This article explains how I use four companies to list Print, eBooks, and Audiobooks on retailers around the world with the highest royalties I have found.
Distribution is how your books are listed for sale around the world. You can sell books directly on your own website, list them in stores, or even find local shops to sell your books. This article will not cover marketing, or how you drive people to find your books. This is just how to get them listed, but that does not mean they will sell! Once they are out their, however, you can tell people where to buy them, and that is how to drive sales. So let's learn about ways to distribute your books.
Author Website
Every author needs a website, even if it is just basic information about how to contact you and what books you have authored. Ideally, your site should have a newsletter opt-in where you can collect emails to update your readers on new releases, sales, or other events surrounding your career as an author. If you are not selling your books directly, at least collect links from various online retailers and post those links on your site as I have done for my books listed here. If possible, use affiliate links to those stores and receive an extra sales commission in addition to your royalty.
If you have the resources, you should consider selling your books directly on your site. Platforms like WooCommerce for WordPress or ZenCart will allow your site to sell not only Print books, but eBooks and Audiobooks. Another resource you can use to sell books directly with minimal setup is a company called PayHip. They will even collect your VAT and taxes so you do not need to mess with that.
IngramSpark
IngramSpark is a multi-listing agent that pushed Print books and eBooks to most retailers. When you are using this company, you will find large bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million list your book for sale, but also many smaller retailers, and stores from around the globe. They will also list to Amazon, but it is best to list on Amazon directly through KDP to get higher royalties.
To list through IngramSpark, you will need to provide your own ISBN, one for the print and one for the eBook edition, but then you will be able to set your wholesale markup (the amount the retailer receives) to either maximize your royalty or else incentivize retailers to carry your books. Their is a cost to list your book and an additional fee to change any of the files once they are listed, but their cost is reasonable for their service.
KDP
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is the Amazon self publishing arm for Print and eBooks. You will receive higher commissions for listing on KDP than any other way of listing books on Amazon, and the listing is free. If you are only listing on Amazon, you can use their ISBN, but if you plan on also listing your book through a different company to supplement Amazon, you will assign your own ISBN to the book. Plan ahead in this case.
KDP can list your book in Expanded Distribution, which means it will be listed through ingramSpark, but they will take a large cut of the royalties, so only use the KDP expanded distribution if you have to.
Findaway Voices
Findaway Voices is an Audiobook multi-listing service that will get your books nearly everywhere. Like IngramSpark, it can list your book on Amazon and Audible, but at a loss to royalties, so if you list on Findaway Voices, consider not pushing the book to those companies. They royalty share is excellent in Findaway Voices and they are always added new distribution partners.
You can upload audiobook files that are already produced to Findaway Voices, or you can work with them to find a narrator and producer for a royalty share.
ACX
ACX is the holding company that lists audiobooks on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. They are able to pull in data from your KDP titles, so set those up prior to creating the title on ACX to save some time. Like Findaway Voices, they offer ways to connect to narrators and producers, and they also offer exclusive royalties.
The biggest advantage to ACX is the referral code for audible. If your link dives someone to create an account on Audible, you will receive an excellent commission for driving that signup.
About Exclusive Royalties
KDP, Findaway Voices, and ACX all offer exclusive and non-exclusive plans. I always prefer the non-exclusive plans because I want to reserve the right to sell the books on my own website, give them away as needed, or use them as mailing list incentives. While the higher royalties could be attractive, limiting your reader's purchasing options is generally a bad thing.