To choose the right book distribution channels, start with where your readers already buy: for most indie authors that is Amazon, then the other major ebook stores (Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, Barnes & Noble), libraries, print distribution to bookshops, audiobooks and your own direct store. The big decision is whether to keep your ebook exclusive to Amazon through KDP Select or “go wide” to every store. Pick based on your genre, your readers’ countries and how much setup you can manage, then test and review with real sales data.

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 maps every main distribution channel, compares what each one is good for, shows how to reach them (direct or through an aggregator), and gives a step-by-step plan for building your distribution without spreading yourself too thin.

At a glance

• Amazon is the starting point for most indie authors because of its size, but no single store is the whole market and shares vary by country.
• KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited) requires ebook exclusivity to Amazon in 90-day terms; print and audio can still be distributed elsewhere.
• Aggregators save time by sending one upload to many stores and library platforms, in exchange for a share of each sale.
• Libraries and bookshops need print or library-platform distribution, usually through a wholesaler or aggregator, not just KDP.
• Direct sales give you the highest margin and reader data, but you bring all the traffic yourself.

The distribution channels explained

Channel	Formats	How you reach it	Best for	Watch out for
Amazon (KDP)	Ebook, paperback, hardcover	Direct upload to KDP	Almost every indie author; genre fiction especially	Heavy competition; reliance on one company’s rules
Kindle Unlimited (via KDP Select)	Ebook	Opt-in in KDP	Series and fast-reading genres such as romance and thrillers	Ebook must be exclusive to Amazon while enrolled
Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, Barnes & Noble	Ebook (some also print or audio)	Direct upload or aggregator	Reaching readers who avoid Amazon or live where Amazon is less dominant	Slower growth; each store has its own promotions and rules
Subscription services (for example Kobo Plus, Scribd/Everand)	Ebook, audio	Mostly via aggregators or Kobo directly	Wide authors wanting extra income streams	Payouts and availability vary by service and country
Library platforms (for example OverDrive/Libby, hoopla, BorrowBox and others)	Ebook, audio	Mostly via aggregators or Kobo Writing Life	Discovery and long-term readership	Libraries select what to buy; you still need readers to request your books
Print wholesale (for example IngramSpark)	Paperback, hardcover	Direct account with the distributor	Bookshops, libraries, schools and events	Shops expect trade discounts and often returnability, which cut your margin
Audiobook retailers	Audio	Audio distributors or Amazon’s own audio programme	Authors with a backlist or series	Production cost and rights choices, including any exclusivity terms
Direct sales	Any	Your own store or platform such as Payhip, Shopify or BookFunnel delivery	Authors with an email list or social following	You handle traffic, customer questions and, in some countries, sales tax

Exclusive or wide: the first big decision

KDP Select enrols your ebook in Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers read as many enrolled books as they like and authors are paid from a shared monthly fund based on pages read. In exchange, the ebook edition must not be sold or given away elsewhere, including on your own website, for each 90-day term. Paperbacks, hardcovers and audiobooks are not covered by that exclusivity.

“Going wide” means publishing the ebook on every store you can reach. You give up Kindle Unlimited page-read income but gain other stores, library platforms, subscription services and direct sales.

Factor	Exclusive (KDP Select)	Wide
Income sources	Amazon sales plus Kindle Unlimited page reads	Sales across many stores, libraries, subscriptions and direct
Admin	One dashboard	Several dashboards or one aggregator
Speed of results	Often faster in KU-heavy genres	Usually slower; builds over time
Risk	Dependent on one company’s policies and fund	Spread across retailers
Direct sales of the ebook	Not allowed while enrolled	Allowed
Suits	Series in romance, thrillers, fantasy and other fast-reading genres	Non-fiction, literary fiction, authors with international or library audiences

A common approach is to enrol a new series in KDP Select for one or more 90-day terms, check results, and stay or go wide based on data. Switching takes planning: you cannot publish the ebook elsewhere until the current term ends, and wide stores can take months to build momentum. For a deeper look at the trade-offs, read Kindle Unlimited: should you enrol in KDP Select?

Amazon: what to know about KDP

KDP lets you upload ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers, set your own prices and sell in Amazon stores around the world. Royalties are paid monthly, roughly 60 days after the end of the month in which sales happened, subject to payment thresholds that depend on how you are paid.

For ebooks, the 70% royalty option requires a list price within set limits. On Amazon.com that range is $2.99 to $12.99; the top of the range was raised from $9.99 to $12.99 in July 2026, with equivalent changes in other Amazon marketplaces. Each marketplace has its own limits in local currency, delivery costs are deducted from 70% royalties, and in some countries (Brazil, India, Japan and Mexico) the book must also be in KDP Select to qualify. Check the KDP pricing help page for current rules in each store.

KDP print also offers “Expanded Distribution” to reach some bookshops and libraries through third parties, but many authors who want bookshop and library access use a dedicated print distributor instead. Compare the two in KDP or IngramSpark?

Other ebook stores: direct or through an aggregator?

Apple Books, Kobo Writing Life, Google Play Books and Barnes & Noble Press all accept direct uploads, and most pay around 70% on ebooks within their standard price bands (each store sets its own rules). Alternatively, an aggregator such as Draft2Digital (which acquired Smashwords in 2022) or PublishDrive distributes one upload to many stores and library platforms for a share of each sale or a fee.

Route	Pros	Cons
Direct to each store	Higher share per sale; access to each store’s own promotions and data	More accounts, uploads, tax forms and price updates to manage
Aggregator	One upload; reaches smaller stores and libraries you could not reach alone; simpler admin	Lower share per sale; slightly slower updates and reporting
Hybrid (direct to the biggest, aggregator for the rest)	Balances margin and reach	Must avoid distributing the same title to the same store twice

See Draft2Digital vs PublishDrive for a neutral comparison of the two main aggregator models.

Print: bookshops, libraries and events

Bookshops and libraries generally order through wholesalers, so print-on-demand through a distributor such as IngramSpark puts your book into the catalogues they use. IngramSpark no longer charges book set-up fees but has introduced other charges on some print sales, so check its current fee schedule.

Being listed is not the same as being stocked. Shops look for a competitive trade discount, returnability, a professional cover and local demand. Many indie authors therefore treat print wholesale as a credibility and events channel rather than a main income source. Consignment, where a local shop stocks a few copies and pays you when they sell, can work for local authors but takes time to manage. The economics are covered in how much authors really earn from print-on-demand.

Libraries

Libraries buy ebooks and audiobooks through library platforms, which aggregators and some stores supply, and buy print books through wholesalers. A library purchase reaches many readers, which is valuable for discovery and for building a series readership.

In several countries, including the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, public lending right schemes make payments to eligible authors based on their books’ presence or loans in public libraries. Rules on eligibility, formats covered and registration vary by country, and you usually have to register yourself. Ask readers to request your books at their local library, as patron requests often influence what libraries order.

Direct sales

Selling from your own website or store gives you the biggest share of each sale, the customer’s email address (with permission) and freedom over bundles and pricing. The trade-off is that you bring every buyer yourself, and you may need to handle sales tax or VAT depending on where you and your customers are. Direct sales fit best once you have an engaged list. This guide to selling books direct compares the main set-ups.

International reach

Readers in different countries shop differently. Amazon is strong in the US, UK and Germany, while Kobo, Apple Books and local retailers have larger shares in markets such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe. Wide distribution and library platforms can reach readers in countries where your book would otherwise be hard to find. Translation is a separate, much larger investment; consider it only when a market shows clear demand for your genre.

Step by step: build your distribution plan

1. Define your reader. Genre, reading speed, likely countries and preferred formats.
2. Make the exclusive-or-wide decision for your ebook using the table above, and note the date your first 90-day term would end if you enrol.
3. Publish ebook and paperback on KDP with correct keywords and categories; see KDP keywords and categories.
4. Decide on wider print distribution if bookshops, libraries or events matter to you.
5. If wide, choose direct, aggregator or hybrid and list which stores each route covers so nothing is duplicated.
6. Add library platforms through your aggregator or Kobo, and register for public lending right if your country has a scheme.
7. Plan audio and direct sales for later books once your process is steady.
8. Track sales by channel and country monthly, and review your strategy every few months rather than every few days.

Common mistakes

• Breaking KDP Select exclusivity by accident, for example leaving an ebook on another store, or offering it as a free download on your website while enrolled.
• Distributing the same edition twice to one store through both a direct account and an aggregator, which can create duplicate listings or conflicts.
• Expecting instant results from wide stores. Readership outside Amazon usually builds slowly over several books.
• Assuming a catalogue listing means bookshops will stock you. They still need a reason to order.
• Using out-of-date pricing rules, such as the old $9.99 cap on Amazon’s 70% royalty option.
• Spreading too thin too early. Get the core channels right before adding every possible outlet.
• Ignoring tax paperwork on each platform, which can lead to unnecessary withholding; see the KDP tax guide on this site.

Distribution checklist

• I know which stores and countries my readers mostly use.
• I have made a dated exclusive-or-wide decision for each ebook.
• My ebook price fits the royalty band in each main marketplace.
• I have a clear list of which channel each format reaches, with no duplicates.
• Print distribution matches my goals for bookshops, libraries and events.
• Library platforms are covered, and I have registered for lending right where available.
• Tax forms are complete on every platform.
• I review sales by channel at least quarterly.

Sources this guide draws on: Amazon KDP Help pages on royalties, payment timing, KDP Select and the 70% royalty list-price requirements (including the July 2026 change); IngramSpark’s published announcements on its fee structure; Publishers Weekly reporting on Draft2Digital’s acquisition of Smashwords; the Alliance of Independent Authors’ guidance on publishing wide; public lending right information from national schemes.

FAQ

Should I publish wide or stay exclusive with Amazon?

It depends on your genre and readers. Fast-reading series genres often do well in Kindle Unlimited, while non-fiction, literary fiction and authors with international or library audiences often benefit from going wide. Many authors test one approach for a few 90-day terms and decide with real data.

Can I sell my paperback elsewhere if my ebook is in KDP Select?

Yes. KDP Select exclusivity applies to the ebook edition only. Paperbacks, hardcovers and audiobooks can be distributed through other channels.

What is a book aggregator?

An aggregator is a service that takes one upload of your book and distributes it to many retailers and library platforms, handling payments and reporting in one place. In return it takes a share of each sale or charges a fee. Draft2Digital and PublishDrive are two well-known examples.

How do I get my self-published book into libraries?

Make the ebook and audiobook available on library platforms, usually through an aggregator or Kobo, and make print copies available through a wholesaler. Then encourage readers to request your book at their local library, and approach local libraries with a short information sheet.

Do I need IngramSpark if I already use KDP?

Not necessarily. KDP alone reaches Amazon customers worldwide. IngramSpark is useful if bookshop, library or event sales matter to you, since many shops order through wholesalers rather than from Amazon.

How much do non-Amazon ebook stores pay?

Most major stores pay around 70% of the list price on ebooks within their standard price ranges when you upload directly, with exact rules set by each store and sometimes varying by country. Aggregators pass on these royalties minus their own share.

Good distribution is less about being everywhere and more about being where your readers are, set up cleanly. Make the exclusive-or-wide call deliberately, keep a simple map of which channel each format reaches, and let a few months of sales data guide the next step. For the bigger picture of tools that support distribution, see the author toolkit guide.