Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover self-publishing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Blurb | Draft2Digital | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $3.99 | From $20 |
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | One-time purchase |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | One-time purchase | One-time purchase |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | 10% of what you earn |
| Runs on | Web, macOS, Windows | Not stated |
| Covers | Self-Publishing, Merch & Print on Demand | Self-Publishing, Digital Products & Storefronts |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
Print books and magazines one copy at a time
Blurb prints a single copy as readily as a hundred, which is what makes a photo book, a zine or a portfolio possible without an inventory. Layout happens in its own tools or in InDesign through a plugin. Paper stock and trim size move the unit price a long way, so the calculator is worth opening before the design is finished.
Our note
Paper stock moves the price further than page count does, with the same photo book running from $32 to $70. Work out the real cost at the binding you want before setting it against Lulu. The $12 headline is the cheapest possible configuration.
Only on this side
One upload, every ebook store
Draft2Digital takes one manuscript and lists it at Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Amazon and a long tail of libraries, which is the alternative to keeping an account at each. Its formatting and print-on-demand are included rather than sold. The commission is on top of whatever the store already takes.
Our note
Going wide through Draft2Digital and staying in KDP Select are mutually exclusive, and that is the actual decision. Select pays page reads from Kindle Unlimited; wide distribution pays from stores Amazon does not own. Do not start both.
Only on this side
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.