Platform guide · Draft2Digital
How to publish with Draft2Digital
An ebook distributor can simplify the work of delivering a book to several stores, but it also makes a clear channel plan important. Draft2Digital offers ebook conversion and distribution tools, with D2D Print as a separate option. Start by recording where the book is already supplied and which destinations you want this service to handle.
This guide helps you organize that plan and the production package. Publishing Core can discuss optional editing, formatting, cover design and publishing support, while your Draft2Digital account and approvals remain under your control. Our service fee is separate from any current distributor or retailer charges.
Map direct and distributor-managed stores first
List each intended destination and the route that will supply it. Mark any direct retailer account, existing distributor and live edition. The aim is a usable map, not the largest possible number of overlapping services. Draft2Digital's FAQ advises against duplicate listings; selecting a store you already supply elsewhere can create avoidable maintenance problems.
For a book already on sale, record its identifiers and active channels before planning a transfer. Do not remove an old arrangement until you understand how the change will be handled and whether listing history will be affected. Ask the providers about an unclear transition rather than assuming a new upload replaces the old one.
Choose a conversion route and inspect the result
Prepare an edited, consistently structured source manuscript, or provide a finished EPUB if that is the agreed route. Draft2Digital describes tools for converting supported manuscript files and distributing existing EPUBs. Choose the route that preserves the reading experience your book needs rather than converting repeatedly through different programs.
Check the output as an ebook: contents, chapter order, notes, reading order, images and adjustable text. A file with complex tables or image-led layouts may need particular attention. Keep the conversion source and final checked EPUB together, with a record of any production decisions that are not obvious from the exported file.
Build one approved metadata and artwork package
Use a controlled sheet for the exact title, subtitle, author, series, description and relevant subject choices. Compare it with the title page and cover. A distributor passes information onward, so correcting inconsistent source information is more effective than trying to fix different retailer displays separately from memory.
Prepare a clean front-cover file and view it as a thumbnail. Keep promotional mockups separate from the image intended for store listings. Record font, artwork and photograph permissions with the final files. An edited manuscript, a cover image and an approved description should refer to the same edition.
Assess D2D Print separately from ebook distribution
Draft2Digital's FAQ treats its print and ebook services as separate opportunities. Do not select print simply because you have chosen its ebook tools. Review current print specifications, identifier rules and your other print-distribution arrangements before proceeding. A print edition needs its own interior, cover and proof process.
Write down what the print route will add to your existing setup. If another supplier already handles the edition's distribution, resolve overlap with provider support. Review the financial and production terms in the actual account rather than applying the ebook's settings to print. Record the author-approved choice in the release checklist.
Review store selection and commitments
You can choose ebook destinations from the options available in your Draft2Digital account. Review those choices against your rights and any exclusive ebook commitment elsewhere. A distributor does not make an otherwise ineligible or blocked title acceptable to a retailer, and no service provider should promise that it can bypass a retailer's decision.
Keep a short approval record for territories, prices and store selection. Identify which dashboard will handle updates and reports for each destination. Where several contributors share a project, agree responsibilities and any payment arrangements directly through the appropriate provider process; do not share banking information through an agency's public inquiry form.
Check delivery and keep the distribution map current
Allow for different stores to process a release or correction at different speeds. Review the available listings against the approved description, cover and edition details. Record a problem with a precise store link and screenshot so it can be discussed with the responsible service. Do not confuse a delay at one store with a failure of every channel.
At handover, retain the checked ebook, cover, source manuscript, metadata, permissions and the store-by-store route map. Update that map whenever you change a distributor or add a direct account. It should help a future editor or designer identify where a corrected edition needs to go without creating another competing delivery.
Your next step
For a free initial consultation, bring your current distribution map or a simple list of existing retailer accounts. We can identify gaps in the production work and discuss a separate paid scope. Distribution reach, platform acceptance and sales remain different outcomes.
Further reading
Official guidance for the topics above. Platform requirements can change; check the provider's current information for your edition.
References identify external guidance. Publishing Core is independent and does not claim an affiliation or endorsement from these organizations.
If you want support
Discuss the work your book needs.
A free initial consultation helps identify a useful next step. Editing, design, formatting and publishing support are paid services, with deliverables and fees agreed separately before work begins. Read our publishing standards for account ownership and service responsibilities.
Request a free initial consultation