This would probably be more for the new authors that haven't been around as long, or for those who haven't gone wide yet and just want to get a taste of what it might be like. These are cool things I learned about.
Drivethru Fiction lets you upload a book trailer!: How cool is that? I've made a couple back when it was cooler, and I loved playing around with the little movie maker on my computer. I never dreamed I'd actually get to put them on a book distributor though.
D2D is The Boss.- If you are going wide, this should be around your first stop. Get your book looking nice, make sure the chapters are showing, all that good stuff. Then save that epub it generates. You can take them to smashwords, kobo, streetlit, or Amazon and have it slide right through looking nice. I use the standard D2D All purpose look. I don't know if it works with all the others. (Edit, yes it does and they are so beautiful. They make your books look pretty with actual decorations.
If you're like me and have no vellum 'cause no mac and no money, D2D is a great way to make your book look more professional.
And don't worry! Believe it or not, D2D doesn't mind. From their FAQ section.
Can I use the converted epub anywhere else?
Yes. Anywhere.
Most other ebook conversion and distribution services will limit the ways you can use the books they make for you. At Draft2Digital, we're proud of our products and confident in our service. Feel free to download your proof copy and use it however you want.
Smashwords is easy now: If you ever heard from other authors that they hate smashwords and the meat grinder from the past, don't worry. They take epubs now. Yes, you won't get all the bells and whistles I guess of the meatgrinder, but I hated that meatgrinder and I don't care. Pop in your epub and done. Put in a cover and all that jazz. I was even approved for enhanced distribution today for a title I uploaded yesterday. Oh wow. That used to take six days at least . . .
Don't forget books2read: All my book covers are hooked up to books2read not a click through amazon. Books2read are especially helpful for people to click your book and get it where they want. The first time they use it, they'll see loads of links to retailers. When they hit a retailer, they will get a message asking if they want it to be their preferred retailer. If so, every time they open a books2read it will just go straight to their favorite retailer instead. How cool is that?
Kobo is like butter easy: I coast through it in like two minutes. Awwww yeah.
If you can't get an account on google play, go streetlib: They got you.
They actually got a lot of little stores too. Like a lot. Like a ton. Like a lot.
(Fair warning. I have no idea how Amazon or Google Play actually play together. I remember google play used to do random discounts and it messed with authors on Amazon because their book would be pricematched.) I don't know if that's still a thing. I feel old learning all this new stuff.
Edit: Cora Buhlert actually new the answer to that one. Thank you.
If you check the "Increase wholesale prices" box at StreetLib, they will automatically increases prices at Google Play and a few other notorious price reducers, so you avoid the pricematching problem with Amazon.
Anyhow, I hope this gave you a little bit of peak of what is out there wide.