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The Indie Advantage

Tools & Tips to Maximize Your Publishing Potential
 

IN THIS ISSUE:

D2D Partners with Bookshop.org: Learn how to make the most of your ebook distribution to Bookshop.org and support indie bookstores.

What's News: Smashwords Read An Ebook Week super sale is coming.

Recent SPIs & Upcoming Events: A schedule of dates and events you should know about with links to recent and upcoming Self Publishing Insiders episodes.

Indie Bestseller Lists: January 2026's top 10 lists for Fiction and Nonfiction in ebook and print.

 

D2D Partners with Bookshop.org


Last week we announced an exciting new ebook distribution agreement with Bookshop.org. This retail partnership had been in the works for quite some time, and we’re thrilled to finally share it with you.

Bookshop.org helps more than 3,400 independent bookstores across the US and UK compete in an online world. Readers can select their favorite bookstore to support from a list of local bookstores at Bookshop.org. When a reader purchases a book, their preferred store receives 100% of the profit. If no store is selected, the sale supports a shared profit pool for all partner stores. For D2D-distributed ebooks, you still earn a 60% royalty—consistent with other major D2D retail partners. 

As you know, publishing's digital transformation was a godsend to authors who finally had a practical way to self-publish and distribute ebooks to major online retailers. As indie authors found success, local indie bookstores missed out on this essential inventory—until now!


Make the Most of the Bookshop.org/D2D Partnership

As with any retail destination, book sales are much easier when readers know where they can purchase your books. But don’t just tell them. Show them! Here are some pointers:

  1. Download Bookshop.org’s free ebook app for Android and iOS, find the book(s) you want to promote to your readers, and use the app’s nifty share feature in your newsletter, website, messaging and social media outreach. The share feature provides a screenshot of your book’s cover image and provides a direct link to your book’s purchase page

  2. Provide direct hyperlinks to your book's purchase page at Bookshop.org. Simply saying "my books are now available at Bookshop.org" is not enough. Do your readers a favor by showing them exactly where they can find, and purchase, your books by using direct hyperlinks.

  3. Update your website, email signature, business card and any other place where you communicate to readers where your books can be purchased. Add Bookshop.org to any universal book link (UBL) generator you may use, including our free Books2Read.com UBL tool, which allows links for ebooks and numerous print formats (you control which retailer links appear at the front of your own UBL listings, so you can place Bookshop.org at the top and further show your support for independent bookstores).

  4. Sign up for Bookshop.org's affiliate program. You'll earn an industry-leading 10% whenever someone buys a book you share.

Remember to communicate Bookshop.org’s unique value proposition to your readers. Your readers already feel good about supporting you, but they’ll feel great for supporting you and their favorite indie bookstore!


What's Next

  • Distribution of mainstream erotica titles to Bookshop.org is expected by the end of the second quarter, 2026. Erotica titles aren’t excluded from the Bookshop.org / D2D partnership, but require additional safeguards so they reach appropriate audiences and can be reliably filtered for family-friendly shoppers.
  • Distribution of free indie ebooks to Bookshop.org is also expected to be enabled in the second quarter. In the meantime, any free books published at Bookshop will be listed at $0.99 - which is not in violation of any "price matching" retail clauses (as the clause only matches the lowest competitor price). This is also the way we handle free ebook pricing through our library wholesale partners.
  • Bookshop.org / D2D promotional collaborations are in the works! We’re putting our heads together to figure out some really cool joint merchandising promotions to help give indie ebooks more visibility.

If you haven't added your ebooks to Bookshop.org distribution yet, the next time you log into your account you’ll see a pop-up window notifying you that ebook distribution to Bookshop.org is available. You’ll have the option to add all your eligible ebooks or add them one by one. You must manually opt-in to have your ebooks distributed to Bookshop.org. If you publish print-on-demand paperbacks through D2D Print, your print books are automatically purchasable at Bookshop.org.

If you missed our original announcement and want to catch up, the official press release is posted here. You can also watch an interview with Bookshop.org CEO Andy Hunter and D2D CEO Kris Austin here.


 

What's News



Smashwords Read an Ebook Week Sale: Enrollment opens Tuesday, February 17, for the annual Smashwords Read an Ebook Week super sale taking place March 1 - 7. 

For the first time, there is no enrollment deadline for D2D authors. This means you can add or remove books from the sale throughout the duration of the event. Look for more information arriving in your email inbox next week.

If last year's Read an Ebook Sale is any indication, you don't want to miss it!


 

Recent SPIs & Upcoming Events


Join us live online every Thursday at 12:00 p.m. Central for our Self Publishing Insiders (SPI) show and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Topics range from craft, to marketing & promotion, to layout & design, to business strategy, avoiding burnout, and more. D2D team members will be right there with you in the comments, live, ready to answer just about anything.

If you can’t make that time and date, don’t worry! Every live event is recorded and published on YouTube as soon as it finishes airing. We also release the audio as the Self Publishing Insider's Podcast available on most podcast streaming services

Self Publishing Insiders:
Other Dates to Know:

February 13: San Francisco Writers Conference (D2D rep attending)

February 17: Enrollment opens for Smashwords Read An Ebook Week super sale.

March 1-7: Smashwords Read An Ebook Week super sale is on!


D2D Live countdown page

Self Publishing Insiders D2D Live Events

Be sure to bookmark our countdown timer to see upcoming topics and guests for future live events.

Go to the Live Countdown Page
 

Bestselling Indie Ebooks

January 2026


January 2026 Top 10 Fiction Book Covers

TOP 10 FICTION


  1. The Housemaid by Sarah A. Denzil
  2. Shot Taker by Piper Lawson
  3. Playing Series Complete 7 Book Set by Stephanie Queen
  4. Bliss and Bombs by T.M. Sanders
  5. The West Side Series by Isabel Jolie
  6. Fire From Ashes by Jessica Barberi
  7. Echoes of Insurrection by T.A. White
  8. Hockey Bois by A. L. Heard
  9. The Marshal by Juliette N Banks
  10. Avenging Angels: Bad Medicine by Kristen Ashley

January 2026 Top 10 Nonfiction Book Covers

TOP 10 NONFICTION


  1. Great Decisions 2026 by G. John Ikenberry
  2. Reframe Your Brain by Scott Adams
  3. Destination CISSP by Rob Witcher
  4. Research Methods: Functional Skills - 3rd Edition by James Cauraugh
  5. The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White
  6. Models: Attract Women Through Honesty by Mark Manson
  7. Starting Somewhere by Roderick Douglass
  8. The Matter With Things by Iain McGilchrist
  9. Critical Thinking & Writing in History by Matthew Garrett
  10. DOLORES: Home at Last (Expanding Love)—Part Two by Catherine Paiz

Bestselling Indie Print Books

January 2026


January 2026 Top 10 Fiction Print Book Covers

TOP 10 PRINT FICTION

  1. Hockey Bois by A. L. Heard
  2. Get In My Swamp: An Ogre Love Story by G.M. Fairy
  3. Hustle & Honey by Ellington "RIXX" Bass Sr
  4. Broken Whispers (Special Edition Print) by Neva Altaj
  5. A Kingdom's Heart by Calisa Azmelle
  6. Married to the Alien Cowboy by Ursa Dax
  7. The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening by Naomi Kuttner
  8. Error in Diagnosis by Gary Birken
  9. The Color Tan by Patricia Marie Krentcil and Joseph P. Kerr
  10. The Salt Keeper's Daughter by Kimberly Thomas

January 2026 Top 10 NonFiction Print Book Covers

TOP 10 PRINT NONFICTION

The monthly indie bestseller lists are a compilation of the top-selling indie fiction and nonfiction titles, by revenue, for the most recently completed month. Sales data is compiled from across our entire global retail and library partner network. If an author has more than one title eligible for the list, only the highest performing title from that author will be included. This ensures high-performing titles receive the accolades they deserve, while providing up-and-coming authors the visibility they have earned. 


 

We hope you enjoyed this month's newsletter.

Happy Publishing!

The Draft2Digital Team

 
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