If you’re thinking about selling books online, Barnes and Noble self-publishing is definitely one to consider. As the main competitor to Amazon KDP, Barnes and Noble is an awesome choice for indies who want to reach millions of readers.
This guide goes over:
- Why You Should Go Wide and Global
- How to Self-Publish Wide With PublishDrive
If you have your manuscript and cover files handy, upload them to PublishDrive and start selling on Barnes & Noble plus Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Google Play Books, and thousands of other book stores.
The platform helps you with your publishing process of ebooks, audiobooks, and print-on-demand books from start to finish, and it’s also great for book promotion. You’ll benefit from features such as:
- Print-on-demand converter
- Print cover template generator
- Ebook converter
Try PublishDrive Free
What Barnes & Noble Press Offers
Barnes and Noble's B&N Press (formerly known as Nook Press) is the third-largest self-publishing platform, reaching millions of readers on its website BN.com and e-reader NOOK.
An easy way to upload a book on its online platform. | A 70% royalty rate for ebook sales; 55% royalty rate for print sales, minus printing costs. | Payments in 30 days based on the month in which the sale was made. | Financial reports and order tracking. |
Promotional opportunities like featuring in B&N press emails and other marketing programs. | Professional, high-quality hardcover and paperback books. | A partnership that doesn’t require exclusivity, unlike Amazon KDP Select. | Millions of readers on BN.com and NOOK devices. |
The main thing with Barnes and Noble vs Amazon self-publishing is that B&N Press does NOT require exclusivity in any of their routes to market, unlike Amazon’s KDP Select program.
Barnes and Noble also announced B&N Audiobooks in 2022. The new audiobook service is available online and can be listened to on the Barnes & Noble NOOK app for Android, iOS, and other web players. Audio distribution is great because audio is the fastest growing online segment in publishing. The most successful indies distribute audiobooks along with ebook and print formats. That’s called multi-format publishing. I’ll talk more about this in just a bit.
If you’re interested in selling print books, Barnes and Noble has one of the best services when it comes to the quality and printing options available. The Self-Publishing with Dale Podcast talked all about it and other pointers in this 20-minute video:
What Barnes & Noble Press Misses
Everything has its limits and Barnes and Noble publishing is no exception.
A wider reach is the biggest thing Barnes and Noble misses. Being limited to BN.com means your book gets distributed in the United States region only. If you’re looking to self-publish internationally (which every indie should do in today’s market), Barnes and Noble has America covered. However, you’ll have to look elsewhere to reach readers outside of the U.S.
How to Self-Publish Directly on Barnes & Noble
It’s fairly simple to self-publish using Barnes and Noble’s platform. What about Barnes and Noble publishing costs? Well, it’s entirely free to create an account and get started (like most top self-publishing companies).
Just head over to press.barnesandnoble.com. After you sign up, it takes three main steps to get your book up:
2️⃣
Prepare and upload your files: manuscript and cover file
(Accepted ebook file types: doc, docx, txt, html, epub. Accepted print file types: doc, docx, pdf)
3️⃣
Hit publish to send your book through the review process
(When approved, your book goes live on BN.com for sale to readers with NOOK devices or the app.)
For more details, see this write-up on self-publishing with Barnes and Noble.
What else to know:
- You can set up book pre-orders for ebook and print. Pro tip: a pre-order strategy is crucial for your book marketing.
- There are three paper types: paperback, hardcover with print case (color printing on the outside), and hardcover with dust jacket (canvas style book with the cover design on the jacket).
- There are three paper types: cream, white paper on 50 lb, white paper on 70 lb (thicker and more durable, perfect for publishing a children’s book or coloring book).
- When everything is set up for print, Barnes and Noble shares how much the base cost will be for the customer. (You don’t pay for print costs, the customer does.)
- If you need help with preparing your manuscript for ebook conversion, check out this ebook formatting guide.
- When you’re ready for conversion, use this free ebook converter.
Why You Should Go Wide and Global
If you’re interested in the benefits you can’t get by selling directly on Barnes and Noble, there is a way to have it all.
Using an online self-publishing platform like PublishDrive gets your book in thousands of other channels worldwide, while still reaching Barnes and Noble’s audience. That’s what “publishing wide” means – selling your book beyond a single place (like B&N or Amazon.)
So, can you self-publish on Amazon and Barnes and Noble at the same time? With PublishDrive, YES!
Publishing wide is about maximizing your reach, expanding your revenue streams, and collecting as many royalties as you can to sustain your gig as an indie.
Plus, the global demand for digital books is at an all-time high. In 2022, indies on PublishDrive made 200% more book sales. And 56% of their sales came from international markets:
There’s been a drastic shift to digital modes since 202. While traditional publishing has struggled, digital bookstores like BN.com, formats like ebooks, subscription platforms like Dreame, and online libraries like Bibliotheca have surged.
Indies who publish and promote in these spaces are winning like never before.
How to Self-Publish Wide With PublishDrive
Now you know the significance of maximizing your reach by going wide. PublishDrive has helped tens of thousands of indies do just that since 2015:
Self-publishing wide on PublishDrive is easy –
First, create your free account and go through the book upload process. It takes four main steps to publish everywhere and start collecting royalties:
1️⃣
Prepare Your Book
Upload your files for ebook, audiobook, or print-on-demand. An AI editor helps put everything together from formatting to metadata.
2️⃣
Publish Your Book
Simply switch on the stores you want to sell in. After hitting submit, it takes a few business days for PublishDrive to review your book. Once approved, your book gets immediately sent out to the retail channels you select.
3️⃣
Promote Your Book
Choose from a suite of book marketing tools and perks. Run promos on book prices, get featured in newsletters, collect reviews, and more.
4️⃣
Track Your Book
Keep up with reviews, ratings, and real-time sales for numerous stores on one dashboard. Get automatic royalty reports, pre-made charts, and never miss a payment.
If you’re already selling on Barnes and Noble, easily transition to PublishDrive by transferring books in bulk while keeping your reviews and ratings. And if you’re an Amazon seller wondering “how to get my Amazon book in Barnes and Noble?" The transition process is the same via PublishDrive.
Sell in Barnes and Noble + Thousands of Other Stores
✔️ One dashboard is all you need to publish worldwide in no time.
✔️ PublishDrive’s unique flat-fee model takes no additional royalties per book, meaning you get the maximum royalties from each store.
✔️ Join published authors who made 200% more revenue in 2022.
Try PublishDrive Free
