Exclusive vs Wide for Ebooks
You have two options when self publishing your ebook.
You can enroll your ebook into Amazon's KDP Select program. This will put your ebook into KindleUnlimited (KU), extending your reader base and helping you reach new readers. Unfortunately, if you put your ebook in KU, there is an exclusivity clause that means you cannot sell the ebook on any other platform except Amazon.
You can publish your ebook wide. This means you can sell your ebook on any selling platform, but you cannot enter KU, thus potentially limiting the number of readers you reach.
I first published wide, placing the ebook for Nirel on Amazon (but not on KU), Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and GooglePlay Books. I was very dedicated to being a wide author at first, but after five days, all of my sales came from Amazon despite me running ads for the other platforms too!
In a strategy reboot, I took Nirel off all of the other platforms and enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. While I did not earn much, there are months where most of my income came from KU, so I'm glad I tried it. I plan to go wide with other books, but I'm keeping my series in KU for now.
Pick whichever strategy is most suitable for you, and don't be afraid to switch it up. Kobo has recently released a subscription program in the USA that authors may be a part of without being exclusive to Kobo. That's worth checking out, in my opinion. I tried it when it was still only in Canada, and had no page reads, but I bet it's much more successful for US authors now.
Select Your Preferred Platforms and Upload Your Book
You can upload your formatted book either into an aggregator like IngramSpark, or you can upload them onto each platform. I’ll go over the pros and cons of each.
Using an aggregator like IngramSpark or Draft2Digital enables authors to upload the book one time, set a release date, and let that distrbution platform do all the legwork of getting the ebook and/or paperback onto all the available platforms.
The drawback to using these large distribution platforms is you have to pay them. For example, it cost me $50 to upload Nirel onto IngramSpark. You will have to pay to edit your manuscript once you pass a certain amount of months, so make sure you do any updates or changes quickly.
When I changed my pen name (I don't reccomend doing that, by the way), I had to pay another $50 to update my book on IngramSpark. I was not happy.
Uploading onto Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, GooglePlay Books, and Apple books cost me nothing. All of those platforms offer 70% or higher author royalties, which is higher than you'll get with an aggregator.
In my personal opinion, uploading your book, in all formats (ebook, paperback, hardcover), directly to the selling platform is better because you maximize your profits.
A lot of people will tell you that you need to be on IngramSpark to get into bookstores and libraries. This is true. If that is important to you, I encourage you to raise your prices a bit and really read the fine print so you actually make a profit.
Quick Tip: If you are uploading onto more than one platform, make sure you get the books upload BUT NOT PUBLISHED onto ALL the platforms first. If you don't, the moment you publish on one, the others will want a different ISBN. That's silly. One ISBN is what is legally required for each book type. If you get everything uploaded before submitting it for preorder or publishing, that one ISBN will be enough and you won't be forced to use another one. (This includes IngramSpark.)
Don't underestimate the power of direct sales. I make the highest profit by selling paperbacks and swag directly from my website. You can also order author copies from Amazon or other publishing platforms and sell them at in person events. I've seen some authors do really well at vendor shows, and that's something that I'm hoping to try in the near future as well.
What are ISBNs and do I need them?
If you decide to publish only with Amazon, you can use the ASINs that they provide. Please note: ASINs are only valid on Amazon. You cannot upload the ebook or paperback anywhere else with an ASIN.
If you would like to have the ability to upload your ebook, paperback, etc onto any other selling platform, you will need an ISBN for each version of your book.
ISBNs are expensive, but they are much more cost effective if you purchase them in bulk. I purchased the 10 for $295 option.
Never use someone else's ISBN. When purchased, the numbers are registered to the person who bought them. If you use an ISBN from another person, even if they resell them for cheap, they will be the owners of your books selling id instead of you. It's not safe. Don't do it.
The safest place to purchase ISBNs is on the Bowker website. Why? Because ISBNs are regulated, and to my knowledge, this is where they all originate. If you want to have full control of them, purchase them from the source.
What about barcodes?
You can purchase barcodes to go with your ISBNs, but they are expensive and I have not needed to use them, so I don't think they are absolutely necessary. I was able to upload my ebook onto four different selling platforms without a barcode, and I put my paperback on Amazon and IngramSpark without needing a barcode. Amazon will add a barcode to the paperback for you.
In conclusion, publishing is completely within reach. If you want to be exclusive to Amazon or wide, in bookstores or just online, there are options. I hope this article explained a little bit for you. If you have more question, please reach out anytime. If I know, I'll help.
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