Barnes and Noble Press, formerly known as Nook Press, is an independent publishing platform with one of the most prestigious names in book retail behind it.
But does Barnes and Noble Press have anything to offer beyond its brand name?
What’s available at Barnes and Noble Press to tempt authors away from Amazon exclusivity?
This review breaks down everything you need to know. From the process of getting a book featured on Barnes and Noble Press through to the logistics of pricing your work and getting paid.
We’ll also do a side-by-side comparison with Amazon KDP for perspective.
Let’s discover whether Barnes & Noble Press is the right route for your next book:
How Does Barnes and Noble Press Work?
If you’ve ever uploaded a book to Amazon, or another similar bookstore, you’ll be familiar with the basic concept behind Barnes and Noble Press.
As an author, it’s down to you to have a quality book ready to upload to the platform. If you’re not at the stage where you have an edited book file ready for readers, and a quality cover to help attract their attention, then there’s no need to think about uploading yet.
However, when your book is good to go, sending it live on Barnes and Noble Press couldn’t be easier. Simply follow these three simple steps:
- Decide whether to offer an ebook, print book, or both versions on the Barnes and Noble Press Platform.
- Upload an interior book file as well as your book cover file. The B&N Press system will help you ensure both files are in the needed format.
- Enter the information needed to become a full vendor. After this, you can hit publish and your book will appear live in the store.
Before you decide to pull the trigger and upload your work to Barnes and Noble Press, take the time to check whether the service is compatible with your location and able to serve the markets you wish to sell to.
Amazon KDP Comparison: Similar to Barnes and Noble Press, the Amazon KDP dashboard is easy to use whether you are uploading a print book or ebook.
How Long Does Their Review Process Take?
After you submit your file, the Barnes and Noble Press review process will take a short period of time to assess your cover and interior files to make sure they meet all requirements.
After the review process is complete, your book will either be approved for publication or rejected with a reason. If the latter possibility occurs, you will be given guidance on how to fix your book so that it passes next time. According to their website, you can expect the turnaround time to take up to 72 hours for approval.
Amazon KDP Comparison: The turnaround time for Amazon KDP approval is typically 24-48 hours, but can take up to 72 hours.
Which Countries Are Eligible?
International self-publishing is a huge growth area. Authors from around the world can get their book in front of readers no matter their geographical location.
Of course, not every book retailer is available to every location. So which countries are eligible to participate in B&N Press?
Barnes and Noble Press allows authors from the following countries to upload their work:
- United States
- UK
- Ireland
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- France
- Italy
- Germany
- Spain
- The Netherlands
- Belgium
One of the main attractions of Barnes and Noble Press for a lot of self-published authors is their support for print books as well as digital editions. While the company can offer print copies of your book within the United States, they are unable to ship print books to other markets.
Amazon KDP Comparison: If you have worldwide rights (or individual territory rights), Amazon KDP allows authors to upload print and ebooks for the following Amazon marketplaces (Territory availability may change depending on book format.)
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Canada
- India
- Australia
- Poland
Is Barnes and Noble Press Free?
There is no upfront cost for uploading your book to Barnes and Noble Press and using their services, however, they do take a portion of your sales.
For eBooks, you have the freedom to set your own list price. Authors receive a 70% royalty rate for eBook sales regardless of how much their book costs.
Print book pricing is more complicated. There is a minimum retail list price based on how long your print book is, what type of color options you have chosen, and if you are opting for hardcover or softcover. The royalty rate for print books is 55% of the list price after printing costs have been deducted.
Amazon KDP Comparison: For ebooks, your book’s price determines your royalty percentage. Ebooks priced between $2.99-$9.99 receive a 70% royalty rate. Anything above or below that range or in the public domain gets 35% . Paperbacks are 60% of the book price.
How Do I Get Paid from Barnes and Noble Press?
Now that you know how much you can sell your book for with Barnes and Noble, and the royalty rate you will receive, let’s take a look at the logistics of getting paid.
The minimum threshold for a payment from Barnes and Noble is $10. This can occur from a combination of print and ebook sales.
Payouts occur 30 days after the end of the month where sales take place. For example, if you hit the threshold in January, you would receive a payout around the end of February.
The low payout threshold and the ability to combine your ebook and print sales in order to reach it will be attractive for a lot of independent authors.
Amazon KDP Comparison: Royalty payouts for Amazon KDP are every month starting 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale was made. Wire and Check payments have a minimum payout threshold of $100USD (see other countries.) and $100USD for checks (see other countries).
Barnes and Noble Press: Pros
So what are the main plus points of publishing on Barnes and Noble Press?
Prestige. There’s still a lot of brand recognition for the Barnes and Noble name, and B&N Press is one route to getting your books featured in their physical bookstores.
Print books. Authors looking to create hardcover copies of their work don’t have too many options. Barnes and Noble offers this service.
Marketing services. Barnes and Noble allows authors to market to Nook customers directly, promotes books to their extensive mailing list, and carries out special sales and promotional periods.
Amazon KDP Comparison: The same bragging points for Amazon KDP. An additional benefit is their Kindle Select program which gives Amazon exclusive rights to your book, but also comes with:
- Kindle Unlimited which allows millions of Amazon subscribers to have access to your book via subscriptions
- Earn a share in the KDP Select Global Fund program which is based on how many pages of your book are read
- Eligibility for Kindle promotions includes the ability to discount your book for a limited amount of time, free book promotions, and literary contests
Barnes and Noble Press: Cons
Popularity. A lot of authors feel that Barnes and Noble’s heyday has passed due to Amazon.
Takes away Amazon exclusivity. If you want to offer your book through Barnes and Noble Press, you need to weigh up whether the plus points of doing so outweigh losing your right to access Amazon’s exclusive programs.
Amazon KDP Comparison: Cons include limited distribution under KDP Select. Compared to other platforms, there’s also competition in many categories, so it can be harder for your book to be seen through regular channels.
Should I Use Barnes and Noble Press?
Overall, if you decide to go wide, Barnes and Noble Press has attractive print capabilities and marketing services that make it is good place to feature your book. They don’t have the breadth and width of the Amazon marketplace, but they’ve established themselves as a viable option for self-published authors who are looking for a quality end product and easy-to-use platform, and a solid reputation in the industry. Barnes and Noble Press has all three.
Writing and Publishing a Book Can Be Hard…
There are LOTS of decisions to make when it comes to self-publishing and getting your book in front of potential readers. In this free video training from a best-selling, self-published author, Chandler Bolt, you’ll learn his strategy for writing, a bit about the Self-Publishing School process, and how to work with Amazon to sell your book.
Chandler has built a business teaching others how to successfully self-publish. Many students of his program find that starting with Amazon and then moving forward to B&N is a good fit for their needs.
Check out the free training!
