Draft2Digital is always looking for new ways to help authors reach more readers in more places, and one of the best channels we’ve found for discoverability has been public libraries. That’s why we added Overdrive as one of our sales channels, back in 2017. And today, we’re expanding our library distribution even further with the addition of bibliotheca, the proprietors of cloudLibrary™.
TLDR: Watch this intro video
More readers, waiting to discover your books
By distributing your books to bibliotheca’s cloudLibrary, you’ll be included in a digital lending platform that serves more than 3,000 public libraries, worldwide. More than that, your books become part of a platform that actively engages readers and helps them connect with new authors and new books they’ll love.
That means better discoverability—more potential readers, with more reason to give your book a try!
Opting-in to bibliotheca is easy
The first time you log into your Draft2Digital account, you’ll be prompted to opt in to bibliotheca for expanded library distribution. You’ll be able to click a button and instantly add all of your books to this new sales channel, all at once!
If you’d prefer to add one book at a time, you can do that from your My Books page.
And here’s another way to increase discoverability with library distribution …
Most public libraries lend ebooks using a practice called One Copy, One User (OCOU). This is just like lending a physical book, in that the library purchases a copy of the ebook, and once a reader checks it out, it has to be returned before another reader can get their hands on it.
That means that unlike with a traditional sales channel (such as Kobo or Apple Books), only one reader can discover your book at a time, you only make one sale.
As Draft2Digital expands and improves its library distribution, we’re adding a new option that can help more readers discover your work: Cost Per Checkout (CPC).
CPC allows libraries to have access to the same title for more than one user. Instead of a fixed price, libraries gain access to your books and pay 1/10 of the book’s full purchase price, each time it is loaned out. Unlike OCOU, where only one reader can check your book out at a time and libraries might choose to only purchase a single copy of your book, CPC allows for unlimited checkouts that are paid per use—which can add up quickly!
This allows libraries to take risks on which books to include in their system, increasing the chances of a reader discovering your work, and increasing your revenue opportunities!
You don’t have to worry about turning this on—CPC and OCOU are both enabled by default for library distribution channels, and you are automatically receiving the benefits of both. If you’d prefer to disable CPC, however, you can do so by visiting our new Library Pricing page, or by visiting Advanced User Options on your My Account page.
We keep growing so you can keep growing
We believe adding bibliotheca and CPC to our library distribution is a fantastic way for authors to reach multiple readers at a time, worldwide, giving your discoverability and revenue potential a boost with new readers. We’re thrilled to have bibliotheca as a distribution partner, and we can’t wait to see the positive impact this will have on D2D’s community of indie authors!
Want to learn more? Check out our Self-Publishing Insiders episode about getting the most out of library distribution!