Where should you publish your novel? (And why the answer should always include KDP)
I see a common question appear quite a bit among Indie Authors:
Where should I publish my novel? Should I publish wide or go exclusive on Amazon?
I’ve talked about the exclusivity issue elsewhere. While the answer to that particular question requires a careful consideration of important factors regarding the book market, another question often follows:
Should I only publish on IngramSpark or Draft2Digital? Why should I also publish through KDP?
The logic, at face value, makes sense. If you publish an e-book through IngramSpark or Draft2Digital, your e-book will be distributed into the Amazon network. So why would you need to also publish through Kindle Direct Publishing?
Two reasons.
Royalties.
Greater control over your Amazon Product Page.
Royalties
It’s pretty simple. When you publish through Kindle Direct Publishing and price your book at $2.99 or more, you’re eligible to receive 70% of every sale made on Amazon. That royalty is pretty hard to beat. With Draft2Digital and IngramSpark, your royalties will oscillate depending on the distribution market.
Amazon is the largest book market on the internet, especially for e-books. If you don’t publish through Kindle Direct Publishing, you’re losing a good chunk of change every time you make a sale on Amazon if your book has been distributed to the platform from a different company like Ingram or Draft2Digital.
Greater Control over your Amazon Product Page
Beyond the royalty question, however, comes control over what your listing on Amazon looks like.
When publishing through KDP, you have the ability to customize quite a bit of your book’s description. More importantly, you can directly contact KDP to add your book to additional categories, ensuring it acquires additional visibility as readers browse.
I’ve noticed that books whose e-books are distributed from other websites can have very clunky product pages. User experience is key. Your book description is one of the most important factors in converting a potential customer into a buyer and a reader. If their experience on Amazon with your book is less than ideal, they may skip on to another author.
So the two reasons are pretty simple, but they’re important! When you publish through KDP in addition to other platforms, you ensure greater profits while also retaining significant control over how your book appears on the platform.
Yes, it takes extra work to publish your book in two places, but it’s worth it!
And if you found this advice useful, feel free to reach out about how we can work together. As a freelance editor, when I work with my clients, I also help them succeed, providing advice on the publishing process from start to finish.