Home › Best Self-Publishing Companies
Side-by-side comparison, updated October 2026
Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Reedsy, BookBaby and full-service companies, each run through the same six tests: rights, royalties, pricing, support, proof and distribution. Two minutes per company tells you whether it works for you or for itself.
Disclosure: Columbia Publication is one of the services compared here. Our titles are on Books We Have Published, and every competitor fact links to that company’s own site.
By Gia Kahn, Lead Editor · Updated October 27, 2026
The short answer
The best self-publishing company is the one that passes six tests: the author keeps 100% of rights, no share of royalties is taken, the full price is stated before you commit, one dedicated specialist runs the project, its published books can be verified on Amazon, and it sets the book up on both Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. For free do-it-yourself distribution, Amazon KDP plus IngramSpark is the standard. If you want the book produced for you, choose a full-service company that publishes in your own accounts; Columbia Publication works that way, with packages from $1,499 and most books live in 4 to 9 weeks.
Facts checked October 27, 2026 · Reviewed by Gia Kahn, Lead Editor · Next review November 2026 · How we check
Is this you?
The company you choose decides who profits from your book for the rest of its life.
Pick a platform and you inherit every job it does not do: editing, the cover, the interior, the IngramSpark settings that let a bookstore order the book. Pick the wrong package and you can pay for production and still hand over a share of every sale, or find the book registered to someone else’s account. Most comparison lists never ask those questions, because the companies that pay to be listed would fail them.
This page asks them of every option, ours included. Six tests, each with a pass and a fail line, so you can score any company in two minutes and walk into a contract knowing exactly what you are signing.
The scorecard
Apply each test to any company you are considering. A legitimate service passes all six without hesitation. Two failures is a warning. Three failures: walk away, whatever the price.
| Test | Pass | Fail |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rights: who owns your book? | The author owns 100% permanently, with no conditions, confirmed in writing before payment. | Any co-ownership, reversion clauses or vague language around “publishing rights.” |
| 2. Royalties: what do they take? | No ongoing royalty split. The author earns 100% of net sales permanently after a one-time fee. | Any percentage taken from sales, even 10%, on top of a production fee. |
| 3. Pricing: what does it actually cost? | The full cost is stated clearly before any commitment, with a published price range. | The price appears only after a consultation, or the scope expands after the contract is signed. |
| 4. Support: who manages your book? | One dedicated specialist from start to finish, with direct contact rather than a ticket queue. | “Our team” manages your book. No single contact; queries go to a support inbox. |
| 5. Proof: can you see their work? | Three or more published books with live Amazon listings and reader reviews you can check right now. | Testimonials only. No verifiable listings. Reviews only on the company’s own website. |
| 6. Distribution: where does your book go? | The book goes live on Amazon KDP and IngramSpark together, with global distribution from day one. | Files are handed to the author to submit. KDP only, with no IngramSpark setup. |
How Columbia Publication scores: 6 of 6. Rights are permanent and unconditional, the ongoing royalty share is 0%, prices are published on this site, one dedicated specialist runs each project, our books are verifiable on Amazon, and distribution covers KDP, IngramSpark and the major retail platforms from day one.
Before you compare
Most self-publishing comparison guides rank services on surface features. The six criteria below determine whether a publishing service serves the author’s interests or its own. Before evaluating any service, see the self-publishing guide for how the self-publishing model works before you choose any service.
Does the author retain 100% of all intellectual property rights permanently? The only acceptable answer: the author owns everything, permanently, with no conditions.
What percentage of each sale goes to the author? Some full-service providers take an ongoing royalty split on top of their production fees, meaning the author pays twice. Use our free KDP royalty calculator to model your earnings at any price point before choosing a platform.
Are the total costs clear before any commitment? Some services require a consultation before revealing prices or use hidden fees. Transparent pricing up front is a basic standard of legitimate services.
Does the author have one dedicated specialist managing their project, or are they routing queries through a ticket system? A dedicated specialist who knows the book produces a measurably different result.
Can the service point to real published books with verifiable Amazon listings and genuine reader reviews? Any service can produce testimonials. Verifiable proof is the only reliable quality signal.
Does the service set up the book on all relevant platforms, or does it produce files and leave the author to figure out submission? A complete service delivers a published, globally distributed book.
The filter every author should apply: Ask any publishing service these five questions before signing anything. (1) Who retains the rights? (2) What percentage of royalties goes to you? (3) What are the total costs and when are they due? (4) Who is my named contact for the entire project? (5) Can you show me three published books with their Amazon listings?
Our entry
Before reviewing the alternatives, here is how Columbia Publication operates and what you can check for yourself on Amazon.
Packages from $1,499, published on this site. Royalties kept by the author: 100%. Distribution through IngramSpark reaches 40,000+ libraries, retailers and online stores (per ingramspark.com). Jason Patterson’s City of the Gods, published with us, holds a 4.7-star average from 21 Amazon reviews: verify it on Amazon.
Want the six answers for your own book in writing?
Get My Custom QuoteReviewed
Type: distribution platform
Amazon KDP is the world’s largest self-publishing platform and the starting point for almost every self-published author. It is free, accessible, and offers strong royalties: 70% on eBooks priced $2.99 to $12.99 (expanded from $2.99 to $9.99 on July 7, 2026, per kdp.amazon.com), and approximately 60% minus printing costs on print books. The author retains all rights.
KDP is a distribution platform, not a publishing service. It does not provide editing, cover design, formatting, ISBN support or any production assistance. Before uploading to KDP you need exact cover dimensions; use our free Book Cover Dimension Calculator to get your spine width, total cover size and bleed specifications instantly. The second limitation is reach: KDP distributes exclusively through Amazon marketplaces. For full global reach, professional Amazon KDP publishing services handle both KDP and IngramSpark simultaneously.
Best for: Authors who are prepared to handle all production independently and want maximum control over pricing and royalties on the world’s largest book platform. Not suited for: Authors who need production assistance, want bookstore and library distribution, or want a single service managing the complete publishing process.
Reviewed
Type: distribution platform
IngramSpark is the distribution backbone of the professional publishing industry. It connects books to 40,000+ libraries, retailers and online stores worldwide (per ingramspark.com). See the full guide to print on demand publishing for IngramSpark setup detail.
IngramSpark is more technically demanding to set up than KDP. Wholesale discount settings, returns policy configuration and specific file specifications must all be correct for bookstores and libraries to order the book. Use our Book Cover Dimension Calculator and check the IngramSpark note in the results for cover specifications. An incorrect wholesale discount means distributors cannot profitably order even when they want to.
Best for: Any self-published book that needs distribution beyond Amazon, bookstores, libraries and international wholesale. Should be used alongside KDP, not instead of it. Not suited for: Authors who need production assistance or a managed publishing process.
Reviewed
Type: freelancer marketplace
Reedsy is a vetted marketplace connecting authors with freelance editors, cover designers and formatters. The quality of professionals is generally high. For authors who enjoy managing creative projects and have time to coordinate freelancers, Reedsy is a strong option. The model’s inherent limitation is coordination: spine width depends on the formatter’s final page count; the cover designer needs the final page count before producing the cover; these interdependencies require active project management from the author throughout.
Best for: Authors who want to hand-pick individual specialists and actively manage their own production process. Not suited for: Authors who want a single coordinated service managing the entire project from manuscript to published book.
Reviewed
Type: package-based publisher
BookBaby is one of the longer-established package-based self-publishing services. It offers bundled packages covering editing, design, formatting and distribution. The author retains rights and receives 100% of net royalties. It is a legitimate service with a real track record. Its packages bundle the production stages, so compare what each tier includes, and which add-ons are priced separately, against a flat-fee quote for the same scope.
Best for: Authors who want a reliable, structured package from an established service with wide distribution. Not suited for: Authors who want deep personalization or maximum cost efficiency.
On the record
Some author-paid publishers are no longer operating, and several have faced criminal or state action. The public record is the clearest test of a publisher, so these are the cases authors most often ask us about.
Sources for each case are on the linked pages and on self-publishing companies to avoid. If your book was with one of these, you can usually republish it under your own name and your own ISBN.
Stranded by a closed publisher? Get a flat-fee quote to republish in your own name.
Build My QuoteReviewed
Type: full-service self-publishing company
A legitimate Amazon KDP publishing service and full-service self-publishing company handles the complete publishing pipeline (editing, cover design, formatting, ISBN, platform setup and global distribution) under one roof for a one-time flat fee. The author retains 100% of rights and 100% of all royalties permanently. If you want to understand exactly what each of those production stages involves before choosing a service, see how to publish a book.
The key differentiator of a quality full-service company versus a package-based service is the support model. A dedicated specialist who knows the author’s book from the initial consultation through to the published title produces a different result from a ticket-based support system. The second differentiator is verifiable output: a live Amazon link where an independent reader has rated the book and described the production quality in their own words.
Verified published author: Jason Patterson, City of the Gods, 4.7 out of 5 from 21 Amazon reviews. Verify on Amazon.
Best for: Authors who want a professionally produced book at traditional-publishing quality, with full rights and royalties retained, managed by a dedicated specialist from manuscript to published title. What to verify before choosing any publishing service: Flat-fee pricing with no royalty split, all rights staying with the author, and at least one verifiable published title with genuine reader reviews on Amazon.
At a glance
The table below compares every option across the six criteria that determine long-term author outcomes. On a phone, scroll the table sideways.
| Criteria | Columbia Publication | Amazon KDP | IngramSpark | Reedsy | BookBaby |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rights retention | 100% author, permanent | 100% author | 100% author | 100% author | 100% author |
| Author royalty rate | 100%, no split ever | 60 to 70% | Author keeps all net | 100% (freelancer) | 100% net |
| Pricing transparency | Flat fees, upfront | Free, transparent | Free, transparent | Marketplace visible | Packages published |
| Production services | Full pipeline, one team | None, files only | None, files only | Individual freelancers | Packaged services |
| Dedicated support | Named specialist, full project | Self-serve only | Self-serve only | Manage freelancers yourself | General support team |
| Distribution | KDP, IngramSpark and major retailers | Amazon only | major retailers | Not included | Wide distribution |
| Formats | Print, eBook, hardcover, audio | Print + eBook | Print + eBook | Varies | Print + eBook |
| Verifiable proof | Live Amazon listing + reviews | Author-dependent | Author-dependent | Varies | Portfolio available |
| Best for | Full-service professional publishing | DIY Amazon | Non-Amazon retail | Self-managed | Reliable packages |
Columbia Publication pricing for context: Global Publish $1,499, Full Production $2,499, Authority System $4,999, Gravitas Press from $25,000. Flat fees, 100% of rights retained, no royalty split. Full cost breakdown.
Calculate exact cover dimensions for KDP and IngramSpark, or model your earnings at different price points before committing to any platform.
Decide
Use Amazon KDP for Amazon distribution and IngramSpark for bookstore and library distribution. Handle editing, cover design and formatting yourself or hire individual freelancers through Reedsy. The cost follows how many services you hire out versus do yourself; get quotes for your specific scope at reedsy.com. Start with our free cover dimension calculator to get your exact KDP and IngramSpark specifications before commissioning any designer.
Recommended: KDP and IngramSpark, with Reedsy freelancers
Use a specialist freelancer for each stage, then submit to KDP and IngramSpark yourself. Reedsy is a good sourcing platform for this: a complete production (editing, cover design, formatting) runs $2,940 to $5,660 in freelancer fees per Reedsy’s own published data (reedsy.com, accessed Jul 19, 2026). You manage each relationship and the interdependencies between stages.
Recommended: curated freelancers through Reedsy, and your own platform setup
A full-service self-publishing company handles editing, cover design, formatting, ISBN, KDP, IngramSpark and audiobook distribution under one roof with one dedicated specialist. This is the model that produces a book indistinguishable from a traditionally published title at the point of sale. For a full side-by-side comparison of self-publishing versus traditional publishing see self-publishing vs traditional publishing.
Recommended: full-service publishing such as Columbia Publication’s packages
Query literary agents. Reedsy estimates 3 to 12 months to find an agent, 2 to 12 months to secure a deal once the agent begins pitching, and 18 to 24 months of production and publication after that. Royalties of 7.5 to 15% on print. This route has real advantages for literary fiction and major memoir, but for most genres the economics strongly favor self-publishing. Genre fiction authors writing fantasy, for example, can see the full how to publish a fantasy book guide for genre-specific costs and timelines.
Recommended: query literary agents, for literary fiction and major memoir only
The question that cuts through everything: When you finish reading your published book, who do you want to have been responsible for every decision from the cover to the final page? If the answer is “one person who knew the book from the beginning,” that person is a dedicated specialist at a full-service self-publishing company.
In the USA
American book publishing companies fall into five types. They differ in who pays, who owns the rights and how a manuscript gets accepted, so the type matters more than the brand name.
Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan. They pay the author an advance and cover production, but most accept manuscripts only through a literary agent, and the publisher controls rights, price and timing.
Smaller traditional publishers, often focused on one genre or subject. Some accept submissions without an agent; reading periods and response times vary by press.
Amazon KDP, IngramSpark and Barnes & Noble Press. Uploading is free and you keep control, but you supply finished files: these platforms distribute books, they do not edit or design them.
A paid team handles editing, cover design, formatting and distribution, and the book is published in the author’s name. Columbia Publication is this type: your book goes into your own KDP and IngramSpark accounts, the book is never exclusive to the service and no royalty share is taken.
Companies that sell publishing packages but keep the book under their own imprint and accounts, often followed by upsells. Some have since closed or faced prosecution; see self-publishing companies to avoid for the documented cases.
Ask four questions in writing: whose KDP and IngramSpark accounts the book goes into, who the ISBN is registered to, what share of royalties the company keeps, and exactly which services and revision rounds the price includes. A company that will not answer all four in writing is not the right one. Get a free publishing consultation and we will answer all four for your book.
More guides
Researching an older, closed or author-paid publisher? Read our pages on CreateSpace for authors (Amazon merged CreateSpace into KDP on December 18, 2018), Vantage Press for authors (an author-paid press that has ceased operations), Tate Publishing authors, PublishAmerica authors, Unbound authors, Eloquent Books authors and PageTurner Press authors. Ready to move your book? See republish my book.
When it is done
You sign knowing the price will not move, the rights stay in your name and no one takes a cut of a single sale. Weeks later your book is live on Amazon and orderable by any bookstore or library, the KDP and IngramSpark logins are yours, and the only person who profits from every copy is you.
“It turned out better than I could have imagined when I first started.”
Jason Patterson, whose City of the Gods we published; you can check its 21 Amazon reviews yourself. Read the case study
Our packages
Published flat fees, the same figures every reader of this comparison sees. Choose by how finished your manuscript is.
Edited already
$1,499
For a manuscript that has been edited: a custom cover, print and ebook interiors, ISBNs and setup on KDP and IngramSpark under your own accounts.
Passes all six tests at a flat price you see before you pay: your book live everywhere, in your name, with nothing taken from sales.
4 to 5 weeks
Get My Custom QuoteMost chosen
$2,499
Everything in Global Publish with a page-by-page proofread and one project manager answerable for every stage.
The proofread most package buyers discover they needed after launch, plus one person accountable from first file to live listing.
7 to 9 weeks
Get My Custom QuotePositioned to sell
$4,999
Everything in Full Production with a line-by-line copy edit, Amazon keyword and category research, an author website and a press release.
A book copyedited, categorized and announced, with every deliverable written into your agreement before you pay.
Copy edit plus launch setup
Get My Custom QuoteOur answers to the six tests, in your agreement
Paid in full upfront once you approve the written quote, and never a royalty share afterward. For leaders who want the book written with them, Gravitas Press starts from $25,000.
What you can count on
How it runs
We’ve started with Publishing & distribution. Add anything else your manuscript needs, and a specialist sends an itemised quote within one business day. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Written quote within one business day. Nothing is charged until you approve it. 100% of your rights stay yours.
Questions
They solve different problems. DiggyPOD is a printer, useful for ordering printed copies, not for retail distribution. IngramSpark is a distributor that places your book with bookstores and libraries, but you supply finished files. BookBaby sells packages that combine production and distribution. On the tightest budget, upload your own files to Amazon KDP and IngramSpark; if you need the files made professionally, compare package prices line by line with the six tests below.
Custom publishing means a company commissions a book, guide or workbook under its own brand, often timed to a launch or event. Columbia Publication produces company books with a dedicated project manager, brand-matched design and print runs, quoted per project.
For free DIY distribution, Amazon KDP plus IngramSpark is the standard. If you want the book produced for you, choose a full-service company that publishes in your own KDP and IngramSpark accounts, never makes the book exclusive to them and takes no share of your royalties. Columbia Publication works that way, with packages from $1,499 and most books live in 4 to 9 weeks.
Amazon KDP is the best distribution platform for Amazon-specific sales. It is free, offers 70% eBook royalties and prints physical books on demand. The limitation is reach: KDP exclusively covers Amazon. For independent bookstores, public libraries and international retail beyond Amazon, IngramSpark is required separately.
Amazon KDP distributes exclusively through Amazon marketplaces worldwide. IngramSpark distributes to 40,000+ libraries, retailers and online stores worldwide (ingramspark.com). Most professionally published books are set up on both simultaneously for complete global distribution coverage.
A vanity publisher charges authors for publishing services but typically delivers below-professional quality, takes an ongoing royalty split and uses upselling to extract additional fees. A legitimate service provides clear flat-fee pricing, transfers all rights to the author, retains no ongoing royalties and can demonstrate real published titles with verifiable reader reviews.
A legitimate self-publishing service has: transparent flat-fee pricing, no ongoing royalty split, all rights staying with the author, verifiable published titles with genuine Amazon reviews, named staff and a verifiable physical address, and clear deliverables for each production stage.
Six criteria matter most: (1) rights, 100% retained permanently; (2) royalties, 100% to author with no split; (3) pricing transparency, all costs clear before commitment; (4) dedicated support, one specialist throughout; (5) verifiable output, real Amazon reviews; and (6) distribution completeness, the service delivers a published book, not just production files.
Reedsy is a strong option for authors who want to curate their own freelance team and manage the process themselves. The quality of professionals is generally good. The limitation is coordination: the author manages multiple separate freelancers. For authors who prefer a single coordinated service, a full-service self-publishing company is more appropriate.
DIY self-publishing means the author handles or hires every stage independently. Full-service self-publishing means the author pays a professional service to handle the entire pipeline as a single coordinated process. The author retains all rights and royalties in both cases. The difference is project management and accountability.
No ranking is used. Every option, ours included, is measured against the same six tests, and we disclose that we are one of the services compared. Competitor facts link to the competitor’s own site so you can check them, and our own published titles are listed on Books We Have Published.
Tell us about your manuscript. Within one business day you get written answers on rights, royalties, price, support, proof and distribution, and a quote you can set beside any company on this page.
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