Just like most self-published platforms, and ESPECIALLY with KDP, you as an indie writer can in fact put your book there and …. wait.
Yes, that’s EXACTLY how it feels like. With other platforms, you as the indie writer have most the control of your book, and sometimes, you get to keep the rights of it, but that’s the thing, in all of them, you feel abandoned.
You feel that you are there on your own, in the wild and fierce publishing jungle to fend for yourself and your profits (and sales), and as soon as you start making some money, IF you make sales at all, the platform you chose takes their BIG share of your profits, PLUS TAXES, PLUS MAINTAINANCE and extras. Yes, Amazon, that’s for you.
There are even “self-publishing” platforms that force you to PAY THEM in order for you to publish your ebook, “for free”. *coughs* Bookbaby *coughs*.
But these platforms don’t leave you “totally” abandoned… they help you some…. but for a big fee, and you realize that they don’t give a shit about you, or your book, but only about your profits.
Like, KDP stopped letting books be free. WHY?
But NONE of this happens on Draft2Digital. NONE OF IT!
D2D is AMAZING GUYS! And here’s why:
1- THEY CARE FOR YOU!
I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH!!! D2D CARES ABOUT INDIE WRITERS!
No, this is NOT a joke. They aren’t faking it. They aren’t just making it to be popular and then change. NO! They fucking CARE!
WHY? The one of the founders IS AN INDIE WRITER!!!!!!! Not only that, THEIR STAFF HAS INDIE WRITERS!!!!
INDIE WRITERS MAKE THE SOFTWARE!
They know what WE go through, because they go through the same. They understand our needs, frustrations and aspirations because THEY HAVE THE SAME! and, it SHOWS.
(By now, I’m sure that you realized that I absolutely love them, and let me tell you that I’m on their platform for only 3 days.)
2- THEIR COSTUMER SERVICE IS AMAAAAAAAAAAAZIIIIINNNNNNNG!
D2D has THE BEST Costumer Support team in the world of publishing! I’ve never experienced a costumer service so caring as theirs! HOLY CRAP!
Here’s my experience:
I was having a huge problem in publishing my poetry e-book collection, Wasted Hearts (+Lifter) – check it out here, because of line breaks and spaces. It was written in verse, so…. you imagine the size of the problem.
I tried and tried to change the formatting, and even went to the style guide, only to find that there are no line breaks on their conversion software. I almost cried.
Given that I’ve read reviews about D2D, and all of them told that their costumer service was great, I tried my luck with them. I sent them an email, and expected to be answered in like…. 24h.
15 minutes later, I got an answer addressing my problem, with a solution about my specific problem, written in perfect english…. BY A REAL PERSON! IT WASN’T AN AUTOMATED MESSAGE telling me why I didn’t have lines or showing me a manual on how to format my ebook, or looping me.
A REAL person named Carmen, addressing my problem and giving me a guide, WITH STEPS, on a workaround that SHE found out, and that would guarantee that I had the line breaks and the spaces!
SHE FUCKING HIGHLIGHTED WHERE I SHOULD PAY ATTENTION AND WHERE TO CHANGE THE FORMATTING ON THE DOC FILE!
I was dumbfolded. I couldn’t believe my eyes. So I replied to the email discussing her solution and asking more questions on the possibilities that I had to work with. Just to test and you know, get more specifics about it.
AFTER 5 MINUTES, Carmen, answered ALL OF MY QUESTIONS, and explained me EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW about her solution and the options I had to work with. We talked for like… 45 minutes on this until I worked out a solution and went to work and here’s the finished product- Wasted Hearts (+Lifter) – check it out here -. Try to get THAT from Amazon or Smashwords staff.
After it was done, I went to work on my poetry books. (On a side-note, If you have poetry books you will be pusblihing with D2D – Sign in here – , and want your poetry books formatted right and dandy, contact me on twitter)
3- You keep 90% of your profits and get global distribution for FREE!
D2D only takes 10% of your profits and distributes your books to big name stores like Barnes & Noble, libraries and even subscription based platforms like Scrib! FOR FREE! Sure, these stores take their cut too, it’s only natural, but the pros outweigh the cons.
Not only that! D2D is SO worried about YOUR success that they have a bunch of ways for you to make more money and get more exposure for your books available on their site. LIKE HECK! YOU CAN OPEN YOUR OWN PUBLISHER THERE! It’s AMAZING!
They have a READERS platform connected to the publishing platform, where your books get exposed directly to readers ! READERS CAN SUBSCRIBE TO YOU and receive an email whenever you publish a new BOOK! FOR FREE! HOLY CRAP!
Yes, and you can start publishing with them now!
4- They have PAYONEER!!!!!
Just like MANY indie writers, I don’t live in the US, and this makes it HYPER difficult to get paid online. As I live in Angola, South-western Africa, you cannot even imagine the struggles I have to face to be able to get paid. Payoneer helps.
“But wait, doesn’t KDP has this payment option as well?”
It does.
“So what’s the big deal about it?”
Well, unlike Amazon, that pays you once EVERY 3 FUCKING MONTHS, D2D pays you MONTHLY! YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!
They allow you to receive payments through: Bank deposit, Check, Paypal AND PAYONEER! AND THEY PAY YOU ONCE EVERY MONTH!!!!! HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!
I’ve read an article that said that when the ‘Rona crisis hit, or something like that, some stores delayed their payments, due to, you know, the ‘Rona, so D2D, got some of their money and PAID the royalties to writers on their behalf, in order for indie writers of THEIR platform get their payment in time.
LIKE, WTF?! I’ve read stories were people got blocked from receiving money and their accounts got cancelled on Amazon for doing ABSOLUTELY SQUAT! I’ve read a story or two about Smashwords as well. Like I’m not hating on them, this is just a review, but I have published books with both platforms, and I read a lot about the services I use so I know what I’m dealing with.
THAT’S the kind of people you will be dealing with on D2D. They are truly amazing and I think that EVERY single Indie writer should move their books there. If you don’t have an account, create one here.
5- It’s simple AND straighforward.
Publishing your ebook with D2D is a 5-10min process, if you have your book formatted for such.
If you have a novel, it will be something VERY simple. Read their guide style first, above all, and you will thank me. It’s a 5 min read, and it’s very easy to find on their site.
IF you are publishing poetry, in verse, you will have some BIG issues, but you can hit me on twitter @julio_reviews, send me your book and I will format it for a tiny fee.
But the overall publishing process is VERY simple and really, a no-brainer.
If you don’t have an account with them, create one here and try it out for yourself.
6- Informative and cool notification e-mails.
Have you ever looked forward to read a notification email? That ISN’T related to money?
Me neither. UNTIL….. D2D, and you know what? I didn’t regret it. THEIR EMAILS ARE GREAT, informative, fun looking, and have JOKES!!!! OMG!
I’ve NEVER SEEN something like this before! It’s OUT OF THIS WORLD!
D2D is THE platform that Indie writers ARE looking for. Waste no more time and join us. XD Welcome to the fam!
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