Self-publishing eBooks is now easier than ever! If you’re an author ready to share your work with the world, selecting the right platform can make all the difference in your success. Curious about where to publish eBooks? In this article, we will show you the top ten eBook publishing platforms, and break down the royalties you can earn from each sale. Let’s explore your options!
10 Apple Books for Authors
Apple Books for Authors is a robust platform that allows you to distribute your eBooks through the Apple Books Marketplace, which spans 51 regions worldwide. Apple provides tools for authors to create and manage their books, set pricing, track sales, and connect with readers.
One of the key benefits of using Apple Books is the straightforward earning structure. Authors receive a generous 70% royalty on each sale, without hidden fees or exclusivity requirements. This means if you price your eBook at $9.99, you keep approximately $6.99 per sale.
Apple also offers an affiliate program. If you promote your book through an Apple affiliate link, you can earn a 7% commission on any sales generated from that link. This bonus can significantly boost your overall earnings, making it an attractive option.
Payments are made through electronic funds transfer (EFT), with a minimum payment threshold starting at 2 cents. All payments are processed no later than 45 days after the end of a sales month. Read the fine print for any region-specific details.
When it comes to formatting your manuscript, Apple Books accepts only EPUB files. However, you can easily convert your files to EPUB using free online eBook converters such as Online Convert or Ebook2Edit.
While the upload process might feel a bit unconventional compared to other platforms, once you get the hang of it, the process runs smoothly.
Unique features of Apple Books include pre-orders, pricing promotions, and occasional site-specific sales, making it a versatile choice for authors aiming to maximize their exposure and profits.
9 Google Play Books Partner Center
Google Play Books Partner Center is another excellent platform for publishing and selling eBooks on the Google Playbook Store. It reaches over 75 countries and more than 3 billion users! The platform offers essential tools for uploading content, setting prices, managing metadata, and tracking sales.
For most regions, Google Play Books offers a 70% royalty per sale. However, in certain areas like Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, and Japan, the royalty rate drops to 52%. Despite this, these regions only account for a fraction of Google Play’s total reach. An eBook priced at $9.99 will earn you around $6.99 in most places, but only $3.63 in the lower royalty regions.
One significant advantage is that Google Play Books doesn’t require exclusivity or charge hidden fees. It also covers more regions than Apple, reaching 14 additional territories.
Payments are made by the 15th day of each month, with a low minimum payment threshold of just $1 for electronic funds transfer (EFT) or $100 for wire transfers.
Google Play Books (GPB) accepts both EPUB and PDF files. The platform also offers unique tools like promo code creation, pricing promotions, and pre-order setups, providing authors with flexible marketing options.
8 Kobo Writing Life (KWL)
Kobo Writing Life (KWL) is a free self-publishing platform where authors can distribute their books directly through Kobo or via aggregate publishers like Draft2Digital or PublishDrive. They reach over 200 countries and millions of readers.
One of the main advantages of KWL is that authors retain more control over royalties, metadata, and promotional opportunities compared to using aggregator services.
Top 3 Major Benefits of Using KWL for eBooks: Kobo, Kobo Plus & OverDrive
Securing placement in Kobo’s marketplaces is a big advantage, as your eBook gets distributed to 12 regions and 22 different retailers. KWL offers a 70% royalty rate for eBooks priced above $2.99, and 45% for those priced below.
Kobo Plus is a subscription service that allows users to read and listen to unlimited ebooks and audiobooks for a monthly fee. For just $7.99 per month, gain access to over 1.5 million books through any Kobo eReader or the Kobo app.
Kobo Writing Life offers a unique payout system with a non-exclusive agreement. Instead of paying by pages read, Kobo pays authors based on the time readers spend with their content each month. They pool the revenue from Kobo Plus subscriptions and divide it based on how many minutes readers spent on each book. More minutes, higher payouts. The payment rate for eBooks in Kobo Plus is 60%.
OverDrive provides direct access to thousands of libraries worldwide. Many experts suggest raising your eBook price for library distribution since one copy is lent out multiple times.
Kobo Writing Life (KWL) pays for OverDrive in two ways:
- One Copy One User (OCOU): The library buys your eBook at your set library price, lending it to one user at a time, like a print book. You earn 50% of the list price.
- Cost Per Circulation (CPC): Libraries pay each time a user borrows your eBook, and the price is 10% of the OCOU price, with a minimum of $9.
For example, if you price your eBook at $9.99, you would earn $4.99 per OCOU copy sold. If you increase the price to $29.97, you’ll earn $14.98.
KWL allows uploads up to 100MB for EPUB, DOC, DOCX, MOBI, and ODT files. Payments are made via EFT 45 days after the sales month with a minimum payment threshold of $50 CAD.
Unique KWL features include the Promotions Tab, for special events and deals, and the Audiobook Upload Tab for publishing audiobooks. You will need to request access to these tabs by contacting KWL support at cobowritinglife.com!
7 Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is a widely-used self-publishing platform where authors can publish eBooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers. KDP offers global distribution through Amazon’s 13 online marketplaces, and authors can earn 35% or 70% royalty per sale of an eBook depending on set pricing, region, and enrollment in KDP Select program.
KDP Select, however, requires a 90-day exclusivity agreement where your eBook is only available through Amazon. Authors earn royalties based on pages read by Kindle Unlimited subscribers, but the per-page rate varies monthly.
How to Master Amazon KDP Formatting in 5 Simple Steps
A unique feature of KDP is its detailed royalty structure, where books priced between $2.99 and $9.99 receive 70% royalties, though authors must account for delivery costs. For books priced below $2.99 and above $9.99, you get a 35% royalty with no delivery costs.
KDP pays authors 60 days after the close of the sales month, with no minimum threshold for EFT payments. However, wire transfers and checks have a $100 minimum. You can check the minimum payment thresholds by region on KDP’s help page.
Accepted file formats include DOC, DOCX, KPF, and EPUB.
KDP offers special marketing tools, making it the most direct route for publishing eBooks on Amazon. For new authors, KDP is user-friendly with plenty of resources.
6 Smashwords
Smashwords, a popular eBook distribution company, has been a go-to platform for indie authors since its inception in 2008. However, in February 2022, Smashwords was acquired by Draft2Digital (D2D).
Currently, authors can access Smashwords in two ways: directly through the Smashwords website or via Draft2Digital.
Key Points:
- Royalties: Authors who publish directly through Smashwords receive an 85% royalty on sales made through the Smashwords store. If distributed through D2D, the royalty drops to around 77%.
- Fees: PayPal fees apply per transaction, with Smashwords explaining that the fee varies depending on the number of books in a customer cart. This can slightly reduce net profits from sales.
- Formats: Smashwords accepts files up to 10 MB (docx) and 15 MB (ePub), and their formatting software can automatically generate ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats.
- Visibility: Smashwords reports weekly sales to major bestseller lists and hosts site-wide sales that can help authors boost sales. Create coupon codes for readers to redeem only through the Smashword store!
It is expected that in the future, publishing directly through Smashwords will become obsolete, leaving Draft2Digital as the primary access point for the Smashwords store. Even through D2D, the 77% royalty rate is quite good!
5 Gumroad
Ever heard of Gumroad? It’s a free-to-use platform that allows creators to sell digital products (eBooks, courses, music, and art) through private listing or their Marketplace. It provides a customizable storefront and handles secure payments, product delivery, and customer management.
Key Features:
- File Sizes: Gumroad supports EPUB and PDF formats, with a maximum file size of 250 MB or up to 16 GB(!) for eBooks priced over $1, offering more flexibility than platforms like KDP.
- Royalties: Creators earn 90% of sales, meaning a $9.99 eBook brings in $8.99 before transaction fees. Payment processors like PayPal and Stripe have their own fees, but Stripe generally offers slightly better rates.
- Payouts: Gumroad pays weekly, every Friday, which is faster than many other platforms.
- Extra Features: You can build an email list, watermark eBooks to protect against piracy, and upsell other products at checkout. Gumroad’s digital marketplace also gets a ton of organic traffic, helping creators sell without heavy advertising.
Gumroad is praised for its ease of use, simple interface, and valuable seller features.
4 Lulu
Lulu Press is a free-to-use platform for publishing and selling print books and eBooks, but charges a $4.99 fee for access to global distribution. This service includes major platforms like Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and more. However, Lulu excels in offering a 90% royalty for sales through its bookstore, compared to a lower percentage when using global distribution (around 50% of gross revenue).
For a $9.99 eBook, Lulu’s bookstore nets authors $8.10, while platforms like Amazon, Apple Books, and Kobo yield lower returns. Lulu also offers print-on-demand services for a variety of book formats and integrates with eCommerce platforms like Shopify.
Payments are made quarterly via check or PayPal, with minimum thresholds of $20 for checks and $5 for PayPal.
Lulu is well-suited for authors looking for higher royalties from direct sales, while leveraging its print and global distribution capabilities.
3 Payhip
Payhip is similar to Gumroad but offers better rates. However, unlike Gumroad, you’re entirely responsible for driving traffic to your sales page, as Payhip doesn’t provide organic traffic. It’s a platform for selling digital products, such as ebooks, music, and software more directly to your audience.
You can customize your online store, set pricing for the products, and accept payments securely.
Payhip allows up to 5GB file sizes for ebooks, supporting formats like EPUB, MOBI, and PDF. This is a generous limit compared to KDP’s 650MB limit. Additionally, Payhip doesn’t charge delivery fees.
There are three account options:
- Free Plan: No monthly fee, but a 5% transaction fee.
- Plus Plan: $29/month with a 2% transaction fee.
- Pro Plan: $99/month with no transaction fee.
Payhip uses PayPal and Stripe for transactions, with PayPal fees ranging from 2.9% to 3.5% plus $0.49, and Stripe charging 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction. Payouts are made monthly around the 15th, with a $50 minimum.
It includes watermarking for eBooks, product bundling, and print order fulfillment. If you’re aiming for independence and have a growing audience, Payhip can be a valuable tool, especially if you sell enough to cover the costs of the Plus or Pro plans!
2 Story Origin
Story Origin is a platform designed to help authors and publishers grow their audience by offering tools for marketing, promotions, newsletter management, and author collaborations. In 2023, Story Origin introduced a direct sales feature for eBooks, integrating with the payment processor Lemon Squeezy.
Authors receive a 95% royalty per sale, minus a 5% platform fee and a $0.30 transaction fee.
While Story Origin offers great royalties, authors are responsible for driving all traffic since it is not a marketplace like Amazon. Setting up sales pages is simple, with step-by-step tutorials.
To sell on the platform, authors need their ebooks in EPUB, MOBI, or PDF formats, with a file size under 15MB. If necessary, Story Origin offers tools for file conversion and formatting.
The platform also includes advanced features such as a spot for Facebook Tracking Pixels and an optional upsell segment. With plans costing around $8–10 per month, Story Origin helps authors run promotions, build mailing lists, and collaborate to expand their reach!
1 Laterpress
And here is our nr. 1!
LaterPress is a free platform designed for authors to sell their digital books directly from their websites with no intermediaries. It offers a high royalty rate, with authors receiving 97.1% of the sale after deducting a 2.9% Stripe payment processing fee and a $0.30 transaction fee.
So, for an eBook priced at $9.99 on Laterpress, authors receive $9.40. This is one of the highest royalty platforms available!
Key features include:
Direct Payments: Authors set their pricing and retain nearly 100% of the profits.
Community Features: Optional, where referring authors earn 5%, and LaterPress takes 10%, lowering the royalty to $7.94 on a $9.99 ebook.
Recommendation System: Helps authors gain visibility through community referrals.
Multiple Pricing Options: Authors can charge for full books, chapter bundles (ideal for serial fiction), or subscription models for ongoing content access.
User-Friendly Publishing: Offers eBook versions and allows customers to join the author’s email list for engagement.
Uploading options: Upload an EPUB or copy/paste your chapters into their system.
Laterpress is a growing, indie author-centric platform that continues to iterate based on user feedback, offering a flexible, community-driven alternative to traditional platforms.
In Conclusion
Selecting the right platform is key to your eBook’s success. Laterpress and Apple Books offer high royalties, while Google Play Books and Kobo Writing Life give you a vast global reach. KDP is a strong option for visibility through Amazon, and Gumroad or Payhip are ideal for more direct sales control. For indie authors, Story Origin and Lulu provide valuable community-building tools.
Each platform has unique advantages—choose based on your goals, audience, and preferred marketing strategy.
And hey, if you’re ever stuck with your files and need to turn them into EPUB or other formats, Online Convert is here to save the day!
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