Self-publishing has never offered more choice, and the choices have never been more confusing. Royalty rates vary by price, fees hide in the fine print, and terms change often: Amazon widened its 70% ebook price band in July 2026, Draft2Digital introduced account fees in 2026, and IngramSpark raised its market access fee in February 2026. This guide compares the main platforms using figures checked on their own pages or reliable reports in September 2026.
The four types of platform
Self-publishing platforms fall into four groups. Knowing which group a platform belongs to explains most of its pros and cons.
| Type | Examples | How you get paid | Main advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retailers | Amazon KDP, Kobo Writing Life, Barnes & Noble Press, Apple Books, Google Play Books | A percentage of each sale in their store | Access to their customers |
| Aggregators | Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, StreetLib | Retailer's share, minus the aggregator's cut | One upload reaches many stores |
| Print distributors | IngramSpark | List price minus wholesale discount and printing | Bookshops and libraries can order your book |
| Direct and flat-fee stores | BooksOasis, Books.by, Payhip, Gumroad | Most or all of the price, minus a plan fee or small transaction fee | Highest earnings per sale |
Ebook royalties at a glance
| Platform | What you earn on an ebook | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| BooksOasis | 100% of the ebook price | Flat plan: $29.99/yr for 10 books, $179/yr for 100, $599/yr for 500 (or monthly) |
| Amazon KDP | 70% on Amazon.com list prices from $2.99 to $12.99, minus $0.15 per MB delivery; otherwise 35% | None upfront |
| Kobo Writing Life | 70% from $2.99 to $12.99; 45% outside that range | None upfront |
| Barnes & Noble Press | 70% at $0.99 and above | None upfront |
| Draft2Digital | About 60% of list at most retailers (Amazon 60% or 30%) | $20 activation for new accounts; $12/yr unless you earn $100+ |
| IngramSpark | Reported as around 60% of list for ebooks | Market access fee 1.875% of list (from Feb 2026) |
| Books.by | 100% minus card processing (2.9% + $0.30) | $99/yr (paperback only) or $299/yr with ebooks |
| Payhip | Price minus 5% (free plan), 2% ($29/mo) or 0% ($99/mo), plus processing | Optional monthly plans |
| Gumroad | Price minus 10% + $0.50, plus card processing | None monthly |
Checked September 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this guide. Terms change; confirm on each platform before publishing.
Amazon KDP
Kindle Direct Publishing is where most indie authors start, because Amazon sells more ebooks than anyone else. Publishing is free, books go live quickly, and paperbacks and hardcovers are printed on demand.
Ebook royalties: 70% of the list price, minus a delivery cost of $0.15 per megabyte, for Amazon.com list prices between $2.99 and $12.99 (widened from $9.99 in July 2026); 35% outside that range. Paperbacks: 60% of list price minus printing at $9.99 and above on Amazon.com, 50% below that.
Watch out for: KDP Select, which pays from the Kindle Unlimited pool but requires your ebook to be exclusive to Amazon while enrolled. Read KDP Select vs going wide before deciding.
Draft2Digital
Draft2Digital is the best-known aggregator. Upload once, and it distributes to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, libraries and many more. It also formats ebooks for you, which authors love.
Earnings: about 60% of list at most retailers, since Draft2Digital keeps roughly 10% of the retail price. Fees: since 2026, a $20 one-time activation fee for new accounts and a $12 annual fee, waived if you earn $100 or more in the previous twelve months. Draft2Digital also now runs the Smashwords Store.
IngramSpark
IngramSpark connects your print book to the Ingram distribution network, so bookshops and libraries can order it. That is its great strength: KDP print books rarely reach independent bookshop shelves.
Fees: title setup fees were removed, but a market access fee applies, raised from 1.5% to 1.875% of list price from February 2026. Print earnings depend on the wholesale discount you offer and rising print costs, especially for hardcovers.
Kobo Writing Life and Barnes & Noble Press
Going direct to retailers pays more than using an aggregator. Kobo Writing Life pays 70% on ebooks priced from $2.99 to $12.99 and 45% otherwise, and reaches Kobo's strong international readership. Barnes & Noble Press pays a flat 70% on ebooks from $0.99, with no upper price band.
Books.by
Books.by is a flat-fee direct platform: a yearly plan, 100% of sales proceeds, and card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 per sale deducted. Its Core plan is paperback-only; ebooks need the $299 Pro plan. It also offers daily payouts and free ISBNs.
Payhip and Gumroad
These are general digital-product stores that many authors use to sell ebooks direct. Payhip charges 5% per sale on its free plan, 2% on its $29 monthly plan, or nothing on its $99 monthly plan, with payment processing extra. Gumroad charges 10% + $0.50 per direct sale, plus processing, and 30% on sales through its Discover marketplace. You deliver the files and bring your own readers.
BooksOasis
BooksOasis is an ebook-first bookstore where authors and publishers list their books for a flat plan and keep 100% of every ebook sale. There is no commission, and no processing cut taken from your ebook royalty.
- Ebooks: you keep the full price. Readers read instantly in Oasis Reader on any phone, tablet or computer.
- Print: paperbacks and hardcovers are printed on demand. The printing cost plus a handling fee of 30% of that cost come out first; the rest is yours. Readers pay shipping.
- Plans: Starter $29.99/yr (10 books), Growth $179/yr (100 books), Publisher $599/yr (500 books), or monthly; extra listings by pay-as-you-go.
- Pen names: unlimited author names and imprints on a subscribed account.
- Promotions: set your own promotional price with start and end dates; readers see the regular price struck through beside it.
- Payouts: bank transfer or PayPal; international payouts by wire once your balance passes a minimum.
Where BooksOasis fits
- An extra place to list your books, alongside Amazon and the others, for wider reach.
- The highest per-sale earnings on ebooks: 100% of the price, for a flat yearly plan.
- Ebook, paperback and hardcover editions on one listing.
What it doesn't do: BooksOasis doesn't distribute your books to Amazon or other retailers; readers buy from you on BooksOasis. Every book passes a short moderation review before it goes live.
See plans and pricingWhat a $4.99 ebook earns on each platform
A worked example makes the differences concrete. This uses a $4.99 ebook with a 1 MB file.
| Platform | Earnings per sale |
|---|---|
| BooksOasis | $4.99 |
| Books.by Pro | About $4.55 (after processing) |
| Barnes & Noble Press | About $3.49 |
| Kobo Writing Life | About $3.49 |
| Amazon KDP (70%) | About $3.34 (after $0.15 delivery) |
| Payhip (free plan) | About $4.30 (after 5% and processing) |
| Draft2Digital (to Apple, Kobo, B&N) | About $2.99 |
| Gumroad | About $3.55 (after fees and processing) |
Example calculations before taxes and plan fees. Retail stores bring their own readers; direct stores rely more on readers you bring.
Try your own numbers in the ebook royalty calculator.
Print on demand compared
Print pays very differently from ebooks, because every copy has a printing cost. Here is how the main options calculate what you earn on a paperback.
| Platform | How print earnings are calculated |
|---|---|
| Amazon KDP (Amazon.com) | 60% of list price minus printing at $9.99 and above; 50% below; 40% through Expanded Distribution |
| IngramSpark | List price minus the wholesale discount you set, minus printing and the market access fee |
| Draft2Digital Print | Reported as 45% of list price minus printing |
| Books.by | Sale price minus printing at wholesale cost and card processing |
| BooksOasis | Sale price minus printing cost and a handling fee of 30% of that printing cost; reader pays shipping |
On BooksOasis, your dashboard shows each print edition's printing cost and minimum price, and a print edition can't be sold below that minimum, so every print sale earns you something.
Common mistakes when choosing platforms
- Choosing on royalty rate alone. A high rate in a store with no readers earns less than a lower rate where readers shop.
- Forgetting exclusivity. Enrolling in KDP Select and then listing the same ebook elsewhere breaks its terms.
- Ignoring price bands. Pricing just outside a 70% band can halve your ebook royalty.
- Overlooking account fees. Small annual and activation fees add up across several platforms.
- Relying on old articles. Terms changed at KDP, Draft2Digital and IngramSpark in 2026 alone.
Per-sale earnings aren't everything
Higher royalties matter, but so does who sees your book. A retailer with millions of shoppers can sell more copies at 70% than a direct store sells at 100%, especially early in your career. Equally, a direct store can be far more profitable once you have readers who follow you.
That is why the usual strategy is a mix: retailers for discovery, direct and flat-fee stores for margin, and a print distributor if bookshops matter to you.
Recommended combinations
| Author type | Suggested setup |
|---|---|
| First book, testing the waters | KDP for ebook and paperback, plus BooksOasis Starter to keep 100% on direct ebook sales |
| Wide ebook author | Direct accounts with Kobo, B&N and Apple (or Draft2Digital), plus BooksOasis |
| Series author | Retailers for discovery, plus BooksOasis, where readers can buy a whole series from its series page |
| Non-fiction or local-interest author | KDP print plus IngramSpark for bookshops, plus a direct store |
| Small publisher or imprint | Retail and print distribution, plus BooksOasis Growth or Publisher for a full backlist |
How to choose: five questions
- Where are your readers?If they shop on Amazon, KDP is essential. If you have a following, direct stores pay more.
- Exclusive or wide?KDP Select requires ebook exclusivity; everything else lets you sell everywhere.
- Do you need bookshops?If yes, add IngramSpark for print.
- How many books do you have?Flat plans get cheaper per book as your backlist grows.
- How much admin do you want?Aggregators save time; direct accounts pay more.
Sources
Checked September 2026: KDP ebook list price requirements; KDP pricing and delivery costs; KDP paperback royalty; Draft2Digital royalty rates; ALLi on Draft2Digital's 2026 fees; Bublish on IngramSpark's 2026 changes; Kobo Writing Life earnings; B&N Press ebook pricing; Books.by pricing; Payhip pricing; Gumroad fees (Checkout Page).
In short
No single platform does everything. Use Amazon for its audience, reach other stores directly or through an aggregator, add IngramSpark if bookshops matter, and list on a flat-fee store like BooksOasis to keep 100% of the ebook sales you win there. Check each platform's current terms before you publish, because they change more often than most authors realise.
Questions
What is the best self-publishing platform?
There isn't one best platform. Most successful indie authors use several: Amazon KDP for Amazon's audience, an aggregator or direct accounts for other retailers, a print distributor for bookshops, and one or more direct stores where they keep more of each sale.
Which self-publishing platform pays the highest royalties?
Direct and flat-fee platforms pay the most per sale. On BooksOasis you keep 100% of the ebook price; Books.by also passes on 100% minus card processing. Retailers like Kobo and Barnes & Noble pay up to 70%, and Amazon pays 70% or 35% depending on price.
Is KDP free to use?
Publishing on KDP has no upfront fee. Amazon earns through its share of each sale, and delivery costs are deducted on the 70% ebook royalty option.
Can I publish on several platforms at once?
Yes, unless you enrol an ebook in KDP Select, which requires the ebook to be exclusive to Amazon while enrolled. Print books and books outside KDP Select can be sold widely.
Does BooksOasis distribute to Amazon or other stores?
No. BooksOasis is a bookstore of its own. You list your books there alongside your other platforms, and readers buy directly from you on BooksOasis.
Do I need an ISBN for every platform?
Requirements differ. Some platforms assign a free identifier for their own store, while print distribution to bookshops usually needs an ISBN you own. Check each platform's rules for the formats you publish.
Can I use a pen name on these platforms?
Yes, most platforms let you publish under a pen name. On BooksOasis, a subscribed account can create unlimited author names and imprints, and readers only see the public identity you choose.
Add BooksOasis to your platforms
Keep 100% of every ebook sale. A flat plan from $29.99 a year.