BookBaby on the BookBird Author Score
Author Score · publishing platforms · #9 of 12 ·
Best for: Authors who prefer paying upfront for done-for-you publishing services
Author jobs, from BookBaby’s own pages
- Yes: Ebooks
- Yes: Paperbacks
- Yes: Hardcovers
- No: Free to publish (no)
- Yes: Royalty rate stated
- Not stated: Non-exclusive (not stated)
- Yes: Distribution to other stores
- Yes: Library distribution
- No: Free ISBN (no)
No USD price could be confirmed, so Cost is left out.
BookBaby pricing
One-time licence. The plans as BookBaby’s own site listed them on October 7, 2026, in US dollars:
- ISBN: $79 one-time (per format)
- Post-distribution ebook update: $50 one-time
- Post-distribution print update: $100 one-time (plus one printed copy at $99 + tax)
Package prices not verified: bookbaby.com shows a Cloudflare challenge. BookBaby keeps 0% of retailer ebook sales (100% of net passed on) and 15% of its own BookShop sales; print via retailers usually 10-30% royalty, 50% on BookShop.
What BookBaby offers
From BookBaby’s own pages, checked on October 7, 2026:
- Ebook distribution to Amazon, Apple Books, B&N, Kobo, Gardners and 50+ more stores
- Keeps none of the net from retailer ebook sales; 15% of its own BookShop sales
- Library channels including OverDrive and Hoopla
- Print-on-demand listing added to a bulk print order of at least 25 books
- Optional KDP Select route for the first 90 days before wide distribution
- ISBNs sold at $79 per format
- Paid editing, cover design and formatting services
- Partner Program pays referrers 10% of a referred author's first project
Runs on: web. Needs an internet connection. Launched: 2011.
Who BookBaby suits, and what its pages do not say
Best for: Authors who prefer paying upfront for done-for-you publishing services.
Not confirmed on BookBaby’s pages when we checked: free to publish, non-exclusive and free ISBN. That is what the vendor states, not a test; a feature can exist without being described, and the score only credits what is.
About 6,600 people a month search Google in the US for “bookbaby”, down 23% over the past year (Google Ads data via DataForSEO).
BookBaby alternatives
| Software | Score | Price from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | 9.9 | No upfront fee | Authors selling mainly on Amazon, including Kindle Unlimited readers |
| IngramSpark | 9.6 | No upfront fee | Authors wanting print books in bookstores and libraries beyond Amazon |
| Lulu | 9.2 | No upfront fee | Authors selling print books direct to readers as well as on Amazon |
| Draft2Digital | 7.9 | $12 a year | Authors going wide with ebooks who accept a small activation fee |
| Blurb | 7.8 | No upfront fee | Illustrated and photo-heavy books sold in print |
Compare: All publishing platforms · All software for authors
BookBaby questions
How much does BookBaby cost?
Not confirmed in USD. BookBaby lists 3 plans; the full list is under Pricing above.
What does BookBaby run on?
web, according to its own site.
How the score is computed: the formula, step by step. Prices and features were read from BookBaby’s own site on October 7, 2026; nobody pays to be listed.