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BookBaby vs. Selfpublishing.com

Which publisher should you choose for your next project?

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Which self-publishing company is better: BookBaby or Selfpublishing.com?

It’s a tough question when you’re an author who is choosing a self publishing company for the first time. Selfpublishing.com specializes in self-publishing workshops and one-on-one coaching. While these are useful assets to have access to, they don’t actually provide the most important part: book printing and book publishing.

That’s where BookBaby comes in. Publishing with us is easy, and everything you need is right here. BookBaby offers all of the essential tools that an author needs to successfully self-publish on many scales, including high-quality book printing, industry-leading distribution, eBook conversion, audiobook creation, cover design, book formatting, and more. We frequently get asked which company — BookBaby or Selfpublishing.com — is best for independent authors. If you’re an aspiring author who takes self-publishing seriously, then take a look at how BookBaby differs from Selfpublishing.com and decide for yourself.

Professional editing you can trust

When it comes to editing your book, there are hundreds–dare we say, thousands–of freelancers out there who would do a great job. However, many of these freelancers’ market through sites like Upwork and Fiverr. The problem with this is that these sites don’t exactly monitor the work these folks are producing. So, you might be taking a gamble on the quality and efficiency of your edited work.

It's often best to go right to a self-publishing company when you need top-tier editing. However, Selfpublishing.com doesn’t offer any editing services. Their authors are left to fend for themselves, meaning that their books could unfortunately end up being printed with typographical and/or grammatical errors.

BookBaby, on the other hand, works with an exclusive network of trusted editors from around the world. The comprehensive book editing services at BookBaby include proofreading, copy editing, and line editing. BookBaby’s premier editors have worked with authors in every genre, including New York Times Bestsellers, so you can be sure that your work is being reviewed with the right lens. Our vetted, seasoned, professional editors will never let you down.

BookBaby authors are eligible for brick-and-mortar retail shelf placement

Here’s a cold, hard publishing fact: Bookstore owners won’t take the risk of stocking self-published books if they go unsold. At BookBaby, we look out for the indie author and their unique needs. That’s why BookBaby offers a returns program to booksellers, making it possible for our authors’ books to find their way into hundreds of retail stores worldwide.

Selfpublishing.com doesn’t offer this program. Neither does Lulu, Blurb, or IngramSpark for that matter. Plus, when we distribute your book, we allow for it to be sold in the world’s biggest bookstores through our print-on-demand service.

BookBaby authors get the world’s biggest distribution network for both eBooks and printed books

Selfpublishing.com will help you format your book, but they actually won’t help you sell it. They don’t offer any form of distribution network like BookBaby. From Gardner’s, the UK’s biggest digital book store, to the Baker & Taylor catalog – BookBaby delivers eBooks to over 60 stores in 170 countries.

BookBaby’s Print-On-Demand program features Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor, Ingram Network, Powells, Books-A-Million, ChristianBook Distributors, and many more. Plus, our authors are able to sell through the BookBaby Bookshop. With free analytics tools and sizable royalties, it’s the best way for self-published authors to turn a profit and retain control of their own book-selling business.

Earn more money in the world’s most author-friendly bookstore

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. Selfpublishing.com doesn’t actually have the tools to help you make money through self-publishing. They don’t provide an environment where authors can sell books and manage their own storefronts.

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

In addition to earning high royalty payments through eBook sales, BookBaby authors earn 75% royalty rates by selling audiobooks through the BookBaby Bookshop. Our AI-narrated audiobooks are both affordable and easy to create. This perk is entirely unique to those who go with the BookBaby self publishing experience. You won’t find payouts this high anywhere else.

Your book can be read anytime, anywhere

Your book can be read anytime, anywhere

On Selfpublishing.com, there are no opportunities to create an audiobook. Instead, if you self-publish with BookBaby, we’ll make it easy to turn your book into an audiobook.

Creating an audiobook is every indie author’s dream, and we’ll make it a reality. Offering over 60 different voices in 75 different languages, BookBaby’s exclusive audiobook publishing process is fast and easy.

Traditional audiobooks are recorded by human narrators. They're expensive and often take weeks or months to complete a first audiobook recording proof. BookBaby audiobooks are an entirely new and inexpensive process designed to meet the needs of self-published authors.

Any book can easily become an audiobook. With just a few clicks, indie authors can upload their digital manuscript and select a voice in one of the 75 languages offered by BookBaby. You'll receive audio files to review and approve within just a few days. Plus, you retain creative control through every step of the process.

Let’s take a look at a side-by-side comparison:

Service BookBaby Selfpublishing.com
Cover design Yes Yes
Advertising services Yes Yes
Book formatting Yes Yes
Editing services Yes No
Book printing Yes No
eBook creation Yes No
Audiobook creation Yes No
Book distribution Yes No
Personalized sales page Yes Yes
One-on-one help from a publishing expert Free consultation Available for a fee

Helpful and friendly customer support

It’s called self publishing, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it yourself. Sometimes, you need to talk to an expert for help. Selfpublishing.com doesn’t even provide a contact number, but with BookBaby, we have a customer support team that is dedicated to answering your questions and helping you with any challenges along the way. Based right here in the USA, our self-publishing specialists are standing by to answer any and all of your questions by phone (1-877-961-6878) and email. Our experts are available Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Our BookBaby reviews are a testament to the satisfaction of our authors. Common themes in our reviews include praises for our knowledgeable publishing specialists, quality products, and quick turnaround times. In Selfpublishing.com reviews on Google, authors mostly talk about the workshops—not the actual process of publishing or the results that came from working with the company. Additionally, when looking at BookBaby vs self publishing options that exist elsewhere, not all of them even have reviews on Trustpilot (that includes Selfpublishing.com). At BookBaby, we’ll never leave you hanging.

If you're not thrilled with our work—whether it's eBook conversion, cover design, or print quality—we'll work with you until you are. That's our publishing promise to you.

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