How to Publish and Make Money on Draft2Digital: A Complete Guide

Draft2Digital (D2D) is an ebook and print aggregator that distributes indie authors' books to dozens of retail platforms and library systems. Rather than uploading separately to Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press, OverDrive, and other retailers, you upload once to D2D and they distribute to all of them.

D2D's business model is commission-based: the service is free to use, and D2D takes approximately 10% of the royalties your books earn on each platform they distribute to. You keep 90% of what you earn, and you don't pay any upfront setup costs.

This guide explains D2D's distribution network, how to set up your account and upload books, what royalty rates look like on each platform, D2D's tools and features, and how to use D2D effectively as part of a wide publishing strategy.

What Draft2Digital distributes to

D2D distributes to a substantial list of retailers and library systems. The major ones:

Retail ebook stores:

• Kobo
• Apple Books
• Barnes & Noble (Nook)
• Scribd
• Smashwords (merged with D2D in 2022)
• Tolino (European ebook retailer network)
• Bibliotheca (library ebook platform)
• OverDrive (library distribution)
• Hoopla (library digital streaming)
• Palace Marketplace (independent bookstore ebook platform)
• GlobalReads
• Baker & Taylor (Axis360 library system)

Amazon: Draft2Digital does not distribute to Amazon. For Amazon, you set up your ebook directly through Amazon KDP. D2D is for the rest of the market.

Print: D2D's print service distributes through Ingram, reaching bookstores and libraries that order from Ingram's catalog.

Setting up a Draft2Digital account

Creating a D2D account at Draft2Digital.com is free. You'll need:

• Author/publisher name
• Payment information (PayPal, ACH direct deposit, or wire transfer for international accounts)
• Tax information (W-9 for US publishers; W-8BEN for international, handled through the platform's tax interview process)

D2D pays monthly for all earnings above the minimum payment threshold. Payments arrive approximately 60 days after the end of the month in which earnings occurred (similar to KDP's payment schedule).

Uploading a book to Draft2Digital

The upload process is straightforward. From your D2D dashboard, add a new book:

1. Book details

Enter your title, author name, description, categories (both BISAC and D2D's own genre system), and keywords. The description here is used across all D2D's retail partners, so write it for broad appeal, not Amazon-specific optimization.

2. Your file

D2D accepts:

• DOCX (Word): D2D will format it into an ebook automatically using their formatter
• EPUB: your own already-formatted EPUB file
• RTF: less common but accepted

If you upload a well-formatted EPUB from a tool like LiberScript, D2D uses your file as-is. If you upload a DOCX, D2D's automatic formatter converts it to EPUB, adding front matter (title page, copyright page) and back matter (an "About the author" page and links to your other D2D books) automatically.

3. Cover

Upload your cover image (JPEG or PNG). The same file used for Kindle is typically fine for D2D; they handle delivery format conversion for each retailer.

4. Pricing

Set a list price in your primary currency. D2D converts pricing to other currencies for international retailers using exchange rates, or you can set custom prices per currency manually if you want more control over international pricing.

Unlike Amazon KDP, D2D doesn't have a KDP Select equivalent; your books through D2D are by definition non-exclusive and available on multiple platforms.

5. Select retailers

Choose which retailers you want D2D to distribute to. You can include or exclude individual retailers. This is useful if you're managing a platform directly yourself (for example, if you're also on Kobo Writing Life directly, you'd exclude Kobo from D2D to avoid duplication).

6. Review and publish

D2D shows you a preview of your ebook before you submit. Submit the book, and D2D begins the distribution process to your selected retailers. Each retailer has its own review and processing time; most books appear on all platforms within 1-3 weeks of submission.

How D2D's royalties work

D2D takes approximately 10% of the net royalties from each retailer. The retailer determines the net royalty from which D2D takes its cut.

Kobo example

Kobo pays 70% royalties on ebooks priced $2.99-$9.99 and 45% on other prices. If your book is priced at $4.99 on Kobo:

• Kobo's royalty: $4.99 × 70% = $3.49
• D2D's 10% of that: $0.35
• Your earnings per copy: $3.14

Apple Books example

Apple Books pays 70% royalties across most price points. On a $5.99 book:

• Apple's royalty: $5.99 × 70% = $4.19
• D2D's 10%: $0.42
• Your earnings per copy: $3.77

Barnes & Noble example

B&N pays 65% on books priced $2.99-$9.99. On a $5.99 book:

• B&N's royalty: $5.99 × 65% = $3.89
• D2D's 10%: $0.39
• Your earnings per copy: $3.50

Scribd and library platforms

Scribd pays on a per-read or subscription-model basis rather than per-sale; earnings vary by reader engagement. Library platforms (OverDrive, Bibliotheca) pay per borrow or per checkout on terms negotiated between D2D and the platform; rates are visible in your D2D account for each platform.

Comparing D2D earnings to direct uploads

For some platforms (Kobo, Apple Books, B&N), you can upload directly and earn the full royalty without D2D's 10% cut. The tradeoff: managing multiple accounts, multiple dashboards, and multiple tax relationships vs. D2D's 10% consolidation fee.

For authors with many titles or who value the simplicity of managing everything from one dashboard, D2D's commission is worth it. For authors with strong sales on a specific platform who want maximum per-copy earnings, direct upload to that platform is slightly more profitable per copy.

Many authors split: D2D for most platforms, direct for any platform where they have substantial sales and want the extra royalty margin.

D2D's formatting tool

If you upload a DOCX manuscript to D2D, their formatter automatically generates a styled ebook with:

• Title page
• Copyright page (using your entered information)
• About the author page
• Also-by page (linking to your other D2D titles)
• Chapter navigation

The automatically generated ebook is adequate for many purposes but has limited customization compared to formatting tools like LiberScript. If typography, chapter heading design, and full control over the reading experience matter for your book, formatting in LiberScript and uploading your EPUB to D2D gives you a professional result across all platforms.

See our full comparison of LiberScript vs Draft2Digital's formatting tool for a detailed feature comparison.

D2D's free ISBN offer

D2D offers free ISBNs to authors who use their service. As with free ISBNs from other distributors:

• The ISBN is usable for distribution through D2D's retail partners
• Draft2Digital is listed as the publisher of record in the ISBN database
• If you move your book away from D2D's distribution, you'd need to use a different ISBN

For authors who want their own imprint name as publisher of record, purchasing ISBNs through Bowker (US) or your national ISBN agency and using those through D2D is the alternative. See our ISBN guide for the full breakdown.

Universal Book Links

Draft2Digital provides Universal Book Links (UBLs) through their books2read.com service. A Universal Book Link is a single URL that detects which region a reader is in and routes them to the best available retailer for that region.

UBLs are useful for:

• Social media links (one link works for readers in the US, UK, Australia, and other markets)
• Back matter in your books (a single link for "find this series on all retailers")
• Email newsletter links where you don't know which retailer your subscribers prefer

D2D generates a UBL for each book you publish through them. You can also generate UBLs on Books2Read.com for books distributed elsewhere.

Managing your wide publishing strategy through D2D

Setting prices consistently: major price changes on Amazon (like a KDP Countdown Deal) should be reflected in your D2D prices if you want price parity across platforms. Note that price changes on D2D reach each retailer on their own schedule; you can't change Kobo prices the same day through D2D the way you can change KDP prices instantly.

Sale pricing: many D2D platforms allow sale pricing through D2D's dashboard. Planning a price promotion across all platforms requires setting up the sale price in advance with enough lead time for it to propagate.

Exclusivity conflicts: if you enroll a book in KDP Select (Amazon exclusivity for ebooks), you must unpublish that book from D2D (and all non-Amazon platforms) for the duration of the Select enrollment. Manage this carefully; having a book on D2D and in KDP Select simultaneously violates Amazon's exclusivity requirement.

D2D's library distribution

One of D2D's most significant distribution channels is library systems. Getting your ebook into public libraries through OverDrive, Bibliotheca, Hoopla, and the Palace Marketplace requires distribution through an aggregator like D2D or direct library distribution agreements.

Why library distribution matters:

• Libraries purchase ebook licenses at much higher prices than retail customers pay (often $45-60 per ebook license for a popular title, rather than $4.99)
• Readers who borrow your book from the library discover you; some become buyers of your future books
• Library patrons are often your genre's most avid readers; the readers who borrow three fantasy novels a week from the library are exactly the audience you want exposed to your work

Library distribution through D2D requires an ISBN for your ebook (some library platforms require it). D2D handles the library platform relationships; you don't need separate accounts with each library system.

Hoopla distributes ebooks (and audiobooks) on a per-borrow payment model with no waitlist for patrons (unlike OverDrive where popular books have holds queues). Payment per borrow is typically lower than for a retail sale, but the access model means your book can be discovered by a large number of library patrons.

D2D's StoryOrigin integration

StoryOrigin is a platform for newsletter swaps, ARC distribution, and promotional coordination between authors. Many authors who use D2D for distribution also use StoryOrigin for launch coordination and reader list growth. D2D's Books2Read universal links integrate with StoryOrigin's reader magnet delivery system, making it easy to deliver reader magnets to subscribers and direct them to your books on their preferred platform.

Price management across platforms

One of the challenges of going wide is price changes. When you want to run a $0.99 promotional price, you need to update your price on KDP, on D2D (which then updates each D2D-distributed platform on their own schedule), and on any platforms you manage directly.

D2D's price updates are not instant. After you change a price on D2D, each retailer processes the update on their own schedule. Some platforms (Kobo) are relatively fast; others (Apple Books) can take 48-72 hours to reflect the change. This means:

• Set promotional prices 2-3 days before the promotion starts, not the day of
• Revert prices similarly in advance of the promotion's end date
• Check each platform directly if exact price timing matters (before paying for a promotional placement that depends on your price being accurate)

Price parity and Amazon: Amazon's price-matching system can lower your KDP ebook price automatically if it finds the same book offered at a lower price elsewhere. If your D2D-distributed price on Smashwords or another platform is lower than your KDP price, Amazon may automatically drop your KDP price to match. Be intentional about price consistency across platforms to avoid unintended price drops on KDP.

Managing multiple author names through D2D

D2D supports multiple pen names under a single account, with each pen name having its own books, profile, and earnings tracking. If you write in different genres under different names, you can manage all of them from one D2D account without creating separate accounts.

Each pen name can have:

• A separate author bio and author page
• Separate book listings under that name
• Separate Universal Book Links that direct readers to that pen name's work

This is an advantage for authors with complex publishing situations compared to managing multiple separate accounts on multiple platforms.

Frequently asked questions

Does D2D distribute to Amazon?

No. Amazon's KDP is a separate platform. D2D distributes to Kobo, Apple Books, B&N, and many other platforms, but not Amazon. Your KDP account handles Amazon.

How long does it take for my book to appear on each platform after D2D submission?

D2D processes submissions quickly (usually within a day), but each retailer has its own review timeline. Most platforms list new books within 1-2 weeks of D2D submission. Apple Books sometimes takes longer, particularly for first-time submissions.

Can I run a free promotion through D2D the way I can through KDP Select?

Yes, but differently. D2D allows you to set a price of $0.00 on books distributed through them (unlike KDP, where free pricing outside of Select requires price-matching). This lets you make your book free across all D2D platforms simultaneously without any exclusivity requirement. Not all D2D retailers honor free pricing; Kobo and Apple Books do; B&N has historically been inconsistent.

What's the minimum payment from D2D?

D2D pays out once your accumulated earnings reach the payment threshold (currently $10 for PayPal and ACH, higher for wire transfer). Accounts below the threshold accumulate earnings to the next payment cycle.

D2D Payments and reporting

D2D consolidates earnings from all platforms into a single monthly payment, with a unified royalty report showing earnings from each retailer. This is one of the clearest advantages of using an aggregator: instead of tracking payments from Kobo, Apple Books, B&N, and a dozen other platforms separately, you receive one payment with one breakdown.

The report shows:

• Sales by title and platform
• Units sold and price per unit
• Royalty earned per unit (after platform royalty and D2D's 10%)
• Any payment adjustments (returns, corrections)

Reports are available in your D2D dashboard and can be downloaded as CSV files for tracking in your own spreadsheet or accounting system.

Tax documents: D2D issues a Form 1099 (for US-based publishers meeting the reporting threshold) for your total D2D earnings annually. Keep records of your D2D royalty reports throughout the year; they detail which earnings came from which platform and help with any tax questions about foreign income from international retailers.

The bottom line

Draft2Digital is the simplest way to distribute ebooks to major non-Amazon platforms: one upload, one dashboard, and your book appears across Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and dozens of library systems. The 10% commission is a fair cost for that simplicity.

For authors going wide, D2D is the natural complement to Amazon KDP: KDP handles Amazon, D2D handles everything else. Use your own formatted EPUB for the best result across all platforms. And see our guide on going wide vs KDP Select for the broader strategic decision of whether to distribute widely or exclusively through Amazon.