You’ve published your book on Amazon. Maybe you’ve even made a few sales.
But look at the numbers: many potential readers never see your book because it’s only available on one platform.
Self-publishing aggregators promise to solve this. Upload once, distribute everywhere — Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and dozens of smaller retailers you’ve never heard of.
Sounds perfect. Until you realize some aggregators take a cut of your royalties, lock you into exclusive terms, or distribute to platforms that pay pennies per sale.
The question isn’t whether to use an aggregator. It’s which one actually gets your book in front of readers without costing you more than it’s worth.
Why Self-Published Authors Miss Potential Readers
Most authors publish exclusively on Amazon KDP because it’s easy.
Upload your manuscript, set a price, hit publish. Done.
But Amazon is one retailer. Readers on Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, and Barnes & Noble Press never see your book. Neither do readers in libraries using OverDrive or international platforms.
While Amazon dominates the ebook market, industry estimates place its share at around 67–80% of U.S. ebook sales, meaning millions of readers still discover and buy books outside the Kindle ecosystem.
Going direct to each retailer sounds logical. Create accounts with Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and others. Manage them all separately.
In practice, that means:
- Separate uploads for every platform
- Different formatting requirements for each
- Multiple dashboards to check sales
- Price updates repeated across six or more retailers
- Marketing materials adjusted for each platform’s audience
Most authors abandon this approach within weeks.
That’s where self-publishing aggregators come in. They distribute your book to dozens of retailers from a single upload. You manage everything from one dashboard — pricing, metadata, sales reports.
But aggregators aren’t all the same. Some charge fees. Some take a percentage of your royalties. Some distribute to retailers that barely sell books.
What Self-Publishing Aggregators Actually Do (And Don’t Do)
An aggregator is a middleman — but not the kind that exists to skim profits.
Here’s what they handle:
- File conversion and formatting for each retailer’s technical requirements
- Metadata distribution — title, description, keywords, categories
- Pricing coordination across platforms (including currency conversion)
- Sales reporting from dozens of retailers consolidated into one dashboard
- Payment collection and royalty distribution to your account
What they don’t do:
- Market your book. Aggregators distribute — they don’t promote. If you upload a poorly written book with a bad cover and weak metadata, it’ll sit unsold on 40 platforms instead of one.
- Fix formatting errors. Most aggregators accept common file formats (EPUB, MOBI, PDF), but if your interior formatting is broken, they’ll distribute the broken version. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Replace Amazon. Even with wide distribution, Amazon still drives the majority of sales for most authors. Aggregators expand your reach — they don’t replace your primary sales channel.
- Guarantee sales. More platforms mean more visibility, but visibility doesn’t equal sales. A book that doesn’t sell on Amazon probably won’t sell on Kobo either.
The Hidden Costs of Going Direct vs Using Aggregators
Going direct to retailers looks cheaper on paper. Amazon takes 30% (or 65%, depending on your pricing). Apple takes 30%. Kobo takes 30%. You keep the rest.
Aggregators take a cut too. Draft2Digital keeps 10% of your royalty. PublishDrive charges $10-$49/month or takes 10% per sale. Smashwords takes 10-15%.
So why use an aggregator at all?
Time. That’s the hidden cost most authors ignore.
Let’s say you go direct to five retailers: Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Kobo Writing Life, Barnes & Noble Press, and Google Play Books. Each platform has its own upload process, formatting requirements, and dashboard.
Here’s what that actually looks like:
- Initial setup: 2-3 hours per platform (account creation, tax forms, payment setup)
- File formatting: 1-2 hours per platform (each has slightly different requirements)
- Metadata entry: 30 minutes per platform (title, description, keywords, categories)
- Price updates: 15 minutes per platform every time you run a promotion
- Sales tracking: 20 minutes per platform per week to check performance
That’s 15-20 hours upfront, plus 2-3 hours per week in ongoing management. For one book.
Now multiply that by the number of books you plan to publish.
Aggregators compress that time to a single upload and one dashboard. You upload once, set your price once, and check sales once. The 10% fee starts to look reasonable.
But there’s another cost: exclusivity.
If you’re enrolled in Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited (KU), you can’t use aggregators. KU requires exclusivity — your ebook can only be sold on Amazon. That means choosing between KU’s page-read royalties and wide distribution through aggregators.
For some authors, KU pays more. For others, wide distribution generates more total revenue. The math depends on your genre, reader base, and marketing strategy.
Draft2Digital vs Smashwords vs PublishDrive: Feature Comparison
Three aggregators dominate the self-publishing space: Draft2Digital, Smashwords, and PublishDrive. Each has strengths. Each has tradeoffs.
| Feature | Draft2Digital | Smashwords | PublishDrive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 10% of royalty | 10-15% of royalty | $10-$49/month or 10% |
| Retailers | 40+ including Apple, Kobo, B&N | 15+ including major retailers | 50+ online stores and 240,000 libraries |
| Payment Threshold | $10 | $10 | $25 |
| Formatting Tools | Built-in formatter | Style guide for Word | Automated conversion |
| Print Distribution | Yes (via IngramSpark) | No | Yes |
| Universal Book Links | Yes (Books2Read) | No | Yes |
| Sales Dashboard | Simple, easy to read | Basic | Advanced analytics |
| International Distribution | Limited | Limited | Extensive (Asia, Europe) |
Draft2Digital is the easiest to use. Upload your EPUB or Word file, and the platform handles formatting. The dashboard is clean. The royalty rate is straightforward — 10% off the top, no monthly fees.
Print distribution is available through integration with IngramSpark, but it’s not as seamless as ebook distribution.
Smashwords was one of the first aggregators. It works, but it feels dated. The dashboard is clunky. The formatting requirements are stricter — you’ll need to follow Smashwords’ detailed style guide for Word documents.
Smashwords takes 10% for sales through major retailers (Apple, Kobo, B&N). For sales through its own Smashwords store, it takes 15%. That’s higher than Draft2Digital, and the user experience doesn’t justify it.
Draft2Digital acquired Smashwords in 2022, and the two platforms have since been fully integrated. Today, Draft2Digital serves as the primary publishing and distribution platform, while Smashwords continues as a direct-to-consumer bookstore and promotional marketplace. Authors publishing through Draft2Digital still benefit from popular Smashwords features such as coupons, presales, author alerts, and participation in large annual sales events.
For most indie authors, Draft2Digital is the clear choice. It offers a modern dashboard, automated ebook formatting, access to the same wide distribution network, and all the key marketing tools that made Smashwords popular in the first place.
PublishDrive is one of the most comprehensive publishing and distribution platforms available. It supports ebooks, print books, and audiobooks, helping authors reach readers through more than 50 online stores and over 240,000 libraries worldwide, including Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kobo, and many regional retailers. The platform also provides detailed sales reporting, market insights, and analytics tools that help authors track performance across multiple channels from a single dashboard.
PublishDrive offers two pricing models: pay a monthly subscription ($10-$49 depending on features) and keep 100% of your royalty, or skip the subscription and pay 10% per sale.
For authors publishing multiple books or targeting international markets, PublishDrive’s reach is unmatched. For authors publishing one or two books, the subscription fee may not be worth it.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your First Aggregator Account
Let’s walk through setting up a Draft2Digital account. The process is similar for other aggregators, but Draft2Digital is the most beginner-friendly.
Step 1: Create Your Account
Go to Draft2Digital.com and sign up. You’ll need:
- Email address
- Name (or pen name)
- Address for royalty payments
Complete the tax interview. US authors fill out a W-9. Non-US authors fill out a W-8BEN. This determines withholding rates on your royalties.
Step 2: Upload Your Book Files
Click “Add a Book” and upload your manuscript. Draft2Digital accepts:
- Word (.doc, .docx)
- EPUB
- Plain text (.txt)
If you upload a Word file, Draft2Digital converts it to EPUB automatically. The conversion is decent but not perfect. Review the preview carefully.
Upload your cover as a JPEG or PNG. Draft2Digital recommends 1600 x 2400 pixels minimum.
Step 3: Enter Metadata
Fill in your book details:
- Title and subtitle
- Author name
- Description (up to 4,000 characters)
- Keywords (7-10 relevant terms)
- Categories (BISAC codes — choose 2-3)
- Publication date
- Language
Don’t rush this step. Your description and keywords determine how readers find your book. Generic descriptions and vague keywords kill discoverability.
Step 4: Set Pricing
Draft2Digital lets you set a single price in USD, and it converts to other currencies automatically. You can also set different prices for different retailers if needed.
Most authors price between $2.99 and $9.99 for ebooks. Lower prices work for short books or series starters. Higher prices work for comprehensive guides or specialized topics.
Step 5: Choose Retailers
Select which retailers you want to distribute to. Draft2Digital shows 40+ options, including:
- Apple Books
- Kobo
- Barnes & Noble
- Google Play Books
- OverDrive (libraries)
- Scribd
- Tolino (Europe)
You can select all or pick specific platforms. Most authors select all to maximize reach.
Step 6: Review and Publish
Preview your book one more time. Check formatting, chapter breaks, and image placement.
Click “Publish.” Draft2Digital sends your book to selected retailers. Approval times vary:
- Apple Books: 24-48 hours
- Kobo: 24-72 hours
- Barnes & Noble: 3-5 days
- Google Play: 1-2 weeks
You’ll receive email notifications as your book goes live on each platform.
Pricing Strategies That Work Across Multiple Platforms
Pricing on Amazon is simple: charge $2.99-$9.99 to earn 70% royalty, or charge outside that range and earn 35%.
Pricing through aggregators is more complex. Each retailer has different royalty structures, different reader expectations, and different competitive landscapes.
Here’s what works:
Start at $2.99. This is the minimum price to earn 70% royalty on most platforms. It’s low enough to attract price-sensitive readers but high enough to signal value.
If your book is under 100 pages or part of a series, $2.99 works well. If it’s a comprehensive guide over 200 pages, consider $4.99-$6.99.
Match Amazon pricing. Readers compare prices across platforms. If your book is $2.99 on Amazon but $4.99 on Kobo, they’ll buy from Amazon. Keep pricing consistent unless you’re running a platform-specific promotion.
Use pre-order discounts. Most aggregators support pre-orders. Offer a lower price during pre-order (e.g., $0.99) and raise it to full price ($4.99) at launch. This builds early sales momentum and rewards early buyers.
Test price points. Ebook pricing isn’t permanent. If your book isn’t selling at $6.99, drop it to $4.99 for a month and track results. If sales increase enough to offset the lower price, keep it. If not, raise it back.
Avoid $0.99. Some authors price at $0.99 hoping for volume. It rarely works. Readers associate $0.99 with low quality. You earn $0.35 per sale at 35% royalty — you’d need to sell 10x more copies than at $2.99 (earning $2.09 per sale) to make the same revenue.
One exception: series starters. Pricing Book 1 at $0.99 can drive readers to higher-priced sequels. But only if the series is complete and the sequels are clearly marketed.
Common Aggregator Mistakes That Kill Book Sales
Using an aggregator doesn’t guarantee sales. Most authors make one of these mistakes:
Uploading without checking formatting. Aggregators convert files automatically, but automated conversion isn’t perfect. Broken chapter breaks, missing images, and misaligned text happen regularly.
Preview your book on every platform before declaring it live. Download a sample from Apple Books, Kobo, and Google Play. Check it on multiple devices — phone, tablet, e-reader.
Writing generic descriptions. Your book description is the same across all platforms, so it needs to work everywhere. Generic descriptions like “This book will help you improve your life” don’t convert.
Write for your specific reader. What problem does your book solve? What outcome will they achieve? Why should they trust you?
Compare these two descriptions:
Generic: “Learn how to manage your time better and be more productive.”
Specific: “If you’re a freelance writer drowning in client deadlines and personal projects, this book shows you how to structure your week so nothing falls through the cracks — without working evenings or weekends.”
The second version targets a specific reader with a specific problem and a specific outcome.
Ignoring keywords. Keywords aren’t just for Amazon. Apple Books, Kobo, and Google Play all use keywords for search ranking. If you skip this step or use vague terms like “success” or “happiness,” your book won’t show up in relevant searches.
Use specific, searchable terms. Instead of “productivity,” use “time management for freelancers” or “project planning for small business owners.”
Setting and forgetting. Aggregators make distribution easy, but they don’t make marketing automatic. If you upload your book and never check sales, you’ll see minimal results.
Check your dashboard weekly. Track which platforms are selling and which aren’t. Adjust your marketing to focus on platforms where readers actually buy.
Distributing to every platform without research. More platforms don’t always mean more sales. Some retailers generate 90% of aggregator sales (Apple, Kobo, B&N). Others generate pennies per month.
Start with major platforms. Add smaller ones only if you’re targeting specific international markets or niche audiences.
When to Ditch Aggregators and Go Direct to Retailers
Aggregators work for most authors, but not all.
Here’s when going direct makes more sense:
You publish frequently. If you’re releasing a new book every month, the 10% aggregator fee adds up. Going direct keeps 100% of your royalty, and the time investment becomes routine.
You’re in Kindle Unlimited. KU requires exclusivity. You can’t use aggregators while enrolled. If KU page reads generate more revenue than wide distribution, stay exclusive to Amazon.
You want full control over pricing. Aggregators handle pricing across platforms, but some authors prefer to run different promotions on different retailers. Going direct gives you that flexibility.
You’re targeting a single international market. If your book is specifically for UK readers or Australian readers, going direct to retailers in those regions might yield better results than using an aggregator.
You’re earning significant income. Once your books generate $10,000+ per year, the 10% aggregator fee becomes meaningful. At that scale, the time savings may not justify the cost.
Most authors don’t hit that threshold. For the majority, aggregators save time and expand reach without requiring technical expertise or constant platform management.
Here’s my situation:
– Number of books I plan to publish: [X]
– Current publishing status: [enrolled in KU / wide distribution / not published yet]
– Time I can dedicate to managing multiple platforms: [X hours per week]
– Primary goal: [maximize reach / maximize revenue / minimize time]
Based on this, should I use an aggregator like Draft2Digital or PublishDrive, or should I go direct to retailers? What specific tradeoffs should I consider?
