5 Publishing platforms where best-selling authors hang out
Business

5 Publishing platforms where best-selling authors hang out

There are many publishing platforms available which have extensive benefits, but when choosing the right one for you, you need to consider how much help you’d like. Do-it-yourself self-publishing platforms require that you take care of everything that occurs before publication is made possible. This includes the book’s design, marketing, and editing. This option is great for those who love working with technology. 

However, if you’d rather focus on the writing, and prefer leaving the rest up to someone self, then you should look at a one-stop shop self-publishing platform. This type of company will cover the design elements of the book, the publicity, and the editing so that you don’t have to worry about it. With this, you still retain copyright and publishing rights, as well as creative freedom, but you can leave the nitty-gritty parts of publishing a book to a company that has experience with it. 

Mindstir Media

Mindstir Media stands out as being the best self-publishing platform and has been awarded many times. The services offered include help with the book design, aid when it comes to marketing and getting sufficient publicity, and access to a distribution list of approximately 30,000 booksellers, retailers, and wholesalers in more than 100 countries.

Seacoast Press

This platform is well-established in the industry for helping new clients become best-selling authors. They have a massive distribution list through Ingram so the new work will be made available to retailers numbering in the thousands. They offer a Best Seller package which includes extensive marketing and publicity strategies. One great thing about Seacoast Press is that authors get 100% royalties. 

Kobo Writing Life (also known as Rakuten Kobo)

This platform is great for authors who want to self-publish, but it’s only available for the ebook format. They provide distribution to online shops in more than 190 countries, but they don’t offer help with marketing and publicity, book design, and editorial services. In essence, this is the ultimate do-it-yourself platform. 

Barnes & Noble Press (used to be known as Nook Press)

This platform is user-friendly, and very well-known and respected in the industry. The platform can be used to help authors self-publish their work in eBook format, paperback, and hardcover formats. However, distribution is only possible on Nook devices and BN.com. As with Kobo Writing Life, Barnes & Noble Press is also a do-it-yourself platform which doesn’t provide editorial services, help with the design of your book, or the marketing and publicity of your work. 

Smashwords

Smashwords primarily deals with the publication of eBooks, but they make sure that your work is distributed to significant retailers and tons of libraries. On the website, customers also get given “Author Pages.” This is a space where clients can advance their books. However, Smashwords does not provide any other services to help new authors. It is up to the client to get a cover design, and to get the text edited. Marketing and promotion will also need to be dealt with by the customer.