3 of the Best Places to Publish Your Book Online

Congratulations! Since you chose to click on this article, you are likely planning to self-publish—or you’re at least weighing your options and have started a search for the best places to publish your book online. Self-publishing takes a lot of guts, and I commend you for undertaking it or even just doing the preliminary research.

As a self-published author myself, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a lot of work, yes, but the creative and financial freedom you have as an indie author is invaluable. You won’t be tied down by the rigid deadlines a traditional publisher imposes. And on the flip side, you can publish your book in just a few minutes if you wish, as opposed to the year or two it would take if you were working with a big publishing house.

Having been through the self-publishing process before, I know how stressful it can be. There are so many decisions to be made, and so many fiction platforms to choose from. As someone who has done a lot of research on the subject, here are some of the best places to publish your book online that I have come across.

Amazon KDP

When you began to consider self-publishing your book online, Amazon was probably the first site that came to mind. The e-commerce giant has carved a great reputation as a platform for budding indie authors. The publishing process is straightforward, Amazon only takes 30-70% of your book’s profits (as opposed to the 90% a traditional publisher would take), and the site handles a lot of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to promoting your book.

This platform is ideal for authors who:

• Write nonfiction, romance, and suspense

• Already have a polished, completed manuscript

• Want exposure to a large audience

This platform is not ideal for authors who:

• Have not finished writing their book yet

• Don’t have money to burn on professional cover design and formatting

Wattpad

While Amazon KDP is the go-to platform for indie authors with completed manuscripts, Wattpad has become the central hub for authors who are posting their works online as they write them. Wattpad authors have the opportunity to get tons of feedback from readers as they write, and some have gotten noticed by big publishers and even scored TV and movie deals. It is completely free to publish your story—you can even access Canva’s free book cover maker in the process of posting your first chapter.

This platform is ideal for authors who:

• Write romance, fantasy, and YA/teen fiction

• Are looking to publish their books chapter by chapter

• Still hope to be published by a traditional publisher someday and see self-publishing as more of a trial run

This platform is not ideal for authors who:

• Want to make money off their work

• Are worried about their story getting lost in a large pool of authors

Fictionate.Me

Unlike Amazon KDP and Wattpad, Fictionate.Me is much newer to the online self-publishing scene. It can actually be a huge advantage to get in on the ground floor of a new site—with a smaller pool of authors, it’s easier to stand out. Another great part of Fictionate.Me is that you can make money as you post chapter by chapter, and get to keep 100% of your book’s profits. You can also enjoy lots of interaction with your readers through likes and comments, and you’ll have the option to include AI narration for your story. The site has a very aesthetically pleasing online reader as well, so you won’t have to worry about getting your book formatted.

This platform is ideal for authors who:

• Write in speculative genres like science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal fiction

• Are looking to make money off their work as they publish their books chapter by chapter

• Want an audiobook version of their book available so readers can listen on the go

This platform is not ideal for authors who:

• Have a completed manuscript

• Want to be exposed to a large audience

I know the big wide world of fiction platforms can be overwhelming. But having so many options is also a blessing (though it doesn’t always feel like one). This way, no matter whether you plan to publish a completed book or post it online as you write, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect platform for you.