Should You Self Publish on Kobo? Pros and Cons for Ebook Authors
Why publish on Kobo Writing Life?
Ebook authors have many options when it comes to self-publishing (indie publishing).
Here’s a great one:
While Amazon KDP is the major player in the US, it is not the only option, and, as you’ll soon learn, Amazon is not the biggest name everywhere in the world. Far from it.
For some authors looking to “go wide”—that is, to reach a wider audience by publishing and selling books on more than just Amazon,
self-publishing an ebook to Kobo and its many partners worldwide—either directly through Kobo Writing Life, or through a distributor / aggregator may be worth considering.
On “going wide,” there’s a great book, Wide for the Win, that I highly recommend, by an author who sells thousands of books on Kobo, to boot.
(Here’s a direct link to Kobo Writing Life for Authors.)
What this author resource is about and who it’s for
Here we’ll consider the pros and cons of Kobo and the pros and cons of self-publishing an ebook on Kobo directly vs. self-publishing that same ebook using an aggregator / distributor that will then list it on Kobo for you.
This is for you indie ebook authors and others interested in Kobo who are wondering “Should I self-publish to Kobo?” and I hope it will help people weigh how to publish and sell books on Kobo—whether directly or through, say, IngramSpark or Draft2Digital.
I use “aggregator” and “distributor” interchangeably to refer to a company that is the author’s intermediary by making an ebook available for download from an online retailer on behalf of the author, in exchange for a cut of the author’s sales (typically 10 or 15 percent) or a monthly fee.
Scroll down to read more.
Kobo, at a glance
Kobo, an anagram for “book,” is a Toronto-based retailer of eReaders like the Kobo Libra 2, the Kobo Elipsa, and the Kobo Sage, and is a retailer and distributor of ebooks and audiobooks to a global market.
Kobo has localized storefronts in 40 countries and 25 retail partners.
Kobo Plus
Kobo also offers a monthly subscription-based service—Kobo Plus.
As of 2024, Kobo Plus is available to subscribers in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Kobo Plus books can only be read on Kobo devices or the Kobo app.
Through Kobo Writing Life or through an aggregator (distributor), ebook and audiobook authors can make their books available on Kobo, including on Kobo Plus.
Kobo Plus requires no author exclusivity, and unlike other self-publishing retailers, Kobo Plus pays authors from a shared pool based on minutes read by readers in each given country.
Kobo Writing Life Podcast (and its best episodes)
Kobo also offers the Kobo Writing Life podcast, one of the best podcasts for authors. I highly recommend the following episodes for authors looking for tips on the Kobo Writing Life platform:
#300 – The Journey of an eBook with the KWL Team / Sep 13, 2022
#294 – How to Become a Bestseller on Kobo / Jun 21, 2022
#237 – Master KWL Promotions with Kobo Strategist Shayna Krishnasamy / Mar 9, 2021
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Kobo Writing Life Pros and Cons
Pros of Kobo
You can reach readers in up to 190 countries worldwide, far more than Apple Books. And while Amazon may be the dominant player in the US and UK, it is far from that in other countries.
Kobo is an ideal way to reach avid fiction readers, especially Canadians. According to Kobo Writing Life Podcast #294, romance and thrillers are the most-read genres. And Kobo readers love serialized books. If that describes your books, you need Kobo!
According to a 2019–20 PublishDrive report Kobo has almost 25 percent of the Canadian ebook market, with 14.4 percent going to Apple Books.
Kobo’s worldwide market share is increasing. In 2020 Kobo became Booktopia’s exclusive digital reading partner and began providing eBooks, audiobooks, and ereaders to Booktopia’s Australian customers.
Kobo pays authors high royalties (70 percent) for ebooks and high visibility for ebook box sets sold exclusively on Kobo. (Apple Books offers the same.) See Kobo’s “What Will My Earnings Be?” page for more details on ebook and audiobook payments.
Kobo readers love box sets. And you can reasonably expect to charge 60% of the list price. Kobo offers higher royalties on box sets than Amazon.
You’ll have the choice to opt in to Kobo Plus, Kobo’s subscription-based service for readers.
If you publish directly to Kobo Writing Life, you’ll be able to apply to have your book included in exclusive promotions. Kobo has an outstanding promotions and merchandising department.
Authors like how Kobo Writing Life does its preorders—all you need to set up a pre-order is a placeholder file (a prologue/preface, sample chapter, or other teaser)—and you are not penalized if you have to change your pub. date.
You can count on outstanding author support.
Cons of publishing an ebook with Kobo Writing Life
In the US, you’re likely to sell more ebooks on Amazon and Apple Books than you are on Kobo—by a substantial margin. It might feel like a waste of time and energy to learn a new platform for such a small payoff.
In Australia and New Zealand, you’re likely to sell more books with Apple Books than on Kobo (but Kobo’s market share is growing).
There is a CAD $50 minimum earned to receive monthly payments.
Nonfiction authors and nonfiction book sets don’t do as well on Kobo as fiction authors and fiction box sets.
The Kobo website doesn’t have author pages. If a reader clicks on the author’s name, all they’ll see is a list of other books by the same author.
As of summer 2022, authors can’t find sales data for Kobo Plus reads and audiobook sales in their dashboard and must check monthly reports to find that information.
Is it better to publish directly to Kobo or through an aggregator?
Click on the link to see what Kobo has to say about that question and read the following:
How to publish directly to Kobo and the pros and cons of it
You can publish directly to Kobo through a simple process. The link will get you started.
(Here is a step-by-step guide on how to publish with Kobo Writing Life.)
Kobo has a conversion tool that will convert your file to the required EPUB file for you if you don’t already have an EPUB file.
Publishing directly to Kobo gives you more control of your metadata, access to more detailed reporting, knowledge of and access to more promotions, and more flexibility to set discounted pricing (should you be interested in doing so).
Using an aggregator / distributor to publish to Kobo Books and the pros and cons of it
You can also use an ebook aggregator or distributor to publish to Kobo. Kobo doesn’t give preferential treatment to books published directly through them vs. with an aggregator.
As of the time of writing, here are the aggregators and distributors that publish to Kobo: Draft2Digital, Smashwords, PublishDrive, StreetLib, XinXii, and IngramSpark.
Pros of using aggregators / distributors to publish on Kobo
With an aggregator, you can publish to multiple ebook retailers and wholesalers and have all the information in one centralized account and a more simplified accounting and payout process.
Let’s say you have already published with one of the above. Chances are you’ve probably checked a box (or unchecked a box) to say, in effect, “Yeah, put my book up on Kobo.”
Note: If you publish a book directly to Kobo first, and then you go to publish an ebook on IngramSpark, you’ll run into problems—and either have duplicative listings (that will confuse and turn off readers or worse!
For that reason, I probably would follow the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLI) Recommendations for Publishing Wide and I would not distribute my ebook through IngramSpark.
If you use an aggregator, you can also be nominated (by the aggregator staff) for special promotions.
Using an aggregator could save you time. And you won’t have to learn multiple self-publishing platforms/dashboards. Kobo’s is user-friendly, though!
Cons of using aggregators / distributors to publish with Kobo
“You can do it, absolutely, go through an aggregator,” as Kobo’s author relations manager Joni Di Franco explains.” Kobo will love you either way!
“But you won’t have the same level of control and we can’t help you directly with your books.” Any questions or requests related to your book will have to go through your aggregator.
“Your overall earnings will be better because the aggregator’s not taking a cut,” she adds. You’ll have to surrender 10 percent or more of your royalties (or a monthly fee) to an aggregator.
And there are some promos—like the Buy More Save More, and VIP promos—that “just go to our direct [authors].”
Want to know how to sell more books on Kobo?
Then don’t miss out on this podcast episode (full transcript available):
Hire a book publishing coach to guide you through the self-publishing process and answer your questions. See author coaching services here.
If you’re self-publishing for the first time, be sure to check out The Step-by-Step Self-Publishing Process online course, your guide to preparing and publishing your book or ebook like a pro.
Some other self-publishing platforms for authors:
Why Publish on Google Play Books? Click here to see my article on the pros and cons of Google Play Books for ebook authors.
Why Publish on Apple Books? Click here to see my article on the pros and cons of Apple Books for ebook authors.
Why Publish on Barnes & Noble Press? Click here to see my article on the pros and cons of Barnes & Noble Press for ebook authors.
Here’s to your successful self-publishing🥂,