So, let's get right to it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- What Exactly is Draft2Digital?<\/li>\n
- What Kind of Authors Should Use D2D?<\/li>\n
- A Quick Overview<\/li>
- How it Works<\/li>\n
- Notable Features D2D Offers<\/li>\n
- Coming Soon: D2D Acquires Smashwords<\/li>\n
- D2D Pros and Cons<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Table of contents<\/h2>
- What is Draft2Digital?<\/a><\/li>
- What Authors Will Benefit From Using Draft2Digital?<\/a><\/li>
- Draft2Digital Overview<\/a><\/li>
- How Does it Work?<\/a><\/li>
- How to Upload a Book to Draft2Digital<\/a><\/li>
- How Much Does it Cost?<\/a>
- What About Print Books?<\/a><\/li>
- What About Permafree Books?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- The Best Draft2Digital Features<\/a>
- Distribution<\/a><\/li>
- Formatting<\/a><\/li>
- Print-On-Demand (Beta)<\/a><\/li>
- Universal Book Links (UBLs)<\/a><\/li>
- Books2Read Author Pages<\/a><\/li>
- Books2Read Book Tabs<\/a><\/li>
- Sales Tracking<\/a><\/li>
- Automated End-Matter and New Release Notifications<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Coming Soon to D2D<\/a><\/li>
- D2D Pros<\/a><\/li>
- D2D Cons<\/a><\/li>
- Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n
What is Draft2Digital?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you're not familiar, Draft2Digital is an aggregator, handling distribution services for authors whose books aren't exclusive to Amazon<\/strong>. Instead of uploading your “wide” ebooks over and over again to sellers like Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, you only have to upload them once, and Draft2Digital takes care of the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this is their main function, they also offer other tools and services to authors. And by absorbing Smashwords into the fold, D2D will be offering even more to authors as the merger comes to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Authors Will Benefit From Using Draft2Digital?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To avoid jumping too deep into the “wide vs exclusive” discussion, I'll just say here that you don't really need a service like Draft2Digital if<\/em> you're exclusive with Amazon KDP through their<\/strong> KDP Select program<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The authors that will benefit from D2D are the ones that sell their books across a wide range of stores, not just Amazon. Of course, since most self-published authors these days have more than one book out, it's entirely possible to have some books exclusive with Amazon and others “wide.” That's really a choice each author has to make for him or herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That said, using a service like D2D will save you loads of time if you do go wide with some or all of your books.<\/strong> Just reading through the terms and services of each platform can take hours and hours. Luckily, the people at D2D have relationships with all their bookselling partners, so you don't have to deal with all the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, there are some other services and tools that D2D offers that even exclusive authors can take advantage of. More on that a little later. First, a little more about D2D and the company's history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Draft2Digital Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Draft2Digital was founded in March of 2012. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, the aggregator was founded with a mission to make it easier to distribute ebooks to various online bookstores. And while this is still the backbone of their business model, they've also added more tools to help indie authors save time and money as well as give them a leg up on some aspects of book marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, at the time of this writing, their print-on-demand feature, launched in 2018, is in beta. This allows participating authors to print their paperbacks through D2D instead of Amazon, IngramSpark, or some other POD options out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides assistance with wide publishing, D2D offers tools to help independent authors with formatting, promoting, and tracking sales.<\/strong> We'll get into the specifics of this below. But first, let's find out how exactly this works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Does it Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Draft2Digital makes things pretty easy. Since they don't charge a monthly fee, you can sign up in about two minutes and start exploring the platform without opening your wallet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don't have an account (your Books2Read credentials will work here, if applicable), simply hit the sign-up button on the top right of their home page.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Homepage](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2DigitalHome-1024x493.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nYou'll enter the relevant information (i.e. name, email, optional pen name, and password). Then you'll see a pop-up like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"list](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-List-Books-1024x499.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nYou can check out their video tutorials, or you can simply exit out and explore on your own. Your main account page will give you the option to upload your book(s), which is where the fun begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Upload a Book to Draft2Digital<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n![\"Draft2Digital](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-My-Books-1024x499.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nTo get started with your first book, simply click on the prominent \u201cAdd New Book\u201d button. Before you upload your manuscript, you\u2019ll be prompted to add relevant information and a book cover if you have one made. If not, you can add one later. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Draft2Digital](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-Create-New-Book-Project-883x1024.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThis page prompts you to fill in things like book title<\/a>, series information, categories, keywords, publisher, <\/strong>and author name(s).<\/strong> This is the information that D2D will use in the various stores, so make sure it\u2019s all accurate and focused on categories\/keywords that you\u2019ve spent some time researching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many authors just blast through this phase without much forethought, but this can hamstring their sales before they even get started! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the way, if you're looking to pick the perfect keywords and categories for this step, I recommend Publisher Rocket which will save you a ton of time and easily make back your investment. Learn more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n
\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n![\"Publisher](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PR_Competition-Feature-e1621274721682.png\")
\r\n \r\n <\/a> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\nIncrease Your Book Sales<\/h3>\r\n <\/a>\r\n \r\n
Over 47,000+ authors, NYT bestsellers, and publishing companies use Publisher Rocket to gain insight to the market.<\/p>\n Check It Out<\/a> <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re unsure about one of the required fields, just hover over the helpful question mark for an explanation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019re happy with what you have, click the \u201cStart Ebook\u201d button. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, you\u2019ll have the details page.<\/strong> This is where you\u2019ll upload your edited manuscript and enter your book description<\/a> (also known as your book blurb). You\u2019ll also be able to get a free ISBN<\/a> from D2D or select to use your own. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"ebook](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-Ebook-Details-1024x889.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOnce done here, click Save & Continue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next up is the layout page. <\/strong>This is where you\u2019ll be able to check boxes to add things like a dedication, copyright page, and promotional pages. You\u2019ll also want to make sure the chapter layout looks correct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notice that, since I haven\u2019t uploaded a cover yet, D2D keeps reminding me about it. You won\u2019t be able to publish your book without a cover! (Unless you\u2019re setting up a preorder with a release date more than 10 days away.) <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"ebook](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-Ebook-Layout-1024x820.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOnce done here, hit the Save & Continue button again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next page is all about formatting and finalizing<\/strong>. On the right, you\u2019ll see the choices you have under \u201cTemplate Style Options.\u201d You can flip through your book by using the little dots-and-dashes symbols in the top left of the preview page, as you\u2019ll see by the red arrow I added to the screenshot below. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"ebook](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-Ebook-Preview-974x1024.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nYou can (and should) also download different versions of your finished product to see how they look on apps of your choice. Once you\u2019re happy, having checked the finished product over, you\u2019ll need to check the box verifying that you approve of the manuscript and are ready to pick stores for its distribution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next and final page is where you can set your price and pick your distributors.<\/strong> You\u2019ll be able to see how much your projected royalties are for each store. You can also opt for making your book available to library services as well. Once you\u2019re done here and you hit submit, the process is done! D2D will email you as your book goes live in the stores. How long this takes varies from store to store. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"publishing](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-Ebook-Publish-482x1024.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nNow that we\u2019ve covered how to upload your book, you'll probably want to know how much D2D costs, and how you'll pay those costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Much Does it Cost?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Unlike D2D's main competitor, PublishDrive, you won't be paying a monthly (or yearly) fee to use their services. Instead, Draft2Digital takes a 10% fee of the retail price<\/em> of any book you sell.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is an important distinction to make, as some authors think in terms of their royalty. Of course, 10% of the retail price is a larger number than 10% of your royalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, let's take a simple round number as an example. Say your ebook sells for $5.00 on [insert ebook retailer here]. The retailer takes 30% of that $5, or $1.50. D2D takes 10%, or $0.50. So you're looking at 40% off the top before your royalties.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>Saving you time is where Draft2Digital excels.<\/span>Click To Tweet<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\nThat means you'll be making $3 for every sale of that $5 book, instead of the $3.50 you'd be making without D2D.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means D2D doesn\u2019t charge you separately for using any of their other tools. It's all paid for by that 10% from books you sell through them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Note: This example doesn\u2019t account for any delivery charge retailers might take off the top. Just FYI!)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What About Print Books?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For print books through D2D, you'll be making <\/strong>approximately<\/em><\/strong> 45% of the list price, minus the printing fees.<\/strong> The thing is that D2D deals with a wide range of retailers, each of which has its own way of doing things, including royalty pricing. So when you're choosing which stores your books will go to, you'll be able to see the pricing and estimated royalties for those stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What About Permafree Books?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A permanently free (permafree) series lead is a tried-and-true method to get readers into your series. You set the ebook free on retailers, and make money when readers go on to the other books in the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, Draft2Digital has no problem with you doing this. However, there is the caveat that Amazon KDP reserves the right to price your book however they want. Granted, they also price match with other stores, but D2D has no control over what Amazon will price your book.<\/strong> Luckily, an email to Amazon with links to your free books in other stores will usually get them to price match at $0.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So if permafree is a tactic you're hoping to use, you can definitely do it through D2D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, you can't do this with print books because you must at least cover the costs of printing that book. But for ebooks, it's a strategy that many authors have used with great success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Best Draft2Digital Features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So far, we've talked a bit about a few of Draft2Digital's features. In this section, we'll dive a little deeper at what they have on offer at the time of this writing, and what's in the works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Distribution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We can't forget about this! You choose which stores to sell your book in. Their major partners currently include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Amazon<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Apple Books<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Barnes & Noble<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Kobo (including Kobo Plus)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tolino<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- OverDrive<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Bibliotheca<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Scribd<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Baker & Taylor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hoopla<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Vivlio<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- BorrowBox<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Formatting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you don't have my awesome all-in-one writing and formatting software Atticus<\/a> (hint, hint), then you may find that formatting your manuscript into a beautiful ebook or print book is a big pain in the behind. Luckily, D2D can help. They offer a wide range of pre-made formatting options you can choose to turn your manuscript into the professional work of art that it is!<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"formatting](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-Ebook-Formatting-1024x499.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOnce you find one that looks good, you can download a MOBI, EPUB, and\/or PDF version of it to see how it looks in action. Pretty convenient, especially if you've been paying someone a pretty penny to format your books<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Print-On-Demand (Beta)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Although D2D's print-on-demand service has been around since 2018, it's still technically in beta. But that shouldn't worry you. It's fully functional and you shouldn't have any problem getting your book printed through this service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They currently distribute the POD books to Amazon and through Ingram, which is a huge book distributor.<\/strong> You obviously have to pay for the printing costs, and you can expect to make around 45% of your list price, minus the printing fees, which vary from book to book for a variety of reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you need to make changes to your print manuscript within 90 days after you upload it, you'll have to pay for it. Like the fee for printing, this price varies from book to book. That said, you can just wait 90 days and then update the print book for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Formatting<\/a><\/li>
- What About Permafree Books?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- What Authors Will Benefit From Using Draft2Digital?<\/a><\/li>
- What is Draft2Digital?<\/a><\/li>
![\"charts](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-Charts.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Draft2Digital](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Draft2Digital-Automated-End-matter-1024x499.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n