--- source_url: "https://www.books.by/guides/best-book-distribution-services?utm_source=openai" title: "Best Book Distribution Services [2026]: Build Your Distribution Strategy | Books.by" mirrored_at: 2026-08-12T01:03:18.438Z host: www.books.by cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/www.books.by/guides/best-book-distribution-services__q__utm_source_openai" --- > **Original source:** https://www.books.by/guides/best-book-distribution-services?utm_source=openai ## Think Strategy, Not Platform The biggest mistake new authors make is picking one platform and calling it done. Each distribution service fills a different role in your publishing business. Amazon gives you marketplace visibility. IngramSpark gets you into bookstores. Books.by gives you the highest margins and customer data. Draft2Digital goes wide with ebooks. Smart indie authors use 2-3 platforms in combination. The question isn't "which one is best?" — it's "which combination matches my goals?" Here's a quick overview before we go deep on each platform. Use the [royalty calculator](https://www.books.by/tools/royalty-calculator) to plug in your own book's numbers. Platform Role Print Ebook Royalty Rate Setup Cost **Books.by** Direct sales ✓ ✓ ~97% From $99/yr **IngramSpark** Trade/bookstores ✓ ✓ Variable\* $49/title **Draft2Digital** Wide ebook ✓ ✓ 60–70% Free **Amazon KDP** Amazon marketplace ✓ ✓ 35–70% Free **Lulu** Print + wide ✓ ✗ Variable Free **BookBaby** Full service ✓ ✓ Variable $99–$399/title \*IngramSpark royalty depends on your wholesale discount setting (typically 40–55% off list price). ## Filter the Platforms by What You Need The matrix above is comprehensive, but most authors only care about three or four features. Tick what you actually need and the platform list shortens fast. Must have: Print-on-demand Ebook distribution Bookstore / trade reach Customer email capture No setup cost 80%+ royalty **Books.by** Direct · ~97% · captures email **IngramSpark** Trade reach · bookstores & libraries **Draft2Digital** Wide ebook · free setup **Amazon KDP** Marketplace reach · free setup **Lulu** Print + wide · no ebook **BookBaby** Full service · paid setup ## Quick Royalty Math by Platform The royalty rates above are abstract until you put a price on them. Plug your numbers in: List price $ Pages Books.by direct$9.45 Amazon KDP (60%)$5.14 IngramSpark (55% discount)$1.70 Draft2Digital ebook (60%)$8.99 Per-book royalty after print costs and platform cuts. For ebook D2D, full price assumed (no print). [Use the full calculator](https://www.books.by/tools/royalty-calculator) for your specific scenario. ## Books.by — Direct-to-Reader Sales Direct Sales Channel Books.by From $99/yr · ~97% royalties Books.by isn't a traditional distributor — it's your own storefront with built-in print-on-demand. You sell directly to readers at books.by/yourname. No middleman retailer taking a cut. You keep everything above printing cost and standard credit card processing fees (about 97% of revenue). The critical advantage beyond royalties: **you get the customer's email address with every sale.** No other platform gives you this. When you launch your next book, you can email your readers directly instead of hoping an algorithm shows them your listing. Books.by also lets you sell **ebooks** directly from the same storefront — readers get an instant download after purchase, you keep ~97% of the price, and there are no $2.99–$9.99 pricing windows like Amazon imposes. Ebook + print under one link, one checkout, one customer record. ##### Strengths - ~97% royalties (highest in the industry) - Customer email capture on every order - Your own branded storefront - Free ISBNs included - No per-title fees ##### Limitations - No marketplace discovery — you drive your own traffic - Annual subscription cost (from $99/yr) - Not available in physical bookstores ## IngramSpark — Bookstore & Library Distribution Trade Distribution IngramSpark $49/title setup · Wholesale discount model · 40,000+ retailers IngramSpark is how indie books reach physical bookstores and libraries. It's the self-publishing arm of Ingram, the largest book distributor in the world. If a bookstore buyer searches Ingram's catalogue and finds your book, they can order it. That's distribution reach no other indie platform matches. The trade-off: IngramSpark's economics are built for trade distribution, not direct profit. You set a wholesale discount (usually 55% off list) to make your book attractive to bookstores. After printing costs and the discount, your per-book margin is thin. This isn't where you make most of your money — it's where you build credibility and reach. ## Draft2Digital — Wide Ebook Distribution Wide Ebook Draft2Digital Free to use · 10% commission on ebook sales · Apple, Kobo, B&N, and more Draft2Digital is the easiest way to distribute ebooks to every major retailer except Amazon (which you handle directly through KDP). One upload, and your ebook appears on Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, and a dozen smaller retailers. They handle formatting conversion, pricing, and payments. D2D also acquired Smashwords in 2022 and now offers print distribution through their partnership with Ingram. The print side is newer and less proven than using IngramSpark directly, but it's getting better. ## Amazon KDP — The Marketplace Giant Marketplace Amazon KDP Free · 35–70% ebook royalties · ~60% print royalty minus print cost Amazon sells roughly 50% of all books in the US. You can't ignore it. KDP gives you access to that marketplace with no upfront cost. The ebook royalty is 70% on books priced $2.99–$9.99 (minus a small delivery fee), dropping to 35% outside that range. Print royalties are about 60% of list price minus printing cost. KDP also offers KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited enrollment). You make your ebook exclusive to Amazon in exchange for access to KU subscribers and promotional tools. It works for some authors — especially in romance, thriller, and sci-fi — but it means giving up all other ebook channels. See our [KDP Select vs Going Wide guide](https://www.books.by/guides/kdp-select-vs-going-wide) for the full analysis. ## Lulu Print + Distribution Lulu Free · Print-on-demand · Optional retail distribution Lulu has been around since 2002 and offers print-on-demand with optional distribution to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers. Their Lulu Direct integration lets you sell print books through Shopify stores. Print quality is good, printing costs are moderate, and there are no upfront fees. Lulu's main weakness is that it tries to be everything — direct sales, marketplace distribution, print-on-demand — without being the best at any of them. For direct sales, Books.by gives better margins and a purpose-built author storefront. For Amazon distribution, KDP is better. For trade distribution, IngramSpark reaches more retailers. ## BookBaby Full Service BookBaby $99–$399/title · Print + ebook distribution · Bundled services BookBaby is a full-service option aimed at authors who want to pay upfront and have someone else handle distribution. You pay per title for setup and distribution, and BookBaby handles placement on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and others. They also offer editing, cover design, and marketing services at additional cost. The per-title pricing model makes BookBaby expensive for prolific authors. If you're publishing one book ever, the convenience might be worth it. If you plan to publish regularly, the math doesn't work — you'll pay hundreds per title when platforms like KDP and Draft2Digital do distribution for free. ## Recommended Distribution Strategies ### Strategy 1: Maximum Control (Most Authors) 1 **Books.by** for direct sales — your own storefront, 97% royalties, customer email capture. Drive all traffic you control here (social, email list, website, podcast). 2 **Amazon KDP** for marketplace discovery — let Amazon's organic traffic find your book. Don't fight for Amazon traffic; let it come to you. 3 **Draft2Digital** for wide ebook distribution — Apple Books, Kobo, B&N, Scribd, and others. One upload covers all non-Amazon ebook retailers. ### Strategy 2: Bookstore Presence Add **IngramSpark** to Strategy 1. Set 55% wholesale discount and enable returnability. This won't guarantee shelf placement, but it makes your book orderable by any bookstore or library in Ingram's network. Best for non-fiction authors, local/regional books, and authors who do in-person events. ### Strategy 3: Amazon All-In KDP Select (exclusive ebook) + KDP Print + Books.by for direct print sales. Ebook lives entirely on Amazon/Kindle Unlimited. Print sold direct through Books.by and through Amazon. This works for authors in KU-heavy genres (romance, thriller, LitRPG) who can afford to give up other ebook channels. Keep Books.by for your direct print channel — Amazon can't stop you from selling your own print books. **💡 The golden rule:** Use retailers for discovery. Use your direct channel for profit. Every dollar spent on ads or marketing should point to your Books.by store first, Amazon second. Your direct sales earn 3-5x more per book. See the numbers: [royalty calculator →](https://www.books.by/tools/royalty-calculator) ### Ready to claim the direct-sales channel? Books.by gives you the highest royalty in the table above (~73% effective on print, ~97% on ebooks) plus customer email capture every other platform refuses to share. $99/yr, 100-day money-back guarantee. [Start Your Books.by Store — $99/yr →](https://www.books.by/get-started) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Related Guides