Why Sell Direct
When a reader buys your ebook from a big retailer, the retailer keeps a large share and owns the customer relationship. Selling direct changes both. You keep more of each sale, you can often learn who bought, and you decide on prices, bundles and discounts without anyone else's rules. Many authors find direct sales are a small share of their volume but a much larger share of their profit per reader.
Direct sales work best when you already reach readers yourself, through a newsletter, website, podcast or social following. Few direct storefronts bring you new readers on their own, so think of them as a way to earn more from the audience you are building.
One rule to remember: ebooks enrolled in KDP Select must be exclusive to Amazon, so you can only sell those titles directly once they leave Select.
Quick Comparison
| Platform | How it charges | Monthly fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payhip | 5% on the free plan; 2% or 0% on paid plans; processing extra | None to $99 | A branded author shop with marketing tools |
| Gumroad | 10% + $0.50 on direct sales, 30% via its marketplace | None | Simple setup and many product types |
| Shopify plus delivery service | Plan plus processing plus delivery service | Yes | Established authors selling print and ebooks |
| WordPress and WooCommerce | Hosting, processing and any paid extensions | Hosting | Authors who already run a WordPress site |
| Ko-fi | Free plan with fees on some income, or a paid plan | Optional | Fans who also tip or join memberships |
| BooksOasis | Flat listing plan, no commission | From $9.99 a month or $29.99 a year | A ready-made bookstore that pays the full ebook price |
1. Payhip
Payhip gives you a customizable shop that can sit on its own address or be embedded in your author website. You upload your EPUB and PDF, set prices and connect Stripe or PayPal. The free plan takes 5% of each sale, Plus at $29 a month takes 2%, and Pro at $99 a month takes nothing, with payment processing charged by your provider on every plan.
Its marketing tools suit authors well: free products for reader magnets, coupons, bundles, upsells and an affiliate program. Best for: authors who want a branded shop with room to grow.
2. Gumroad
Gumroad is one of the quickest ways to start. Create a product page, upload the file, share the link. There is no monthly fee; Gumroad takes 10% plus $0.50 on sales through your own links and 30% on sales through its Discover marketplace. It acts as merchant of record, handling sales tax and VAT for you.
The fixed $0.50 bites on cheap ebooks, so Gumroad suits bundles and higher-priced titles. Best for: authors who want minimal setup or also sell courses and other digital products.
3. Shopify With an Ebook Delivery Service
Shopify gives you a full online store on your own domain, ideal if you also sell signed paperbacks, merchandise or bundles. Shopify does not handle ebook delivery well by itself, so many authors connect a dedicated delivery service such as BookFunnel, whose Mid-List plan includes direct sales delivery and helps readers load files onto their devices.
Costs add up: the Shopify plan, card processing, any apps and the delivery service. Best for: established authors with enough direct sales to justify the overhead.
4. WordPress and WooCommerce
If your author website already runs on WordPress, WooCommerce turns it into a shop. It supports digital downloads and connects to common payment providers, and you can add a delivery service for smoother ebook downloads. The software is free, but you pay for hosting, and some extensions cost extra. You are also responsible for updates and security. Best for: authors comfortable maintaining their own site who want full control.
I write author websites, book sales pages and descriptions that turn visitors into direct buyers.
5. Ko-fi
Ko-fi started as a way for fans to tip creators and now includes a shop, memberships and commissions. You can sell an ebook from your Ko-fi page, with payments going to your connected PayPal or Stripe account. Ko-fi's free plan takes a platform fee on some income such as shop sales, and a paid plan removes it; check current terms for exact rates. Best for: authors whose readers already support them with tips or memberships, such as serial fiction writers.
6. BooksOasis
BooksOasis takes a different approach: instead of building your own shop, you list books in an independent bookstore for indie authors and small presses. You pay a flat listing plan, starting at $29.99 a year or $9.99 a month for up to 10 books, and keep 100% of the ebook price, with no commission. Readers buy and read in the store's app, so there are no files to send or support emails about loading EPUBs, and the same page can sell paperback and hardcover editions.
Readers also browse genre shelves, series pages and sales there, so it can bring some readers of its own. Best for: authors who want a direct-sale payout without building or running a store.
How to Choose
| If you... | Consider |
|---|---|
| Want a branded shop and marketing tools on a budget | Payhip |
| Want to start today with no monthly fee | Gumroad |
| Sell print books and merchandise alongside ebooks | Shopify with a delivery service |
| Already run a WordPress site | WooCommerce |
| Have readers who tip or subscribe | Ko-fi |
| Want the full ebook price without managing a shop | BooksOasis |
Many authors combine two: a shop on their own site for bundles and reader magnets, plus a bookstore listing for readers who prefer a store. For a closer fee comparison of the two most popular storefronts, see Gumroad vs Payhip.
Offers That Work Best Direct
Direct shops shine when you offer things big retailers cannot:
- Series bundles: the whole series in one purchase, often at a saving, which also reduces per-sale fixed fees.
- Early releases: newsletter readers get a new book a week before it reaches the big stores.
- Exclusive extras: a bonus chapter, deleted scenes, maps, workbooks or an author commentary edition.
- Signed print editions alongside the ebook, if your shop supports physical products.
- Pay-what-you-want or free reader magnets to grow your list.
Your First Direct Sale Checklist
- Prepare clean EPUB and PDF files and test them on several devices.
- Choose your platform and connect payouts.
- Write a product page with your cover, a strong hook and a sample chapter.
- Add simple download instructions for common devices.
- Make a test purchase from start to finish.
- Link the shop from your website, newsletter and back matter.
Getting Delivery Right
The most common direct-sale complaint is "I can't open the file." Reduce it by offering both EPUB and PDF, including short instructions for Kindle, Apple Books and phones, or using a delivery service or a store with its own reading app. Test the whole purchase yourself before launch, on a phone and a computer, so you see exactly what a new reader sees.
Taxes and Records
Selling direct can make you responsible for sales tax or VAT on digital products in some places, depending on where your buyers live. Platforms that act as merchant of record, such as Gumroad, handle this for you; with others, check what the platform covers and what you must do. Keep clear records of every sale, including the buyer's country where available, for your tax return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, unless it is enrolled in KDP Select, which requires the ebook to be exclusive to Amazon while enrolled.
For occasional sales, Payhip's free plan or Gumroad cost nothing upfront. For steady sales, a flat plan or a paid tier often costs less overall.
Usually by downloading EPUB or PDF files after purchase, sometimes through a delivery service that helps with devices. On BooksOasis, buyers read in the store's app.
Not necessarily. Gumroad, Payhip and Ko-fi give you a hosted page, and BooksOasis is a store you list in. A website helps you send readers to whichever you choose.
Mostly no; direct storefronts earn more from readers you bring. Bookstores like BooksOasis add some browsing traffic of their own.
Yes. Many authors run a shop on their own site for bundles and reader magnets and also list in a bookstore such as BooksOasis for readers who prefer a store. Keep prices consistent across all of them.
Platforms that act as merchant of record, such as Gumroad, collect and remit sales tax and VAT. With other platforms, check what they handle and what you need to manage yourself.
Keep prices consistent with big retailers to avoid price matching. Reward direct buyers with bundles, bonuses or newsletter-only sales instead.