Draft2Digital and PublishDrive both send your ebook to many retailers and libraries from one dashboard, but they charge differently: Draft2Digital takes a commission of roughly 10% of the retail price on each sale (plus small account fees introduced in 2026), while PublishDrive uses a monthly subscription and lets you keep all the royalties the stores pay. Going direct to Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play and Barnes & Noble costs nothing in commission but means managing several accounts. Many wide authors use a mix: direct where it matters most, a distributor for everything else.

This guide includes a few product links near the end. As an Amazon Associate, Freyja Publishing earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

This guide compares the two distributors on cost, reach, payments and tools, explains what changed recently (including Smashwords’ merger into Draft2Digital), sets out what going direct involves, and gives you a simple way to decide. Figures are correct at the time of writing (October 2026); prices and terms change, so check each platform before you commit.

• Draft2Digital suits authors with modest or irregular sales, because its cost is a share of sales rather than a fixed monthly fee.
• PublishDrive suits authors with steady sales, where a fixed subscription can cost less than a percentage.
• Going direct to the biggest wide stores keeps more money and gives access to store-specific promotions.
• Mixing is allowed, as long as each store receives each book from only one source.
• Publishing wide means leaving KDP Select for those ebooks, because Select requires ebook exclusivity with Amazon.

What “publishing wide” means

Publishing wide means selling your ebook in many stores, rather than enrolling it in KDP Select, which requires digital exclusivity to Amazon in return for Kindle Unlimited page-read income. If you are still weighing that choice, the Kindle Unlimited deep dive covers the trade-offs. Print books are not affected by Select exclusivity, and the guide to book distribution channels explains how print and digital reach differ.

Once you go wide, there are three ways to reach stores: an aggregator such as Draft2Digital, a subscription distributor such as PublishDrive, or uploading directly to each retailer.

What happened to Smashwords

Draft2Digital announced its acquisition of Smashwords in February 2022, and the two publishing platforms have since been combined. According to Draft2Digital, the Smashwords Store still operates as an online ebook store owned by Draft2Digital, but authors can no longer publish to it directly; books reach it by being distributed through Draft2Digital. Since January 2026, Smashwords Store royalties have been reported as 75% for ebooks priced at US$2.99 or more and 40% below that. If you still have an old Smashwords account, check its status in Draft2Digital rather than assuming it works the old way.

Draft2Digital at a glance

How it charges

Draft2Digital’s main income is a commission on each sale, which it describes as approximately 10% of the retail price. In April 2026 it announced two account-level fees:

• A one-off US$20 activation fee for new accounts, charged when you turn on distribution. Existing account holders do not pay it.
• A US$12 annual maintenance fee, charged on your account anniversary only if your net proceeds after commission were under US$100 in the previous 12 months.

The fees are per account, not per title, so several pen names in one account share one set. Formatting and previewing remain free without turning on distribution.

Where it distributes

Draft2Digital’s FAQ lists Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo (including Kobo Plus), the Smashwords Store, Bookshop.org, Tolino, Vivlio, Everand, Gardners and Amazon (by invitation only), plus library platforms including OverDrive, cloudLibrary, Hoopla and BorrowBox. Google Play is not on its current list.

Tools and print

• Free ebook and print-PDF formatting, which you can download and use elsewhere.
• Automated end matter that keeps “Also by” pages and author bios up to date across your books.
• A free ISBN for books it distributes (usable only with Draft2Digital’s services), or you can supply your own.
• Draft2Digital Print for paperbacks, in black and white only, reaching Amazon and Ingram’s channels.

How it pays

Payments go out monthly, around the 15th, once you pass a minimum that depends on the method: US$10 for direct deposit or PayPal, US$20 for international direct deposit or Payoneer, and US$100 for cheques. PayPal and cheque payments carry small fees.

PublishDrive at a glance

How it charges

PublishDrive uses a subscription model rather than a commission, so you keep 100% of the net royalties paid by the stores. Its pricing page describes a free plan covering one ebook to Apple Books, Barnes & Noble and Kobo, public paid plans for up to 48 titles, and custom plans for larger catalogues. At the time of writing (October 2026), PublishDrive’s own published comparison guide lists its entry paid plan at US$13.99 per month for three books on all channels, with higher tiers for larger catalogues. Check the current pricing page, as plans change.

Where it distributes

PublishDrive says it reaches over 50 retailers and around 240,000 libraries, and it names Google Play Books as a partner, which is a practical difference from Draft2Digital. Its counts vary between pages, so check whether the specific stores you care about are included.

Tools

• Print-on-demand distribution through several printing partners.
• Audiobook distribution, including digital narration options.
• Abacus, a royalty-tracking tool that can combine reports from different platforms; PublishDrive lists the first title as free and additional titles from US$1.49 per title per month.
• A credit-based AI publishing assistant for metadata and covers, and tools for managing Amazon advertising.

Side-by-side comparison

Feature	Draft2Digital	PublishDrive	Going direct
Cost model	About 10% of retail price per sale, plus account fees	Monthly subscription; 100% of store royalties	No distributor cost; each store keeps its share
Upfront cost	US$20 activation for new accounts	Free plan for one ebook; paid plans monthly	Free
Best when sales are	Low, new or unpredictable	Steady enough that a fixed fee beats a percentage	Concentrated in a few big stores
Google Play	Not currently listed	Listed as a partner	Direct through Google Play Books Partner Center
Libraries	OverDrive, cloudLibrary, Hoopla, BorrowBox and others	Large library network claimed	Limited; varies by store
Print	Black-and-white paperbacks	Several print partners	Use KDP, IngramSpark or B&N Press
Admin effort	One dashboard	One dashboard	Separate account, tax setup and reports per store
Store promotions	Some, via the distributor	Some, via the distributor	Full access to each store’s own promotion tools

A worked example: commission versus subscription

Imagine your ebooks earn US$100 a month in net royalties from the stores a distributor covers. A commission of roughly 10% of retail price would typically take somewhat more than US$10, because it is calculated on the retail price rather than on your royalty. That is close to PublishDrive’s listed entry subscription. At much lower sales, the commission is cheaper; at much higher sales, a fixed subscription becomes cheaper. Work out your own break-even using your real sales reports and the current prices on both sites.

Going direct to the major wide stores

Uploading directly avoids any distributor cost, and direct accounts often give access to promotions that distributors cannot fully use. At the time of writing (October 2026), the main direct options are:

Store	Ebook royalty (as published)	Points to note
Kobo Writing Life	70% of list price at or above a market minimum (for example US$2.99 or £1.99); 45% below	No distribution fee; pays by bank transfer about 45 days after each month once you reach CA$50; Kobo Plus pays by minutes read; has its own promotions tab
Apple Books for Authors	70% regardless of price	Requires an Apple account and EPUB files; supports digital narration for audiobooks
Google Play Books Partner Center	70% in most supported countries for partners on the updated terms	Paid on list price; the previous price-band rule has been removed
Barnes & Noble Press	Flat 70% of list price	Open directly to authors in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; since May 2026 print books need a price of at least US$14.99, accounts are capped at 100 titles, and public domain titles are not accepted

Royalty percentages are only part of the picture. Each store sets its own rules on price matching, free books, tax forms and payment timing, and non-US authors should complete tax treaty paperwork where relevant to avoid unnecessary US withholding.

The hybrid approach most wide authors use

You do not have to choose only one route. A common pattern is:

1. Go direct to the one or two stores where most of your wide sales happen, often Kobo and Apple Books.
2. Use a distributor for smaller stores and library platforms you would not manage yourself.
3. In the distributor dashboard, switch off any store you already supply directly.
4. Keep the same price, metadata and cover everywhere, and track results in one spreadsheet or royalty tool.
5. Review the split every six to twelve months as your sales change.

If you also sell from your own website, the guide to selling books direct with Shopify, Payhip or BookFunnel explains how that fits alongside retailer distribution.

How to choose: a decision checklist

• Are you new to wide, with few sales yet? Draft2Digital’s percentage model means you pay little until you sell, though new accounts pay the activation fee.
• Do you have a large catalogue with steady sales? Compare PublishDrive’s subscription with what you pay in commission.
• Is Google Play important to you? Go direct or use a distributor that lists it.
• Do you want to run store-specific promotions? Go direct to those stores.
• Do you need colour or hardcover print? Use a dedicated print platform; the comparison of KDP and IngramSpark covers the options.
• How much admin can you handle? Each direct account means another login, tax form and report.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Sending the same book to a store twice, directly and through a distributor. This can create duplicate listings and problems with the store.
• Staying in KDP Select by accident. Select renews automatically, and wide ebooks must not be enrolled.
• Using a distributor’s free ISBN and then trying to use it elsewhere. These ISBNs are tied to that service.
• Comparing only headline royalty rates. Account fees, subscription costs, payment fees and thresholds change the real figure.
• Setting inconsistent prices across stores, which can trigger price matching, including on Amazon.
• Expecting instant results. Wide sales often build slowly, especially through libraries, which can take the longest to list a book.

Pricing choices affect every store you sell in, and the guide to pricing your book for the best profit explains how to set prices that work across retailers.

Sources this guide draws on: the Draft2Digital FAQ and blog (including its April 2026 fee announcement and its explainer on Draft2Digital and Smashwords); the Alliance of Independent Authors’ coverage of the Draft2Digital fee changes; PublishDrive’s pricing page and published comparison guide; the Kobo Writing Life FAQ; Apple Books for Authors; Google Play Books Partner Center help on revenue splits; and Barnes & Noble Press guidance and its May 2026 policy update.

Frequently asked questions

Is Draft2Digital or PublishDrive better?

Neither is better for everyone. Draft2Digital’s commission model usually costs less when sales are low or irregular, while PublishDrive’s subscription can cost less once sales are steady. Compare them using your own sales figures, and check which stores each one covers.

Is Smashwords still open?

The Smashwords Store still operates as an ebook store owned by Draft2Digital. Authors no longer publish to it directly; books are listed there by distributing through Draft2Digital.

Does Draft2Digital charge fees now?

Yes. Since 2026, new accounts pay a one-off US$20 activation fee, and accounts earning under US$100 in net proceeds over 12 months pay a US$12 annual maintenance fee. This is in addition to its commission of roughly 10% of the retail price.

Can I use Draft2Digital and go direct at the same time?

Yes. Upload directly to the stores you want to manage yourself and switch those stores off in Draft2Digital, so each store receives each book from only one source.

Can I use Draft2Digital if my book is in KDP Select?

Not for the ebooks enrolled in Select, because Select requires digital exclusivity with Amazon while a book is enrolled. You can still use Draft2Digital for books that are not in Select. Check Amazon’s current Select terms before distributing anything.

Do I need an ISBN to publish wide?

Not always. Kobo, Apple Books and Google Play can list ebooks without one, and distributors can assign a free ISBN tied to their service. If you want one ISBN record that works everywhere under your own publisher name, buy your own from your national agency.

Publishing wide is a long-term choice, not a single upload. Start with the route that matches your current sales and admin capacity, track where your readers actually buy, and adjust the mix as your catalogue grows.