After a long tiring journey of writing your dream book, editing, formatting, and creating the book cover. Everything seems perfect until it’s time to introduce your masterpiece to the world. Now, it brought you to a crossroads, unable to decide which route to take. Traditional publishing or self-publishing? If self-publishing then which type of service to choose? Being a first-time self-publishing author it seems like you are torn between multiple choices.
Traditional publishing is a long route to publishing your book in print and requires you to give up more than half of your royalties while relinquishing all your rights to the book. There are many more drawbacks if you choose to go towards this process. If you go for self-publishing, there is a vast ocean of companies each offering various programs, rights, and services to choose from.
When you look around, you are bombarded by advertisements from various companies. Some of these companies aim to exploit aspiring writers, making it difficult to discern the reputable ones.
The term of self-publishing is not really what it seems like, especially if you are a new author then you don’t have any idea about self-publishing your book and making it successful. The process of Self-publishing might be more complex than you have imagined. If you are self-publishing your book for the first time then it’s important to seek professional help to avoid any mistakes, as publishing a successful book requires expertise that most new authors lack. You can find lots of self-publishing companies that will help you publish your book.
It’s Lucky you were born in this century because we are currently living in the golden era of the digital world. Self-publishing has been made an easy and simple process as each self-publishing platform offers helpful tools and resources to help its authors self-publish. Publishing your book has become so much easier than it used to be in the past. Self-published authors are taking the lead in the book publishing industry. If you’re new to the concept of self-publishing, then there’s a lot to learn before you embark on the journey of publishing your book.
What are Traditional Publishing Companies?
In this digital age, self-publishing a book has become much easier than in the past, giving traditional publishing a bad reputation, and it’s understandable why. They use the old method of printing and mostly focus on selling physical copies of books. It could be said they are not much inclined towards change or adaptation. You need a literary agent for your book to get published traditionally because of this it’s not easy for everyone to get their book published even if you have written the best book in the universe.
In traditional publishing, the author with a vision cannot be satisfied because they don’t have much say in the creative process, which could seem mysterious to them. They own the rights and royalties of the book instead of the author. These companies’ focus is more on making sales than telling your story to the readers. These companies can probably cost you more than your budget if you are starting with a small amount.
What are Self-Publishing Companies?
Once you have decided to self-publish your book, first you need to start learning from A to Z about self-publishing companies, first, it is important to understand how they can assist you in publishing and promoting your book successfully. Once you have written your book successfully and designed your book cover on Canva then publish it online. Do you think it will get you the desired sale? Will you get the recognition, success, and fulfillment, you yearn for?
Here come the Self-publishing companies which are businesses dedicated to assisting aspiring or seasoned authors to achieve what they desire by detailing and streamlining the difficult process of self-publishing. If you explore self-publishing companies, you will find out that each one offers slightly different services.
If you are a first-time author, it can be difficult to determine if these companies truly provide all the services they are claiming, or if they truly are reliable without any way of verification. It’s always important to research thoroughly before choosing the best self-publishing company to present your masterpiece in front of the world. Let’s get to know more about these companies.
Advantages Self-Publishing Companies Provide:
- Publishing your book through these companies allows you to have full control over the content, formatting, book cover designs, and even marketing.
- It allows you to present your book in front of the world without any interference, according to your choice and vision.
- You have full control over all the rights and royalties of your book.
- You can receive a higher percentage of royalties from self-publishing companies as compared to what traditional publishing companies offer.
- Self-publishing may be more cost-effective compared to the traditional publishing process.
- You no longer need to wait for publishers’ approval to publish your book.
- You will be the lifetime owner of your book which will allow you to decide the future of the book.
- You can use many resources they provide if you choose to use them. i.e. professional editing
- Self-publishing can be more of an investment for the long term as you get lifetime royalties.
Self-publishing companies offer many advantages that make them more appealing to aspiring authors.
Types of Self-Publishing Companies:
Four types of self-publishing companies are:
Publishing Aggregator:
A publishing aggregator is a service that allows you to upload your book to an online platform and then distribute it to multiple platforms, making it available to retailers. The role of the aggregator is like actually like a distributor or middleman, it simplifies the process of distributing your book to retailers. One of the benefits of using an aggregator is that it works directly with authors and distributors as a middleman, provides high-quality service with minimal hassle, and is beneficial for both parties.
Retailer:
The retailer plays an important role in selling your book to consumers through their platform. Online retailing companies have experienced rapid growth in recent years due to the shift towards e-books and online businesses. In order to sell your book to consumers, you can upload it to online retail platforms such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, etc. These retailers pay authors directly and some offer exclusive programs.
Publishing Educator:
They educate authors on how to publish and market their books through online retailers. They have designed self-publishing courses and provide coaching. As an author, you can learn to master the art of self-publishing and can succeed in publishing a book on your own. Some publishing educators provide free services, while others charge minimal fees. It’s like paying for college to learn how to self-publish and market your own book.
Author Services:
Some companies provide ghostwriting services to authors including ghostwriting, book editing, formatting, cover design, illustration, and more. They make your book presentable and ready to be published. You can get your book written by a ghostwriter who will emulate your style and voice to create the book you have in mind. They will charge you for their services according to their experience and expertise.
In the world of self-publishing, you are your own boss in all creative decisions. The last step is you have to choose the best self-publishing company you want to publish your book with. Once you have decided on a route, there is an overwhelming number of self-publishing agencies, each claiming to be the best. Here are some additional insights to consider before choosing one.
The Criteria for Rating the Self-Publishing Company are:
The Book Publishing Volume Per Year:
The rate of success and customer trust for book publishers can be determined by the number of volumes they publish each year. The company which has a huge volume of books published each year proves that they are pro at selling books and have the best model in the industry for book publishing.
Customer Reviews and Ratings:
Always consider the customer’s reviews and ratings before choosing a publisher for your book. Their reputation is important as it reflects how much they value their customers and have won their trust. Companies with higher ratings will get more business. Customer reviews offer valuable feedback which can be helpful for you in deciding which company to choose for self-publishing your book.
Trustworthy:
You need to be sure that the company is legit. The best way to check its legitimacy is to see if a trusted organization of authors like the Alliance of Independent Authors recommends them on their platform.
Resources they Provide to Help the Authors:
These self-publishing companies offer authors numerous resources to assist them throughout the book publishing process. Some of these materials provided are free and some are not. The important part here is that you get the help you need to publish your book.
Budget-Friendly:
You should go according to your budget before selecting a self-publishing company. Affordability must be your top priority to avoid financial strain when self-publishing a book. Especially if you have a limited budget, it’s essential to make a wise decision that aligns with your financial means.
Big Following and Subscription:
A large email list or a big subscriber base is a positive indication. It signifies the company has a sizable community of people who are interested in it and get emails regularly about the products and offers of the company, which can also benefit you.
The Best Self-Publishing Companies for New Authors:
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP):
- Experience: 17 years
- Ratings: 4.3
- Cost: Free to upload
When you think about self-publishing, Amazon is the first company that comes to your mind. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is a renowned self-publishing platform for both print and e-books with a large number of annual publications which cannot be ignored. It was launched in November 2007 and has its headquarters in Washington, USA.
The advantage of publishing on Amazon Kindle Publishing is its large community of customers, which can increase the chances of your book reaching potential buyers. It is the leading platform that dominates almost 80% of the e-book marketplace offering competitive royalty rates.
Once you have uploaded your book on Amazon its widespread reach will put your book in front of millions of browsers every day. There are also exclusive offers that benefit authors, providing free promotions and marketing for their e-books.
KDP Select Programs for Authors:
Amazon stands out from other retailers due to its exclusive programs for authors, which are the KDP Select and Kindle Unlimited programs.
KDP Select: It is a free 90-day program that is offered for Kindle eBook only. You get the opportunity to reach more readers through Amazon and Kindle promotions. All authors are eligible, regardless of where they are in the world.
Kindle Unlimited: Kindle Unlimited is a monthly subscription program that grants its members access to over 4 million digital books, along with thousands of audiobooks, comics, and magazines. Once activated, subscribers can instantly begin downloading titles from the Kindle Unlimited catalog, which can also be beneficial for authors.
Once you enroll your Kindle eBook in KDP Select, it is automatically included in Kindle Unlimited (KU). Then your Kindle eBook will also be eligible for Free Book Promotions and Kindle Countdown Deals (KCD).
The downside of entering these programs is you have to remain tied exclusively to Amazon. You cannot publish your book on any other platform. You need to carefully consider whether Amazon is the best choice for your book and whether it complies with your publishing goals. You need to consider other platforms before choosing a self-publishing company to avoid risking your book’s success.
Barnes & Noble (B&N) Press:
- Experience: 15 years
- Rating: 4.2
- Cost: Free to upload
The old name of Barnes & Noble was Nook Press which was founded in 1886 as Arthur Hinds & Company, with its headquarters in New York City, USA. They are the largest retailer bookseller in the United States. They have physical bookstores around the country and many stores featuring cafes as well.
It is also a self-publishing platform that has one of the most outstanding distribution networks. They launched their e-book platform, NOOK eReader in 2009 which was introduced to compete with Amazon’s vast market.
By choosing Barnes & Noble to self-publish your book, your book will get to your potential readers through diverse channels. They identify themselves as a free, fast, and easy-to-use self-publishing service that enables you to publish your book and sell it to their millions of readers.
They have been leading the book industry for many years. Although the name implies that they are an old-fashioned book retailer, they have adapted to changes in the market and recognized the importance of online bookselling. They have a strong retail and online presence.
You can publish your eBook and print book through them. At Barnes & Noble, you can get access to many resources that will guide you during the self-publishing process as they have strong affiliations with the best service providers in the book industry.
It is easy to publish on Barnes& Noble Press, first set up a NOOK account, then register as a vendor, and now go through the step-by-step process to create your book for self-publication on Nook. See your book go live within 72 hours of hitting publish.
Barnes & Noble is available to its authors and publishers in a limited number of countries, restricting access based on geography. These are the following countries where authors and publishers can access their services:
The United States, U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Kobo Writing Life:
- Experience: 15 years
- Rating: 4.5
- Cost: $2.99
Kobo Writing Life was founded in 2009, it is a Canadian-based company owned by Rakuten Kobo. It is a self-publishing platform that helps authors publish their e-books for Kobo consumers spanning to almost 190 countries. It has a strong reach in the international e-book market making it the 14th largest company.
It is free to upload your book through Kobo Writing Life and can earn up to 70% royalties. They are an international book retailer and one of the largest eBook stores in the world. They have over 5 million titles available in 77 languages.
Authors can retain full control over their rights and have no restrictions on publishing their books on other platforms. They provide a user-friendly platform allowing you to create, edit, and upload your book easily. You have the option to include your book in Kobo’s subscription service and Kobo Plus.
The Kobo Writing Life (KWL) platform offers user-friendly publishing features for authors, along with opportunities to market your book through various promotional tools and campaigns.
Kobo Writing Life provides a comprehensive sales analytics tool through which you can track your sales in real-time and a map view to track sales by country. It also provides exclusive promotional opportunities for authors to reach a global audience whose distributor is Kobo instead of an aggregator.
Apple Books:
- Experience: 14 years
- Rating: 4.4
- Cost: Free to upload.
Apple launched its self-publishing platform in the year 2010, which was formerly known as iBooks. Apple Books is the 2nd largest e-book retailer after Amazon. The only drawback is that you have to be a Mac user to use this platform otherwise you need to hire the service of an aggregator to publish your book on this platform. You can upload your book through your Apple device whenever you want, making it a relatively easy platform for self-publishing authors.
You can self-publish your book on Apple Books for free of cost if you are a Mac user. You’ll earn 70% royalties on your book regardless of the price. There are no hidden charges or exclusivity required on Apple Book. Your books can only be sold through Apple because they will be available to only Apple users worldwide. This self-publishing service is currently available in only a few countries.
You can self-publish your book through Pages on your iPad, iPhone, Mac, or online iCloud.com. Self-publishing on Apple Book has become attractive and beneficial for authors. It provides many modern features, i.e. tracking the sale of your books and reader interaction information.
You will have full control over the release of your book, and its timing. You can also decide the location where you want your book to be marketed and promoted. It is recommended to visit the Apple Books Publisher User Guide to find resources and guidance to publish and sell your book on the Apple platform.
PublishDrive:
- Experience: 10 years
- Rating: 4.3
PublishDrive is a self-publishing platform founded in 2014, making it a relatively new platform. Its headquarters are located in California, USA. PublishDrive is designed to help authors self-publish their books and market them globally. It offers multiple tools for production, metadata management of your book, and its distribution. These features help you to publish and manage your book through the PublishDrive platform.
They are the international distributor of print books, e-books, and audiobooks to over 400 online stores which includes famous platforms including Amazon, Apple Book, Google Play Books, and even Barnes & Noble. They offer several prices for the number of titles you want to publish with the first title being free of cost.
If you decide to publish your book through Publish Drive, you will have access to its unique features such as cover design, distribution, real-time sales analytics, conversion services, and much more. You can also customize your store page to promote your book. You can keep an eye on your sales summary and your live statistics. Their tools will let you instantly see your earnings without having to calculate percentages or do any math.
PublishDrive has a 24/7 support team of specialists for any queries or issues you face.
Draft2Digital:
- Experience: 12 years
- Rating: 4.0
- Cost: They charge 10% of the sales price.
Draft2Digital was founded in 2012, and its headquarters are located in Oklahoma, USA. Draft2Digital is a popular choice for many self-publishing authors because it offers many benefits and also has a user-friendly interface. They don’t require exclusivity which allows you to publish your book on many other platforms which will maximize your reach and earnings.
You can choose from a wide range of selection of customizable layout templates for your book that can match your style and vision. They offer market competitive prices and accurate royalties which are the advantages you will get if you self-publish your book through their platform. Their powerful book formatting tools as well as Universal Book Links (UBL) make them one of the best choices to self-publish your book.
Draft2Digital provides you with one link to your book which you can share on different platforms for wider reach and visibility. You can use their tools to set pre-orders and offer promotions which helps boost your book’s sale.
They have responsive customer service, their support team is there 24/7 to answer your queries and help you through the self-publishing process.
XinXii:
- Experience: 17 years
- Rating: 4.2
- Cost: no publication cost.
XinXii is a global self-publishing platform founded in 2007, it’s based in Berlin, Germany. They allow authors to publish their e-books and audiobooks through their platform. They are also one of the biggest distributors of the global market including Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, etc.
They provide you the facility of uploading your work in more than 12 digital formats which include PDF, epub, mobi, etc. You will get your own page on the XinXii platform to display your books. XinXii offers the best marketing support to its authors to help their work reach a wide global market which can help increase your sales.
You don’t need to be exclusive which allows you to publish your book on multiple platforms increasing the reach. You will have the facility to update the pricing and content of your book whenever you need to. Their self-publishing platform is easy to use, after uploading your manuscript in any format, you can set your price, choose your desired retailers, and publish your book.
The primary benefit you will get from publishing on XinXii is its reach to millions of readers worldwide through various online retailers. You will get a 70% royalty and have access to detailed sales reports and statistics which will help you track the sales and performance of your book.
Ingram Spark:
- Experience: 11 years
- Rating: 4.1
- Cost: Fees are associated with uploading and revising your book.
Ingram Spark is one of the famous platforms for self-publishing authors which offers a wide range of services. It was founded in 2013 and has its headquarters in La Verge, Tennessee, USA.
Publishing with Ingram Spark gives you access to more than 40,000 retailers, libraries, and online stores around the globe, including giants like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Kobo. They publish your book in multiple formats including hardcovers, e-books, and paperbacks. You can easily manage all your print and e-book files, and track your orders and sales all from a single platform. You will get your book edited, distributed, and marketed if you choose to self-publish your book through Ingram Spark. They also provide high-quality printing services. They have the option of print on demand which means you have to pay for only the books that are being sold which makes it cost effective.
If you choose Ingram Spark then you will have full control over the pricing and distribution of your book. You can update your book whenever you need to. The effective marketing tools and resources provided by Ingram Spark can help promote your book and the main benefit is you don’t need to be exclusive with them.
It provides step-by-step guidance to set up an account with Ingram Spark and start uploading your manuscript and other files. You can set your price and wholesale discount. You can select retailers and libraries where you want your book to be available to readers. Once your book is published, Ingram Spark will take care of the hassle of printing and distribution of your book.
LuLu:
- Experience: 22 years
- Rating: 4.5
- Cost: No upfront cost.
Bob Young founded LuLu in 2002 and its headquarters are based in North Carolina, USA. LuLu is a print-on-demand, self-publishing, and distribution platform. They provide access to a wide range of online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and LuLu Bookstore, which will get your book to millions of readers out there.
If you choose LuLu then you will have the facility to publish your books in various formats such as paperback, e-book, photo books, and calendars. You can also customize your book size, binding, paper quality or type, and color printing. Through LuLu your book gets to the websites like Shopify and WooCommerce which gives your book reach to the customers of these platforms.
LuLu’s tools and resources have made it easy for their authors to create, publish, and market their books easily. You don’t need to be exclusive with them and can publish your book to multiple other platforms too, which increases the reach of your book to potential customers. With LuLu you don’t have to worry about quality as they promise to provide high-quality printing with a wide range of options available for their authors to choose from. You get various marketing tools and resources on this platform to help you on every step to promote your book effectively.
You always will be in full control of your book’s pricing, updates, and distribution. The process of self-publishing is very simple, sign up on the LuLu website, and after setting up your profile you can upload manuscript and book cover files following the step-by-step guidelines provided by LuLu. After setting the price of your book and the locations where you want to sell your book, publish your book. The simple procedure of self-publishing makes LuLu a user-friendly platform and most of the authors prefer it.
LuLu also has its own bookstores where it distributes and sells books. The author will receive 90% royalty on e-books and 80% royalty on print books which is quite high as compared to what some other platforms are offering.
StreetLib:
- Experience: 18 years
- Rating: 4.4
- Cost: 10% of the retail price on every book sold.
StreetLib was founded on 1st June 2006 and its headquarters is located in Vila Musone, Italy. SteetLib provides extensive support and resources to their self-publishing authors. If you choose to use the StreetLib platform to self-publish your book then you are getting lots of advantages with zero risk involved. It provides access to almost 50,000 platforms globally which includes the major retailers of the world including Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, etc.
StreetLib provides you the option to select from a wide range of formatting you want your book to be published in. They print your book on demand only saving you the cost of storing and printing extra books.
The most attractive feature is they provide you free ISBNs for your books which you can be able to use on various platforms. The platform provides you access to the tools to track a real-time sale and data analytics for the books to keep up-to-date on your book’s performance.
You can customize the price of your books in each store which gives you the option of a flexible pricing strategy. They also provide you with professional editing and digitalization services. Publishing through StreetLib your book reaches a huge network of retailers and libraries exposing your book to global readers and helping increase sales.
They offer free cover design and premade templates for their best-selling genres. You can also publish on other platforms as there are no requirements for exclusivity. StreetLib is available in languages other than English, including Italian, Spanish, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, etc. They are still growing and building their network of distribution channels across 6 continents.
Smashwords:
- Experience: 16 years
- Rating: 4.4
Smashwords was started in 2008 by Mark Coker, it has its headquarters in California, USA. They are the reason for the fame of many authors who self-published their books on their platform. They are key distributor to a vast network of retailers, which includes Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and many more.
They accept multiple formats and convert them into e-book formats. They provide authors free ISBNs for their books which is applicable on various platforms. You can use their marketing tools like preorders, coupons, and affiliate programs to promote your book and get the best sales.
You can get access to their real-time sales data and analytic tools to track the performance of your books. They don’t demand exclusivity, thus you can self-publish your book on various other platforms too. You can get high royalty which is up to 85%.
The platform is said to be user-friendly which makes it easy to self-publish your book through it. Being the international distributor your book will reach to greater audience which will increase the chances of sales.
Control over the pricing, distribution, and updates makes it the author’s most recommended platform. Their extensive and high-quality tool and resources guide you during every step of publishing to marketing to selling your book.
Their support team assists authors navigate through the process of self-publishing.
CreateSpace:
- Experience: 19 years
- Rating: 4.3
CreateSpace was previously known as BookSurge until it was acquired by Amazon in 2005. It was integrated with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) in 2018. It offers the same services you can get on Amazon. It also provides the service of print-on-demand (POD) to the authors which saves them the cost of storage and unnecessary prints. They are a big distributor with having wide reach in the international market, which is beneficial for the sale of your book. The huge market of Amazon is also included in their major retailers.
Their free ISBNs providing service is one of the main perks for self-publishing authors. You can also get multiple services including cover designs, editing, and formatting services, which are guaranteed to produce high-quality results.
You have the power to decide the pricing and location of distribution for your book sale. Their world-class marketing tools and resources are accessible to you to help increase the sales of your book. One of the prominent services they provide is that you can order a proof copy of your book to preview it before it goes for final publication.
You will also earn a high royalty on each of your book sales which is much higher than traditional publishing services. Its easy-to-use interface makes it easy to upload your manuscript on the platform of CreateSpace. As part of Amazon, You can get access to many features and benefits through Amazon’s self-publishing service.
Simon & Schuster:
- Experience: 15 years
- Rating: 4.5
Simon & Schuster is originally a traditional American publishing company which was founded in 1924 and has a rich history of publishing books. Its founders were Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. They have been publishing a wide range of books of different genres.ie, fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, etc.
They are considered one of the leading “Big 5” traditional publishing companies. They have been offering hybrid and self-publishing options too since they launched their self-publishing service in 2012 in partnership with Author Solutions.
They have built specialized programs for authors that guide them through the process of publishing. You can explore their diverse avenues of publishing.
After signing a contract with Simon & Schuster you will get advance royalty payment which is paid in installments during the process of publication. They pay 10% of the print book’s retail price on the sale of the first 5,000 copies of your book, which increases to 15% after that. The royalty on e-books is around 25% of the net price.
They charge you for editing, designing covers, and marketing, they have different programs which has different pricing.
Conclusion
There is an unending list of self-publishing companies claiming to offer various programs and services to their authors which sometimes becomes nerve-wracking to choose from. In this ocean of self-publishing companies, you have to choose the one that aligns with your vision and demands to bring your dream book in front of the world and make it successful. You have to research carefully and look for a company that can be beneficial in the long run. You need to keep in mind your budget and the rights you will have on your book once published through one of these channels. Choosing the most cost-effective and competitive marketing and analytics tools is crucial. Look for a company that is letting you keep a large chunk of royalty after the sale of your books, which you deserve as an author.
