The world of publishing has transformed. Today, authors no longer need to wait for months for approvals. They don’t need to follow a lengthy traditional publishing process. This is the era of digital storytelling. Here, you just need knowledge of the right self-publishing platform, and your dream of becoming an author turns into reality in a few days.
Self-publishing has given writers freedom to write, publish, and reach a wider audience. You won’t believe it, but more than 2.6 million self-published titles were released in 2023. Surprisingly, the number has been rising rapidly each year.
Self-publishing is becoming a new tradition in the writing world. In fact, a large number of renowned authors also use these platforms to publish their books. These professional platforms provide easy-to-accessible tools. Also, offer some marketing strategies that help writers grow.
But the question arises:
Which self-publishing platform is right for your book?
I know, you’re also going through the same. Don’t worry. In this blog, we’ll discuss the top 5 self-publishing platforms, where I’ll thoroughly share every insight with you that makes the selection easy for you. If you want to turn your dream manuscript into a published reality, this blog is for you, future authors. Don’t wait for months to add an author’s tag to your name.
Let’s dive into it.
Top 5 Self-Publishing Platforms for Authors
1. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is the world’s biggest self-publishing platform. It opens the door for the world’s largest online book marketplace, Amazon. KDP is easy to use and offers marketing and promotional strategies that help writers grow organically. This platform is for authors interested in publishing their eBooks, paperbacks, and hardcover books.
With KDP, once you upload your manuscript and publish your book, it can go live on Amazon’s marketplaces within 24–72 hours. Here, authors can publish on their own terms. KDP gives full control over the book’s content, pricing, cover, and distribution. This is the credibility KDP built.
Now, over 2 million authors have used KDP to publish their books. And more than 1.4 million self-published titles are added each year.
How Authors Earn on KDP:
KDP offers 5–15% higher royalty compared with traditional publishing.
1. E-Book Royalties
- KDP gives 70% royalty on eBooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99.
- A 35% royalty applies to titles outside these price ranges or in certain countries.
2. Print Royalties
Its paperback and hardcover books typically earn up to 60% royalty. Authors receive payments monthly.
Benefits:
- Publishing with KDP is free. Authors can connect with readers through Author Central.
- KDP print uses print-on-demand (POD), so authors don’t need to invest in inventory.
- eBook becomes exclusive to Amazon’s Kindle store, and is automatically included in Kindle Unlimited.
- KDP offers promotional tools, such as Kindle Countdown Deals, where authors discount their books for a limited time. Free Book Promotions, where authors offer their book free for up to 5 days per 90-day enrollment.
- Authors earn a share of the KDP Select Global Fund based on how many pages Kindle Unlimited subscribers read.
Note: KDP Select requires digital exclusivity, meaning you can’t sell the eBook on other platforms during the 90-day period.
2. Apple Books
Apple Books is an e-book sales and distribution platform. It is widely recognised as one of the largest e-book marketplaces after Amazon. Here, authors can self-publish e-books directly via the Apple Books for Authors portal. However, it doesn’t support paperback and hardcover. This drops its usage. But if an author wants to publish their e-book, it is a trustworthy platform.
Apple Books provides a global reach to authors. Books get visibility to millions of users who regularly buy and read digital books on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. A key strength of Apple Books is its simple and author-friendly royalty structure. Authors can monitor daily sales, adjust pricing, and track performance through their author dashboard.
The best part of this platform is that Apple Books doesn’t require exclusivity. Authors can also sell their books on other platforms, like Amazon and Kobo, simultaneously.
How Authors Earn on Apple Books:
- Authors earn 70% of the list price on every e-book sale. Apple’s 70% rate applies universally.
- Earnings are typically paid monthly, about 30–45 days after the end of the sales month.
Benefits:
- Apple Books is a free self-publishing platform for eBooks.
- Apple Books offers 70% royalty on every e-book sale, with no price bands or extra fees.
- It has reached readers in 50+ countries through Apple’s ecosystem. Apple Books distributes e-books exclusively through its Apple Books Store.
- Apple provides promotional and marketing badges, social media assets, and tips for book launches.
- Authors can join the Apple Affiliate program to earn additional commission.
Apple Books offers a clean digital reading experience. Authors can publish directly. If they don’t have access to Apple tools, they can publish via aggregators. Aggregators, such as Draft2Digital or PublishDrive, send a book to Apple Books and other retailers.
3. NotionPress
Notion Press is an Indian self-publishing platform. It empowers authors to publish their books in both print and e-book formats. This platform also provides access to easy-to-use tools, such as design, cover, style, format, etc. Also, help authors with professional assistance.
NotionPress is a free publishing platform with basic editing tools. It also offers publishing packages that authors can use as per their requirements. In these advanced packages, authors get advanced tools and professional support.
NotionPress is a multilingual platform. You can publish in multiple languages. It serves a community of thousands of authors. The figures around more than 40,000 community members, 400,000 registered writers, and 79,000 books published worldwide. The platform also mentions sales of over 50 crores.
NotionPress provides its own author dashboard. Writers can track book sales, royalty earnings, and distribution performance across channels.
How to Earn on NotionPress:
Notion Press uses print-on-demand (POD). Books are printed only when ordered.
- Depending on the distribution plan, authors typically earn 60-80% of net profits.
- Under the Outpublish Program, authors can take 100% of net profits from direct sales.
- For eBooks, royalty earnings are often transferred every 90 days.
Benefits:
- Notion Press distributes books through its own online store and major Indian eCommerce marketplaces, Amazon.in and Flipkart.
- Authors retain full copyright and ownership of their work with a non-exclusive agreement.
- Their books go live in 150+ countries and on more than 30,000 stores through distribution partners.
- NotionPress offers multiple publishing options: Xpress Publishing. Guided Publishing. Outpublish Program.
- Offers real-time tracking of sales, earnings, and promotions.
Notion Press offers optional marketing services, including Amazon & Flipkart promotional management, Press releases and media outreach, Book trailers and email marketing. Also includes participation in major book fairs and retail display opportunities.
4. Pothi.com
Pothi is one of India’s earliest and most trusted self-publishing platforms. It primarily focused on print-on-demand (POD) and eBook publishing. Pothi is a multilingual self-publishing platform, centric to the Indian market. It understands Indian pricing, logistics, and reader behaviour. It is a good choice for Indian authors who want to distribute their books across India at affordable prices.
Pothi has its own online store and partner channels, like Amazon.in and Flipkart. It is a reasonable choice for a first-time and regional language author. However, it is also used by many prominent Indian authors, like Sweta Samta, CEO of Indian Author Academy and a leading coach in India.
Pothi provides advanced tools for formatting a book and a personalised author dashboard. Some international platforms often struggle with high printing and shipping costs in certain countries. In that case, authors can use Pothi for indian regions.
How to Earn on Pothi:
- It follows a transparent cost-plus royalty model. The author sets the MRP of the book. After the printing cost and platform fee are deducted, the remaining amount is the author’s royalty.
- Royalties are usually paid monthly or quarterly. After reaching a threshold amount of Rs 200. Authors can track sales through their dashboard.
Benefits:
- Books are printed only when an order is placed. No storage, no unsold stock, no wastage.
- It provides a strong Indian market reach and flexible distribution.
- Gives authors full control over pricing and profit margins.
- There are no mandatory upfront publishing packages. That makes it one of the most budget-friendly POD options in India.
- Ideal for first-time authors due to low cost, simple processes, and local support.
Note: Use Pothi for paperback distribution services in the Indian region. It always remains one of the most author-friendly and practical publishing options in India.
5. Draft2Digital
Draft2Digital is a leading self-publishing aggregator. Aggregator means Draft2Digital helps authors to distribute their eBooks to multiple online retailers and library platforms through a single upload. You can also visit BookBaby and IngramSpark for aggregator work.
Draft2Digital shares eBooks to multiple stores, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and more, from a single dashboard. It also offers automated formatting and transparent royalty reporting. It is a free platform, where no setup fees, upload fees, or subscription charges are required.
Recently, in 2022, Draft2Digital acquired Smashwords. That increases its userbase and published book counts. Before the acquisition, Draft2Digital was reported to have more than 16,000 authors using its platform. However, after the acquisition, the combined platform serves 250,000 authors and publishers worldwide. These authors collectively publish and distribute over 800,000 eBooks and 11,000 print-on-demand paperback books through the service.
Draft2Digital is one of the most trusted aggregators in the industry, especially among authors who prefer wide distribution over exclusivity. It is popular among authors who want to avoid dependence on a single retailer, like Amazon.
How to Earn on Draft2Digital
- Draft2Digital follows a transparent revenue model. It takes ~10% of net royalties. The remaining 90% goes to the author.
- Paid monthly. Multiple payout options available. Provides detailed, easy-to-read royalty reports.
Benefits:
- Upload once and distribute everywhere without managing multiple accounts.
- Draft2Digital gives full control over free professional eBook formatting tools, making it ideal for beginners.
- It has a professional dashboard. Clean, understandable sales reports across all retailers in one place.
- No exclusivity requirements. You retain full rights and control.
- Provides additional author tools, including Universal Book Links, Pre-order management, Series management and Price change automation.
Draft2Digital is a trustworthy self-publishing aggregator for authors. It gives maximum reach possibilities with minimum complexity. It empowers authors with one upload, transparent royalties, automated formatting, and access to major retailers and libraries worldwide.
Final Words
Don’t let anyone become a hurdle in your publishing journey. With modern self-publishing platforms, a manuscript no longer stays hidden in drafts. It can become a real book that is reaching global readers.
So, read the blog carefully. Choose the platform that aligns with your goals. Take the first bold step and become a debut author proudly.
Now, it’s your turn, Authors!
I’d love to hear from you. Which platform did you like the most and why?
Also, comment: which publishing problem did this blog help you solve?
Also, if you find this blog informative and helpful, share it with your author friends who are planning to publish their next story.
And don’t forget to share your feedback because every voice matters in the writing community.
Simran Thakur
Founder AFAWW
Author| Audio story scriptwriter| Screenwriter| Author| Poet
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