Method Stats:
- Setup time: uploading your book to the site can take just a few minutes, but writing the book can take up to a few years, depending on its topic and length
- Age threshold: 18+
- Time of payment: 30-45 days after the end of the month in which the sale occurs
The rise of self-publishing has made it possible for anyone to publish eBooks. It’s an excellent option for beginners since there are no printing or shipping costs.
To publish an eBook, submit your writing to a self-publishing platform. There are two types of publishing companies – retailers and aggregators. Retailers sell books directly to customers, whereas aggregators distribute them to retailers at additional costs.
The revenue you generate from eBooks will depend on the publishing company’s royalty policy. For example, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing pays up to 70% royalties for books sold on the Kindle store.
Aside from Amazon, here are other eBook publishers and their royalty rates:
- Barnes & Noble Press. Provides a 70% royalty rate for eBook sales.
- Kobo Writing Life. Gives authors 70% of the book’s list price if the book costs at least $2.99.
- Apple Books for Authors. Offers writers 70% royalties for eBook sales regardless of the cost.
- Smashwords. The world’s largest indie eBook distributor, charging a 10% commission when selling to other retailers and libraries and 15-18.5% when selling on their website.
- Draft2Digital. Lets authors earn 60% royalties of their eBooks’ list price.
Before self-publishing an eBook, don’t forget to thoroughly check for formatting issues, typos, and grammatical errors. Also, consider hiring a graphic designer to help create an appealing eBook cover.
