10 Best Self Publishing Companies

[@DaleLRoberts]

🔥😎 What self-publishing company do you prefer most? Also, is there a company you do NOT like? Drop your insights in the comments. Also, take a look at what Amazon does with KDP Select authors. It's CRAZY 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6LEq4aEfqqarpo

[@mikecook_author]

I have only used KDP (e-book, paperback, hardcover) and Barnes & Noble Press (e-book only).

[@vegasrenie]

I’m not sure about bookbaby. Am I missing something? They seem to be more of a vanity press entity than a self publishing assistant.

[@DaleLRoberts]

@vegasrenie - Bookbaby is actually a reputable service. They just cost a pretty penny since they do a LOT for authors. I covered them on my podcast channel a couple times. @Michael W. Cook - Nice. I'm sure as you get more experience you can expand out. You've got options. Funny part is I didn't include every company on this list.

[@ve4043]

I use Lulu to print my books when seeking in person.

[@ve4043]

I enjoying selling my books from my website I make more profit.

[@Donity]

Hey man. I just wanted to say that I started publishing on Amazon's KDP a few years ago, and it's all because of you. Sure, I put in the work, but you motivated me and gave me priceless tips and pieces of advice. I started writing way back when I was 11. I'm 14 now, and still writing on KDP with Kindle Unlimited. Thank you, once again. I'm noticing a bit of increase in sales and I'm going to be marketing and trying to grow this into a decent business. Keep up these videos. Good night!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Whoa! Big congratulations! I cannot express enough of how proud I am of you, even though we’ve never met. My 14-year-old self would’ve been over-the-moon to do what you’ve done. You’ve got a very bright future ahead of you! Care to share your book title and author name? I’ve got Kindle Unlimited and would love to check it out. No unsolicited advice or judgement here. I just wanna help a young author out.

[@Donity]

@@DaleLRoberts Of course! The book title is "the forgotten village" and my author name is "brandon safiran" The books I write are minecraft unofficial fan fiction, geared to a bit younger of an audience, and are much shorter than novels (about a hundred pages each, but funnily enough each book is longer than the next :D) My goal is to keep doing this because it works, but then write a full-fledged novel some day!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Be very careful with fan fiction. KDP frowns on that if you don’t have the permission to use the Minecraft brand. I just would hate to see this all end for you because I didn’t say something.

[@Donity]

@@DaleLRoberts Yeah, I know that. I followed the rules on Minecraft's website.

[@aminadodd8763]

@@Donity do people have to pay you to read?

[@winstonlim8]

I used Lulu for my clients in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and they were all happy with Lulu. I am thinking of using Lulu for my own books in future.

[@DaleLRoberts]

I have no complaints.

[@winstonlim8]

@@DaleLRoberts thanks Dale. I have actually published stuff with regular publishers but I am thinking of moving to e-publishing for myself now because I got fed up with the politics behind the corporate scene in traditional publishing.

[@JonkoSlunko]

Good to know what to look out for, I am in the process of finishing up my first book and looking into self-publishing so hopefully one of these will work for me!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Nice! Let us know who you go with and how it goes.

[@ocyrusinkpublishing]

Greatly appreciate this. I’m getting ready to publish my first book and it’s poetry so i hope to find success throughout my journey like yourself. Take care man!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Nice! Let us know how it goes.

[@shelbeevandyk]

I've been writing since I was about 7, have a whole bunch if short stories my Mom kept. I never had the confidence to put my books out there until I watched some of your videos. Thank you so much for your content and giving people the confidence to do what they love!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Hey, I'm so glad to help, even if in a small way. Good luck!

[@burn1898]

Ordered my first book off Lulu based on your video from 3 years ago. Not looking to sell it yet, just a passion project I started when I was 19, nice to finally finish it years later. You are right about delivery times, I don’t normally order anything online but 2 weeks does feel like a long time to wait. Hoping I can get my order in 10 days, that’s fine with me. I’m ordering from Europe but I believe they have several printing facilities in Europe (UK France and Poland iirc) so I’m probably closer to a printing facility than many people in the US haha. Will update how long it took to receive my first order!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Awesome! Thanks so much. Looking forward to hearing more soon.

[@bensonbencousin7850]

Please need update on lulu payment

[@tophat2115]

thanks for doing this video Dale. I was looking for more places to distribute print books.

[@DaleLRoberts]

You're welcome! Thanks for your comment.

[@rayrwise5728]

This vid was exactly what I’m looking for. I’m been searching different platforms to expand and ended up crossed eyed. You made it easy Dale. Awesome vid, extremely informative. Thanks Dale

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yeah, I cover these platforms in-depth on the podcast but know that people need a general idea with a quick delivery. Always great hearing from you.

[@atachineminence]

It's one thing to watch a video and learn and a different thing to get entertained in the process You get all with Dale Love you man

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks so much for the kudos! Stay tuned for more.

[@Bells_Lodge]

I'm mostly watching to see what other options there are. I currently use KDP but I'm not certain that's where I want to stay long term. I've also been considering getting ahold of a publisher and going from there. Basically, I want to earn more than a coffee a month for my work. Which means I want a wider audience. Ofc, I could change genre's and make it easier by advertising, but I rather like the world I've written.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Awesome! You can also look into self fulfilling through services like Payhip or Gumroad. They have the best royalty of all platforms. But you’re in charge of sending the traffic.

[@lynntalmon]

Woah that was a lot of information for a newbie! However, I know it’s here for me to parse through details when I’m ready to explore different distributors.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yeah, you just drank from a firehose there. Take your time. An old buddy told me one year after being in the business, he felt like he was learning a whole new language and it took him awhile to get the hang of things. Thanks so much for watching and stay tuned for less informationally intense videos. haha

[@moriahsaylorchannel]

Issue for me with kdp that I’m experiencing: paperbacks and hardcovers are shipped without inner packaging resulting in damaged books upon arrival. I’ve reached out to them but feels like a drop in the bucket. B&N is slow with customer service, and hasn’t been able to solve technical issues on the platform for me as of yet i.e. books stuck in processing and unable to be edited but are live on the website

[@DaleLRoberts]

You're not the only one! Keep complaining! Eventually, Amazon will have to get tired of returns and unhappy customers in this regard and package their books better! The best companies aren't always the best because of their customer service. It's more for their reach. One thing is for certain, these problems will persist. You can either persist with them or let them get the best of you.

[@TheStoryMastersTales]

Same for me. KDP hardback author copies I order for signing and selling, arrive 50% damaged. How they cannot know how to pack books is beyond me.

[@MsDancingWind]

What quantity did you order at a time? Was it a larger heavier box? I wonder if there is a quantity to order at a time where there might be less damage? Hmmm…

[@TanyaBrockett]

Dale, this was very helpful information. I work with a lot of authors who get overwhelmed by the options out there; this is still a lot of information, but they can at least see the pros and cons of the various platforms. I have leaned towards KDP and D2D previously. I will now review this again to see if I want to make adjustments. Thanks for your insights.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Glad it helped! Stay tuned for more.

[@spinmouth4114]

Dale, the only thing I want to do is write. How can I delegate the rest to one entity that will do it all and get me results? How much does that cost? Seriously you could make a video called the easy button for indie authors: Step 1: type your book. Step 2: use company x to do the rest. Step 3: mailbox money.

[@DaleLRoberts]

The closest to what you’re asking is BookBaby. But you’ll have to pay a significant amount upfront. Proceed with caution and good luck.

[@ccalexander1924]

I’m a little weary of Fiverr. After I submitted a quote for a cover ( just to see how she would do ) before paying the entire book. After I did a little more research I discovered commercial use is different then personal rights. From my research I found out I have the rights to commercial use of those images but not personal ( where I can sell it and make full profits ). I am now looking for a children’s book publisher. So be aware about publishing rights of the illustrator you are using

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks for the tip.

[@valeriej.brooks1344]

Here's something I ran into this month: I put my book up on B&N press. Then when I went to Ingram--ugh! They saw I put my book up on B&N and said I had to fill out a form to have the title transferred ... which would take 30 days, maybe. Oh, great! I'm 2 months away from launch. So 30 days to get up on Ingram, then all the time it takes to receive books after ordering? Yeah, that went well. When the heck did this stupid transfer issue raise its ugly head? Thanks for letting me blow off steam. Plus, did you know about it?

[@DaleLRoberts]

It's been a thing for awhile now because Ingram distributes to B&N. As you can imagine, B&N doesn't want duplicate content. And, Ingram doesn't allow for deselecting avenues - one of my biggest gripes with them.

[@valeriej.brooks1344]

@@DaleLRoberts OK that makes sense. Why couldn't Ingram support just say that? They gave me some long-winded explanation of how I didn't want my titles being used by ... yada yada. Thanks for all you do. Your explanations are the clearest on the web.

[@yapdog]

What a great video :^) Great for oppo research for my own company. *Side note:* Man, I've missed your content _(I'm really bogged down with code)._

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks so much.

[@XZAVRZIIED-ny6hj]

I have 11 fictional books that i've been waiting to publish, i can't seem to find a publishing company, u gave some excellent information, thanx👍🏽

[@DaleLRoberts]

Happy to help. Good luck, Tess!

[@vleung2163]

Great video with so much info! It would be so nice to have a chart of all these to compare.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Great suggestion! Yeah, I need to whip something together, for sure. Thanks!

[@dougwolven8592]

Dale is a great resource. I'm spending more time here when I'm not writing!

[@DaleLRoberts]

That's so cool of you to say. I just hope I'm not eating into your writing time. But, I'm sure you have that on lockdown. Thanks so much!

[@healingtube9082]

Thanks I was stacked with one … now I know many

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yep, and believe it or not, I didn't even cover a few other viable options.

[@ve4043]

Lulu and Barnes and Noble print quality is awesome compared to KdP. I ordered all three of them.

[@briaquinlan9497]

I was just telling someone to get their author copies from BN bc of this.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Oh, yeah, I still stand by my statement that B&N prints the best quality books.

[@emhuynh7291]

Hi Dale, this is my first time publishing, and I am planning to self publish through Ingram Sparks. However, I don't understand how it works, such as avoiding duplicate listings, or how to upload an ebook on KDP while a hardcopy is on Ingram Sparks. I don't know where to begin, should I publish my hardcopy and next, an ebook, or how should one navigate in this vast ocean of self-publishing. Please share your pearl of wisdom, much appreciated guidance.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Distribution rights are separate based on the publication type. This means you could distribute your ebook exclusively through Amazon KDP (through KDP Select) while your hardcover or paperback can publish anywhere you want. Same with audiobook. And, you can publish them on a few different platforms. You'll just want to watch out for duplicate publishing. For instance, Draft2Digitall distributes ebooks to Amazon. If you're publishing on KDP already, then deselect Amazon in your Draft2Digital account. Hey, if you get lost, browse through my video catalog on this channel or my podcast channel ( www.youtube.com/@selfpubwithdale ). Or, join my Discord community. There are a ton of sweethearts there and I pop in and out of there all day. Link in the description. One more thing...give yourself some leeway and a little patience. This business is a LOT to take in at first. Ask as many questions as you can to get clear on the direction that works best for you. The beauty of self-publishing is it's a lot like a choose-your-own-adventure. Hang in there!

[@VirtualMilk]

I was worried that i cant enter a publishing house if my college degree needs to be related to novels but thank god that there’s some publishing books that dont entirely need that. F my mom for forcing me to do nursing

[@DaleLRoberts]

Right on

[@strayscatskittens]

Mom's want you to do what they want not what you want

[@120paj]

Hi Dale any updates for 2023 with regards to this video 🤔

[@DaleLRoberts]

No, it's still accurate.

[@120paj]

Thank you for responding 😊

[@yannicktenekeunde3205]

Always a blessings listening from you, please can someone uses all those platforms for your book

[@DaleLRoberts]

You can do a mixture of the platforms, but need to be mindful if one platform distributes to another. For instance, you could use Draft2Digital with KDP, so long as you deselect Amazon in Draft2Digital. I'll be producing some more videos covering that very question. Stay tuned!

[@yannicktenekeunde3205]

@@DaleLRoberts ok ser i will wait to learn more

[@yannicktenekeunde3205]

Like i am thinking using kobo,bans and noble, kdp, for my book so we really need your teaching on how to publish there without them being together.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Okay, hang in there. I'm a one-man show so it all takes a little time. Thanks for being patient.

[@artisholder9384]

I’m still with my original self-publisher but only get 30% of sales. I received a Kirkus Star Review. Can I republish for a better deal & where?

[@DaleLRoberts]

You'll need to review the contract you have with your publisher. That royalty isn't good though, so if I were you, I'd look into how I could get out of the contract. You can get better deals by going direct to any of the platforms mentioned in this video. Heck, KDP's lowest royalty is 35%, so you'd at least get a 5% bump in pay. Good luck!

[@faithartdesignstudio]

Wish you would do an update? Just started with Lulu, and since we are on a WIX website we aren’t able to sell directly on our site. Tried hiring an API developer, but the interface is clunky and really not usable. So listing in the Lulu shop. Hate the quarterly payout. That is stupid. Love to hear your update for printing coil bound books. Thanks

[@DaleLRoberts]

It's on my radar because there are two options I want to add to this list for print fulfillment. Stay tuned and thanks for sharing your experience.

[@johnellsworth5697]

Terrific dale, thanks so much.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Very welcome

[@NewHeightsDanceMinistry]

Dale, I'm looking for the cheapest route for a premium illustrated landscape book. It's about 46 pages but most sites are so expensive or don't have the sizes I want (either 8" X 10" or larger). Do you have recommendations?

[@DaleLRoberts]

I did a whole print on demand comparison series. You'll get your answer here: kzbin.info/aero/PLXCkkWHluK4Bxge93wn7VBdQ9YVk0uvup

[@yannhijazi]

Thanks. Very informative and useful.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mreuphoria2]

Hey mate. I had a self publishing company Prios press that called me out of the blue and will call me on a daily basis. Caller is a Mr Smith. Sound like the guy from Xlibris who I was with. Now known to be dodgy publishing. The number is always private so I just don't answer the phone

[@DaleLRoberts]

Run. Legit publishing companies will never call you. You have to query them in writing.

[@LivestreamUniverse]

Taking notes now!

[@DaleLRoberts]

I can see you using a few of these options.

[@SelfPubWithAndy]

D2D and kdp for me at the moment 😎

[@DaleLRoberts]

Nice! Glad to hear you’re still at it.

[@vegasrenie]

Same here!

[@ve4043]

I use The same two, but I print my books with lulu to sell on my website. I have made much more money in he last month.

[@ricardomachado5278]

Hello Dale, I'm planning on putting my book on different platforms like amazon, Apple Books and kobo. I wanted to publicize this on my site next to the picture of my book placing each Icon of each company redirecting people to where they want to buy. Is this possible? Or placing logos from different companies on the same product is a big no no.

[@DaleLRoberts]

It varies depending on the ToS of each avenue and if you're using affiliate links. I use Books2Read that functions like that without having to setup anything other than a link.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi. A year after you published this video ... do you know if LULU delivery time is still 2 weeks? That's just too long nowadays. Otherwise I'm veering towards Lulu for my first Print book - color, softback and hardback options. Really enjoying your videos - thanks!

[@DaleLRoberts]

I actually did a full comparison of Lulu with the other companies in this series: Comparing Self Publishing Companies’ Books Series kzbin.info/aero/PLXCkkWHluK4Bxge93wn7VBdQ9YVk0uvup You’ll get cost for print and shipping and the time it took to get to me.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@DaleLRoberts thank you.

[@werewolfmoon9749]

I need help what should I use for Scifi fantasy romance book? I want self publish it It's more than 300 pages 🤭 It's my first book here

[@DaleLRoberts]

Personally, I'm a HUGE fan of Miblart. Check them out at our affiliate link - DaleLinks.com/Miblart - and use the code DALE10 to get 10% off. If you can't swing that much, look into OliviaProDesign on Fiverr. She's incredible for the price - DaleLinks.com/OliviaProDesign.

[@werewolfmoon9749]

@@DaleLRoberts thanks 😊

[@paulinebaba2542]

Great information. What do you mean by ‘region’ though

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks. Region = US, UK, Australia, Canada, etc.

[@ThisDaniel]

Is there any reason why someone couldn't use a few or all of these? Are there are issues with exclusivity?

[@DaleLRoberts]

You sure can. Just watch out for exclusivity agreements like KDP Select.

[@SIRENTAROT]

I’ve been publishing at lulu since 2005. A LOT of trial and error. I loathe KDP. They took down my books and sent a form email not explaining why they removed my books.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks for sharing! Lulu is pretty good.

[@TaniasWritingRealm]

Great idea for a video Dale. Lots of info

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks so much!

[@meloniewright]

Great Video. My kdp account was recently close. What other platform would you recommend for selling notebook, journals, coloring book?

[@DaleLRoberts]

I answer that question in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ6men6XrduUnMk

[@Captainzelda]

I’m hitting your backlog of videos 😅 if I use D2D to publish to Apple, do they BOTH take a cut? Would the downside be that I have to publish to both and I get a bit more profit?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Correct. When using a distributor like Draft2Digital, they'll take a cut of net profits. Meaning, Apple will make the sale, they take the cut, send the rest to D2D, then D2D takes their cut. You could cut out the middleman and go straight to the source, but it comes with its own hassles - another dashboard to manage, another avenue to track earnings/taxes, another place you have to update. Aggregate publishing comes with its pros and cons, but ultimately, it's up to you on what makes the most sense. There's no wrong answer.

[@aaroncarney7733]

What about best value for quality if I'm just printing one offs for my home library.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Bookvault, Ingramspark, and Barnes & Noble Press are three excellent options. Use the coupon code BVDALE to waive your first three upload fees through Bookvault. Hands down, they're the best quality at the decent price. Stay tuned, because I'm currently doing a deep dive piece on the best places to publish print books. I'm hoping to have it out by Saturday, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

[@ve4043]

Hi Dale, do you have videos on creating the table of content for KDP? I currently have my book on KDP but struggling with the TOC for the ebook, is it similar to making a TOC for D2D?

[@DaleLRoberts]

I cover it in my free course for beginners. You can get access at diy-publishing.thinkific.com/courses/for-beginners.

[@ve4043]

@@DaleLRoberts thanks I just signed up!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Nice!

[@ve4043]

I get my lulu books within 5 days. I guess it depends on how many books you order.

[@DaleLRoberts]

So true! Not to mention, you can pay expedited shipping. But, from the perspective of a customer, most don't want to have to pay extra.

[@ve4043]

@@DaleLRoberts facts.

[@vegasrenie]

Just received my okay from D2D to participate in the POD beta. Very pricey for a single proof copy ($30!!!!), but that includes expedited shipping. Will report later!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Nice!

[@raymondharlall]

Do you have a service that can upload to all of these destinations networks ?

[@DaleLRoberts]

No.

[@NBnNC]

Have you ever reviewed Gatekeepers press? What are your thoughts on that company?

[@DaleLRoberts]

My thoughts are they are a rip-off like most "presses" and "publishers". This is what is referred to as a vanity press. They are selling you a bill of mostly worthless goods and use the buzzword "free" to do it while charging you thousands. Run. Run away! Listed among their many perks are things like an LCCN. These are free to anyone. To register a copyright in the U.S. is $45. 3D Mockups...I know where you can get more than 100 for $10. Paperbacks and Hard Covers copies of your book. You can order author copies at cost from Amazon anytime. Paperbacks are as low as $2.15. What is your 7 grand (or $3,000) for? Before you even sell 1 copy, you're 7 G's in the hole? That's a hard no for me and should be for you as well!

[@NBnNC]

@@DaleLRoberts THANK U Sooooo much for your thorough reply 🥰 - do you offer any copy editing services or have any recommendations?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Sadly, no. I'm not an experienced editor. I highly recommend Jeanne De Vita. I've been working with her for the past year. She's amazing! www.book-genie.com/ And, she's not pushy sales or anything like that. Her insights are impeccable, but considering she's a UCLA writing instructor, second generation author, and editor for trad pub companies, you're in more than capable hands. haha And, she's inexpensive too. Best of luck.

[@brandonestelle6318]

Great information, Dale!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks!

[@ambitiouslearningtuition]

We used to publish our books through Lulu. But now they reject our books now saying Amazon don't accept education books any more. They are so annoying any books already published are rejected if we change the cover also. Can you tell any other publisher except Lulu and kindle

[@DaleLRoberts]

Aw, that sucks. I never heard of that type of issue before...weird. Well, I suggested eight other companies besides those two, so give the others a shot. Also, look into Bookvault. Great company! Use my code BVDALE to waive your first three uploads. I, personally, like them and will continue to lean on them for some distribution.

[@ambitiouslearningtuition]

@@DaleLRoberts your promo code don't work

[@DaleLRoberts]

I just checked with the Bookvault team and the code is working. If you've used the code three times before then it won't work. If you're still having issues with the code, contact support and let them know I sent you there with the code. They're very responsive, so you can anticipate getting help fairly quick.

[@cynthiaking5308]

As an indie author who wants to write books, not marketing, i understand the need to promote it if you want someone besides your Nana to read it. In the effort to establish a brand, what if you as an author release your books with similar covers? If these books are stand alone works, not part of a trilogy, would having a certain element in the cover (color, font, ect) to increase brand awareness work?

[@DaleLRoberts]

For sure. Naturally, you don’t want the same cover, but you’ll want similar typography, graphic layout, and color choices from cover to cover. Joanna Penn nails it with her nonfiction books, use her as an example.

[@kikusama]

can you publish on multiple websites? as long as the barcode is the same?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yes. And, the barcode doesn't matter.

[@annieclaus4547]

This question may have already been asked, but I could not find it if it was. My question is this, with ebook sells, is there a high amount of returns or exchanges whereas the author would lose the sale? Or how does the return of ebooks work? I am very new and have only one children's book self published right now, but a How to Guide almost ready to publish.

[@DaleLRoberts]

All those platforms manage returns. And, in most instances, you aren't paid until after the close of a given month (i.e. January sales get paid in March, February sales are paid in April, etc.). One of the reasons it may take so long to pay authors is to allow for any returns windows to expire (i.e., 30 days like on Amazon) and returns accounted for BEFORE paying you the royalties. By the way, hit us up with ANY questions you have on these video. We'll do our best to answer your questions. We've all been newbies before and can appreciate where you're coming from. Those are VERY valid questions. Oh, I should mention, print books work the same too, but there are exceptions. But, I'll save that for when you're ready to hear more about it.

[@emilybowers3071]

Can I publish my book through ingram spark but then sell the ebook through another publisher?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yes, but make sure you're not publishing duplicates. For instance, IngramSpark reaches Barnes & Noble, so you'll want to avoid Barnes & Noble Press. Typically, I use IngramSpark for strictly print distribution. For ebooks, I go right to the source and skip IngramSpark.

[@emilybowers3071]

What would you recommend for first time publishing for print and ebooks? I like the reach of amazon but not loving the low royalties for ebooks.

[@DaleLRoberts]

KDP, Apple Books for Authors, Barnes & Noble Press, and Google Play books all have the best ebook royalty rate at 70%. Granted, KDP limits pricing for that 70%, but beyond that, you're getting the best royalty with the widest reach. If you're wanting more royalties, then you'll need to consider selling direct through platforms like Gumroad, Payhip, or even a new one called Laterpress. With Gumroad and Payhip, they take roughly less than a 10% cut. With Laterpress, if you make the sale, you get 100% (minus payment processor fees). If Laterpress makes a sale on your book, they get 5%. But, with these smaller platforms with higher royalties, you're sacrificing the reach and built-in audience. If that's not an issue to you and you already have a following, I'd say go direct and skip all the other platforms.

[@120paj]

Can 1 book be sent to most platforms at the same time 🤔

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yes, as long as you don't enter any exclusivity agreements such as KDP Select.

[@120paj]

@@DaleLRoberts thanks for responding 😊

[@rasheruking]

Great work! Love your videos. I want to go aggregate publisher for the first three years, with the add-on of 100% royalties for the first 3 years, then exclusively offset print and sale audiobooks. Would Ingramspark or Draft2Digital allow me to, and do you think that the plan is the best way to ensure max royalties, initial reach, and long-term profit for a self-published book?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Aggregate publishing won't allow for you to get 100% royalties. The closest you can get to that is through self-fulfillment. Is it a good idea? Depends a lot on your goals. If you're going for reach, that's the proper direction. If you're going for profits, head to Amazon KDP.

[@Musikchic47]

I wonder if you can have your book on several aggregate book sites at a time, or if you just choose one to use and hopefully they have all the distribution you need

[@DaleLRoberts]

You can use them all so long as there’s no duplicate publishing. Just deselect options already used.

[@abrahamisaiah3]

@@DaleLRoberts awesome content, so if I use publishdrive I wouldn’t need to apply for say google apple etc right

[@pm5239]

Great video. I got a question. I am almost finishing my book. It's in word document. It's a fantasy fiction story, and I want to send it to a publisher for money, do I look up the contact of any of these companies and email them my book?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Goodness no. You need an agent and you need to learn how to do query letters. Do your due diligence!

[@pm5239]

@@DaleLRoberts So do I need to contact one of their agents first and know the steps?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yeah, that's a good start. Check out some author KZbinrs who cover it. I believe iWriterly covers querying agents. Naturally, if you can get a good agent, they'll go scout out a good deal for you. Good luck! It's a hard road, but it's hard whether you self-publish or traditionally publish. haha

[@supplementalvisions]

Great video, Dale. Informative as always. I was just wondering about Draft2Digital. They do make it easy to publish an eBook with their automatic epub conversion. The only problem I had was when I put a single line space in my Word file, their epub conversion tool just totally erases the space, so you have to put a double line space (two hard returns) in order to have a space for a section break. I wonder if you have encountered that and if you know how to get around it. I'd really like to keep the single line space (one hard return) for a break between lines in my book if possible. If this question is too technical, don't worry about it. I already asked D2D customer support, by the way, and they didn't have an answer. Either way, I appreciate your helpful videos.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Sadly, I never had the issue. Have you tried Reedsy's Book Editor: reedsy.com/write-a-book. Give them a try! It's far more robust and flexible. You shouldn't be pulling out your hair and Reedsy has fantastic support. Oh, and it's free, my favorite price.

[@supplementalvisions]

@@DaleLRoberts I'll try that out, didn't even know that book editor existed. Thanks, man.

[@juliebroglin9738]

Thanks for your helpful videos. Maybe you can answer this question can I republish a title on Lulu previously made on Amazon? I want to have a spiral binding and hope it can be print on demand like Amazon. Thanks for all your videos 😊

[@DaleLRoberts]

Sadly, Lulu's spiral bound books do not distribute to Amazon. So, yes, you can do that. Heck, you could even do it now since it doesn't create duplicate publications. For titles previously published on Amazon, you'll need to get a fresh ISBN if you'll use Lulu. But, you're sacrificing a HUGE chunk of royalties (20%) to Lulu for distribution to Amazon.

[@juliebroglin9738]

That’s helpful to know thanks, I guess I’ll have 2 editions one on each platform so I can have a spiral binding also 🙏🏽

[@authortommcauliffe]

I am still looking for a slip case box provider for my 5book series… anyone?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Offset printers. It's too unique and requires more than the simple print-on-demand machines most companies use.

[@L73777]

Hey Dale, if I go through Amazon kdp and print can I still use another like D2D?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yes, but with some limitations. It'd be redundant use D2D print if you're already using KDP print. And, you'll want to deselect Amazon for ebook distribution through D2D.

[@L73777]

@@DaleLRoberts Thank you

[@L73777]

Thank you

[@Weewy1996ka]

If I live in Thailand and my kindle close so what next I should, Lulu far for send copy book to me and Ingram is must to pay for title and IBSN ,So what good websites for me 🙏🏻

[@DaleLRoberts]

I covered it pretty thoroughly in the video. Choose a service, explore it a bit and you'll get your answer.

[@MarieMulligan82]

Just started on KDP. Can I sell my ebooks on different platforms or am I limited to the one I e uploaded on? really looking at other avenues. Amazon's cool and everything but I'm not earning enough.

[@DaleLRoberts]

You sure can. Just avoid using KDP Select and you can go everywhere.

[@jonelectronics510]

You forgot to mention Kobo does have similar royalty bands to amazon when it comes to minimum pricing.

[@DaleLRoberts]

What is a royalty band?

[@nancymilawski1048]

@@DaleLRoberts I think he means Kobo's royalty changes depending on the price range, just like KDP. 😃

[@antoinettedawson4038]

Great video ❤. Thanks for posting ❤

[@DaleLRoberts]

I appreciate the kudos!

[@jjsteel43]

Which company do you think would be the best to publish a printed guide book that will include many pictures and maps?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Amazon KDP is the path of least resistance. Because if you get lost, there’s thousands of tutorials online showing you how to get around the platform and publish your work.

[@chippygladson1221]

Oke question, can we publish same book in other self publishing companies ? Do I have to go through another isbn number ..will it have copyright issues if we publish the same book in other platforms?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yes, you can publish the same book across multiple platforms. Just be cautious about duplicate publishing to the same platform. Some services like IngramSpark feed out to avenues like Barnes & Noble Press or Kobo Writing Life. So, if you want to get the full royalty from a platform, you can publish directly to them. Or, choose a middleman like IngramSpark who takes a portion of your royalties. So, choose your platforms wisely that way you aren't publishing the same stuff to the same platform twice.

[@chippygladson1221]

@@DaleLRoberts thank you

[@0verth1nker2]

i am currently writing and book amd looking into what im going to do after which is pretty daunting do yk if the publishers also do cover art and if they work with people under 18? and if theres a publisher that you would say is the most user friendly and your personal favorite? Im really new to tgis side of writing and figuring it all out is pretty daunting.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Some of the options mentioned (like KDP) have a cover creator you can use. It's not the best, but it's an option for anyone cash-strapped. Each platform varies on the minimum age, so reach out to support before publishing your book on a platform. To me, the path of least resistance for a new author is KDP. You don't have to stay strictly there, but it's a good place to start.

[@0verth1nker2]

@@DaleLRoberts thank you so much!!!

[@DaleLRoberts]

You got it!

[@artisholder9384]

I need guidance for my 2023 book Whites Only In America. Received a Kirkus Star Review but don’t know next step. “Whites Only In America “ 2023 novel

[@DaleLRoberts]

Use that editorial review in your marketing materials - on your book cover, inside your book, on your website, on your book's product page through Amazon Author Central. The list goes on. Use this review to add third party credibility when you're promoting your book. Congrats on your Kirkus review. I know those are NOT cheap, so I hope you leverage it to its fullest.

[@luckyfoolsgold]

Hey Dale, your videos awesome but, I have a few questions regarding self-publishing: 1. Am I allowed to use more than one publishing service for the same book? (I.e Barnes and Noble Press and PublishDrive?) 2. Do you know of ways I can put my book volumes into a box set? Not a 3D set, but a physical one. Do I need an Isbn for all of my books if they are only going to be sold through a box set? It this even possible?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Thanks! 1. Absolutely. Just be careful not to publish twice to the same platform. 2. I'm not sure what you're asking. As self-publishers, we are limited with how we sell our books. Box sets for us usually mean all of the books in one volume. I don't know of any specialized service where you can do it differently at this point in time. This one volume would have its own ISBN.

[@jackflash128]

i finished a 50k satire/fantasy, finished the full edit, then i had an accident that blew out my entire right arm, shoulder to fingers. i had to suck it up, it could have been much worse. You, Jenna Moreci, and Mandi Lynn got shout outs in my Preface. Because you guys gave me so much help and guidance throughout it all and i thank you. i am at a standstill because i have no social media except a few unrelated vids on KZbin. So marketing is kaput for now, but i will make it happen somehow. Can i e-mail you the small part that mentions you?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Absolutely! Heck, if it's on Kindle Unlimited, I'll go check it out. dale at self publishing with dale dot com

[@K2D3]

I am in the process of publishing a book, my book title is, "Young Living " is that going to cause me a problem?

[@DaleLRoberts]

I'm not sure. Should it be a problem???

[@dailyspiritualdietelizabet7777]

Hi my English book is translated in French, Hindi, Spanish and Gujarat. How and where to publish. Thanks for your help in advance. Author Elizabeth Das

[@DaleLRoberts]

Look at those platforms and search if they support those languages. Sorry, I did most of the leg work for you, so you'll have to do more research on what's the best fit for the translated languages.

[@firenze6478]

Can you tell me anything about urban book publishers from New York? Just signed up with them, but am a bit nervous

[@DaleLRoberts]

I never heard of them. Proceed with caution.

[@roymorano5171]

Very informative, Dale, and thanks, but....I hope you weren't telling us, when all was said and done, that KDP are....the best, or shall we say, the preferred? I was so hoping that all these other publishers were head and shoulders above them. I have issues with those KDP people as have other authors, and I've read horrible things about them.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Most self-publishers aren't using KDP because they are the best. We are using them for the opportunity. The fact is, Amazon corners the market on books. That being said, there are more ways to publish on Amazon than just KDP. Choose one of the 10. My next recommendation after KDP is Draft2Digital.

[@sarahharperwriting]

Are draft to digital still having issues with print? Have they ironed out their kinks by now?

[@DaleLRoberts]

They’ve gotten much better. Recently, they rolled out cheaper proof options.

[@jamess5542]

Do you need to buy different ISBNs for books that you submit to Google Books, Apple Books, Amazon, etc?

[@DaleLRoberts]

You'd only need one ISBN per publication type that you could use across all the platforms. This means one ISBN for your ebook that's published everywhere. One ISBN for your print book that's published everywhere. And so on.

[@jcBibleJ316]

What about publishing companys like Amazon Publishing Agency? Do you recommend using a third party company like this? and can they be trusted?

[@DaleLRoberts]

I'm not familiar with Amazon Publishing Agency. I know Amazon Publishing is a trad pub company, but it's not really accessible to self-published authors.

[@themusicalsnailman]

Hey, I have been using Draft2Digital for a while, but I published a book 2 days ago, But it still isn't published. What is the average publish time?

[@DaleLRoberts]

You're supposed to allow up to 72 hours. It can take longer, though.

[@themusicalsnailman]

Thanks! You earned a sub!

[@jayadams6162]

One major con With Amazon Kindle publishing is when you use their free preview reader it becomes clear that when you upload for example a word document the way you wrote it does not appear the same way so there seems to be a potential for a massive amount of editing cost or a massive amount of time if you do it yourself

[@DaleLRoberts]

That's because it's a reflowable document. All platforms function that way when you're using that document type. What you create on MS Word or in Vellum or in any interior formatting software isn't what's going to appear in the ereader. If you want the layout to remain the same, you need to create a fixed layout epub. BUT...big but here...readers won't be able to adjust the font or the font size, making the ebook less accessible.

[@brycebevins721]

Did anyone find out what the print book royalties are for Blurb?

[@DaleLRoberts]

They're not very good to my recollection. I did an update to this video in two parts; Blurb didn't make the cut due to their poor royalties and base print book costs. Here are the updated videos: 1 - 10 Best Places to Publish eBooks - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJOZY2Zrqq5njLs 2 - 10 Best Sites to Publish Print Books - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXWnk2mpnrSKe80

[@tylerbeauchamp869]

Hey Dale, what are your thoughts on using multiple distributors? If I were considering KDP and Barnes and noble is that allowed? And if so, is it encouraged or discouraged? Great video!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Go for it! Just make sure you're not duplicate publishing. For instance, if you want to do paperback for KDP and B&N, then you'll want to avoid using expanded distribution on KDP. Just deselect avenues with overlap. I currently use KDP and IngramSpark for print. For ebooks, I go direct to KDP, Draft2Digital/Smashwords, Google Play Books, Apple Books for Authors, Kobo Writing Life, and Barnes & Noble Press. I'll be adding PublishDrive and Streetlib to the mix on my next launches.

[@tylerbeauchamp869]

@@DaleLRoberts Ok good to know. Thank you!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Happy to help.

[@Anonymuser0]

@@DaleLRoberts It's not immediate to find, but B&N isn't open for authors in certain countries. I was interested in B&N, but apparently I'm not eligible since B&N doesn't cover the country I live in. Hope they'll expand 🙂

[@DaleLRoberts]

Aw, that stinks. Sorry to hear that.

[@shakeyjay]

Can you stay on KDP and still pursue others? Which ones are not allowed to use if you are with Amazon?

[@DaleLRoberts]

You sure can. Just avoid opting into KDP Select for your ebooks and you can distribute wide.

[@TaniaBouirs]

Hi Dale, if my print book is already in Amazon with extended distribution, do you think it’s worth it to publish it directly also in Ingramspark? Or better way to increase my sales in Amazon to raise more interest in distributing my book? Thanks a lot for your videos!

[@DaleLRoberts]

If you're using Expanded Distribution through KDP, it's reaching a fraction of what IngramSpark can reach with only the US and UK markets. If you want to do the extra work, get wider reach, and higher royalties, remove Expanded Distribution and go directly to IngramSpark. It's what I do.

[@TaniaBouirs]

@@DaleLRoberts thanks so much

[@hinanauman322]

Hello again Dale, thanks for suggesting your videos..... I have a question I am an unknown, first time e-book only author ....so what will you suggest will suit me best...only Amazon Direct for 90 days with no other platforms...Or..... Going with ingram spark at a wide market

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yeah, you can go with KDP Select for your first 90 days. If it’s not panning out as you’d like, then go wide.

[@catharinef.40]

I got my KDP account closed (still have not gotten a reason from them as to why) but now I need to find an alternative. I was just getting started in the last couple of months on KDP so no real sales were coming in yet. My question is which platform would be the best if KDP is not an option. My focus is getting sales to offset my expenses so far :). I do children's short stories and some kids activity books. Should I go with more than 1 options and if so which ones would be best? Any advice at all would be great.

[@DaleLRoberts]

Lulu seems like the best solution based on what you're sharing.

[@michele6182]

Do you know if KDP accepts republishing a book you originally published through Bookbaby, especially if there are some changes?

[@DaleLRoberts]

A second edition is allowable, but I recommend contacting KDP ahead for clarification.

[@michele6182]

@@DaleLRoberts Thank you, I will.

[@nakzadi4015]

@@michele6182 Any update?

[@michele6182]

I just got out another book and so now I will pursue this. Thanks!@@nakzadi4015

[@starchunkss]

This was such an insightful video! Thank you!

[@DaleLRoberts]

Hey, thanks so much I appreciate it! Stay tuned for more. Next video is going to be killer.

[@yukisart6492]

Hello i have a question, i work at a christmas coloring book now and i will finish soon. The thing is if i publish on sites for US will be to late for the sites to send it in EU where i will have many clients… what sites are good for EU?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Most of the sites mentioned will reach Europe.

[@yukisart6492]

@@DaleLRoberts thank u for your answer! I hope they reach fast, because christmas is near :))

[@thefightside2400]

Hi Dale What do you think about Bookbaby ?

[@DaleLRoberts]

I believe it’s a good option for any author with a solid following and a way to recoup their investment after launch. Is it for everyone? No, because it comes at a rather high premium in exchange for aggregate distribution with no revenue share. It’s risk versus reward, really.

[@farhatjahan8294]

They are just free for publishing and distributing too ? Or only for publishing??

[@DaleLRoberts]

For the most part. IngramSpark has a $25 update fee 60 days after publishing. So make sure you get all your corrections before that time. I did a more recent two-part video series with updates to this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJOZY2Zrqq5njLssi=4MkIyGg3TjvM7iA5 And kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXWnk2mpnrSKe80si=doxKvZjD2GttXk_E

[@kaylenedawnbuteaufitnessbu2282]

Do you or anyone know if I can just get the ISBN # and have my book printed myself and just sell it on my amazon seller account? I've been selling used and new books on Amazon for years, and many times when the price of the book goes down, they de-activate my listing until I bring my price down to match the lowest. This worries me that they might do that with my book. Anybody know?

[@DaleLRoberts]

Sure, you can. It doesn't work the same way for self-published books. The Buy Box does default sometimes to a third-party seller, but other than that, it's 100% yours. The issue is if you're publishing the book and distributing it through your seller account, I don't know if that same rule would apply. It's very likely, KDP-published books are favored over other listings. Reach out to KDP support. They might have better answers. Get them on the phone if you can help it.

[@kaylenedawnbuteaufitnessbu2282]

@@DaleLRoberts Can you elaborate on what you mean about buy box defaulting to a third-party seller? Thanks

[@DaleLRoberts]

It's a looooong process that requires more than a comment. I'll see if I can work that into a future video. I've discussed it in previous videos, but I'm not sure which one.

[@maximusfilms3907]

Can you publish the same book on all platforms or is their exclusivity clauses?

[@DaleLRoberts]

So long as you don't enroll your ebook in KDP Select, you can publish the ebook wherever you want. Just watch out for overlap because some platforms distribute to the same retailers. For instance, Draft2Digital publishes to KDP. In that case, you'd deselect Amazon in the D2D dashboard. For print, you don't have any exclusivity agreements to worry about, but again, watch out for overlap. IngramSpark and D2D use the same print fulfillment, so you'd want to choose one or the other.

[@BrittanyBenko]

Hi Dale. I have a question about Lulu, if it isn't too much trouble. I have a book listed through global distribution through Lulu, and one of the places that are mentioned are "Ingram and more." I'm not entirely sure what that means. Is this similar to Ingram Spark? Thanks 😊

[@DaleLRoberts]

Yep, you are right. Lulu distributes to Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Ingram.

[@alphasuperior100]

What publisher do you recommend I use other than Lulu because I used Lulu in the past ?

[@DaleLRoberts]

My personal favorites are KDP and IngramSpark. You’ve gotta explore all these options and find out what you like best.

[@AndreaMagdalenaKosha]

What about Vervante? Do you have any info on this company?

[@DaleLRoberts]

I never heard of them. But, The Alliance of Independent Authors recommends them in their Watchdog List. Which is good, of course.

[@AndreaMagdalenaKosha]

@@DaleLRoberts I checked them out. For quality, you have to pay. I received a quote from them for my children's book, 70 pages printed colour, 8.5 x 8.5 Perfect bound with a full colour printed cover $12.61 -Printed on demand. Per order fee for order fulfillment: $1.50 per order Pick fee per item for each item we add to the box/order: $.25 per item (not applicable for print on demand) Postage: Actual postage based on weight and shipping method Order processing fee: FREE if in a specific format or $1.25 for each manually processed orders Upload fee: $35 per upload Digital proof: $10 available upon request Printed proof: Varies based on type of product, cover and binding.

[@greatodiloo680]

Which PUBLISHING platform that allow Nigeria to publish and make money in dollars...

[@DaleLRoberts]

I don't know. You'll have to visit each platform mentioned in the video and ask them.