Is there an Alternative to Amazon eBooks?
Paul Smith
Many of you may know that I prefer to read and sell my books in eBook format - and I know that's not for everyone. So, I've been promoting a collection of eBooks recently on the Wise Grey Owl Mastodon Social Media Network (@wisegreyowl@mastodonapp.uk if you're on Mastodon).
I've been asked quite a few times recently if there's an alternative to Amazon eBooks and there seems to be a backlash against the tech-titans so I thought I'd take a look but it is still work in progress.
I thought I'd start with BorrowBox, which I use to loan eBooks and eAudiobooks from North Yorkshire Libraries. I wondered if there was a commercial version of it and what a rabbit hole I fell into, Alice in Wonderland Style. I thought I'd share some of my findings here.
Firstly, BorrowBox is not used to sell eBooks commercially (i.e. for purchase). Rather, it is a digital-library lending platform. But don't despair yet; exposure in a library of the first in your series (if it's good) may encourage purchases of subsequent releases or get you identified as an author.What BorrowBox Does
- BorrowBox lets members of participating public libraries borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks (and in some cases e-magazines/newspapers) free of charge.
- You need a valid library membership (library card + PIN) to use the service.
- Loans have a fixed period (e.g. 2–3 weeks or 21 days, depending on library) and items automatically “expire”/return at the end of that period.
- There are no payments involved when using BorrowBox - the service is free for library members.
What BorrowBox is not
- It does not sell eBooks; you cannot buy a copy to keep permanently.
- You don’t “own” the eBook after download: it’s a temporary loan, analogous to borrowing a physical book from a library.
Because BorrowBox is library-based lending, it isn’t a marketplace for selling eBooks. Instead, it represents a distribution channel for libraries, via lend licences. Some services/platforms for authors/publishers integrate with BorrowBox (or via third-party distributors) so libraries can license eBooks, but BorrowBox itself is not a “store”. For instance, there is a partnership between StreetLib (a publishing/distribution platform) and BorrowBox for global library distribution.
That means as an author, you could, via a distributor, make your book available to libraries who then lend via BorrowBox. But the user of the app isn’t buying the book, just borrowing under a library licence.
How Authors can get onto BorrowBox (via Distributors)
A common route is to use a publishing aggregator/distributor rather than dealing with BorrowBox directly. For example, StreetLib recently announced a formal partnership with BorrowBox, meaning authors/publishers using StreetLib can “opt in” to have their titles made available to BorrowBox’s library network across many English-language territories.
Another path: Draft2Digital also lists BorrowBox among the library-distribution services through which it distributes ebooks/audiobooks. You upload your manuscript (or already-formatted eBook file) to the distributor. They handle conversion, metadata (title, ISBN/identifier, description), and submission to the lending platforms used by libraries.
Once submitted, your book becomes part of the “Catalogue” from which libraries (not individual readers) may choose to license or purchase a copy. Then library members themselves borrow via BorrowBox.
What Authors need to understand: it’s not Automatic
Simply being “on” the distributor does not guarantee that every library will carry your book. Each library decides independently what to license based on their own budgets, interests, and patron demand. For self-published/indie authors especially: libraries often rely on reputation, discovery signals (reviews, professional-looking cover and metadata, demand from patrons) when deciding to license a title.
Because of that, marketing, good presentation, and sometimes outreach to libraries (or encouraging readers to request your book) can help; you can treat library distribution as part of a broader marketing strategy, not just another sales venue.
What this Means for You
Given that:
- You are interested in publishing eBooks (fiction).
- You know about Amazon publishing, but are exploring other distribution channels.
You could reasonably use StreetLib or Draft2Digital to distribute your eBooks to libraries (including via BorrowBox), which would give your books an alternative readership, especially in libraries where readers may not buy directly from Amazon.
