How Does Draft2Digital Distribute Ebooks and Paperbacks?
Draft2Digital (D2D) distributes your ebook and paperback to major online retailers plus hundreds of storefronts worldwide, and every storefront is opt-in — you check the box for the stores you want, and you can opt back out at any time. This "go wide" model suits authors who want broad reach without managing each retailer individually, or who want to keep some channels exclusive and add others selectively.
What "Go Wide" Means in Practice
The site describes distribution as covering "all the major retailers online, plus hundreds of storefronts worldwide," including retail and library partners. Rather than uploading your manuscript to each store yourself, you publish once through D2D and select your destinations.
Two mechanics matter most:
- Opt-in storefronts. Nothing is published to a store unless you select it. If your book is already listed with a specific retailer, you can select only the other stores you want.
- Reversible choices. You can opt back out of a store at any time, so channel decisions aren't permanent.
Ebooks and Paperbacks
D2D handles both formats through the same project flow:
| Format | How it's produced | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Ebook | Automated conversion and layout templates | Major online retailers and hundreds of storefronts worldwide |
| Paperback | D2D Print, the print-on-demand (POD) service | Available for online purchase worldwide |
The site positions D2D Print as comparable in effort to ebook publishing: "you can publish a paperback as quickly and easily as an ebook." Both formats are managed from one book project.
The Publishing Workflow
- Sign up — click the SIGN UP button and fill out your information.
- Upload your manuscript — this creates a book project.
- Format it — use the automated conversion and interior design templates to produce a layout that fits your genre.
- Choose storefronts — select which digital stores to publish to; each is opt-in.
- Publish and track — sales-tracking tools show which storefronts are selling, unit counts, and projected royalties.
The site explicitly encourages experimenting with the tools before committing: "We encourage you to play with the tools, get comf[ortable]."
Tracking Results
Sales and royalties are visible in one dashboard. Per the site, the tools show:
- Which storefronts are selling your books
- How many units are sold
- Projected royalties
- Customizable sales charts, so you can judge how marketing efforts are performing
Is This the Right Fit for Your Book?
D2D's distribution model fits you if:
- You want wide reach across many retailers and libraries without per-store uploads.
- You want granular control over which stores carry your book, with the ability to change that later.
- You want ebook and print-on-demand paperback handled in one place.
It may not fit if you need a channel or term the site doesn't describe — the available material covers retailer and library distribution, opt-in selection, POD paperbacks, and sales tracking, but not specific retailer lists, exclusivity programs, or pricing terms. Check those details directly before committing a title.