The New Cost of Going Wide

CEO Kris Austin explains why Draft2Digital.com is charging fees to new and existing self-published authors to use its distribution platform

This feature first appeared in the August 2026 print issue of Writing Magazine

Writing Magazine — August 2026 — Photo by author

On 14th May 2026, Draft2Digital introduced new fees for self-published authors using their service. Before they introduced these fees, the only cost to authors was a 10% cost based on their book’s retail price, which was deducted from royalty payments. Authors only paid a fee if their books sold.

Self-published authors use Draft2Digital to distribute their books to up to fifteen other book platforms, including Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, as well as several library services like OverDrive, BorrowBox, and Hoopla. With one Draft2Digital account, self-published authors can make their books available to a huge readership right around the world.

However, much to the consternation of some writers, Draft2Digital introduced two new fees. The first is an account activation fee for users who want to publish books. (D2D offers some other services, which remain free.) All new accounts opened with Draft2Digital will be subject to a $20 activation fee when they’re ready to publish their first book. This is a once-only…