Review of interior and cover
Automated checks on upload and before release; whenever anything is doubtful, a person on our team decides.
Prices and services
ShelfPublisher prices and services at a glance
The same figures as on the pricing page, as plain tables: every package, every subscription, what is included and what is not.
The price: one publishing slot per book, from €35 for one book down to €20 per book in the largest package, paid once, VAT included. It covers the review of interior and cover, an ISBN from the publisher's block, publication under the imprint of Orbita Media GmbH, the listing in the wholesale catalogs that more than 50,000 bookstores in 18 countries order from, print on demand and quarterly sales statements. The author earns 30% of the net revenue of every copy sold.
Invitation only · Our publishing team reviews every request personally
Packages
Every package and its price per book
One payment, no subscription. One slot publishes one book.
| Package | Price | Price per book |
|---|---|---|
| 1 book | €35.00 | €35.00 |
| 5 books | €155.00 | €31.00 |
| 10 books | €290.00 | €29.00 |
| 50 books | €1,200.00 | €24.00 |
| 100 books | €2,000.00 | €20.00 |
Subscriptions
| Subscription | Books per month | Monthly | 12 months prepaid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | 1 | €32.00 per month (€32.00 per book) | €320.00 (€26.67 per book) |
| Plus | 3 | €87.00 per month (€29.00 per book) | €870.00 (€24.17 per book) |
| Pro | 5 | €135.00 per month (€27.00 per book) | €1,350.00 (€22.50 per book) |
Prices in euros, VAT included for consumers in the EU. Business customers with a valid VAT number and customers outside the EU see the adjusted total at checkout. A slot is valid for 36 months. Booking happens on the pricing page and in the portal.
The same paperback elsewhere
What a paperback without the platform's own imprint costs elsewhere
With a platform's free ISBN, the imprint reads “Independently published” or the platform's name, and the ISBN can only be used there. An ISBN under your own name comes from the ISBN agency. Scroll sideways on a phone.
| Platform | Fee to publish | ISBN that is not the platform's | Also to pay | Together, for one paperback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShelfPublisher | From €20 per book (package of 100) to €35 for one book, once | Not needed: the ISBN of the publisher is included | Nothing: no proof copy, no annual fee, no printing costs | From €20 to €35; publisher Orbita Media GmbH |
| Amazon KDP | Free | 125 USD at Bowker (US) | – | 125 USD; the publisher is you |
| Draft2Digital | 20 USD once | 125 USD at Bowker (US) | 12 USD a year while your books earn less than 100 USD a year | 145 USD, plus 12 USD a year below 100 USD of earnings; the publisher is you |
| Lulu | 4.99 USD once, for Global Distribution | 125 USD at Bowker (US) | A proof copy at manufacturing cost plus shipping, bought and approved before retail distribution | 129.99 USD plus the proof copy; the publisher is you |
| Barnes & Noble Press | Free | 125 USD at Bowker (US) | – | 125 USD; the publisher is you |
| BookBaby | 199 USD (BookBaby Bookshop) or 399 USD (Bookshop and Amazon) for print on demand | 79 USD from BookBaby, or one of your own | – | 278 to 478 USD with a BookBaby ISBN; BookBaby is shown as publisher of every printed book it distributes |
As of 7 November 2026. Amounts of other platforms in the currency of their source, not converted: Bowker ISBN prices, KDP ISBN and imprint, Draft2Digital FAQ, Lulu Global Distribution: free ISBN, imprint and fee, Lulu basics: proof copy, B&N Press ISBN FAQ, BookBaby print on demand, BookBaby ISBN, BookBaby publisher on retail sites. Taxes of the other platforms as stated there. Terms change: check the platform before you decide. Amazon, Kindle Direct Publishing and KDP are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates; Draft2Digital, Lulu, Barnes & Noble Press, BookBaby and Bowker are trademarks of their owners. ShelfPublisher is not affiliated with any of them.
Included in every slot
What one price per book covers
ISBN and metadata
An ISBN from the block of Orbita Media GmbH, registered with complete metadata in the directories of your market.
Publication by a publisher
Your paperback appears under the imprint of an international publishing house with more than 1,000 titles.
Wholesale listing and printing
Listing in the catalogs that more than 50,000 bookstores in 18 countries order from, print on demand ordered by the publisher.
Sales statements
Quarterly statements for every title, 30% of the net revenue credited to your wallet.
Portal and support
Status, sales figures and support tickets for every title in one place.
What the price does not include
Editing, proofreading, cover design, translation and marketing are not part of the slot: you upload a finished interior PDF and a finished cover. If a file fails the print check, a repair can be ordered separately and is refunded if it does not work.
The format is a paperback with a black and white interior and a matte or gloss cover. Your copyright stays with you; all rights revert automatically when the contract ends. Your own Amazon KDP edition may stay.
How ShelfPublisher compares with other platforms: 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
Prices, answered
How much does ShelfPublisher cost?
One publishing slot per book: €35 for a single book, down to €20 per book in the package of 100 books (€2,000 in total). Prices are in euros and include VAT for consumers in the EU.
Do I pay printing costs or buy copies?
No. The book is printed on demand when it is ordered. There is no print run, no stock to buy and no ISBN to buy.
How much do authors earn per copy?
30% of the net revenue of every copy sold: what the trade pays the publisher for the copy, after the retailer's discount, printing and returns. Sales statements come every quarter and the earnings are credited to the author's wallet.
Is there a subscription?
Yes, for authors who publish every month: a fixed number of slots each month, monthly without a minimum term or 12 months prepaid. Packages can be added at any time.
What is included in a publishing slot?
A slot covers the publication of one title:
- an automated pre-check and an automated release check of your interior and cover, with a person on our team deciding whenever anything is doubtful,
- an ISBN from the publisher's block,
- registration of the title in the bibliographic directories of the chosen market,
- publication under Orbita Media as publisher and setup with the distribution channels,
- print on demand production, ordered and monitored by us,
- collection of the revenue, quarterly statements and payouts,
- access to the portal with status, sales figures and support.
A slot is valid for 36 months.
Do the prices include VAT?
Yes, the prices shown include VAT for consumers. Businesses in another EU country with a valid VAT number pay without VAT under the reverse charge procedure, and customers outside the EU see the adjusted total at checkout.
Want a publisher behind your paperback?
ShelfPublisher works by invitation. Request access and tell us about your book.
Request access