Books
Depends
Confidence: Low
Evidence is thin (low confidence): books.by looks like a small direct-sales and print platform for self-published authors, but one author reports order problems and poor service.
New check
Comparison
Books vs Draft2Digital
Books and Draft2Digital both land on Depends.
Draft2Digital
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you're a self-published author distributing ebooks wide beyond Amazon . free formatting and broad retailer reach still work.
| Compare | Books | Draft2Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Self-published authors | Self-published authors going wide beyond Amazon |
| Who it's not for | Authors needing dependable, fast order fulfillment | Amazon-only KDP authors . aggregator adds nothing |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.³ | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.15 |
| Support quality | Complaint cites poor customer service | No direct support evidence found |
| Public sentiment | Direct user feedback is scarce; the one findable post is an author complaint about orders and service.⁴ | Sentiment is mixed: authors long praised the free formatting and reach, but 2026 fee changes drove public anger, petitions, and departures.14 |
| Biggest gotcha | Complaint cites author-copy order problems and poor service . test with one small order first.⁴ | $12/yr maintenance fee for lower-earning accounts; petition demands removal⁷ |
Pick Books when
- Self-published authors
- Authors selling print copies direct
When Books is not a fit
- Authors needing dependable, fast order fulfillment
- Anyone expecting responsive customer support
- Authors wanting guaranteed wide bookstore distribution
Pick Draft2Digital when
- Self-published authors going wide beyond Amazon
- Backlist authors consolidating many stores
- Non-technical writers wanting free formatting
- Authors avoiding KDP exclusivity
When Draft2Digital is not a fit
- Amazon-only KDP authors . aggregator adds nothing
- Print-first authors . IngramSpark/KDP fit better
- Low-earning authors hit by new annual fees
- Authors who fear losing reviews when migrating
Sources
- Books . homepagebooks.byofficial
official
- Books.by product security pagebooks.bysecurity
review
- Draft2Digital FAQ (official)draft2digital.comofficial
- Understanding D2D's Activation and Maintenance Fees (official)draft2digital.comofficial
review
review
- Why I Left Draft2Digital in 2026 . Rebecca in Printrebeccainprint.comreview
- Bookshop.org Teams with Draft2Digital . Publishers Weeklypublishersweekly.comnews
- D2D Restructures with Annual Author Charges . LitMagLablitmaglab.substack.comnews
- Draft2Digital's Free Formatting: An Honest Reviewbookdesigner.aireview
- Reviews lost after migrating from Draft2Digital . KDP Communitykdpcommunity.comreview
- Draft2Digital Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.comreview
- Draft2Digital product security page (official)draft2digital.comsecurity
- Statement on Draft2Digital's New Fee Policy . Unsolicited Pressunsolicitedpress.comnews