanks for taking the time to put this out.

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  30. Hi human, Diane,

    As paw usual, you have comprehensive advice and options to choose from.

    In my case, none of it right for me. My human and I are but amateurs.

    Pawsitive wishes,

    Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar!

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  31. AnonymousMay 06, 2014

    Interesting info. I learned a few things today. :)

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  32. This is the kind of stuff I'm not a fan of looking up, so it's awesome you have all the info in one place. Very helpful.

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  33. I like the Smashwords/KDP combo. Both free setup and you get all the distributors.

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  34. I am looking at Smashwords right now and happy you posted this. Will definitely check out the other links suggested here.

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  35. AnonymousMay 11, 2014

    I've made 10X more $ via Amazon KDP than Smashwords, but I still keep a few of my titles available for B&N (as long as they're around) and iBooks. Haven't tried Book Baby or heard of eBook Partnership.

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  36. Hi Diane - you're always full of informative posts - thanks for this .. and such a helpful reference place to visit .. cheers Hilary

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