# Sell direct. Stay compliant. Keep your margin. > Sell direct, stay EAA-compliant and keep your margin. The all-in-one D2C platform for UK independent publishers — ebook and audiobook in one branded storefront. Source: https://publica.la/it/solutions/uk-independent-publishers The direct-to-consumer platform built for UK independent publishers. Branded storefront, ebooks and audiobooks under one roof, full reader data — and EAA-ready out of the box. ![Santillana](https://publica.la/images/isologos/santillana-iso.webp) ![Penguin Random House](https://publica.la/images/isologos/penguin-iso.webp) ![Forbes](https://publica.la/images/isologos/forbes-iso.webp) ![Grupo Planeta](https://publica.la/images/isologos/planeta-iso.webp) Scelti da oltre 1000 organizzazioni in tutto il mondo 50+ Paesi 1,000+ Organizzazioni ## Publishers who trust publica.la From trade giants to indie presses and US university publishers — over 1,000 publishers in 50+ countries. ![Penguin Random House](https://publica.la/images/logos/penguin.webp) ![Planeta](https://publica.la/images/logos/planeta.webp) ![Christian Book](https://publica.la/images/logos/christianbook.webp) ![SAGA Egmont](https://publica.la/images/logos/saga-egmont.webp) ![The Ohio State University Press](https://publica.la/images/events/customers/ohio-state-press.png) ![University of Hawaii Press](https://publica.la/images/events/customers/uhawaii-press.png) ![SUNY Press](https://publica.la/images/events/customers/suny.jpg) ![Russell Sage Foundation](https://publica.la/images/events/customers/russell-sage.jpg) ## Three problems UK independent publishers are quietly carrying If two of these sound familiar, the rest of this page is for you. ### EAA is here. Your catalogue isn't ready. The European Accessibility Act has been in force since 28 June 2025. UK publishers exporting digital titles to EU readers — 63% of all UK publishing revenue — must meet a strict EPUB3, TTS, ONIX a11y and WCAG checkout specification. Building this in-house is prohibitive for most independents. ### Amazon keeps 65%. The reader relationship? Also theirs. Every sale through Amazon is an anonymous transaction. You get a revenue report; Amazon gets the customer. You cannot email that reader, you cannot see what else they want, you cannot build loyalty. The margin question is the easy one. ### Audiobooks pay 20% VAT. Audible takes 65%. The math doesn't work. UK audiobooks carry the standard 20% VAT versus 0% for ebooks. Add the 65% retained by streaming aggregators and the publisher's share is a single-digit percentage. The market grew 31% in 2024. The publisher's share of that growth is a fraction of the headline. ## Two problems. One platform. EAA compliance and audio D2C economics — built into the same stack. ### Track A — EAA-Ready Storefront Cross-border regulatory peace of mind. Your storefront, reader and checkout are EAA-compliant on day one. - EPUB3 reflowable text with WCAG 2.1 AA conformance in reader and checkout - Text-to-Speech integrated natively across the catalogue - ONIX accessibility metadata generated automatically - Accessible DRM via Readium LCP — no transfer lockouts for adapted readers - Keyboard, screen-reader and voice navigation through the entire purchase funnel ### Track B — Audio D2C, no middleman tax The 20% VAT still applies. The 65% Audible commission does not. Keep more than double the net per audiobook sale. - Native audiobook hosting, streaming and download from your branded storefront - Branded reading app — iOS, Android, macOS and Windows — with audio playback - Net retention calculator built into the dashboard. Compare D2C against your current aggregator in real time. - Compatible with AI-narrated production pipelines if you want them. Optional, not forced. - Subscription, bundles and single-sale models — your call, your pricing. Both, one platform. £ Revenue Dashboard £12,450 Monthly Revenue +24% from last month 1,247 Active Subscribers +156 this month Revenue Growth Subscriptions One-time Sales Bundles ## Flexible Monetization Strategies Maximise your revenue with multiple monetisation options tailored to your publishing goals and your readers in the UK and beyond. ### Subscription Models Recurring revenue streams with flexible plans for ebooks and audiobooks. Monthly subscriptions Annual plans with discounts Tiered access levels Free trials to convert readers ### Pay-Per-Content Single-purchase options for readers who prefer à la carte access. Single book purchases Chapter-by-chapter sales Bundle packages Time-limited access ### Hybrid Approaches Combine strategies to maximise revenue and reader satisfaction. Freemium models Premium content upgrades Institutional licensing Advertising opportunities ## Powerful Audience Engagement Tools Build stronger relationships with your readers and keep them coming back for more. ### Exceptional Reading Experience Provide your readers with a beautiful, intuitive reading experience — built on Readium and refined over a decade serving millions of readers. - 1 #### Responsive Design Content adapts to any device, from desktops to smartphones. - 2 #### Reading Preferences Customise font size, background colour and layout to suit each reader. - 3 #### Bookmarking & Progress Automatic bookmarking and progress tracking across devices. - 4 #### Offline Reading Download content for offline access, including audiobooks. #### Reader Dashboard 2,847 Active Readers 4.2h Avg. Reading ##### Reading Progress Chapter 1 85% Chapter 2 62% Chapter 3 34% ##### Recent Activity New bookmark added Comment posted on Chapter 5 Content shared via link ### Brand Customisation Showcase your unique brand identity with customisable storefronts and reading experiences. - 1 #### Custom Theming Apply your brand colours, logos and design throughout the reading experience. - 2 #### White-Label Solution A seamless branded experience with no third-party branding. - 3 #### Custom Domain Host your digital content on your own domain. - 4 #### Layout Options Choose from various templates or design your own to match your brand guidelines. #### Brand Customisation ##### Theme Options ##### Brand Colours Primary: #8B5CF6 Secondary: #3B82F6 Custom Domain yourstore.co.uk ### Interactive Features Engage readers with comments, highlights and sharing options. - 1 #### Comments & Discussions Readers share thoughts and engage in discussions around your content. - 2 #### Highlights & Notes Highlight passages and take notes within the reading experience. - 3 #### Social Sharing Easy sharing of content and recommendations across networks. #### Interactive Features JD John D. "This chapter was incredibly insightful!" Reply Like (12) Highlighted passage "The future of publishing lies in creating meaningful connections..." Shared with 8 readers ## Data-Driven Publishing Decisions Gain insights into your content performance and reader behaviour with a comprehensive analytics dashboard. 87% Reader Engagement +12% from last month 24.5K Content Views +18% from last month #### Reader Behaviour Analytics Track how readers interact with your content, including reading time, completion rates and popular sections. #### Sales & Revenue Tracking Monitor sales performance, subscription growth and revenue streams with detailed financial analytics. #### Audience Demographics Understand your audience with demographic data, geographic distribution and device usage. ### Analytics Dashboard 24.5K Page Views +18% from last month 87% Avg. Reading Time +12% from last month Monthly Revenue Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Top Locations United Kingdom 45% United States 23% Germany 18% ## How we compare in the UK D2C stack Honest take. We work where we work; the others work where they work. Sometimes you need both. Swipe to compare all platforms | Capability | publica.la | Glassboxx | Supadu | CloudPublish | |---|---|---|---|---| | Setup fee | £0 | £15,000+ | Bespoke | Setup + hosting | | Time to launch | 4-6 weeks | 3-6 months | 2-4 months | 6+ months | | EAA-ready out of the box | | Partial | No | Partial | | EPUB3 + TTS native | | Yes | No | Partial | | Audio D2C native | | Yes | No | No | | Branded reading apps (iOS/Android/Mac/Win) | | No | No | Limited | | Accessible DRM (Readium LCP) | | Proprietary | No | No | | Reader analytics | | Yes | Limited | COUNTER only | | Pricing transparency | Clear SaaS | Opaque enterprise | Modular fees | Hosting + setup | | Best for | Mid-size independents | Enterprise corporates | Big sites + metadata-heavy | Pure academic | Source: vendor websites and public pricing as of May 2026. Glassboxx pricing per "eCommerce Publisher Partnerships" page. ## Trusted by 1,000+ publishers across 50+ countries From multinationals to one-person presses. We've built D2C channels for the full spectrum. OSU ### Ohio State University Press Mid-size academic press, US — early D2C launch with publica.la > publica.la gave us a direct channel to readers we had never been able to reach before. For the first time, we know who is reading our books — and we can build a relationship with them. — Tony Sanfilippo, Director, Ohio State University Press ### Platform at a Glance 1,000+ Publishers 50+ Countries 5 Native reader platforms 99.9% Uptime #### UK Independents on the platform We're new to the UK independent segment, and we're choosing partners carefully. If you're an IPG or Faber Alliance publisher exploring D2C and want to be one of the first UK case studies, talk to Iggy — there's an inaugural cohort programme running through Q4 2026. ## The maths for a £2M independent publisher Shift just 10% of revenue to D2C and the retained margin difference funds your next imprint. Run your own numbers below. ~35% Margin via Amazon 70-90% Margin via D2C +£80K Annual margin gain at 10% D2C 3-6 mo Typical payback period ## Questions UK publishers ask before signing If you have a question we haven't answered, hit reply on any email or book a 20-minute call with Iggy. We import ONIX 2.1 and 3.0 — the same format Nielsen BookData publishes. Export your ONIX feed from Nielsen and import it directly into publica.la, no manual remapping required. Audiobooks in the UK carry the standard 20% VAT, while ebooks are zero-rated since March 2021. publica.la handles VAT calculation, collection and reporting automatically for both — including EU distance-selling thresholds and digital VAT for cross-border sales. Yes. EPUB3 reflowable text with WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, integrated TTS, ONIX accessibility metadata, accessible DRM (Readium LCP) and a fully accessible checkout funnel. Current as of the EAA's enforcement date (28 June 2025). Glassboxx is excellent for enterprise publishers with budget for a six-figure build. publica.la is built for mid-size independents — £0 setup, 4-6 week launch, branded reading apps included, and EAA compliance native. Monthly SaaS, no long-term contract. You can cancel any time. Pricing scales with your catalogue size and volume. Yes. D2C is additive — you keep all existing distribution relationships. Most publishers find their distributor sales remain flat or grow slightly after launching D2C, while direct sales open a new margin layer. Our reader and audio player are built on the Readium framework, with additional security and UX layers refined over a decade serving millions of readers worldwide. The same engine protects ebooks and audiobooks across browsers, iOS, Android and desktop. DRM uses Readium LCP — accessibility-compliant and optional. You can also operate DRM-free or with social watermarking. Yes. Full export anytime — readers, orders, analytics, content files — in standard formats (CSV, JSON). GDPR-compliant, no lock-in. It depends on you as much as on us. Four to six weeks from contract to live storefront is typical for a 100-200 title catalogue — and meaningfully faster when the publisher is fully committed and the assets are ready on day one. Larger or more complex catalogues may take up to eight weeks. Minimal IT resource required on your side, typically 2-5 hours during onboarding. Pronto a iniziare? ## Ready to talk? Twenty minutes with Iggy. No pressure, no pitch — your catalogue, your numbers, what a UK D2C launch would look like for you. 1000+ Organizzazioni 50+ Paesi 300% Crescita media 4.9/5 Valutazione [ Vedi i dettagli dei prezzi ](https://publica.la/it/pricing) ![Santillana](https://publica.la/images/isologos/santillana-iso.webp) ![Penguin Random House](https://publica.la/images/isologos/penguin-iso.webp) ![Forbes](https://publica.la/images/isologos/forbes-iso.webp) ![Grupo Planeta](https://publica.la/images/isologos/planeta-iso.webp) Scelta da oltre 50 paesi e più di 1.000 organizzazioni 1000+ Organizzazioni 50+ Paesi 300% Crescita media 4.9/5 Valutazione