Back to Basics: How to Publish Your Book With Streetlib

Julie Trelstad -

Are you ready to release your book? If so, here's a quick overview of how Streetlib can help make publishing your book easy.

Streetlib is an ebook and audiobook distribution platform that allows you to distribute your ebook and audiobook widely to global markets. Streetlib currently reaches over 70 ebook, audiobook, library, and subscription-based book retailers worldwide, and we're constantly adding new outlets!

Sign up for an account.

Streetlib is free to use and only takes a commission on sales you make, so there is no cost to start. To sign up, go to Streetlib.com. You'll need to provide basic information, including your email address, and to set up the distribution services. You will need to provide information on how we can pay your earnings via Paypal or via Bank Transfer (ACH). You must also complete tax paperwork and e-sign the book distribution agreement.

Luckily, you only have to do this once! Once you have completed the signup process, you can set up your books. There is no obligation to publish with us, our agreements are non-exclusive, and no fees are associated with having a Streetlib distribution account.

Prepare your book for publishing.

The next step is to prepare your materials for upload. We've designed our book distribution system to maximize compatibility across many book publishing sites, so uploading publishing files that will work across many retailers is essential. It might seem a little bit fiddly, but here's what you need:

For an ebook:

  • EPUB file for reflowable, accessible ebooks
  • EPUB3 FXL files for fixed-layout books like children's picture books, graphic novels, or comics
  • MP3 audiobook files, with one file per chapter for audiobooks
  • JPG files for covers

Don’t have an EPUB file? No problem! You can use the Streetlib Write software to format your book files or hire us to help.

Pull together the book information.

You must also gather information about your book for the retail listings. In the industry, we call this your metadata, and you'll need to have the following at hand:

  • book title
  • book description
  • language
  • age range
  • book category
  • author and other contributors
  • suggested retail price of your book

Choose your markets.

Next, choose which retailers carry your book. You can include or exclude Amazon in your distribution if you already publish your book on KDP or wish to manage it separately. If you choose this option, ensure your Amazon account is not exclusive.

Market your book and monitor your sales.

Now things get fun. Once you submit your work for publishing, it takes a few days for your book to appear in the various retail channels. The more you promote your book to your network and among interested readers, the more likely you will be to start selling your book quickly. Marketing a book takes practice; the more you experiment, the better you'll get. Watch this space for more tips on marketing your books!

Once the book sells, you’ll see daily sales on your Dashboard for retailers. Remember that these sales are only estimated because we aggregate them from many sources, and they need to account for returns. Still, you can use the data to measure the results of your marketing efforts immediately.

Get paid and repeat!

Unlike traditional publishers, we automatically pay your monthly earnings via Paypal or direct bank deposit. We charge 10% of the list price of your ebook or 20% of the net proceeds for your audiobooks.

Have questions? Let us know!