Scribd
The reading subscription that's always worth it.
Overview
Scribd is a vast digital library accessible through a monthly subscription. Readers get unlimited access to a huge catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and other documents. While not a direct publishing platform itself, it is a major distribution channel for authors who publish 'wide'. Authors can get their books onto Scribd through aggregators like Draft2Digital and PublishDrive.
✨ Key Features
- Subscription-based model for readers
- Access to a massive catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, and more
- Significant distribution channel for 'wide' authors
- Payouts to authors are based on how much a subscriber reads of their book
- Global audience
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Offers a wider variety of content types, including magazines and documents, not just books.
- Open platform for wide-distribution authors, unlike the exclusive Kindle Unlimited.
- Strong brand recognition as a 'Netflix for books'.
Unique Value: For authors, Scribd offers access to a large audience of voracious readers who prefer subscription services, providing a valuable, non-exclusive alternative to Amazon's Kindle Unlimited.
🎯 Use Cases (3)
✅ Best For
- Distributing ebooks via an aggregator to be included in the Scribd subscription library.
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Authors who want to publish directly to a platform (Scribd does not accept direct author uploads for its premium catalog).
- Authors who prefer a per-sale royalty model over a subscription-based payout model.
🏆 Alternatives
Unlike the 'all-or-nothing' exclusivity of Kindle Unlimited, Scribd allows authors to participate in a subscription service while still selling their books on all other major retail platforms.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
🛟 Support Options
- ✓ Email Support
🔒 Compliance & Security
💰 Pricing
✓ 30-day free trial
Free tier: This is a distribution endpoint, not a publishing service with its own pricing for authors. Payouts are determined by aggregators.
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