Amazon KDP vs. Draft2Digital

I’ve published on both platforms, but who did I ultimately choose?

There are a staggering number of self-publishing sites on the market. Each has its pros, cons, benefits, and services that will appeal to a writer in one way or another.

The largest self-publishing platform on the market is Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). As the largest distributor of ebooks and self-published content, it’s hard to ignore the platform as an option.

There are plenty of benefits of going with KDP, but let’s compare it to another self-publishing contender: Draft2Digital. I have self-published on both platforms. So, who did I ultimately choose?

KDP Pros & Cons

My first book, The Queen’s Awakening: Retribution, has been self-published on KDP and KDP Select for three years. There are plenty of benefits going with Amazon. However, a few downsides should be pointed out as well.

Pros

• You have the option of enrolling into “KDP Select.” This gives subscribers to Kindle Unlimited free access to your book. By enrolling in this program, your ebook reaches a broader audience.
• Your ebook is a part of the Kindle Select Global Fund that pays authors based on the number of pages to read during a period.
• Uploading your ebook, getting author copies, etc., is pretty easy to do as the platform is user-friendly.
• Amazon is the leader in the ebook market.

Cons

• Royalties are generally lower compared to other publishers.
• If you have any questions or concerns that involve reaching out to customer service, be prepared for long response times.
• Preorder copies of your book is not an available option.
• If you enroll in KDP Select, your ebook is exclusive to Amazon during the enrollment period of 90 days.

Draft2Digital (D2D)

I am in the early stages of working with D2D, but I have to say that I am impressed so far. It’s straightforward to use, easy to navigate and gives a lot of flexibility to control where your ebook is distributed. There are other perks as well!

Pros

• Allows for the creation of an audiobook version.
• Allows for preorders for your ebook through many distributors. (You can also see the status of your ebook’s acceptance.)

• Provides a Universal Book Link (UBL) that serves as a one-stop shop where buyers know where your book is available.

Cons

• Formatting your ebook can be a little frustrating. - When uploading your content, D2D’s formatting interface attempts to break the chapters down for you. However, like all technology, there is room to grow. I had to re-upload my manuscript numerous times to recognize the different sections.

Summary Table

Each self-published writer will have to compare their pros/cons to make their own decision. For me, I have pulled my book from KDP Select, unpublished with KDP, and moved it to Draft2Digital. With the transition, I’m relaunching my book and releasing it on March 25, 2022.

At the time of this post, I have not tried ordering a printed copy of my book (yet). However, I have read that it’s pretty easy, and many writers have been happy with the product. I’ll provide an update when I order a copy from D2D. However, I can tell you that I was more than pleased with the printed copies requested through KDP.

So, who (do I think) wins?

I have to agree with Top Consumer Reports: Draft 2 Digital.

Again, there are many self-publishing options available, and this is comparing just two of them. However, these are two that I have personal experience with. While using Amazon’s KDP, I was satisfied. However, I feel better about moving my publication options to Draft 2 Digital.

If you are interested in publishing with D2D, here is my referral link!

Thank you to Maxwell Jordan, who recommended D2D to me! Also, thank you to Robin Nemesszeghy for the excellent YouTube content that helped answer a lot of my questions about D2D.