Book Distribution for Self-Published Authors

From Finished Books to Readers’ Hands

Book distribution is the process of making your book available for purchase. It’s the supply system that connects your finished book to retailers, libraries, subscription services, and readers across formats, territories, and platforms.

For independent authors, distribution has never been more accessible. Today, it’s possible to distribute ebooks, print books, and audiobooks globally without holding inventory or negotiating individual retailer deals. At the same time, the sheer number of options can feel overwhelming at first.

Distribution has a learning curve. Every indie author finds the setup challenging the first time. What matters is recognising that distribution is a repeatable system. Once established, it becomes a background process, freeing you to focus on writing, publishing decisions, and marketing.

What Book Distribution Actually Covers

Distribution includes everything that happens after production and before a reader buys your book. It is not marketing or promotion, but it provides the infrastructure that makes both possible.

Distribution covers:

• Making your book available for sale
• Supplying retailers, wholesalers, and libraries
• Managing formats (ebook, print, audio)
• Setting territories and rights
• Ensuring metadata supports discovery
• Enabling pricing and discounting
• Maintaining reliable supply routes

Strong distribution is not about being everywhere for its own sake. It’s about creating clear, dependable pathways that allow readers to find and buy your book in the formats they prefer.

Understanding the Distribution Landscape

Publishers, Platforms, and Retailers

Self-publishing often involves multiple organisations, each playing a different role.

Publisher

The publisher is the business that controls the publishing rights and makes strategic decisions. If you self-publish, you are the publisher.

Platforms and services

Platforms provide tools for production, distribution, and sales. Some services also act as distribution channels through partnerships with retailers and wholesalers.

Retailers

Retailers sell books directly to readers. These include online stores, physical bookstores, and author websites.

A useful distinction is:

• Business-to-Business (B2B): platforms, distributors, wholesalers, and service providers
• Business-to-Consumer (B2C): retailers that sell directly to readers

Some companies operate in both spaces, providing services to publishers while also selling directly to readers.

Distribution Across the Three Core Formats

ALLi’s guiding principle for effective distribution is simple:
publish in as many formats as you reasonably can, and make your books available in as many appropriate stores as possible; while keeping your own website at the centre of your publishing business.

The three core formats are:

• Ebook
• Print
• Audiobook

Each format has its own distribution routes, costs, and considerations.

Ebook Distribution

Direct Retailers vs Aggregators

Most indie authors distribute ebooks using a combination of direct retailers and aggregators.

Direct retailers

Uploading directly to major ebook retailers gives you:

• Faster updates
• More detailed sales data
• Greater control over pricing and metadata
• Higher royalties (no aggregator fee)

However, managing multiple dashboards takes time, especially if you have several titles.

Ebook aggregators

Aggregators allow you to upload once and distribute to many retailers. They:

• simplify administration
• handle metadata distribution
• reach stores you can’t access directly
• save time at the cost of a commission

Many authors use a hybrid approach: uploading directly to major retailers while using an aggregator to cover additional territories and stores.

Print Distribution

Print-on-Demand and Wholesale Reach

Print distribution used to be the hardest part of self-publishing. Print-on-demand (POD) has changed that by allowing books to be printed only when ordered.

Print-on-Demand (POD)

POD removes the need to:

• pay for inventory upfront
• store stock
• fulfil individual orders

It enables global availability while reducing financial risk.

Reaching bookstores and libraries

While POD makes print widely available, not all print distribution is equal. Bookstores and libraries often rely on wholesale supply chains and expect:

• standard trade discounts
• clear return policies
• reliable fulfilment

This is why many indie authors use more than one POD service, depending on where the book is being sold.

A Common Print Strategy for Indie Authors

Many authors use a combined approach:

• One POD service optimised for online retail
• Another that supplies bookstores, libraries, and wholesalers

This avoids reliance on a single supply route and improves availability across the market.

Uploading to more than one service is not duplication for its own sake, it’s about serving different parts of the supply chain effectively.

Audiobook Distribution

Growing Reach, Growing Complexity

Audiobooks are a fast-growing format and an important discovery channel for many genres. Distribution models are more complex than for ebooks or print, and income often comes from:

• à la carte sales
• subscription listening
• library lending

Exclusive vs non-exclusive distribution

Some audiobook platforms offer higher headline rates in exchange for exclusivity. Others allow wide distribution across retailers, libraries, and subscription services.

ALLi recommends approaching exclusivity with caution. While it can offer short-term benefits, it limits long-term flexibility, pricing control, and access to growing markets.

Going wide with audio

Wide audiobook distribution allows you to:

• reach more listeners globally
• set and control pricing on many platforms
• access libraries and non-Amazon retailers
• experiment with promotions and bundles

Many authors combine multiple services to maximise reach while retaining control.

Metadata: The Engine of Distribution

Metadata determines how your book is categorised, discovered, and recommended across all distribution channels.

Core metadata includes:

• Title and subtitle
• Author and contributor details
• Categories and genre codes
• Keywords
• Book description
• Pricing and territories
• Format identifiers

Good metadata doesn’t just help readers find your book, it helps retailers know where to place it.

Well-structured metadata improves:

• search visibility
• category relevance
• recommendation algorithms
• cross-store consistency

Pricing and Distribution Strategy

Pricing is part of distribution, not just marketing.

A strong pricing strategy considers:

• genre expectations
• platform royalty bands
• wholesale discounts for print
• flexibility for promotions
• long-term positioning

Many authors use staged pricing:

• lower pricing at launch
• adjustments as visibility and reviews grow
• temporary discounts aligned with promotions

The goal is sustainability, not constant discounting.

Global Reach and Territory Settings

Even if your primary market is the US, global distribution matters.

Most platforms allow you to:

• select worldwide rights
• set region-specific pricing
• opt in or out of territories

Unless you have licensed rights elsewhere, worldwide distribution ensures your book is available wherever readers are looking for it, without additional effort.

How Distribution Supports Marketing (Without Replacing It)

Distribution does not sell books on its own, but poor distribution can stop good marketing from working.

Strong distribution ensures:

• reliable retailer links
• availability in preferred formats
• library and bookstore access
• metadata that supports search and ads
• pricing aligned with promotions

Marketing drives attention. Distribution makes conversion possible.

In Conclusion

• Distribution is the infrastructure that connects your book to readers.
• It becomes easier with experience and quickly turns into a repeatable system.
• Publishing in multiple formats and using multiple channels increases resilience and reach.
• Metadata, pricing, and territory settings are as important as platform choice.
• A strong distribution foundation supports marketing, protects income, and enables long-term growth.