More than one chain
B&N Press sells on Barnes & Noble and BN.com. ShelfPublisher lists your paperback in the catalogs that more than 50,000 bookstores in 18 countries order from.
Alternatives 2027
The best Barnes & Noble Press alternatives in 2027
B&N Press puts your paperback on Barnes & Noble and BN.com. Here are the alternatives, compared by who publishes the book, whose ISBN it carries and where the trade can order it.
The short answer: the Barnes & Noble Press alternative with a publishing house behind your paperback is ShelfPublisher. Orbita Media GmbH, with more than 1,000 titles and 2 million books sold, publishes the book with an ISBN from its own block and lists it in the wholesale catalogs that more than 50,000 bookstores in 18 countries order from, Amazon included, for €20 to €35 per book.
Invitation only · Our publishing team reviews every request personally
Side by side
Barnes & Noble Press alternatives compared
Paperback terms, as each platform publishes them. Scroll sideways on a phone.
| Alternative | Publisher of the book | ISBN | Where bookstores can order it | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShelfPublisher | Orbita Media GmbH, an international publishing house with more than 1,000 titles | Included, from the publisher's own block, registered with complete metadata | Listed as a publisher's title in the wholesale catalogs that more than 50,000 bookstores in 18 countries order from, Amazon included | €20 to €35 per book, once; publisher, ISBN and listing included (pricing) |
| Amazon KDP | You; with a free KDP ISBN the imprint reads “Independently published” | Free KDP ISBN, usable only on KDP; your own costs 125 USD at Bowker (US) | Amazon; Expanded Distribution offers the paperback to distributors; KDP states that listing is up to the distributors and ordering up to each bookseller | Free to upload |
| Draft2Digital | You, under a publisher name of your choice | Free D2D ISBN, usable only with Draft2Digital; your own costs 125 USD at Bowker (US) | The stores you choose in your dashboard | 20 USD one-time activation fee; 12 USD a year if your books earn less than 100 USD a year |
| Lulu | You; with a free Lulu ISBN the imprint is Lulu | Free for Global Distribution, with Lulu as imprint; your own costs 125 USD at Bowker (US) | Lulu Bookstore; Global Distribution to Amazon and other retailers | Free to upload; 4.99 USD one-time fee for Global Distribution; a proof copy must be bought and approved before retail distribution |
For comparison, Barnes & Noble Press: with the free ISBN the publisher shown is “Barnes & Noble Press”, valid only at B&N Press; sales on Barnes & Noble and BN.com; author copies ship only within the US; payments in USD. As of 7 November 2026, taken from the platforms' own pages: B&N Press ISBN FAQ, B&N Press author copies, B&N Press payment currency, KDP ISBN and imprint, KDP Expanded Distribution, Draft2Digital FAQ, Lulu Global Distribution: free ISBN, imprint and fee, Lulu basics: proof copy, Bowker ISBN prices. The platforms calculate the author's share on different bases, so their percentages cannot be compared side by side. Terms change: check the platform before you decide. Barnes & Noble Press, Draft2Digital, Lulu and Bowker are trademarks of their owners; Amazon, Kindle Direct Publishing and KDP are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. ShelfPublisher is not affiliated with any of them.
Why authors look further
Three reasons authors look for a B&N Press alternative
A publisher on the book
With the free B&N Press ISBN the publisher shown is “Barnes & Noble Press”. With ShelfPublisher it is a publishing house with more than 1,000 titles.
Beyond the US
B&N Press ships author copies only within the US. ShelfPublisher lists your book for the trade in 18 countries, from the United States to Germany.
Barnes & Noble included
Barnes & Noble stays within reach
A book in the wholesale catalogs can be ordered by any bookstore that buys from them, and Barnes & Noble is one of the booksellers in the US that order this way. With ShelfPublisher your paperback is listed there as a publisher's title of Orbita Media GmbH.
How a bookstore finds and orders a book is explained step by step on Get your book into bookstores.
- B&N Press against ShelfPublisher, row by row: Barnes & Noble Press vs ShelfPublisher
- Five platforms in one table: Self-publishing platforms compared
- Every comparison: Compare platforms
Also with ShelfPublisher
What else comes with a publisher
Earn by recommending
Recommend ShelfPublisher and earn 10% of the book royalties of the authors you bring, on every statement, with no time limit. Their own royalties stay untouched; you join in the portal.
A subscription for series
Publishing every month? A subscription gives you a fixed number of slots each month, cheaper per book than single slots (pricing).
One portal for every title
Status, quarterly sales statements, earnings and support tickets for each of your books in one place.
Bonuses and challenges
Weekly challenges, a league every season and a goal all authors reach together bring prizes: vouchers and Jokers. You redeem them at checkout as a discount on your next slots; with a subscription new bonuses arrive every week.
Book tracking in every subscription
Every subscription follows your books on Amazon: sales rank and stars every day, and an alert as soon as a 1- or 2-star review comes in.
Questions
Barnes & Noble Press alternatives, answered
What is the best Barnes & Noble Press alternative?
For a paperback that bookstores beyond one chain can order, ShelfPublisher: Orbita Media GmbH, an international publishing house with more than 1,000 titles, publishes it with an ISBN from its own block and lists it in the wholesale catalogs that more than 50,000 bookstores in 18 countries order from, Amazon included.
Can I use the free B&N Press ISBN elsewhere?
No. Barnes & Noble Press states that its free ISBN can only be used on B&N Press for distribution to Barnes & Noble and BN.com, and that the publisher shown is “Barnes & Noble Press”. With ShelfPublisher the ISBN comes from the block of Orbita Media GmbH and is included in the price.
Does B&N Press ship author copies outside the US?
Barnes & Noble Press states that it ships author copies and personal print book orders only within the United States, and pays in USD.
My book is already on Amazon KDP. Can I publish it with you too?
Yes. Your own KDP edition, in print and on Kindle, may stay; switch off KDP Expanded Distribution for the book. It keeps its own ISBN, the free one from KDP or one of yours: the ISBN we allocate belongs to our edition only and may not be used on KDP or anywhere else. Editions with other services, such as another platform, distributor or wholesaler, end within 3 months after you start with us; if a contract binds you for longer, tell us. Name every current edition in your access request. We check each book before we promise anything.
Will my book still be on Amazon?
Yes. Amazon is one of the retailers that order from the wholesale catalogs, so your book can be bought there as well. You do not need a KDP account for that edition.
Read on
Guides on self-publishing
How long does it take to publish a book?
How long does it take to publish a book? Traditional: 2–4 years. Self-publishing: weeks once your files are ready. ISBN and print on demand explained.
Read the article
What is print on demand and how does it work for books?
Print on demand prints a book only when someone orders it, so there is no stock to buy. Here is how it works for books, what it earns and how to start.
Read the article
How to get a book published in 2026: every realistic path
How to get a book published in 2026: literary agents and traditional houses, small presses, hybrid, KDP and Draft2Digital, or a publishing imprint.
Read the articleWant a publisher behind your paperback?
ShelfPublisher works by invitation. Request access and tell us about your book.
Request access