Nicole MunsamiIf you’re someone who loves writing or someone who has already written a book and you’re looking to publish it as widely as possible with minimal hassle, Draft2Digital is a fantastic platform to consider. Completely free to use, it allows you to distribute your books to numerous retailers and library services worldwide. In this guide, you’ll learn how to quickly set up your Draft2Digital account, add your book, and maximise your reach.
Step 1: Signing Up on Draft2Digital
Getting started is simple. Head over to the Draft2Digital homepage and hit the “Sign Up” button if you don’t already have an account. You’ll need to enter your real first and last name—this is important for legal and payment purposes. You can also enter a default pen name if you consistently publish under the same author name.
Next, provide your email address, create a password, and complete the CAPTCHA to confirm you’re not a robot. Once registered, log in to access your dashboard.
Step 2: Securing Your Account and Setting Payment Options
Before adding your book, take a moment to secure your account. Navigate to your account settings and set up two-factor authentication. This extra layer of security helps protect your account from unauthorized access, especially since your payment details are linked to your profile.
Next, configure your payment preferences. Draft2Digital offers various payout methods, including checks, PayPal, and direct deposit. PayPal is often the easiest choice for many authors. You can set your payment threshold to zero, meaning you’ll receive payments as soon as you earn royalties.
Make sure to enter your legal name or company name (if applicable), your country, and your address details. If you’re unsure about the legal requirements, especially if you’re filing as a company or using a pen name, it’s wise to seek professional advice.
Additionally, submit your tax information to comply with regulations. For example, if you’re outside the US, you might have a 0% withholding rate, meaning you won’t pay US taxes but must handle your local tax obligations.
Step 3: Adding Your Ebook to Draft2Digital
With your account ready, it’s time to add your book. Draft2Digital supports both ebooks and print books, but for now, we’ll focus on ebooks. Click “Add a Book” and select “Start an Ebook.”
Begin by uploading your cover art. You can also create or add a series and specify the volume number if your book is part of a series.
Step 4: Optimising Discoverability with Keywords and Categories
Keywords, or search terms, are crucial for helping readers discover your book. Choose relevant keywords that describe your book’s genre, themes, or unique elements. For instance, Author How-To selects “science fiction,” “historical,” and “alien invasion” as keywords for his book.
Next, assign BISAC categories to your book. These industry-standard categories help retailers classify your work correctly. For a sci-fi book like Return of the Martians, suitable categories might include:
- Science Fiction – Post-Apocalyptic
- Science Fiction – General
- Science Fiction – Alien Contact
- Action & Adventure
Choose only categories that truly fit your book’s content to avoid misrepresentation.
Step 5: Uploading Your Manuscript
Draft2Digital allows you to upload your manuscript in multiple formats, including Word documents and EPUB files. You can let Draft2Digital format your Word document automatically if you prefer, but if you already have a well-prepared EPUB file, upload that directly.
Set your ebook release date, and paste in your book description. You can use basic formatting to make the description more readable, breaking it up into paragraphs or bullet points if desired.
If your book is part of a collection or anthology, you can add paid collaborators or contributors like editors or illustrators. Draft2Digital will handle royalty splits automatically in these cases. For a solo project, you can skip this step.
Finally, you can use your own ISBN or opt for a free ISBN provided by Draft2Digital, which lists them as the publisher. Using your own ISBN helps keep your publishing consistent across multiple platforms.
Step 6: Previewing Your Ebook
After uploading, download a preview of your ebook to check the formatting. Open it in your preferred reader—Author How-To uses Apple Books—and review the chapters, text flow, and styling elements like drop caps.
This step is important to ensure your ebook looks professional and nothing got corrupted during upload or conversion.
Step 7: Pricing and Distribution Settings
Set your ebook price in US dollars. Draft2Digital allows you to manage territorial pricing automatically, so you can assign different prices for different countries or regions if you want. For example, setting the UK price lower than the US price to reflect local market conditions.
Choose which retailers to distribute your book to. Draft2Digital supports many major stores, such as Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, and several others. If your book is already available on Amazon, it’s best to avoid selecting Amazon distribution here to prevent conflicts.
Additionally, enable distribution to subscription services like Kobo Plus. Although royalties from subscription services work differently, they are a valuable way to reach more readers.
Library distribution is also an option, with different payment models such as “cost per checkout” or “one copy one user.” Setting a higher price can help balance royalty payments from libraries.
Step 8: Confirming Rights and Publishing Your Book
Before publishing, confirm that you are the original creator or have the necessary rights to publish the book. If your book is public domain or you are publishing on behalf of someone else, select the appropriate options.
Agree to Draft2Digital’s terms of service and confirm you have rights to the cover image and all content.
Hit “Publish” and your book will begin the distribution process. It may take some time for your book to appear on all platforms due to processing times, especially with libraries and some retailers.
Step 9: Monitoring Your Book and Using Universal Book Links
Once published, you can track your book’s status and sales through the Draft2Digital dashboard. You’ll receive email updates as your book goes live on various sites.
Draft2Digital also generates a Universal Book Link via the Books to Read service. This handy link lets you share one URL with readers, who can then choose their preferred retailer to purchase your book. Note that Apple Books and Amazon links might need to be added manually for now.
Conclusion
Publishing wide with Draft2Digital is straightforward and efficient. By following these steps, you can get your ebook into multiple stores and library services, reaching readers around the world without the headache of managing each retailer separately.
Remember to secure your account with two-factor authentication, carefully prepare your manuscript and metadata, and use the Universal Book Link to simplify sharing your book. Draft2Digital is a powerful tool for authors looking to expand their audience, and it’s free, so why not start today?
