The ABCs of Self-Publishing Platform Google Play

GOOGLE PLAY

https://play.google.com/

Google Play offers ebooks and audiobooks (in certain countries/regions). They allow preorders.

Cost: There is no cost to upload your files. There are no delivery fees on books priced below $2.99 or above $9.99.

Rights: You retain all rights. You can make changes. You provide the ISBN number or they will provide a Book ID number.

Distribution: They distribute worldwide on their platform and advertise 75+ countries and 2 billion Android users.

Services: You upload your own files in EPUB or PDF format. You can upload an audiobook you created through another vendor. 

The creation and marketing are all on you. You need an associated Google account. If you don't use Gmail, you’ll have to create a Google account.

They do offer promotion opportunities and promo codes for free or discounted books. You put a link to the Google Play site for your book and they say to mention your book on their site in your promotions. They mention promo code campaigns.

Payment: Except in cases where Google is acting as your agent or where Google is required to sell at a price set by the publisher, Google has the discretion to set prices as it sees fit.

They share the revenue from any sales according to the list price that you provide. Google Play “price-matches” your book if they see a lower price available elsewhere.

For percentage off and fixed price promotion codes, the author will earn the usual 70% royalty on the final price of the ebook after the discount. The default revenue split is 52% for partners who have not accepted their updated TOS and for ebook sales in certain countries.

Sales reports are available each month but because of all the variables won’t necessarily match the payments for that month.

Payments are made via direct deposit or wire transfer. They report your income to the IRS but they do not collect taxes.

Google pays on the 15th day of each month, or on the next business day. This payment is based on sales, refunds, and chargebacks which occurred during the previous calendar month and must exceed $1 US.

Next week, we look at Ingram Spark.

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