Can I sell my ebook direct while it's on Amazon?

Yes, unless you're enrolled in an exclusivity programme like KDP Select, which requires the digital edition to be sold only there for the term. Wide-published authors routinely sell EPUB and PDF direct at full price alongside retailers.

How do I deliver EPUB files without piracy risk?

Use expiring download links tied to the order rather than a public file link, and watermark the copy with the buyer's email. Hosted creator tools do both automatically; on your own store you generate signed links per purchase.

What sells best direct for authors?

Series bundles, box sets, signed or special editions and companion material — reader guides, worksheets, worldbuilding notes. Direct buyers pay for the things retailers can't list.

Do I need a mailing list first?

It's the single highest-leverage asset for direct sales. Direct stores have no discovery of their own, so every launch converts against the list you built between books.

For indie authors

The best platform to sell books and writing directly to readers

Selling direct is the only place an indie author keeps the full price and the reader's email address. This compares the realistic routes on the things that decide it for a book list: what you keep per copy, how EPUB and PDF delivery works, and whether the reader belongs to you or the store.

Side by side

Fees, traffic, buyer ownership and delivery for each platform, compared for indie authors
Platform	Fees	Traffic	Who owns the buyer	Delivery
GumroadCreator tool	Flat percentage per sale, no monthly fee	Very little discovery — you bring the audience	You keep the buyer's email address	Hosted files, instant download, licence keys available
PayhipCreator tool	Free plan with a per-sale percentage, or a monthly plan with lower fees	Minimal discovery — treated as your checkout, not a market	You keep buyer emails and can run your own list	Hosted files with instant download and PDF stamping
ShopifyStore platform	Monthly subscription plus payment processing	None built in — you drive every visitor	You own customers, data, and the whole funnel	Digital delivery via an app rather than natively
EtsyMarketplace	Listing fee plus transaction and payment percentages	Huge — buyers search Etsy directly for digital downloads	Etsy owns the buyer relationship	Instant download with per-file size limits
your own storeStore platform	Payment processing only	Whatever your content, SEO, and email bring	You own every buyer, page, and data point	Your own hosted files and download links

What each one means for indie authors

Gumroad

Easiest place to sell an EPUB bundle the week a book launches, with pay-what-you-want for backlist and the reader's email kept for the next release.

Best for: Creators who already have an audience or content that ranks

Full Gumroad breakdown

Payhip

Strong for authors with a growing catalog: lower ongoing cost per sale and built-in EU VAT handling, which matters once you sell across borders every month.

Best for: Sellers who want low fees without building a full store

Full Payhip breakdown

Shopify

Worth it when the books come with paperbacks, signed copies or merch — one storefront for physical and digital, at a monthly cost a single title rarely justifies.

Best for: Sellers scaling a brand with ads, email, and upsells

Full Shopify breakdown

Etsy

Readers do browse Etsy for printables and journals, but discovery favours craft goods over prose and the buyer stays the marketplace's, not yours.

Best for: Planners, printables, and template sellers starting from zero audience

Full Etsy breakdown

your own store

Best margin and a real author brand, plus pre-orders and series bundles on your own terms — you just have to own checkout, delivery and refunds yourself.

Best for: Sellers building compounding organic traffic and repeat buyers

Full your own store breakdown

The verdict for indie authors

Keep the retailers for reach, and run a direct store for launch weeks, box sets and superfans. Start on a hosted creator tool so a new release can be live in an afternoon, collect every reader email, and move to your own store once direct sales are a steady share of royalties.

Get the launch plan — $49 Read course lesson one free Browse launch templates

Indie authors questions

Can I sell my ebook direct while it's on Amazon?: Yes, unless you're enrolled in an exclusivity programme like KDP Select, which requires the digital edition to be sold only there for the term. Wide-published authors routinely sell EPUB and PDF direct at full price alongside retailers.
How do I deliver EPUB files without piracy risk?: Use expiring download links tied to the order rather than a public file link, and watermark the copy with the buyer's email. Hosted creator tools do both automatically; on your own store you generate signed links per purchase.
What sells best direct for authors?: Series bundles, box sets, signed or special editions and companion material — reader guides, worksheets, worldbuilding notes. Direct buyers pay for the things retailers can't list.
Do I need a mailing list first?: It's the single highest-leverage asset for direct sales. Direct stores have no discovery of their own, so every launch converts against the list you built between books.

Other niches

For artists & illustrators For coaches & consultants For SaaS founders All platform comparisons