Ebook Distribution Beyond Amazon: Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play

Quick Answer: Publishing beyond Amazon (called "going wide") puts your ebook in front of readers on Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, Barnes and Noble, and library lending platforms. You can upload directly to each platform or use an aggregator like Draft2Digital to distribute everywhere from a single dashboard. Going wide trades the Kindle Unlimited subscriber pool for broader reach and independence from a single platform.

Amazon dominates the ebook market, but it's not the only market. Depending on your genre, audience, and business goals, distributing across multiple platforms can match or exceed Amazon-only revenue over time. This article covers the major platforms, the aggregator option, and how to decide.

The Major Platforms

Apple Books. Apple's ebook store reaches every iPhone, iPad, and Mac user. Apple pays a 70% royalty on most price points (no delivery fee deduction). Upload through Apple Books for Authors (formerly iTunes Connect) or through an aggregator. Apple readers tend to spend more per purchase than Kindle readers, which makes Apple particularly strong for higher-priced non-fiction.

Kobo. Kobo is the second-largest dedicated ebook retailer globally, with strong markets in Canada, Australia, the UK, and parts of Europe. Upload through Kobo Writing Life (kobo.com/writinglife) or through an aggregator. Kobo also has its own subscription service (Kobo Plus) similar to Kindle Unlimited. Royalties are 70% for books priced $2.99 to $12.99, 45% outside that range.

Google Play Books. Google's ebook store reaches Android users and anyone with a Google account. Google pays a 52% list price royalty for ebooks sold in the Google Play Store, which is lower than other platforms but offset by Google's enormous user base and strong search integration. Upload directly through the Google Play Books Partner Center.

Barnes and Noble Press. B&N's self-publishing platform serves the Nook ecosystem. Market share is smaller than the others, but it's free to upload and gives you access to B&N's customer base. Royalties are 65% for ebooks priced $2.99 to $9.99.

Aggregators: One Upload, Multiple Platforms

Aggregators distribute your ebook to multiple platforms from a single upload. The two main options:

Draft2Digital (D2D). Distributes to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, OverDrive (libraries), Tolino, and other retailers. D2D takes a 10% commission on top of each retailer's standard royalty. They also offer free ISBNs, a formatting tool, and a universal book link that directs readers to their preferred retailer.

PublishDrive. Distributes to a broader set of international platforms, including many regional retailers in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Pricing is either a 10% commission model or a flat monthly subscription ($19.99/month for up to 100 titles) that lets you keep 100% of the retailer royalty.

The trade-off with aggregators is a slightly lower royalty per sale in exchange for the convenience of managing everything from one dashboard. If you're on five or more platforms, the time savings often justify the commission.

Direct Upload vs Aggregator

Uploading directly to each platform gives you the highest royalty rate and the most control over your listing. It also means maintaining separate accounts, updating metadata in multiple places, and tracking sales across different dashboards.

Using an aggregator saves time and centralizes your reporting but costs you 10% of each sale (or a subscription fee). For most authors distributing across three or more platforms, the aggregator route is more practical.

A common hybrid approach: upload directly to Amazon (KDP) and Apple Books (the two largest platforms), then use Draft2Digital or PublishDrive for the remaining platforms. This captures the highest royalties on your biggest revenue sources while using the aggregator for smaller channels.

What Good Wide Distribution Looks Like vs What Does Not

Works well: - The author treats each platform as a real sales channel, optimizing metadata, categories, and descriptions for each retailer rather than copying the same listing everywhere without adjustment. - Pricing is consistent across platforms (or strategically different, such as higher prices on Apple where readers are less price-sensitive). - The author tracks sales across platforms monthly and adjusts marketing efforts based on where the book is gaining traction.

Red flags: - The author publishes wide but only markets on Amazon, making the other platforms an afterthought. Wide distribution works when you actively reach readers on each platform. - The author is enrolled in KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited) and tries to publish on other platforms simultaneously. This violates KDP Select's exclusivity terms and can result in account suspension. - The author uses an aggregator for Amazon. Amazon should always be uploaded to directly through KDP; using an aggregator for Amazon means slower updates, less control, and no access to KDP Select or Amazon advertising.

The Takeaway

Going wide means publishing beyond Amazon on Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, and other platforms. It's a viable strategy that trades Kindle Unlimited access for broader reach and reduced platform dependence. Use aggregators like Draft2Digital for convenience, but upload directly to your largest revenue platforms. For the full publishing process, see the Ebook Publishing and Distribution guide.

Q: Should you publish exclusively on Amazon or go wide? A: It depends on your genre, audience, and goals. KDP Select (Amazon-exclusive) gives you access to Kindle Unlimited subscribers. Going wide gives you broader reach and independence. See Should You Publish Exclusively on Amazon or Go Wide? for a full comparison.

Q: What is Draft2Digital? A: Draft2Digital is an ebook aggregator that distributes your book to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, libraries, and other platforms from a single upload. They take a 10% commission on each sale and offer free ISBNs and formatting tools.

Q: Does Google Play Books pay well for ebook authors? A: Google Play pays a 52% list price royalty, which is lower than Apple (70%) or Amazon (70% at $2.99 to $9.99). However, Google's enormous user base and search integration can generate meaningful volume, especially for non-fiction topics that align with Google search traffic.