Publishing WIDE

BookFunnel doesn't sell books or collect royalties — it controls what happens after a reader clicks. That makes it one of the most useful infrastructure tools in a wide author's toolkit.

Library distribution is one of the most overlooked advantages of publishing wide. This guide explains how indie authors reach library readers through OverDrive, Hoopla, Bibliotheca, and IngramSpark's library network—and why it belongs in every wide strategy.

OverDrive is the largest library digital content distributor in the world, and Libby is the app millions of library patrons use to borrow from it. For wide authors, getting into this network is one of the clearest examples of audience a retail-only strategy simply doesn't reach.

hoopla is the only major U.S. library platform that lets patrons borrow instantly without waitlists, and it pays authors per checkout rather than per licensed copy. For wide authors targeting library readers, that combination makes it worth understanding.

Bibliotheca's cloudLibrary is the third major digital library platform alongside OverDrive and hoopla, reaching over 3,000 library systems globally. For wide authors, understanding how it differs from the other two — and why that difference matters — is what makes library distribution work as a whole.

BorrowBox—operated by Bolinda—is the leading library ebook and audiobook platform in Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. Gardners is the UK's dominant book wholesaler serving libraries and independent bookstores. Both are accessible through D2D and represent significant reach for wide authors beyond the US market.

Kobo Plus is Kobo's subscription reading service—and it is one of the clearest advantages wide authors have over Kindle Unlimited-exclusive authors. Enrollment is optional, non-exclusive, and managed directly in Kobo Writing Life. This guide covers how Kobo Plus works, what it pays, and how to decide which books to enroll.

The audiobook market is growing rapidly and Amazon's Audible/ACX ecosystem is not the whole picture. This guide covers wide audiobook distribution through Findaway Voices, Spotify, and other non-exclusive platforms—and how to build an audiobook business that doesn't depend on Amazon.

Author's Republic distributes audiobooks to 50+ retail, streaming, and library platforms—including Audible, Apple, Spotify, Hoopla, and OverDrive—with no exclusivity and no monthly fees. This guide covers how Author's Republic works, how it compares to Findaway Voices, and how to use it as part of a professional wide audio strategy.