Royalty Rates
At Draft2Digital, it’s our mission to help authors become more successful. That’s why we’ve never charged up front fees for our core publishing and distribution services. We strive to make publishing as affordable and accessible to as many authors as possible.
Our business model is commission-based. This means we don’t earn revenue unless you do. This approach aligns the success of our business with the success of yours.
What do you get in exchange for this commission? We handle the heavy lifting of file conversion and global retail and library distribution so you don’t have to contend with multiple platforms and differing requirements. It also includes the continuous outreach our promotion team handles with merchandising managers at retailers and libraries to get D2D authors’ books placed in curated promotions, themed lists and storefront features.
Here’s what we pay authors who distribute through D2D
Royalty percentages shown are approximations due to rounding and currency exchange rates.
| Digital Store | Royalty to Author | Pricing Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 60% or 35% | 60% when list price is $2.99-$9.99, otherwise 35%. |
| Apple | 60% | Applies to all prices. |
| Barnes & Noble | 60% | Applies to all prices. |
| Fable | 60% | Applies to all prices. |
| Gardners | 60% | Applies to all prices. |
| Kobo | 60% | Applies to all prices. |
| Smashwords | 75% or 40% | 75% on ebooks priced $2.99 or higher. 40% on ebooks priced below $2.99. |
| Tolino | 60% | Applies to all prices. |
| Vivlio | 55% | Applies to all prices. |
| Subscription Service | Royalty to Author | Pricing Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Everand | 60% | 60% when a subscriber reads past 10% of your ebook. |
| Kobo Plus | 51% of your portion of the subscription pool | 51% of revenue generated from subscription readers, calculated by total revenue/minutes read. |
| Library Service | OCOU Royalty to Author | CPC Royalty to Author | Pricing Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BorrowBox | 46% | Not Offered | OCOU is when a library purchases a digital copy. |
| cloudLibrary | 46% | Not Offered | OCOU is when a library purchases a digital copy. |
| Hoopla | Not Offered | 3.8% | CPC is paid per each check out from a participating library. Hoopla's CPC payouts are based on a tiered pricing model. |
| Odilo | 46% | 4.6% | OCOU is when a library purchases a digital copy. CPC is paid per each check out from a participating library. |
| OverDrive | 46% | 4.6% | OCOU is when a library purchases a digital copy. CPC is paid per each check out from a participating library. |
For more information visit our Library payment options page.
Smashwords Royalty Rates
Since 2008, the Smashwords store paid royalties using a complicated formula that was based on the dollar amount of the shopping cart checkout rather than the price of the book. Smashwords is simplifying the rate structure so it’s more transparent, predictable, and easier to understand.
Effective January 1, 2026, books priced under $2.99 will earn 40% list.
Books priced $2.99 and higher will earn 75% list, the highest among all major ebook retailers.
New Rates Compared to Previous Rates
| Price | Old Royalty | Old % | New Royalty | New % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.99 | $0.56 | 57% | $0.40 | 40% |
| $1.99 | $1.39 | 70% | $0.80 | 40% |
| $2.99 | $2.21 | 74% | $2.24 | 75% |
| $3.99 | $3.04 | 76% | $2.99 | 75% |
| $4.99 | $3.86 | 77% | $3.74 | 75% |
| $5.99 | $4.69 | 78% | $4.49 | 75% |
| $6.99 | $5.51 | 79% | $5.24 | 75% |
| $7.99 | $6.34 | 79% | $5.99 | 75% |
| $8.99 | $7.16 | 80% | $6.74 | 75% |
| $9.99 | $7.99 | 80% | $7.49 | 75% |