Draft2Digital 2 Fees

[gmw]

Draft2Digital are introducing fees on accounts. An activation fee and an annual maintenance fee. Here's what the website says:

For accounts that want to publish, there is a one-time activation fee of $20 (USD) for new accounts and an annual maintenance fee of $12 (USD) for accounts that earn less than one-hundred dollars a year in book sales. Accounts with no titles in distribution (no active request to list at stores) are not subject to the maintenance fee. Draft2Digital earns revenue primarily through commission on book sales, which equates to approximately 10% of the retail price of every book sale. For accounts earning less than one-hundred dollars a year in book sales, the maintenance fee helps offset ongoing compliance, security, and infrastructure costs.

According to the email they sent me, the first maintenance fee will be applied to applicable existing accounts starting from 14-May-2026.


The Smashwords and Draft2Digital merger started back in late 2022 and early 2023. I imagine D2D inherited a LOT of authors from Smashwords that were using the service to publish books and short stories for free. The question will be: will they pay or will the work disappear from ... well, almost everywhere. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.


1-May ETA: Updated website quote to reflect changes (in green) they have made since this was first posted.

[gmw]

I do have a few novels distributed through D2D but thanks, at least in part, to the fact that I haven't published anything new in over a decade, they are barely visible to most book browsers and see almost no sales any more (not that I was ever overwhelmed). Between those and the free short stories it looks like I have a choice between paying the fee or withdrawing from D2D and so Smashwords and all the other players it distributes to.

I don't think the fee is unreasonable. If I was still publishing there wouldn't really be a question, I'd want the books out there as a presence next to my new stuff. But until I get around to publishing anything new (I still hope that's going to happen when time permits), it's a cost that seems to have no justification from my side.

I'm not playing hard-done-by. I could afford the fee easily enough, but why pay for a service that's not being used from either side? If I just want my free shorts visible on the 'net, well they can stay on my website. If I want my novels to remain visible, they can stay where they were published directly without the aid of D2D.

So at this stage I'm expecting to withdraw from D2D/Smashwords ... but I'll give it a week or two before making it final.

[Dr. Drib]

I'm leaving them.

Looks like I'll have to send an email to cancel all business with them.

I'll then release it myself on Amazon.

[Quoth]

Google and Amazon list for free.
Not sure about Kobo & Apple.

It's not $100 in sales, but $100 in earnings from sales that cancels the $12 fee.


Another benefit of the LLM AI.

The company we used managing domains sold out and the annual renewal has doubled or tripled. We had separate accounts on Smashwords & D2D originally and didn't like D2D. We found them inflexible and awkward, so we had misgivings about the takeover. Ingram Spark charges per title? 24Bookprint don't charge except for proofs and copies sold (paper editions).

Amazon have gone useless: First the badly designed KFX to replace KF8/Azw3, then ending Browser Downloads and finally pointlessly killing downloads. Oh, also the rise in pointless Print Replica for novels and novels getting pulled from everywhere else due to Exclusive.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/live-na...ting-industry/
Amazon has over 90% of English language eBook sales world wide, over 80% of online paper book sales in USA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ions_by_Amazon
They just took over the company that supplies Apple/iPhone via satellite.

So this is part of a wider picture of gloom.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I'm leaving them.

Looks like I'll have to send an email to cancel all business with them.

I'll then release it myself on Amazon.

B***** typical. Sign up can be done almost by accident, but they always obscure the exit. Reminds me of one of David Gilmour's solo releases: "There's No Way Out of Here" (with the refrain "when you come in, you're in for good." )

Originally Posted by Quoth

Google and Amazon list for free.
Not sure about Kobo & Apple.

[...]

So this is part of a wider picture of gloom.

Kobo do not charge any fees. I have my novels direct with Amazon and Kobo, and so far neither have suggested the burden is too much to bear.

But then, given your cheerful notes about the "wider picture gloom", maybe that's on its way.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by gmw

B***** typical. Sign up can be done almost by accident, but they always obscure the exit. Reminds me of one of David Gilmour's solo releases: "There's No Way Out of Here" (with the refrain "when you come in, you're in for good." )




Kobo do not charge any fees. I have my novels direct with Amazon and Kobo, and so far neither have suggested the burden is too much to bear.

But then, given your cheerful notes about the "wider picture gloom", maybe that's on its way.

And don't forget this famous lyric:

"You can check out any time you like /
But you can never leave" *

And there's still no response to my email.

* Eagles

[Adam Scribentis]

I'm staying with D2D. I don't mind $12 a year for what I get out of their service.

[Dr. Drib]

They got back to me about a week ago. They were most courteous.

Nevertheless, I chose to delete all my active books - but not my account.

To be absolutely clear: I will not be charged a maintenance fee, and they were extremely clear and courteous in their email to me.

ADDED: The second link below is therefore no longer active. I will add a corrected link after a shot (or two) of Pisco (feet propped up on ottoman) and a bit of reading on my still pristine-looking, no-regrets Kindle Scribe (First Generation).

[gmw]

Thanks for the update Dr. Drib. I see Draft2Digital have updated the website with this clarification (that you're only charged maintenance if you have books in distribution), so I updated the OP quote to match.