Get in Touch

What D2D Publishing Actually Means

Draft2Digital (D2D) is a free aggregator that takes a single manuscript upload and pushes your ebook to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, Scribd-Everand, Tolino, Vivlio, OverDrive, Bibliotheca, and a handful of regional storefronts. Royalties flow into one dashboard, and the platform takes roughly 10% off retail. There is no upfront fee, no subscription, no lock-in — you can unpublish at any time.

The merger with Smashwords folded that older catalog into D2D, so authors who once juggled two aggregators now manage everything from a single backend. D2D also runs Books2Read, the universal book-link tool that gives every title a single URL resolving to whichever store the reader prefers. Combined with D2D Print — the IngramSpark integration that adds paperback distribution without a separate IngramSpark login — the platform covers ebook, print, and link infrastructure in one workflow.

How D2D Distribution Works

Once your EPUB is uploaded, D2D auto-converts it, runs validation, and lets you assign metadata, categories, and pricing per storefront. You can use a free D2D-supplied ISBN or bring your own. Front-matter automation is the quiet superpower: D2D inserts store-specific links into each edition, so the Kobo file links readers to your other Kobo titles, the Apple file links to Apple, and so on — removing the friction of maintaining separate manuscripts per retailer.

Books2Read & Cross-Promotion

Books2Read gives every title a universal link readers can click from any device, and the Reader Magnets feature lets you bundle a free chapter or bonus content as an opt-in gift for a newsletter signup. For series authors and fiction writers with multiple titles, this is where D2D earns its keep: cross-promo pages, MyBookTable widgets, and author landing pages all run from the same dashboard.

Why Authors Choose D2D Publishing

• Free tier with no subscription — the 10% royalty cut only applies on actual sales, so dormant catalogs cost nothing.
• D2D Print piggybacks on IngramSpark for paperback distribution without managing a second account or separate file uploads.
• Books2Read universal links plus Reader Magnets give multi-title fiction authors a built-in cross-promotion engine.
• Free D2D-supplied ISBN is available, but you can substitute your own to control imprint identity.
• Front-matter automation per storefront keeps your “also by” pages relevant to whichever retailer the reader is using.

FAQ

How is D2D different from PublishDrive or Smashwords?
PublishDrive runs on a monthly subscription rather than a royalty share, which favors high-volume catalogs. Smashwords merged into D2D, so its storefront still exists but the backend is now D2D. For most fiction authors with under a few dozen titles, D2D’s 10% cut works out cheaper than PublishDrive’s flat fee.

Does D2D distribute to libraries?
Partially. D2D pushes to OverDrive and Bibliotheca, the two largest library lending platforms, but it does not cover Hoopla, cloudLibrary, or many academic channels. If library reach is your primary goal, a library-focused aggregator may serve you better.

Can I use my own ISBN with D2D?
Yes. D2D will assign a free ISBN if you don’t have one, but you can supply your own at any time, and the imprint name on retailer listings will reflect whichever ISBN is in use.

What does D2D Print actually add?
D2D Print uses IngramSpark’s print network behind the scenes, but you upload once through D2D and skip the separate IngramSpark account, setup fees, and dashboard. Royalties flow back through your D2D account alongside ebook earnings.

Are Books2Read links free to use?
Yes, Books2Read universal links and basic Reader Magnets are bundled into the free D2D tier. Premium features like custom domains and advanced analytics are paid add-ons but are not required.