How Much Can You Earn on Barnes & Noble Press?

Barnes & Noble Press covers both Nook ebook distribution and print-on-demand books available through BN.com and, in some cases, physical B&N stores. For the mechanics of setting up an account and publishing through B&N Press, see our Barnes & Noble Press guide. This guide focuses specifically on realistic earnings: what to expect, and what actually drives the number up or down.

The royalty structure

B&N Press ebook royalties run on a tiered structure: 40% for books priced $0.99-$2.98, 65% for the $2.99-$9.99 range, and 40% again above $10.00. That middle-tier 65% is slightly lower than the 70% offered by Amazon and Kobo in the equivalent price band: on a $4.99 book, that difference works out to roughly a quarter less per copy sold on B&N than the same price point on Amazon or Kobo. If you distribute through Draft2Digital rather than a direct B&N Press account, D2D's roughly 10% distribution fee comes out of that B&N royalty as well, narrowing the net further.

Realistic earnings expectations

For most wide-distributed indie authors, B&N typically contributes one of the smaller shares of total ebook revenue: commonly in the low single-digit to low double-digit percentage range of total wide royalties, well behind Amazon and usually behind Apple Books and Kobo as well. This isn't a reason to skip B&N entirely (it costs nothing extra to include if you're already using D2D), but it's important to set expectations accurately: B&N is a supplementary stream, not a primary one, for the overwhelming majority of authors.

What drives B&N earnings specifically

• US-market concentration. B&N's reach is overwhelmingly US-based, with a much smaller international footprint than Kobo or Apple Books: international authors typically see minimal B&N earnings regardless of genre.
• Genre fit with the Nook reader base. Romance, thrillers, and women's fiction tend to have a loyal Nook following among readers who've invested in B&N's ecosystem or use Nook for library lending.
• Library lending through B&N's partnerships, which generates a different kind of value (discovery and lending payouts) rather than large direct-purchase royalties.
• No subscription-reading program comparable to Kindle Unlimited: B&N discontinued its own subscription service (B&N Premium), so all ebook revenue comes from direct purchases.

Print earnings and the in-store opportunity

B&N Print royalties follow a similar list-price-minus-printing-cost-minus-retail-share formula to other print-on-demand services, with margins per copy generally comparable to KDP Print and IngramSpark, rarely the primary earnings driver, but a real one. The distinctive earnings angle with B&N specifically is its Title Discovery program, which can lead to physical in-store availability or stocking at individual B&N locations. This is genuinely competitive and most indie authors won't achieve broad chain-wide stocking, but local store placement (particularly for authors from that store's region, or through direct author-event outreach) is attainable and can meaningfully boost print sales at that specific location beyond what BN.com listing alone would generate.

Direct publishing vs. D2D

If your B&N earnings are modest (a common outcome, especially early on), the convenience of managing B&N through D2D alongside your other wide retailers usually outweighs the roughly 10% fee difference versus a direct B&N Press account. Once B&N earnings become significant for your catalog (which tends to happen for authors with a strong US-market romance or thriller readership) switching to a direct B&N Press account both saves that fee and unlocks direct access to B&N's promotional tools and Title Discovery submissions.

Payment schedule

B&N Press pays monthly with a payment lag similar to other major platforms (roughly 30-60 days), through ACH for US-based publishers; international publishers typically route B&N earnings through Draft2Digital rather than a direct account given B&N Press's primarily US-focused payment infrastructure.

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth setting up B&N Press if my earnings there will likely be small?

If you're already using D2D for other retailers, B&N distribution comes at no extra setup cost, include it. A dedicated direct account is only worth the extra management once your B&N-specific earnings justify it.

Does B&N have a page-read or subscription revenue stream like Kindle Unlimited?

No: B&N Premium, its prior subscription service, was discontinued, so all B&N ebook revenue for indie authors now comes from direct purchases.

Can print sales through B&N Press meaningfully add to my income?

Per-copy margins are modest and comparable to other POD platforms; the more distinctive upside is the potential for physical in-store availability through B&N's Title Discovery program, which is a real but competitive opportunity worth pursuing for authors who want that specific reach.

Why is B&N's royalty rate lower than Amazon's in the standard price band?

B&N's top ebook royalty tier is 65% versus Amazon and Kobo's 70% in the equivalent price range: a structural difference in B&N's own royalty schedule, unrelated to distribution method.

The bottom line

B&N Press earnings are realistically modest for most indie authors relative to Amazon, Apple Books, and Kobo, and international authors in particular should expect minimal B&N revenue. It's still worth including in a wide strategy (especially through D2D, where it costs nothing extra to add) both for the US Nook readership it does reach and for the distinctive (if competitive) print in-store opportunity that no other major platform offers. For the full picture of realistic wide-distribution income, see our realistic author income breakdown.