Barnes & Noble Press

Barnes & Noble Press is the direct publishing platform for the second-largest US bookstore chain. Publishing here reaches BN.com and NOOK devices directly, without going through an aggregator. As of February 2021, Barnes & Noble Press raised ebook royalties to a flat 70% on all ebook prices—up from a tiered system that paid as low as 40% for books under $2.99.

What You Get

• Ebook publishing: Upload your manuscript and cover; ebooks go live within 72 hours. Sold on BN.com, in the NOOK app (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac), and on NOOK e-readers.
• Print on demand: Paperback and hardcover POD through B&N Press. No inventory required; B&N prints and ships on demand. Print royalty is 55% of list price minus per-book printing costs.
• Free cover creator: Built-in tool for creating basic covers, useful for print formatting but not a substitute for professional cover design.
• Payment terms: Royalties paid approximately 30 days after end of the calendar month in which the sale occurred (improved from 60 days in 2021). Minimum payout threshold: $10.
• No fees: Zero upfront or monthly costs; B&N takes its cut at point of sale.

Who It's For

• Wide-distribution authors: Authors going non-exclusive across multiple retailers include B&N Press as part of their standard setup alongside KDP, Apple Books, and Kobo.
• US-focused genre authors: B&N's customer base skews US and slightly older than Amazon's; well-suited for cozy mysteries, literary fiction, and romance.
• Authors adding incremental revenue: B&N accounts for roughly 5–10% of US ebook sales—smaller than Amazon but meaningful as a no-cost addition.

Pricing: Free to publish. 70% royalty on all ebook prices (flat, minimum price $0.99). Print royalties 55% of list price minus per-book printing costs. Payments issued approximately 30 days after month-end (min. $10 payout).

Strengths

• Flat 70% ebook royalty: Unlike Amazon, which pays 35% for ebooks under $2.99, B&N Press now pays 70% at all price points—an advantage for authors pricing at $0.99 or $1.99.
• No exclusivity required: B&N Press has no exclusivity requirement, making it compatible with all wide-distribution strategies.
• Direct NOOK reach: Publishing directly on B&N Press gives authors a presence in NOOK search results without aggregator commission.

Limitations

• US-only market: Barnes & Noble is primarily a US retailer. International distribution reach is negligible compared to Kobo or Apple Books.
• Not in bookstores: POD titles published through B&N Press do not appear on Barnes & Noble's physical store shelves. For in-store placement, IngramSpark is required.
• Smaller market share: B&N holds a fraction of US ebook sales compared to Amazon; B&N Press is a worthwhile free addition but rarely a primary revenue source for most authors.
• Aggregator support: Authors using Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, or IngramSpark can also distribute to B&N without a separate B&N Press account.

Alternatives

Draft2Digital and PublishDrive both distribute to Barnes & Noble as part of broader packages, eliminating the need for a separate B&N Press account. Direct publishing via B&N Press saves the 10% aggregator commission—worth it for authors with significant NOOK sales.