First, if you are trying to figure out how the distribute your eBook, you should check out the excellent 2021 post on Ebook Distribution: The Complete Guide for New Authors by Reedsy.
Touchstones
My touchstones based on my publication and promotion strategy are
- No exclusive lock-in
- Wide distribution into most British English speaking countries
- More niche, less mass market.
- Reasonable royalties
- Work with a platform where I can start small and grow bigger
Stores or Aggregator
I see the advantages of using one or more aggregators—platforms that distribute eBooks across several platforms—including reporting and analytics—while losing some of the royalties. Unfortunately, I am already trying to do too much myself, and this is where I’ll cave in.
My touchstone for Aggregators are as above plus
- No subscriptions
Short list
With those touchstones in mind, I looked at the excellent Reedsy Spreadsheet—I feared I had to do something like this myself—and the outcome is that I more or less will follow the set-up proposed in the Reedsy Ebook Distribution Infographic!
- Publish directly on Amazon via KDP while opting out of KDP Select
- Publish directly on Kobo
- Use Draft2Digital for other major outlets
- Chose one other distributor focused on international distribution
- Consider closing the Google play gap—Draft2Digital does not cover Google play
- Keep track of all decisions in a spreadsheet, including regional pricing.
This should get me started, and I can see where to go from there after six month …