15 Best Self-Publishing Companies for New Authors: What I Learned Before Trusting One With My Books

If you are a first-time author looking for a self-publishing company, do not choose one simply because a website calls it “the best.” I learned that lesson from experience.

When I started publishing books, I did not fully understand the difference between having someone publish your book for you and actually controlling your publishing business. I paid an agency to handle parts of my publishing, including getting books onto platforms such as Amazon, Kobo and Apple. The books were published, but the experience taught me to look much more closely at ownership, access, royalties, distribution and exactly what I was paying for.

That experience changed the way I evaluate self-publishing companies.

After writing more than 80 books and spending years learning the practical side of book production, publishing, digital sales and author websites, I no longer ask only:

“Can this company publish my book?”

I ask:

“Who controls my book after I pay them?”

That is the question behind this list.

The 15 companies below are not interchangeable. Some are retailer-owned publishing platforms. Some are distributors. Some specialize in print-on-demand. Others provide professional publishing services or connect authors with individual publishing specialists.

So rather than giving you an arbitrary “number one” through “number fifteen” ranking, I will explain what each company actually does and the type of author it may suit.

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My experience changed how I evaluate self-publishing companies

My first publishing experience taught me something I wish I had understood before spending money:

Publishing a book is not the same as building an author business.

An agency can get your book onto Amazon.

A distributor can send your book to multiple retailers.

A print-on-demand company can manufacture your paperback.

A designer can create your cover.

None of those things automatically gives you readers.

And none of them should require you to surrender more control than necessary.

When I eventually began learning the process myself, I had to understand things I previously knew very little about: manuscript preparation, formatting, paperback cover dimensions, pricing, book descriptions, publishing dashboards, royalties and the relationship between a book and the platform selling it.

That learning process eventually became one of the reasons I developed my own publishing and web-design capabilities.

If you are still at the stage of figuring out the entire publishing process, my First-Time Author Publishing Checklist gives you the broader sequence. This article, however, is deliberately narrower: which type of self-publishing company should you trust with your book?

When I evaluate a publishing company today, I want to know:

• Do I retain ownership of my manuscript and publishing rights?
• Can I access my own publishing account?
• Can I change my book details myself?
• Can I see sales and royalty information?
• What happens if I stop using the company?
• Where is the book actually being sold?
• Is the company a retailer, distributor, printer or service provider?
• What am I paying for?
• Are there recurring fees?
• Can I take my files and continue somewhere else?

Those questions matter more to a new author than a glossy promise of “global publishing.”

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15 self-publishing companies and platforms worth knowing

1. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

Best suited to: Authors who want to publish directly to Amazon.

Amazon KDP is the platform I know most closely from my own publishing journey.

KDP allows authors to publish ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers, with eligible print books produced through print-on-demand.

For a first-time author, one of its biggest advantages is that you do not need to hire a traditional publisher simply to make your book available on Amazon.

But this is where I would add a warning from experience.

KDP is a publishing platform, not a magic “upload and sell” button.

You still need to produce a good manuscript, prepare the interior correctly, create an appropriate cover, write strong metadata, choose pricing carefully and understand what happens after publication.

I learned many of these things by making mistakes.

My early difficulties included formatting, paperback cover dimensions, pricing, book descriptions and understanding how royalties worked.

That experience is why I tell new authors not to think of KDP as a company that will build the entire publishing business for you.

It is a publishing tool.

You still have to become the publisher.

If Amazon is the route you are considering, I recommend reading my practical guide on how to publish your first book before paying somebody else to upload the manuscript for you.

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2. IngramSpark

Best suited to: Authors interested in wider print distribution, particularly where bookstores, libraries and trade distribution are part of the plan.

IngramSpark is one of the names that repeatedly appears when independent authors investigate wider print distribution.

The important thing to understand is that IngramSpark is not simply “another Amazon.”

It occupies a different part of the publishing ecosystem.

If your primary objective is publishing directly to Amazon, KDP may be the platform you are thinking about.

If you are thinking about wider print distribution, IngramSpark belongs in your research.

The practical question is therefore not:

“Is IngramSpark better than KDP?”

It is:

“Do I need what IngramSpark provides that my current publishing setup does not?”

That is a much more useful question for a new author.

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3. Draft2Digital

Best suited to: Authors who want to distribute ebooks to multiple retailers through one publishing account.

Draft2Digital becomes interesting when an author does not want to manually manage every ebook retailer individually.

That matters because wide distribution creates an administrative problem.

Publishing one book is one thing.

Publishing ten, twenty or fifty books across several retailers is another.

An aggregator can reduce some of that administrative work by connecting authors with multiple stores through one service.

For a new author, however, I would first understand which retailers you actually want before handing your entire distribution strategy to an aggregator.

Do not choose wide distribution simply because “more stores” sounds better.

Know where your readers are.

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4. Kobo Writing Life

Best suited to: Authors who want to publish ebooks directly through Kobo.

Kobo Writing Life is Kobo’s self-publishing service for independent authors.

It is particularly worth investigating if you want to reach readers outside Amazon’s ecosystem.

I like the ownership principle because it reflects one of the biggest lessons I learned from my early publishing experience:

The author should understand what they are giving the platform and what they are retaining.

For an author going wide with ebooks, Kobo is therefore worth investigating rather than assuming Amazon has to be the only digital retailer.

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5. Barnes & Noble Press

Best suited to: Authors interested in publishing through the Barnes & Noble ecosystem.

Barnes & Noble Press is another retailer-specific publishing option.

The important distinction is that you are dealing with a publishing platform connected to a particular retail ecosystem rather than paying a company simply to “publish everywhere.”

That distinction matters.

Whenever you see a publishing service promising distribution to numerous retailers, ask whether it is:

1. publishing your book directly;
2. distributing your book to other retailers;
3. printing your book;
4. providing professional services; or
5. doing several of these things together.

Understanding that difference makes comparing companies much easier.

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6. Apple Books for Authors

Best suited to: Authors focused on Apple Books ebooks and audiobooks.

Apple Books is another important digital retail destination for authors publishing ebooks.

For a new author, the attraction is straightforward: instead of relying entirely on one retailer, you can consider whether Apple Books should be part of your wider ebook strategy.

But remember something I learned early:

Being listed in another store is not the same as having another audience.

Distribution gives you availability.

It does not automatically create demand.

That distinction should influence how much money you spend on publishing services.

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7. Lulu

Best suited to: Authors looking for print-on-demand and self-publishing options.

Lulu is worth examining when your project is particularly print-focused or when you need publishing options beyond a single retailer.

This can be useful for authors producing workbooks, journals, specialist books or other projects where physical production matters.

But I would still compare the complete economics before choosing it:

• production cost;
• distribution deductions;
• selling price;
• author royalty;
• author copies;
• shipping; and
• where the customer actually purchases the book.

The headline royalty percentage alone does not tell you what you will actually make.

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8. BookBaby

Best suited to: Authors who want a more managed publishing experience and are willing to pay for professional services.

BookBaby occupies a different position from a DIY platform such as KDP.

That difference is important for beginners.

If you are uncomfortable handling editing, design, printing or other production tasks yourself, a service company can be attractive because you are paying for convenience and assistance.

But this is where my own early experience becomes relevant.

I paid someone else to handle parts of my publishing process before I fully understood what I was paying for.

I would not make that decision the same way today.

Before paying a company, ask for the service to be broken down.

For example:

What exactly am I paying you to do?

Is it:

• editing?
• proofreading?
• cover design?
• formatting?
• ISBN?
• distribution?
• uploading?
• marketing?
• advertising?
• printing?
• account management?

The clearer the answer, the easier it becomes to judge whether the package makes sense.

And before you accept a large package price, understand the individual costs involved. My guide to how much it costs to publish a book breaks publishing expenses down into editing, design, formatting, printing and other components.

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9. PublishDrive

Best suited to: Authors interested in broad digital distribution.

PublishDrive is another distribution platform worth researching if your goal is to reach multiple ebook stores rather than manually uploading to every retailer.

For a new author, the attraction is convenience.

But convenience has a cost, whether that cost is a percentage of revenue, a subscription, a service fee or simply reduced direct control over individual retailer accounts.

Before signing up, calculate the cost against the number of books you expect to publish and the amount of revenue you realistically expect.

Do not pay for a sophisticated distribution system that solves a problem you do not yet have.

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10. Blurb

Best suited to: Authors whose books depend heavily on visual presentation and print quality.

Blurb is particularly relevant to photography, art, illustrated books and visually rich projects.

This is one area where the type of book matters enormously.

A 40,000-word business book does not have the same production priorities as a photography book.

A new author should therefore choose the publishing company according to the physical characteristics of the book, not simply according to a list of popular publishing companies.

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11. Reedsy

Best suited to: Authors who want to hire individual publishing professionals rather than hand the entire project to one publishing company.

Reedsy is slightly different from the other names on this list.

It is better understood as a marketplace for publishing professionals than as a retailer like Amazon KDP.

That can actually be useful.

Instead of buying a large publishing package, you can hire specific professionals for specific jobs.

For example:

• an editor for editing;
• a designer for the cover;
• a formatter for the interior.

This approach fits the lesson I eventually learned myself:

You do not necessarily need one company to control every part of your publishing process.

Sometimes you simply need the right professional for the part you cannot do yourself.

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12. StreetLib

Best suited to: Authors looking for international digital distribution.

StreetLib is another name worth investigating when your publishing plan involves international digital distribution.

For authors who intend to publish many books, international availability can become more important than simply putting one title on one store.

But I would start with your reader rather than the platform.

Where are your readers?

What format do they buy?

Which retailers do they use?

How much administrative work are you prepared to handle?

Those answers should come before the platform.

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13. BookVault

Best suited to: Authors interested in print-on-demand production and fulfilment.

BookVault belongs in the print-production side of the discussion.

This is important because some authors confuse distribution with printing.

They are not the same thing.

A company can print your book without being your primary retailer.

A distributor can make your book available to retailers without being the company that handles your direct customer relationship.

A retailer can sell your book without being your publisher in the traditional sense.

Once you understand these distinctions, publishing becomes much less confusing.

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14. Google Play Books

Best suited to: Authors who want another major digital ebook storefront.

Google Play Books is relevant to authors thinking beyond Amazon and looking at the wider ebook market.

For a new author, I would not automatically recommend opening accounts everywhere on day one.

Start with a manageable publishing system.

Get one book working properly.

Understand your metadata, pricing, sales reports and reader response.

Then expand.

That is much easier to manage than opening ten accounts and becoming overwhelmed by ten dashboards.

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15. XinXii

Best suited to: Authors interested in additional ebook distribution, particularly for international and European markets.

XinXii is another digital publishing and distribution option worth researching when an author wants to expand beyond the largest English-language retail platforms.

I would place this kind of platform in the expansion stage of a publishing strategy rather than treating it as something every first-time author must use immediately.

Your first objective should be to establish a publishing process you can actually manage.

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The most important lesson I learned: a publishing company is not your publishing business

This is where I approach the subject differently from many “15 best companies” articles online.

A new author may read a list like this and think:

“I just need to find the company that will publish my book.”

That is not necessarily the right mindset.

When I began, I thought getting the book published was the main victory.

It wasn’t.

Getting the book online was only one part of the job.

You still need to know:

• how the book is presented;
• what the description says;
• what the cover communicates;
• what price you are charging;
• where the book is available;
• how readers find it;
• how royalties are calculated;
• how you communicate with readers; and
• what happens if you want to move your book somewhere else.

That is why I now place such a high value on ownership and access.

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Five things I would check before paying any self-publishing company

1. Who owns the publishing account?

This is one of the first questions I would ask.

If a company creates the account for you, find out whether:

• you have your own login;
• you can see sales;
• you can change metadata;
• you can update pricing;
• you can access royalty information; and
• you can continue managing the book if you stop using the company.

Do not treat this as a minor administrative detail.

It can become extremely important later.

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2. Who owns the ISBN?

Ask this before publication.

Do not assume an ISBN arrangement is the same across every service.

If a company provides an ISBN, understand whose name is associated with the publishing record and what happens if you later move the book.

Your long-term publishing plans matter.

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3. What happens if you leave?

This is one of my favourite questions to ask any publishing service:

“If I decide not to use you again, what happens to my book?”

You should understand:

• whether you can move your files;
• whether you retain your rights;
• whether your account remains accessible;
• whether your book can remain available elsewhere; and
• whether there are termination restrictions.

Never wait until you want to leave before discovering the answer.

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4. How are royalties actually calculated?

Do not stop at:

“You receive 70% royalties.”

That statement may leave out important details.

The percentage is only one part of the calculation.

You need to understand the selling price, retailer deductions, printing costs, distribution charges and other applicable expenses.

If you are trying to determine whether a publishing package makes financial sense, you can use my Book Publishing Cost Calculator to estimate your own publishing budget before committing money.

The calculator is not a quotation. It is a planning tool that helps you identify what you may actually need to spend.

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5. What are you actually buying?

This is where many first-time authors can save money.

If a company offers a $1,500, $3,000 or $5,000 publishing package, don’t immediately ask whether the price is expensive.

First ask:

What exactly is included?

Then compare those services with what you could obtain separately.

You may discover that you need:

• editing;
• cover design;
• formatting;
• ISBN assistance;
• distribution;

but not an expensive “publishing package.”

Or you may discover that you genuinely need professional help.

The important thing is to know the difference.

For Nigerian authors, the calculation can be quite different because local editing, design, printing and other costs are not identical to U.S. publishing costs. I created a separate Nigeria self-publishing cost calculator for that reason.

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What I would choose based on the publishing job

Instead of giving every company a meaningless overall score, I would think about them like this:

Your publishing need	Companies/platforms to investigate
Amazon ebook and paperback	Amazon KDP
Wider print distribution	IngramSpark
Multiple ebook retailers	Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, StreetLib
Kobo readers	Kobo Writing Life
Barnes & Noble ecosystem	Barnes & Noble Press
Apple ebook readers	Apple Books
Print-focused projects	Lulu, BookVault, Blurb
Professional publishing freelancers	Reedsy
International ebook expansion	Kobo Writing Life, StreetLib, PublishDrive, Draft2Digital
Managed publishing services	BookBaby and similar service companies

This is a more useful way to interpret a list of “best” companies.

You are not really choosing the best company in the abstract.

You are choosing a publishing route.

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Don’t pay someone to do something you can learn

I learned this gradually.

When I first started, I assumed some publishing tasks were too complicated for me.

Then I had to learn them because I wanted greater control over my books.

I learned book formatting.

I learned how paperback covers work.

I learned how to prepare books for digital platforms.

I learned about book descriptions and metadata.

I learned web design because I wanted a place where readers could find my books outside the retailer platforms.

That knowledge changed the way I publish.

I am not saying every author should become a graphic designer, editor, formatter and web developer.

That would be unrealistic.

My point is different:

Know enough about every part of publishing to know what you are paying someone else to do.

That single principle can protect a first-time author from many expensive decisions.

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Publishing does not guarantee sales

This is probably the most important practical lesson I can give a new author.

My early experience taught me that getting a book onto a retailer is only the beginning.

A published book still needs:

• a clear title;
• a professional cover;
• a useful description;
• appropriate categories;
• relevant keywords;
• sensible pricing;
• discoverability; and
• an audience.

And even those things do not guarantee sales.

That is why I eventually became interested in building an author website and direct reader relationships rather than depending entirely on a retailer.

Your publishing company should not be expected to become your entire marketing strategy.

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If this is your first book, don’t start with 15 companies

This may sound strange in an article about 15 self-publishing companies, but it is advice I would give from experience.

You probably do not need all 15.

Start by answering three questions.

Where do I want readers to buy my book?

Amazon?

Multiple ebook retailers?

Bookstores?

Your own website?

Several of these?

What format am I publishing?

• Ebook?
• Paperback?
• Hardcover?
• Audiobook?
• Illustrated book?

How much of the process can I handle myself?

If you can prepare your files yourself, you may need a platform rather than an expensive publishing package.

If you need professional editing and design, you may need individual specialists or a managed service.

If you want wider distribution, you may need a distributor.

The answer becomes much clearer once you know which problem you are actually trying to solve.

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A simple checklist before you sign anything

Before paying a self-publishing company, write down the answers to these questions.

Ownership

• Do I retain copyright?
• Who owns the ISBN?
• Who controls the publishing account?

Access

• Do I have my own login?
• Can I see sales?
• Can I see royalty statements?
• Can I change my book information?

Production

• Who edits the manuscript?
• Who designs the cover?
• Who formats the book?
• How many revisions are included?

Distribution

• Where will my book actually be sold?
• Is distribution exclusive?
• Can I publish the same book elsewhere?
• Can I withdraw the book?

Money

• What is the total upfront cost?
• Are there recurring fees?
• What percentage does the company retain?
• Are printing costs deducted?
• Are distribution fees deducted?
• When and how will I be paid?

Exit

• What happens if I stop using the company?
• Can I take my files?
• Can I move the book to another platform?
• Do I retain control of my retailer accounts?

If you cannot get straightforward answers to these questions, slow down before paying.

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Final advice for a first-time author

If you are publishing your first book, don’t choose a company because it appears first in a Google search or because its website promises to make you a successful author.

Look at the actual publishing model.

Understand what you are paying for.

Keep control of your intellectual property and publishing information where appropriate.

Learn enough about publishing to supervise the people you hire.

And choose the platform according to where you want the book to go.

That is how I approach publishing today.

The goal is not simply to become published.

The goal is to understand what you are building so that your first book does not become the last thing you control.