Draft2Digital

Draft2Digital is the leading aggregator for indie authors going wide—distributing ebooks and print to 17+ major retailers and 150+ channels from a single dashboard. Draft2Digital charges no upfront fees, taking a 10% commission on each sale instead. It was founded in 2012, merged with Smashwords in 2022, and handles distribution for hundreds of thousands of indie titles.

What You Get

• Multi-retailer distribution: A single upload distributes to Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble (NOOK), Kobo, Everand (formerly Scribd), Tolino (Germany/central Europe), Fable, Bookshop.org, and Smashwords marketplace.
• Library distribution: OverDrive (38,000 libraries worldwide), Hoopla, Bibliotheca/cloudLibrary, BorrowBox, and Vivlio reach library readers without additional setup.
• Print distribution: D2D Print handles paperback distribution alongside ebook distribution, with matching print/ebook formatting tools.
• Universal Book Links: Smart links that auto-detect a reader's country and redirect to their local preferred store—valuable for author marketing pages and social bios.
• Formatting tool: Upload a Word or RTF file; D2D converts it to clean ebook files using 20+ formatting themes. Also generates print-ready files.
• Consolidated reporting: Sales data from all retailers in one dashboard with daily updates for most stores.
• Author pages: A single author page aggregates all titles across D2D-distributed retailers.

Who It's For

• Wide-distribution authors: Authors publishing non-exclusively across all major retailers use D2D to avoid managing 10+ separate accounts. One upload, one dashboard.
• Authors targeting libraries: OverDrive, Hoopla, and Bibliotheca access through D2D is the most direct path for indie authors to reach library acquisition systems.
• New authors going wide: No upfront fees make D2D a low-risk entry point for authors who want broad distribution without financial commitment.

Pricing: Free to start. D2D retains 10% of list price per sale. The retailer (e.g., Apple Books, Kobo) also takes ~30%; authors net roughly 60% of list price on most retailers. Payment thresholds (as of November 2025): $10 minimum for US direct deposit and PayPal; $20 for international ACH and Payoneer; $100 for checks. PayPal carries a 2.5% processing fee (capped at $1.50 for US, $25 internationally); checks add a $2.50–$4.00 per-payment fee; US direct deposit is free.

Strengths

• Breadth of distribution: 150+ channels including major retailers, library services, and European platforms (Tolino, Vivlio, Gardners) is unmatched among free aggregators.
• No exclusivity: D2D places no exclusivity requirements on authors—suitable for hybrid authors who publish some titles in KDP Select and others wide.
• Smashwords integration: Following the 2022 merger, D2D inherited Smashwords' author community, Extended Distribution, and direct reader sales via Smashwords.com. D2D also acquired BookFunnel in 2025, integrating reader magnet delivery and ARC distribution into its ecosystem.

Limitations

• Amazon KDP Select incompatibility: Books distributed through D2D to Amazon cannot be enrolled in KDP Select or Kindle Unlimited. Authors wanting KU access for specific titles must upload directly to KDP and exclude Amazon from their D2D distribution list.
• Complex formatting needs: Books with intricate layouts, illustrations, or tables may require manual formatting adjustments—D2D's auto-conversion works best for plain prose.
• Commission stacks: D2D's 10% sits on top of each retailer's ~30% cut. Authors going direct to Apple Books, Kobo, and others save that 10%—relevant for high-volume authors.
• No promotional tools: Unlike KDP Select, D2D offers no built-in promotional programs. Authors access retailer promotions independently.
• Print cost increase (2026): D2D Print raised per-unit print costs in February 2026 due to supplier price increases. This reduces print royalty margins — recalculate print pricing before setting list prices.

Alternatives

IngramSpark charges setup fees but provides broader print distribution and bookstore access. Authors who earn significant revenue from Apple Books or Kobo may prefer direct accounts to save the 10% commission. For Amazon-only publishing, KDP direct is always better than routing through D2D.