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Self-publishing with BookBaby vs Reedsy

Who Should Authors Trust with Their All-Important Book Project?

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How do you choose which self-publishing company is right for you?

It’s a tough question when you’re self-publishing for the first time. There are many options out there and it can be hard to know which companies are the best self-publishing companies.

As a self-published author, there are several key factors to keep in mind. You want the publishing process to be convenient and stress-free, and you want to ultimately generate a profit so that all your hard work doesn’t go to waste. With BookBaby, you get full-service professional publishing, including book editing, design services, book cover designers, and publishing talent. We offer comprehensive services from start to finish, ensuring that you’ll be set up for success in your self-publishing journey.

BookBaby offers everything an author needs to successfully self-publish, including high-quality book printing, eBook conversion, cover design, book formatting, audiobook creation, and more, all supported by experienced professionals.

Self-publishing experts: why choose BookBaby instead of Reedsy?

Let’s start with the obvious: Reedsy isn’t a publisher, but we are. In fact, Reedsy publishing is simply a collection of links and information from other publishers. Essentially, Reedsy provides information about learning to do the numerous different things that BookBaby does for you, but when it comes to actually creating your book, Reedsy won’t be able to help you like BookBaby. They don’t publish, they don’t edit, they don’t design, they don’t print, they don’t make digital books, they don’t distribute books, they don’t facilitate royalty reporting, they don’t do book marketing, and they certainly don’t answer the phone.

Reedsy will link you elsewhere for publishing, editing, design, and book marketing services, or freelancers like tier publishing professionals, web designers, and ghostwriters. In contrast, BookBaby has everything you need, all under one roof. And any time you run into any problems, our Publishing Specialists will help you out. We guarantee it!

BookBaby offers people-powered publishing, meaning that our authors get to speak directly to the people who make the process happen. Our Publishing Specialists are available via phone five days a week. Conversely, Reedsy’s support staff can only be reached via email or chatbot. BookBaby thrives on establishing a human connection with our authors and publishers.

More Control. Higher Payouts for Authors

Authors earn more through BookBaby. Lots more! We have negotiated the best eBook royalty rates for authors selling through websites like Amazon, where the bulk of self-published author income comes from. Reedsy doesn’t actually have the tools to help you make money through self-publishing. They don’t sell books.

With the BookBaby Bookshop, you can take control of how your book is sold and earn higher royalties with a personalized online shop. Our sellers can set their own prices and track their book sales and analytics through our tools and dashboard.

Are you SURE you changed that typo?

An integral step in self-publishing is ensuring that your manuscript is error-free. When it comes to editing, book design, and file preparation, Reedsy will direct you to external tools and resources, but none of the experts are there. In contrast, BookBaby’s designers and professional editors are all in house.

All BookBaby book designers are experienced in prepress and book production, offering nuanced expertise in the book design process. They get it right the first time, personally inspecting each and every one of your files to make sure they meet the technical requirements for quality, error-free book printing.

Create & sell your audiobook

Reedsy doesn’t offer any tools for audiobook conversion. Meanwhile, BookBaby makes it easy to turn your printed book or eBook into an audiobook.

We provide the tools you need to create author-narrated audiobooks, voice actor-narrated audiobooks, and AI-assisted author-narrated audiobooks. And if you already have an audiobook, you can still sell it in the BookBaby Bookshop and earn up to 75% royalties.

Get your book noticed by a global audience

One of the most important steps toward succeeding as an author is ensuring that your book generates buzz. Digital advertising, metadata optimization, and blog tours will do just that.

Reedsy won’t advertise your book. They’ll direct you to marketers, but none of the advertising is done by Reedsy. BookBaby’s display ads, social media ads, and LinkedIn ads will target specific readers who may be interested in your book’s genre, writing style, or subject matter. Your book will be seen on many popular websites like Reddit and Publisher’s Weekly. The more it gets seen, the more you’ll generate revenue.

Reedsy won’t advertise your book. They’ll direct you to marketers, but none of the advertising is done by Reedsy. BookBaby’s display ads, social media ads, and LinkedIn ads will target specific readers who may be interested in your book’s genre and subject matter. Your book will be seen on many popular websites like Reddit and Publisher’s Weekly. The more it gets seen, the more you’ll generate revenue.

Now that you've seen how we stack up, it's time to start your self-publishing journey with us.

Contact a Publishing Specialist
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