Dale L. Roberts – The Complete Guide to Publishing Wide Across Multiple Platforms
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Dale L. Roberts is an award-winning author and self-publishing educator with over a decade of experience in the indie publishing industry. He's the author of "Wide Publishing for Authors," a comprehensive guide that helps authors break free from Amazon-only publishing and expand their reach across multiple platforms. Dale is known for his conversational writing style and practical, actionable advice that comes from real-world experience managing his own wide publishing business. Through his website SelfPublishingWithDale.com, he provides resources, tutorials, and direct support to help authors navigate the complex world of multi-platform publishing while maximizing their royalties and reader reach.
In this episode:
- What wide publishing means and why it matters
- KDP Select benefits: free promos and countdown deals
- Hidden algorithm advantages of KDP Select enrollment
- The 90-day test strategy for new authors
- Why expanded distribution on KDP costs you money
- IngramSpark vs. Draft2Digital for print distribution
- PublishDrive's monthly subscription model (100% net profits)
- BookVault's superior print quality and special features
- LaterPress: keeping 100% of royalties minus processing fees
- The ISBN dilemma: free vs. owned ISBNs
- How to publish wide with free ISBNs (and avoid duplicate listings)
- Deselecting expanded distribution to go direct to Ingram
- The overlap problem: avoiding platform conflicts
- Royalty rate comparisons across platforms
- The 70% royalty asterisk: delivery fees explained
- Dale's two-hour upload workflow for multiple platforms
- Direct sales advantages: email lists and better margins
- PayHip + BookVault integration for print sales
- Tools for direct sales: Shopify, WooCommerce, Gumroad
- Why "build it and they'll come" doesn't work
- Marketing strategies for driving traffic to your direct store
- Offset printing vs. print-on-demand quality
Resources mentioned:
- Wide Publishing for Authors: A Guide to Expanding Your Book’s Reach and Finding More Readers (Self-Publishing with Dale): https://www.amazon.com/Wide-Publishing-Authors-Expanding-Self-Publishing/dp/1639250603
- Amazon KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com/
- KDP Select: https://kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G200798990
- Draft2Digital: https://www.draft2digital.com/
- IngramSpark: https://www.ingramspark.com/
- PublishDrive: https://publishdrive.com/
- BookVault: https://bookvault.app/
- Laterpress: https://www.laterpress.com/
- Payhip: https://payhip.com/
- Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/
- Story Origin: https://storyoriginapp.com/
Connect with Dale L. Roberts:
- Website: https://selfpublishingwithdale.com/
Connect with Teddy Smith:
- @teddyagsmith
- Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
- Teddy’s Website: https://teddyagsmith.com/
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
- Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
- Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
- Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
- Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/
Discover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/
Chapters
1. Introduction to Dale L. Roberts (00:00:00)
2. What is Wide Publishing? (00:00:38)
3. Advantages of KDP Select (00:02:26)
4. Understanding KDP Select Restrictions (00:04:59)
5. The 90-Day Agreement and Potential Pitfalls (00:07:49)
6. Alternative Publishing Platforms to Consider (00:10:02)
7. BookVault and Its Unique Features (00:13:30)
8. Print Quality Comparisons (00:15:13)
9. Best Place to Start with Publishing Wide (00:16:24)
10. Expanded Distribution vs. Going Direct (00:19:39)
11. ISBNs and Publishing Wide (00:22:27)
12. Getting Started Without Purchasing ISBNs (00:25:55)
13. Royalty Rates Across Platforms (00:26:50)
14. Direct Sales Benefits and Tools (00:30:33)
15. Mike's Book Recommendation (00:33:01)
16. Why Authors Are Moving Toward Direct Sales (00:33:04)
17. Common Mistakes with Direct Sales (00:34:56)
18. Dale's Personal Publishing Strategy (00:36:26)
19. Final Thoughts on Publishing Wide (00:38:44)
139 episodes