18 Tools to Publish and Sell an Ebook

Writing an ebook can be a good way to demonstrate your expertise. There are plenty of online tools to help with the publishing and distribution process.

Here is a list of tools to publish an ebook. There are tools to create and format ebooks and platforms to publish and distribute ebooks. Most are do-it-yourself tools, though there are also advanced professional services.

Blurb

Blurb is a platform to create ebooks, books, or magazines. Share a preview of your project on social media or embed it on your website. Sell directly through your storefront on Blurb.com and track your sales and earnings by channel in your dashboard. Make your ebook available simultaneously on Blurb, Apple Books, and Amazon. Ebooks can be viewed on Apple iOS, Amazon Kindle, and Android devices. There is a $9.99 conversion fee.

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Kindle Direct Publishing

Kindle Direct Publishing is a free platform for publishing to Kindle readers. It has several resources to help prepare your book, including guides and tools for formatting your manuscript and creating your cover, as well as promotional tools after it’s published. Enroll in KDP Select, and the book will also be included in Kindle Unlimited and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Earn a share of the KDP Select Global Fund based on how many pages of your book customers read. Earn up to 70 percent royalty.

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Smashwords

Smashwords provides free tools for marketing, distribution, metadata management, and sales reporting. Authors and publishers have complete control over the sampling, pricing, and marketing of their works. Earn 60 percent of list price from major ebook retailers and up to 80 percent list at the Smashwords store.

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Lulu

Lulu is a platform to create, publish, and sell your book or ebook. Choose the retail sites to sell your ebook. Lulu will calculate and display the distribution fees, Lulu’s commission, and your net revenue for each retailer. If you’re short on time, Lulu offers professional support to help with cover design, layout design, and formatting. Also, your title would be available for purchase in a paperback format.

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Barnes & Noble Press

Barnes & Noble Press is a free and easy-to-use self-publishing service that enables you to publish and sell directly to Barnes & Noble readers. Pick your format and choose whether you want to create an electronic or print book. Prepare and upload your files. Get help formatting your interior and cover files. Hit publish, and your book will appear on BN.com within 72 hours. Earn royalties up to 65 percent.

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PayLoadz

PayLoadz is an ecommerce platform to sell digital goods. PayLoadz features a discount system, multi-file products, support for over 190 countries and over 20 currencies, affiliate system, and more. Export product and sales history. PayLoadz is $19.95 per month plus a transaction fee.

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Payhip

Payhip is an ecommerce platform that enables anyone to sell digital products, such as ebooks. Embed Payhip directly into your website or use Payhip’s storefront to sell your work. The free plan has a 5-percent transaction fee. Premium plans start at $29 per month with a 2-percent transaction fee.

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FastSpring

FastSpring is a comprehensive ecommerce platform to sell digital goods worldwide, including ebooks. FastSpring supports more than 20 currencies, 15 languages, and multiple payment methods. It offers a branded checkout, affiliate tools, WordPress integration, digital rights protection, and global tax management, including VAT. Contact for pricing.

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Kobo Writing Life

Kobo is an online bookstore with over 5 million titles. It’s part of Japanese ecommerce conglomerate Rakuten. Publish your ebook by creating a Kobo Writing Life account and uploading your manuscript. Set promotional pricing, pre-orders, and more. The title is added to the catalog within 72 hours. See your updates in real-time with the easy-to-use dashboard. Track your sales by country or by date. Kobo pays royalties up to 70 percent.

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E-junkie

E-junkie is a platform for selling digital content — ebooks, files, codes, software, and more. Get a product landing page that’s pre-integrated with Google and Facebook analytics. Sell from your own site or blog or in the E-junkie marketplace. Create shop-wide or product-specific promotions, discount codes, and gift cards. E-junkie can stamp the buyer’s name, email, and transaction ID on PDF downloads, which deters him from distributing it. Plans start at $5 per month, with no transaction fees.

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Selz

Selz is an ecommerce platform for selling ebooks — with payment processing, digital fulfillment, and customer relationship management tools. Create an online store, sell from an existing website, or sell directly to your fans or followers through social network integrations. PDF, Mobi, and ePub options let customers seamlessly sync your ebook to Kindle. Selz automatically stamps every single PDF page with customer name and order number to prevent fraudulent duplication. Set limits on streaming and downloads. Plans start at $26 per month.

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Shopify

Shopify offers over 70 responsive themes to sell ebooks and digital goods. Simplify digital downloads and gain traction with reader reviews, all through apps designed specifically for Shopify stores. The Shopify POS app helps you sell your ebooks online and in-person while keeping your sales and order data synchronized at all times. Plans start at $29 per month.

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Gumroad

Gumroad is an ecommerce platform for creators (such as writers). Create and customize a landing page. Import your existing email list. Give discounts to your customers on your products, or allow your shoppers to pay what they wish. Make sure your products aren’t being shared with lightweight digital-rights-management tools. Gumroad offers a 30-day audience building challenge and a 10-day product launch program. Free to get started, though there are transaction fees. Pro features are $10 per month.

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FetchApp

FetchApp allows you to sell and digitally deliver downloadable goods. Accept payments through Shopify, WordPress, BigCommerce, Goodsie, PayPal, and many others. Then FetchApp automatically emails a secure download link when orders are received. Free plan for 5 MB storage and up to 25 orders per day. Premium plans start at $10 per month.

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BookBaby

BookBaby is a self-publishing platform for print and ebooks. It offers services for custom book design, formatting, cover art, and professional editing. Improve your book promotion and social media skills with a tailored consultation. Place Facebook ads for authors. Enjoy all the benefits of the Kindle Direct Publishing Select program, and expand your sales through BookBaby’s distribution network featuring Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, OverDrive, and more.

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Draft2Digital

Draft2Digital is a platform for self-publishing with support — including tools and services for layout, publishing, distribution, and more. Automated conversion and layout templates give your book a professional appearance that fits your style. Draft2Digital distributes to all major online retailers worldwide. Select just the stores you want and hit publish. Set your price to whatever you want — even free. Promotional and analytic tools help funnel more readers to your books and track the results. Draft2Digital collects 10 percent of the retail price for each sale.

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INscribe Digital

INscribe Digital is a digital distribution service, providing access to retailers, libraries, and ebook subscription services (over 250 retailers and 20,000 libraries). Upload once and see your books for sale on hundreds of sites. Non-exclusive distribution agreements provide title by title control, allowing for maximum flexibility among retailers. INscribe Digital has a five-title minimum but will consider exceptions with additional information. Contact for pricing.

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Scribd

Scribd is a premier digital reading subscription platform. Members can read and listen to unlimited audiobooks, ebooks, and magazines for $8.99 a month. Self-published author looking to be included in Scribd’s premium membership program must enter through publishing partners, such as Smashwords, INscribe Digital, BookBaby, or Draft2Digital.