Barnes and Noble Press is a free self-publishing platform that lets you publish ebooks and print books directly to Barnes & Noble’s website, app, and NOOK devices — no exclusivity required and no upfront fees.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How B&N Press royalties, formatting, and distribution actually work
- The real pros and cons from authors who’ve used it
- How it compares to Amazon KDP and IngramSpark
- Whether it deserves a spot in your publishing strategy
Here’s the honest breakdown.
What Is Barnes and Noble Press?
Barnes and Noble Press is B&N’s free self-publishing platform that replaced the older NOOK Press in 2018. You can publish ebooks and print-on-demand paperbacks directly through the platform and sell them on BN.com, the Barnes & Noble app, and NOOK e-readers.
Unlike Amazon KDP, B&N Press doesn’t ask for exclusivity. You keep full rights to your work and can publish the same book on every other platform simultaneously. That makes it a key piece of any wide publishing strategy.
The platform handles printing, fulfillment, and payment. You upload your manuscript, set your price, and B&N takes care of the rest. There’s no inventory to manage and no upfront cost.
How Barnes and Noble Press Royalties Work
Royalties are the first thing most authors want to know, so here’s the breakdown.
Ebook royalties depend on your list price:
| List Price | Royalty Rate |
|---|---|
| $2.99 – $9.99 | 65% of list price |
| $0.99 – $2.98 or $10.00+ | 40% of list price |
Print book royalties use this formula:
Print royalty = List price - (printing cost + B&N’s percentage)
B&N takes 45% of the print list price, then subtracts the manufacturing cost. The manufacturing cost depends on your book’s page count, trim size, and whether it’s black-and-white or color interior.
For a 250-page black-and-white paperback priced at $14.99, you’d earn roughly $3.50–$4.00 per sale after B&N’s cut and printing costs.
How B&N Press Royalties Compare
| Platform | Ebook Royalty | Print Royalty Model | Exclusivity Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| B&N Press | 65% ($2.99–$9.99) | List price minus 45% minus print cost | No |
| Amazon KDP | 70% ($2.99–$9.99) | 60% of list price minus print cost | No (70% requires KDP Select for some markets) |
| IngramSpark | You set the discount (typically 55%) | List price minus discount minus print cost | No |
| Draft2Digital | 60% of list price | Via partner printers | No |
Amazon KDP offers a slightly higher ebook royalty rate at 70%, but B&N Press’s 65% is competitive — especially since you’re reaching an entirely different audience that doesn’t shop on Amazon.
How to Set Up a Barnes and Noble Press Account
Setting up your B&N Press account takes about 15 minutes. Here’s the process.
Step 1: Create your account. Go to press.barnesandnoble.com and click “Sign Up.” You’ll need your legal name, email, and a password.
Step 2: Complete your tax information. B&N requires a W-9 (U.S.) or W-8BEN (international) for tax reporting. You can’t publish until this step is done.
Step 3: Add your payment details. You’ll need a U.S. bank account for direct deposit. International authors can use Payoneer or a U.S.-based payment service.
Step 4: Upload your manuscript. B&N Press accepts EPUB files for ebooks and PDF files for print interiors. Your print cover must be a separate PDF that matches their template specifications.
Step 5: Set your price and publish. Choose your list price, write your book description, select categories, and hit publish. Ebooks go live within 24–72 hours. Print books take 3–5 business days.
If you need help writing the book itself before you get to this stage, an AI book writing tool like Chapter can help you go from idea to finished manuscript in weeks instead of months.
Barnes and Noble Press Formatting Requirements
B&N Press has specific formatting requirements that trip up a lot of first-time publishers. Here’s what you need to know.
Ebook Formatting
B&N Press accepts EPUB files for ebooks. They don’t accept Word documents directly — you’ll need to convert your manuscript to EPUB first.
Key specs:
- File format: EPUB 2.0 or 3.0
- Maximum file size: 650 MB (though most books are well under this)
- Images: JPG or PNG, embedded within the EPUB
- DRM: Optional — you choose whether to apply it
Print Book Formatting
Print formatting is more demanding. Your interior file must be a press-ready PDF with these specifications:
- Trim sizes: Standard options include 5” x 8”, 5.5” x 8.5”, 6” x 9”, 7” x 10”, and 8.5” x 11”
- Margins: Minimum 0.5” on all sides, with gutter margin increasing based on page count
- Bleed: 0.125” on all sides if your design extends to the page edge
- Color space: CMYK for color interiors, grayscale for black-and-white
- Resolution: 300 DPI minimum for all images
- Fonts: All fonts must be embedded in the PDF
Your cover file is a separate PDF. B&N provides a cover template calculator based on your trim size and page count — use it. A cover that’s even slightly off-spec will get rejected.
For detailed formatting specs, B&N publishes an official formatting guide on their website that walks through every requirement step by step.
Pros of Barnes and Noble Press
Here’s what B&N Press genuinely does well.
No upfront costs. Everything is free — account creation, publishing, and distribution. You only pay through the royalty split, which means zero financial risk.
No exclusivity requirement. You keep all rights and can publish on Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books, Google Play, and everywhere else simultaneously. This is critical for a wide publishing strategy.
Access to B&N’s audience. Barnes & Noble is the largest physical bookstore chain in the United States with over 600 stores. While most B&N Press sales happen online, having your book listed on BN.com puts you in front of readers who specifically prefer Barnes & Noble over Amazon.
NOOK distribution. Your ebook automatically becomes available on all NOOK devices and the NOOK reading app. NOOK has a loyal reader base — particularly for romance, mystery, and thriller genres.
Print-on-demand included. B&N prints each copy as it’s ordered. No inventory, no warehouse fees, no minimum order quantities. This works the same way as Amazon KDP’s print-on-demand service.
Free ISBN for print books. B&N Press provides a free ISBN for your print edition. The ISBN lists B&N as the publisher of record, which is standard for free platform-issued ISBNs. If you want your own imprint listed, you’ll need to purchase your own ISBN.
Simple dashboard. The publishing interface is straightforward. Upload, set your price, fill in metadata, and publish. It’s not as feature-rich as KDP’s dashboard, but it’s clean and easy to navigate.
Cons of Barnes and Noble Press
No platform is perfect. Here are the genuine drawbacks.
Smaller market share than Amazon. Amazon controls roughly 70–80% of the U.S. ebook market. B&N’s share is significantly smaller. You will almost certainly sell fewer copies on B&N Press than on KDP — this is just market reality.
Limited distribution. B&N Press only distributes to BN.com and NOOK. Your print book won’t appear in other bookstores, libraries, or third-party retailers through this platform. For wider print distribution, you’d need to also use IngramSpark or a distributor like Draft2Digital.
No hardcover option. B&N Press only offers paperback for print books. If you want hardcover editions, you’ll need IngramSpark or another print partner. Check out the print-on-demand hardcover options guide for alternatives.
Fewer marketing tools. KDP offers advertising through Amazon Ads, A+ Content, and KDP Select promotions like Kindle Unlimited and Countdown Deals. B&N Press has none of these. Your marketing is almost entirely on your shoulders.
Slower reporting. Sales data on B&N Press can take 24–48 hours to update. KDP’s reporting is much closer to real-time. This makes it harder to track the impact of marketing campaigns.
Customer support issues. Multiple authors have reported slow or unhelpful customer support responses. If something goes wrong with your listing or payment, resolution can take longer than with Amazon or IngramSpark.
U.S.-centric. B&N Press primarily serves the U.S. market. International readers can buy ebooks, but print distribution is limited to domestic shipping. International authors also face payment friction with the U.S. bank account requirement.
Barnes and Noble Press vs Amazon KDP
This is the comparison most self-published authors need to make. Here’s how the two platforms stack up side by side.
| Feature | B&N Press | Amazon KDP |
|---|---|---|
| Ebook Royalty | 65% ($2.99–$9.99) | 70% ($2.99–$9.99) |
| Print Royalty | List minus 45% minus print cost | 60% minus print cost |
| Exclusivity | Not required | Not required (but KDP Select is exclusive) |
| Hardcover | No | Yes |
| Advertising | No built-in ads | Amazon Ads available |
| Reach | BN.com + NOOK | Amazon.com + Kindle (global) |
| Reporting | 24–48 hour delay | Near real-time |
| Free ISBN | Yes (print) | Yes (print) |
The bottom line: Amazon KDP will likely generate more sales for most authors due to sheer market dominance. But B&N Press isn’t competing to replace KDP — it’s a supplement to it. The smart move is to publish on both. You’re leaving money on the table if you only publish on Amazon, because B&N readers specifically prefer shopping at Barnes & Noble.
The exception is if you’re enrolled in KDP Select, which requires ebook exclusivity with Amazon. In that case, you can still publish your print edition on B&N Press since KDP Select only covers ebooks.
For a deeper comparison of self-publishing platforms, including Draft2Digital, IngramSpark, and others, check out our full platform comparison guide.
Barnes and Noble Press vs IngramSpark
IngramSpark is the other major alternative, especially for print distribution.
| Feature | B&N Press | IngramSpark |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to Publish | Free | Free (previously $49/title, now waived) |
| Print Quality | Good | Excellent — industry standard |
| Distribution | BN.com only | 40,000+ retailers, libraries, bookstores globally |
| Hardcover | No | Yes |
| Returns | Not available | Returnable option (important for bookstore placement) |
| Ebook Distribution | NOOK only | Via partner retailers |
The bottom line: If your priority is getting your print book into bookstores and libraries worldwide, IngramSpark wins by a wide margin. B&N Press is limited to their own ecosystem.
Many authors use both: IngramSpark for wide print distribution and B&N Press specifically for the NOOK ebook audience. Since there’s no cost or exclusivity requirement for either, the only investment is your time setting up both accounts.
Read the full IngramSpark vs KDP comparison for more detail on how all three platforms work together.
Is Barnes and Noble Press Good for New Authors?
Barnes and Noble Press is a reasonable choice for new authors who want to go wide from the start — but it shouldn’t be your only platform.
B&N Press makes sense for you if:
- You’re publishing wide (not enrolled in KDP Select)
- You want to reach NOOK readers specifically
- You want a free, no-risk platform to add to your distribution mix
- You’re writing in genres strong on NOOK — romance, mystery, thriller, sci-fi
B&N Press probably isn’t enough on its own if:
- You need maximum reach (Amazon KDP covers a much larger market)
- You want built-in advertising tools
- You need hardcover or large-format print options
- You want global print distribution
For most new self-published authors, the ideal setup is Amazon KDP as your primary platform, with B&N Press, Apple Books, and Google Play Books as secondary channels to maximize your audience.
If you’re still working on your manuscript, tools like Chapter can help you write your book faster with AI — then you can publish it across all of these platforms once it’s ready.
How to Maximize Your Sales on B&N Press
Publishing on B&N Press is easy. Selling well on it takes more effort. Here are strategies that work.
Optimize your book description. B&N’s search algorithm weighs your title, subtitle, and description heavily. Include your target keywords naturally in all three. Write a description that hooks the reader in the first two sentences.
Choose the right categories. B&N uses BISAC codes for categorization. Pick specific subcategories where your book has a realistic chance of ranking. A romance novel categorized under “Fiction > Romance > Contemporary” will compete more effectively than one dropped into the general “Fiction” bucket.
Price strategically. The 65% royalty tier kicks in at $2.99. Pricing an ebook at $2.99–$4.99 hits the sweet spot between maximizing royalty percentage and staying competitive. For print books, price high enough to earn a meaningful royalty after B&N’s 45% cut and print costs.
Build your author page. B&N Press lets you create an author profile page on BN.com. Fill it out completely — photo, bio, links to your other books. A complete author page builds credibility with readers browsing the platform.
Cross-promote from your other channels. Include your B&N link alongside your Amazon link in your email newsletters, website, and social media. Many readers prefer buying from B&N and will choose that option when you give it to them.
Time your launches. Publish on B&N Press at the same time you publish on KDP and other platforms. A coordinated launch across all channels gives you the best chance of generating momentum.
Should You Use B&N Press for Print on Demand?
B&N Press’s print-on-demand service is functional but limited compared to the competition.
The print quality is decent — standard trade paperback with a matte or glossy cover. But you’re restricted to paperback only, your distribution is limited to BN.com, and you can’t offer returnability (which matters if you want physical bookstores to stock your title).
For most authors, the best print-on-demand strategy is:
- Amazon KDP for print sales on Amazon (which handles the majority of online book sales)
- IngramSpark for wide print distribution to bookstores and libraries
- B&N Press as a third option if you want to ensure your paperback appears on BN.com with the best possible royalty rate
You don’t have to choose just one. Since none of these platforms require exclusivity for print, you can list your paperback on all three. The only thing to watch is pricing consistency — keep your list price the same across platforms so readers don’t see different prices depending on where they shop.
For more on self-publishing costs and how print-on-demand pricing works, see our detailed cost breakdown.
How Long Does It Take to Publish on B&N Press?
Publishing on Barnes and Noble Press typically takes 3–7 business days from upload to live listing. Ebooks go through review and appear on BN.com within 24–72 hours. Print books take 3–5 business days because B&N needs to verify your print files meet their specifications.
The actual upload and setup process takes 30–60 minutes per book if you have your files ready. The bottleneck is formatting — getting your EPUB and print-ready PDF right the first time. If your files don’t meet specs, you’ll get a rejection and need to fix and resubmit, which can add days to the timeline.
Can You Sell Barnes and Noble Press Books in Physical Stores?
Not through B&N Press alone. The platform distributes exclusively to BN.com and NOOK digital channels. Your print books won’t appear on physical Barnes & Noble store shelves through B&N Press.
Getting into physical B&N stores requires going through their Small Press Department or having a traditional distribution arrangement — typically through IngramSpark with returnability enabled. Even then, placement isn’t guaranteed. Individual store managers make stocking decisions based on local demand.
This is a common misconception. Publishing on Barnes & Noble’s self-publishing platform doesn’t automatically get your book into Barnes & Noble stores.
FAQ
Is Barnes and Noble Press free to use?
Yes, Barnes and Noble Press is completely free to use. There are no setup fees, no publishing fees, and no annual charges. You earn money through royalties on each sale — 65% for ebooks priced $2.99–$9.99 and a formula-based royalty for print books after printing costs and B&N’s percentage are deducted.
What is the difference between Barnes and Noble Press and NOOK Press?
Barnes and Noble Press replaced NOOK Press in 2018. NOOK Press was B&N’s original self-publishing platform that only supported ebooks. B&N Press expanded the service to include print-on-demand paperbacks alongside ebook publishing. If you had a NOOK Press account, it was automatically migrated to B&N Press.
Can you make money self-publishing on Barnes and Noble Press?
You can earn meaningful royalties on Barnes and Noble Press, but most authors earn less here than on Amazon KDP due to B&N’s smaller market share. Authors who write in genres popular with NOOK readers — romance, mystery, and thriller — tend to perform best. B&N Press works best as one part of a multi-platform publishing strategy rather than your sole sales channel.
Does Barnes and Noble Press provide an ISBN?
Yes, B&N Press provides a free ISBN for your print book. The ISBN lists Barnes & Noble as the publisher of record. If you prefer your own imprint name on the ISBN, you’ll need to purchase one separately from Bowker (the only authorized ISBN agency in the U.S.) or through other ISBN options.
Is Barnes and Noble Press better than Amazon KDP?
Amazon KDP is the larger platform with higher ebook royalties (70% vs 65%), more marketing tools, and a much bigger audience. Barnes and Noble Press is not necessarily better — it’s different. B&N Press gives you access to readers who don’t shop on Amazon, requires no exclusivity, and has a loyal NOOK reader base. The best strategy for most authors is to publish on both platforms rather than choosing one over the other.
