What You Need Before You Start
Barnes & Noble Press is a US-focused platform. Getting these things ready first saves you from stalling halfway through the setup.
A US bank account
B&N Press pays royalties to US bank accounts only. International support is limited, so authors outside the US often publish through an aggregator instead. If you have a US account, you are good to go.
US tax information
You will complete tax interview details (a W-9 for US persons) during account setup. Have your taxpayer identification number ready before you start.
A finished, formatted manuscript
For ebooks you need an EPUB file (a DOC file is also accepted). For print you need a print-ready interior PDF. AIWriteBook produces both from the Export step.
A cover image
For ebooks, a portrait cover image around 1400x2100 pixels or larger. For print, a wraparound cover PDF sized to your chosen trim. Your blurb, categories, and keywords help too.
Step-by-Step: Publishing on B&N Press
The flow is the same whether you publish an ebook, a paperback, or both. Here is the full walkthrough.
Create your free account
Go to press.barnesandnoble.com and sign up. There is no fee to create an account or to publish. During setup you enter your banking details and complete the tax interview so royalties can be paid.
Click Create New Project
From your dashboard, click Create New Project and choose eBook or Print Book. You can do both for the same title, they are managed as separate projects under the same account.
Enter your book metadata
Fill in the title, subtitle, author name, and description (this is your blurb, the text shoppers read on the product page). Pick your categories and keywords so the book is discoverable, set the language, and add an age range if your book needs one.
Upload your manuscript file
For an ebook, upload your EPUB (a DOC file also works). For a print book, upload your print-ready interior PDF, then choose your trim size and paper type. Use the on-screen previewer to check that the formatting holds up.
Upload your cover
For an ebook, upload a cover image around 1400x2100 pixels or larger. For print, upload a wraparound cover PDF that matches your trim size, with front, spine, and back in one file.
Order a proof for print books
If you are publishing print, order a physical proof copy and check it in your hands before approving. This is the only reliable way to catch trim, bleed, and spine issues.
Set your price and submit
Choose your list price, review everything, and submit. Ebooks priced between $0.99 and $199.99 earn the 70% royalty. After you submit, ebooks typically go live on bn.com within 72 hours.
Getting Your Files From AIWriteBook
AIWriteBook gives you everything B&N Press asks for. It does not upload to Barnes & Noble for you, you do the upload, but the files are ready.
Finish the Publish step in AIWriteBook so your manuscript is locked and your metadata is set.
Open the Export step. It generates your EPUB for the Nook ebook and a print-ready PDF for the paperback interior.
Download your cover from the Publish step. Use the ebook cover image for the Nook listing, and use it as the basis for your wraparound print cover.
Upload those files into B&N Press yourself. AIWriteBook handles the writing, formatting, and export, the distributor account is yours to manage.
Royalties & Pricing
B&N Press pricing is straightforward, and the ebook royalty is one of the most generous in the industry.
70% ebook royalty
Ebooks priced between $0.99 and $199.99 earn a 70% royalty on the list price. There is no lower royalty tier to navigate, the rate is flat across that whole price range.
Print royalty after costs
For paperbacks, your royalty is the list price minus the printing cost and Barnes & Noble's share. Set your list price high enough to cover printing and still leave a margin you are happy with.
Free to publish
There is no setup fee, no annual fee, and no charge to publish either an ebook or a print book. Your only out-of-pocket cost is ordering proof copies for print titles.
Good to Know: Why Authors Use B&N Press
B&N Press is not the biggest store, but it has real advantages worth weighing.
- The 70% ebook royalty applies across a wide price range, with no reduced tier for lower-priced books.
- Both ebook and print are handled in one free account, so you reach Nook readers and print buyers without juggling two platforms.
- Your book lists on bn.com, a major US retailer that many readers browse directly rather than through Amazon.
- B&N Press also runs a program to consider self-published print titles for physical shelf placement in Barnes & Noble stores.
- Setup is quick and the previewer is solid, so most authors get an ebook submitted in well under an hour.
A Complementary Channel: NanoReads
Barnes & Noble Press gets you onto a major retailer. NanoReads, AIWriteBook's own reading platform, is a nice extra channel you can publish to alongside it.
Free to publish
Publishing your finished book to NanoReads costs nothing. It sits next to your B&N Press listing as an additional place readers can find you.
Reaches an existing reader base
NanoReads has 100,000+ registered readers across web, iOS, and Android, so your book lands in front of people who are already there to read.
One-click publishing, no review wait
You publish straight from inside AIWriteBook with one click. There is no review queue to wait through, and you keep all your rights.
A low-effort way to gather early readers
Because there is no friction, NanoReads is a practical place to reach early readers and collect reviews while your B&N Press listing builds momentum. It is an extra channel, not a replacement for retail distribution.
Quick FAQ & Myths
Is Barnes & Noble Press the same as Nook Press?
Yes. B&N Press is the rebranded version of what used to be called Nook Press. It now covers both Nook ebooks and print paperbacks.
Does it cost money to publish?
No. Creating an account and publishing an ebook or print book is free. The only cost is optional proof copies for print titles.
Can I publish from outside the US?
Support is limited. B&N Press requires US banking and tax information, so authors without a US bank account usually reach Nook through an aggregator instead.
How long until my ebook is live?
After you submit, ebooks typically appear on bn.com within 72 hours.
The Bottom Line
Barnes & Noble Press is a free, fast way to put your book on a major US retailer, with a 70% ebook royalty and print-on-demand paperbacks in the same account.
The main constraint is that it is US-focused, you need a US bank account and tax details. If you have those, there is little reason not to add B&N Press to your distribution.
Write and format your book in AIWriteBook, export the EPUB and print-ready PDF, upload to B&N Press, and consider publishing to NanoReads too as an easy extra channel.