In the evolving digital world, self-publishing has become an incredibly popular route for authors who want to take control of their work and reach a global audience. With the rise of eBooks, authors no longer need traditional publishers to get their stories into readers’ hands. Instead, they can publish their books on various platforms that provide both the tools for self-publishing and the audience that’s ready to consume their content. However, with so many options available, it can be challenging to know which platforms are best suited for your eBook in 2025.
In this article, we’ll break down the top 5 platforms where you can publish your eBook, taking into account the latest trends, user-friendliness, distribution channels, and marketing potential. By the end, you’ll have a clearer idea of where to publish your eBook in 2025 to ensure it reaches the maximum number of readers and generates the best income.
1. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Overview:
Amazon remains the giant of the eBook industry, with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) leading the way as the most popular self-publishing platform. It enables authors to upload their ebooks directly to Amazon, making them accessible to millions of readers across the globe. In 2025, KDP continues to offer one of the most robust and comprehensive platforms for authors.
KDP is a fantastic tool for ebook authors in 2025:
- Massive Reach: Amazon has an immense audience base, with millions of Kindle users and Kindle app downloads on various devices. This allows your eBook to have virtually unlimited visibility.
- With Kindle Unlimited (KU) and the Kindle Owners Lending Library (KOL), authors have the opportunity to make their books available to Kindle owners. Readers who are part of these services can access your book for free (through subscription models), and you earn royalties based on how many pages they read.
- Ease of Use: The KDP platform is easy to navigate and offers step-by-step guidance on uploading your eBook. The process is quick, and once published, your eBook can appear on Amazon’s marketplace within 24–48 hours.
- Royalties: Authors can earn royalties of up to 70% on books priced between $2.99 and $9.99, which is very competitive compared to traditional publishing models. Additionally, KDP allows for both eBook and paperback versions, expanding your audience to print readers.
- Marketing Tools: Amazon offers several promotional tools, such as KDP Select, which allows you to run price promotions and participate in the Kindle Countdown Deals. Additionally, Amazon’s advertising system enables targeted ads to boost visibility.
Considerations:
- If you choose to enroll your ebook in KDP select, it must be exclusively available on Amazon for a period of 90 days. This can limit your ability to distribute your book on other platforms during that time.
Ideal for: Authors who want a huge audience, easy-to-use publishing tools, and a chance to earn strong royalties.
2. Apple Books for Authors
Overview:
Apple Books is Apple’s platform for buying and reading books on all Apple devices. Though not as dominant as Amazon, Apple Books continues to be a popular platform for eBooks, especially in the iOS ecosystem. The platform has a solid reputation for quality and offers a robust marketplace for authors to sell their works.
Why Apple Books is Great for eBook Authors in 2025:
- Global Reach on Apple Devices: Apple has a vast user base, particularly in North America and Europe. Your book will be available to iPhone, iPad, and Mac users who regularly purchase eBooks from the Apple Books Store.
- Royalties: Apple offers competitive royalties of 70% for books priced above $0.99, with the possibility to adjust pricing and royalties based on the pricing tier you select. This is comparable to KDP, making Apple Books an appealing option for independent authors.
- No Exclusivity Requirement: Unlike KDP Select, Apple Books doesn’t require you to sign any exclusivity agreements, meaning you can publish your eBook elsewhere while still selling on Apple Books.
- Marketing Opportunities: Apple offers promotional opportunities for authors through their Apple Books promotions and emails. Apple also offers metadata optimization, helping your eBook rank higher in search results.
Considerations:
- Complexity in Uploading: The platform’s uploading process can be more complicated for beginners. Authors may need to use an additional software tool like Pages or an external aggregator like Draft2Digital or Smashwords to publish their eBooks on Apple Books.
- Less Visibility than Amazon: While Apple Books is strong in certain regions, it’s not as ubiquitous as Amazon, so your reach might be more limited depending on the location of your target readers.
Ideal for: Authors targeting Apple users and looking for more flexibility without exclusivity agreements.
3. Barnes & Noble Press
Overview:
Barnes & Noble Press, formerly known as Nook Press, is the self-publishing platform for Barnes & Noble, the renowned U.S. bookstore chain. bookstore chain. While its market share in the digital eBook industry is smaller than Amazon’s, it remains a strong player, particularly among U.S. readers.
Why Barnes & Noble Press is Great for eBook Authors in 2025:
- Strong U.S. Barnes & Noble is one of the largest bookstores in the United States. With the Nook eReader still being popular in certain circles, authors can benefit from tapping into this market.
- Easy-to-Use Interface: The platform offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it simple for authors to upload and manage their eBooks.
- No Exclusivity: Unlike Amazon’s KDP Select, Barnes & Noble Press doesn’t require exclusivity. You can publish on multiple platforms simultaneously, expanding your potential market reach.
- Barnes & Noble Press provides royalty rates that are competitive, with percentages ranging from 65% to 70% of the book’s price, depending on the sales region and the book’s cost.
Considerations:
- Limited Reach Outside the U.S.: While Barnes & Noble has a solid presence in the U.S., its reach outside of North America is limited compared to Amazon or Apple Books.
- Smaller Market Share: As an independent platform, its audience is not as large as Amazon’s, meaning authors may not generate as many sales unless they’re targeting U.S. readers.
Ideal for: U.S.-based authors who want to diversify their distribution and reach readers who use Nook devices.
4. Smashwords
Overview:
Smashwords is a popular distribution platform that allows authors to upload their eBooks and distribute them to a variety of other platforms, including Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and more. It functions as an aggregator, helping authors reach a wide audience without having to publish their eBooks individually on each platform.
Why Smashwords is Great for eBook Authors in 2025:
- Wide Distribution: Smashwords is ideal for authors who want to reach readers on multiple platforms (Amazon excluded). It distributes eBooks to major online stores, libraries, and subscription services like Scribd and OverDrive.
- Marketing Tools: Smashwords provides authors with free promotional tools, including discount codes, coupons, and author interviews. The platform also runs regular sales events to help boost visibility.
- Royalties: Smashwords offers up to 80% royalties for books sold through their direct store and around 60% for sales on third-party retailers, making it a highly profitable platform.
- No Exclusivity: Smashwords doesn’t require you to sign exclusive agreements, allowing you to publish your eBook on multiple platforms.
Considerations:
- Formatting Requirements: Smashwords has strict formatting guidelines that authors must follow, which can be a challenge for those new to self-publishing.
- Less Control Over Pricing on Some Platforms: Because Smashwords distributes through third-party retailers, the pricing and promotions may be less flexible compared to platforms like KDP or Apple Books.
Ideal for: Authors who want to distribute their eBooks across multiple platforms but don’t want the hassle of managing each platform separately.
5. Kobo Writing Life
Overview:
Kobo writing life is Kobo’s platform for self-publishing ebooks, providing authors with the chance to make their books available on the kobo ereader and its worldwide market. With its presence in more than 190 countries, kobo is especially dominant in global markets.
Why Kobo Writing Life is Great for eBook Authors in 2025:
- Global Reach: Kobo is particularly strong in Canada, Europe, and parts of Asia, making it a fantastic choice for international authors.
- Royalties: Kobo offers a 70% royalty rate for eBooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99, which is very competitive and in line with the major players in the self-publishing space.
- Ease of Use: Kobo Writing Life has a user-friendly interface and provides a quick publishing process, with books often appearing on the platform within hours.
- No Exclusivity: Like Smashwords and Apple Books, Kobo Writing Life does not require exclusive agreements, giving authors the flexibility to publish elsewhere.
Considerations:
- Smaller Audience: While Kobo is strong in certain countries, it doesn’t have the same vast audience as Amazon or Apple, which means authors may not generate as much revenue.
- Limited Marketing Opportunities: Kobo offers fewer marketing opportunities compared to platforms like Amazon, which might impact visibility and sales.
Ideal for: Authors targeting international readers, particularly in Canada, Europe, and parts of Asia.
Conclusion
The landscape of eBook publishing in 2025 offers a wealth of opportunities for authors to self-publish and reach global audiences. Choosing the right platform for your eBook depends on your specific goals, the type of audience you’re targeting, and the level of control you want over the publishing process. Whether you decide to go with Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Press, Smashwords, or Kobo Writing Life, each platform offers unique advantages to help you succeed in the competitive world of digital publishing. As the industry progresses, it’s essential to stay updated on the latest trends and emerging opportunities to optimize
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