Harmony Publishing vs BookBaby
Both companies help authors publish. The difference is in how the pricing is structured and who owns what at the end.
Short version. BookBaby is a large US self-publishing service provider selling packages and add-ons; editing is a paid add-on rather than part of the package, and it does not publish a package start price on its pricing page. We sell bundled packages with a published starting price, register the ISBN in your name, and take no share of your royalties. If you need one service, buying add-ons can suit you. If you need the whole route from manuscript to distribution, a package is usually clearer.
Which should you choose?
Choose Harmony if…
- You want the whole run priced up front: our calculator gives the delivered price of 100 to 10,000 copies (for the common black-and-white paperbacks) before you commit, with the freight as its own line when the shipment is heavy.
- You want one team across editing, design, print and distribution, an ISBN registered in your name or your own imprint, and no share of your royalties.
- You already have print-ready files and only need printing: you can order a single copy to check the book before a bigger run.
Choose BookBaby if…
- You only need printing from finished files, and want a large self-service platform: BookBaby runs print-on-demand and short-run printing from 25 to 2,000 copies. (bookbaby.com/pricing, checked 4 October 2026)
- You only need one or two services and are happy to add up the add-ons yourself: BookBaby sells editing and eBook conversion separately rather than in a package. (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026)
- You want eBooks on Apple Books, Kobo and Barnes & Noble from the same account, plus a store of your own: BookBaby runs a Bookshop and states its royalty shares (85% eBooks, 50% print) for sales there. (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026; bookbaby.com/learn/what-we-do, checked 4 October 2026)
Switching probably isn't worth it if…
- Your book is live through BookBaby with an ISBN that BookBaby assigned, it is selling, and the only reason to move is a lower print price. That ISBN cannot move with you (BookBaby says Bowker does not transfer ISBNs between publishers) and cancelling distribution cannot be undone, so you would restart with a new ISBN and new retailer listings. (support.bookbaby.com/Do I own the ISBN you assign, checked 15 October 2026; support.bookbaby.com/How do I cancel the distribution of …, checked 15 October 2026)
- You are about to reprint the same book through the same listing and nothing about the service is failing you.
Side by side
| Harmony Publishing | BookBaby | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price for a full package | From $699 (Essentials) | No package start price is published on the page. BookBaby's FAQ gives ranges: under $1,000 for a bare-bones budget, and $2,000–$7,000 for a fully produced book with editing, custom cover, formatting and a meaningful first print run (bookbaby.com/pricing, checked 4 October 2026) |
| What the entry price includes | Cover design, interior layout, ISBN, distribution setup, 100% royalties | Cover design, interior formatting (print and eBook), printing, global distribution, metadata, ISBN assignment and a Bookshop store, per BookBaby (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Royalties | You keep 100% | Own Bookshop store: 85% of retail price on eBooks, 50% on print, 75% on audiobooks. Retail eBook sales: BookBaby states it takes no commission on net sales. You keep 100% ownership of your rights (bookbaby.com/learn/what-we-do, checked 4 October 2026) |
| ISBN and publisher of record | Registered in your name or your own imprint | For print-on-demand books, BookBaby's help centre says BookBaby is shown as the publisher with retailers even if you use your own ISBN (you can set your own imprint name). For an eBook-only title with your own ISBN, it can show your company as publisher (support.bookbaby.com/Who will appear as the publisher on …, checked 15 October 2026) |
| Printing | Per copy, priced on page count, trim, binding, interior colour and quantity | Print-on-demand and short-run printing, 25 to 2,000 copies (bookbaby.com/pricing, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Print on demand | Available | Available (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Hardcover and paperback | Both | Both (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026) |
| eBook conversion | Included from the Complete tier | Separate service (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Editing | Copyediting and proofreading from Premium; developmental from Rockstar | Paid add-on in three tiers (proofreading, copy editing, line editing), not bundled into the package (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Distribution | Worldwide, set up in your name | Amazon for print; eBooks to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and others; plus its own Bookshop (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Delivery timescale | 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 weeks | About 4 weeks of production from approved print-ready files (bookbaby.com/pricing, checked 4 October 2026) |
| Support model | One team across editing, design, print and distribution | Hands-on service team, with editing and design add-ons (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026) |
Competitor descriptions reflect their published service structure at the time of writing and may change. Check their current terms directly. Our own prices are on the cost page.
The same book, done for you
One book, the same on both sides: first book, done for you: cover design, interior layout, ISBN and 100 paperbacks.
| Copies | Harmony Publishing (our calculator, today) | BookBaby |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Priced from our package list (the cover, layout and ISBN) plus the printing of 100 paperbacks in the calculator.See our packagesSee the printing in the calculator | Not published, quote required (bookbaby.com/pricing, checked 15 October 2026) |
Our figure is the live output of our calculator at the moment this page was shown. Where the quantity is small, delivery is included in the price; for a heavy shipment the freight is its own line at the carrier's cost, with no markup. Prices exclude sales tax. A competitor price appears here only with a source and the date we checked it; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
The same job on both
The job: Publish a 200-page paperback with your own ISBN and get it on Amazon.
With Harmony Publishing
- Choose a package. Essentials is built for a manuscript that is already edited and covers cover design, interior layout, ISBN assignment, account setup and the publishing submission to KDP and IngramSpark, and distribution worldwide.
- Send your manuscript and a cover brief. If you already own an ISBN for the printed edition you can give it to us in the calculator's ISBN step.
- Approve the proofs. Nothing is printed until you have approved everything.
- We submit the book to the retailers and print-on-demand services and set up distribution in your name.
- You supply:
- A finished, edited manuscript and a cover brief (or a finished cover).
- You get back:
- An ISBN registered in your name or your imprint, your print-ready and editable files, the book live through worldwide distribution, and 100% of your royalties.
- How long:
- 4–6 weeks standard; sometimes up to 8 weeks, depending on the package and how quickly proofs are approved.
With BookBaby
- Prepare the files. Files you make yourself have to be built from BookBaby's templates, as separate cover and text PDFs with fonts fully embedded; BookBaby gives every print submission a free prepress review. Or buy its design and formatting services. (bookbaby.com/book-printing/single-book-printing, checked 15 October 2026; bookbaby.com/resources/printing-your-self-published-book, checked 15 October 2026; bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026)
- Choose the ISBN. You can use your own or have BookBaby assign one. For a print-on-demand book BookBaby's help centre says it is shown as the publisher with retailers either way (you can set your own imprint name); a BookBaby-assigned ISBN also lists BookBaby as publisher with Bowker. (support.bookbaby.com/Who will appear as the publisher on …, checked 15 October 2026; support.bookbaby.com/Do I own the ISBN you assign, checked 15 October 2026)
- Approve the files, then BookBaby prints and distributes. Print distribution goes to Amazon. (bookbaby.com/pricing, checked 4 October 2026; bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026)
- You supply:
- Print-ready cover and text PDFs from BookBaby's templates, or the manuscript and the design and formatting services to make them. (bookbaby.com/book-printing/single-book-printing, checked 15 October 2026; bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026)
- You get back:
- Print distribution through Amazon, an ISBN (yours or BookBaby's), and your rights: BookBaby says authors keep 100% of the rights to their titles. (bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026; support.bookbaby.com/Do I own the ISBN you assign, checked 15 October 2026; support.bookbaby.com/Who will appear as the publisher on …, checked 15 October 2026)
- How long:
- About 4 weeks of production from approved print-ready files; any editing, design or formatting comes before that. (bookbaby.com/pricing, checked 4 October 2026)
Switching to Harmony from BookBaby
If you decide to move a book you have already published, this is what carries over, what does not, and an order of steps that keeps the book available the whole time.
What moves with you
- Your eBook files and cover. Your BookBaby account has a Download Book Files link under Manage/Reorder My Books. Its article covers eBook files; keep your own copies of the print files you supplied. (support.bookbaby.com/How can I access my eBook files, checked 15 October 2026)
- Your rights. BookBaby says authors keep 100% of the rights to their titles and can remove them from BookBaby at any time. (support.bookbaby.com/Who will appear as the publisher on …, checked 15 October 2026)
- An ISBN you bought yourself (for example from Bowker). It is yours, so a new printer can use it.
What does not
- An ISBN that BookBaby assigned. BookBaby is the publisher of record for it, and BookBaby says Bowker does not allow ISBNs to be transferred between publishers. A new edition needs a new ISBN. (support.bookbaby.com/Do I own the ISBN you assign, checked 15 October 2026)
- Retailer listings and reviews tied to the old ISBN. A new ISBN starts as a new listing, and whether reviews can be carried over is the retailer's decision.
The order of steps, so the book is never unavailable
- Download your eBook files and cover from BookBaby first, keep your own copies of the print files you supplied, and leave the BookBaby listing live while you move. (support.bookbaby.com/How can I access my eBook files, checked 15 October 2026)
- Decide the ISBN: keep one you own, or take a new one with us.
- Order a single proof copy from us (the calculator prices one copy) and approve it.
- Publish the new edition with us and check it is live on Amazon and the other stores you sell through.
- Only then cancel BookBaby distribution: Manage/Reorder My Books, click Active next to the title, cancel distribution for each partner. It cannot be undone, and partners can take up to 30 days to remove eBook listings and several months for print listings as they sell existing stock. (support.bookbaby.com/How do I cancel the distribution of …, checked 15 October 2026)
What to check first
- Whose ISBN is it? If BookBaby assigned it, plan for a new one. If you bought it, you can keep it.
- Do you hold the source files for your interior and cover? Keep your own copies; BookBaby's article covers downloading eBook files and the cover. (support.bookbaby.com/How can I access my eBook files, checked 15 October 2026)
- Does your book meet the trim and page limits of the new print run? Check them in the calculator.
- Is the book still in BookBaby's distribution? BookBaby will not close an account while titles are still in distribution. (support.bookbaby.com/How do I close my account, checked 15 October 2026)
To price a reprint or a proof copy before you move anything, use the calculator.
The real difference: packages versus à la carte
À-la-carte pricing is not a trick — it lets you buy only what you need. But it makes the total harder to predict, because most authors discover they need more than they expected: editing, then formatting, then an ISBN, then distribution. Each line is reasonable; the sum is the number that matters.
A bundled package publishes the whole figure upfront. Whether that is better value depends on how many of those services you actually need. If most of them, a package usually wins. If one, à la carte often does.
What we get wrong, and what to watch for from anyone
No provider is right for every author, including us. Three things worth checking with any company — ours included:
- Ask who the publisher of record will be. If it is not you or your imprint, understand why before you sign.
- Ask what royalty share they take. Any percentage of your sales is a cost that compounds over the life of the book.
- Ask whether you receive your editable source files. If you cannot take your interior and cover elsewhere later, you are locked in.
On all three, our answer is: you are the publisher of record, we take no royalties, and you receive your print-ready and editable files.
How this comparison was made
- Prepared by the Harmony Publishing editorial team.
- BookBaby's public product, help and terms pages were read on the dates in the sources list; nothing was purchased, and no account was opened.
- Our figures are the live output of our own calculator, for the scenario stated above.
- A competitor price appears only with a source and the date it was checked; until we have captured one, the cell says so. We never estimate a competitor's price.
- Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Each source below carries the date it was checked, which can be earlier.
Sources
- www.bookbaby.com/pricing — checked 4 October 2026 and 15 October 2026
- www.bookbaby.com/self-publishing — checked 4 October 2026
- www.bookbaby.com/learn/what-we-do — checked 4 October 2026
- support.bookbaby.com/hc/en-us/articles/205518838-Who-will-appear-as-the-publisher-on-the-retail-sites — checked 15 October 2026
- support.bookbaby.com/hc/en-us/articles/206285097-Do-I-own-the-ISBN-you-assign — checked 15 October 2026
- support.bookbaby.com/hc/en-us/articles/212156458-How-do-I-cancel-the-distribution-of-my-book — checked 15 October 2026
- www.bookbaby.com/book-printing/single-book-printing — checked 15 October 2026
- www.bookbaby.com/resources/printing-your-self-published-book — checked 15 October 2026
- support.bookbaby.com/hc/en-us/articles/360053623894-How-can-I-access-my-eBook-files — checked 15 October 2026
- support.bookbaby.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018549934-How-do-I-close-my-account — checked 15 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is BookBaby cheaper than Harmony Publishing?
It depends what you need. BookBaby's own FAQ puts a bare-bones budget at under $1,000 and a fully produced book at $2,000–$7,000, with editing sold as a paid add-on. A bare-bones listing can look cheaper than a package, but the total rises as you add editing and a print run. Our packages bundle those together with a published starting price, which makes the all-in figure easier to see before you commit. (bookbaby.com/pricing, checked 4 October 2026; bookbaby.com/self-publishing, checked 4 October 2026)
Who owns the ISBN and the rights?
With us, the ISBN is registered in your name or your own imprint, you are the publisher of record, and you keep 100% of your royalties and full rights to the book. We take no licence in your work beyond producing the files you commission.
Can I print with one company and distribute through another?
Yes. An ISBN is non-exclusive. You can print with us and list elsewhere, or use our distribution setup and keep selling through your own website, Amazon KDP, bookshops and any other channel.
Do I need editing before publishing?
Not always. If your manuscript is already professionally edited, our Essentials package is built for exactly that. If it needs work, editing is included from the Complete and Premium tiers upward.
Should I choose a package or buy services individually?
A package is usually better value if you need several services, and it puts one team in charge of the whole process. Buying individually can make sense if you need only one thing — for example cover design on an otherwise finished book.
How do I switch a book from BookBaby to Harmony?
Download your eBook files and cover from your BookBaby account first, and leave the BookBaby listing live while you move. Decide whether to keep an ISBN you own or take a new one: BookBaby says an ISBN it assigned cannot be transferred. Order a proof, publish the new edition with us and check it is live, and only then cancel BookBaby distribution, which BookBaby says cannot be undone and can take up to 30 days to clear for eBooks and several months for print listings. (support.bookbaby.com/Do I own the ISBN you assign, checked 15 October 2026; support.bookbaby.com/How do I cancel the distribution of …, checked 15 October 2026)