What if you could earn $11,900 more from the same number of book sales without writing another word or spending more on marketing?
Amazon and other distribution platforms offer incredible reach, but let's be honest: You don't control your royalties (they take 30 to 65%). You don't own your reader data (Amazon and others never share buyer emails). And if you're an anthology contributor, you can't even upload the book yourself since the publisher controls the ISBN.
That's why more and more authors are looking at direct sales.
In the author world, "direct sales" can mean two things:
Digital direct sales: Selling ebooks/PDFs through your own website or storefront (bypassing Amazon/retailers)
Physical direct sales: Buying author copies in bulk and selling them yourself (at events, book signings, out of your trunk, etc.)
This article focuses on digital direct sales, specifically how to sell ebooks and PDFs. More importantly, we'll show you how to protect your work from casual sharing without making it difficult for legitimate buyers.
Selling your own ebook or PDF provides higher royalties, instant payouts, and the opportunity to build a direct relationship with your readers. But before we dive into the platforms that make this possible, let's address the elephant in the room.
The question I get most from authors is: "If I sell a PDF or ePub directly, what's stopping someone from sharing it with people who didn't buy it?"
Here's the uncomfortable truth: no system is 100% piracy-proof.
In fact, every book gets pirated. From indie authors to the biggest publishing houses, piracy is part of the digital landscape. Even New York Times bestsellers are ripped and shared illegally within days of release, and there are ongoing lawsuits against piracy sites that profit off this theft.
So the real question isn't "Can I stop piracy completely?" (You can't.)
It's "How do I discourage casual sharing while keeping things simple for paying readers?"
Now that we've addressed the piracy concern, let's look at the platforms that actually make this work. Each offers different levels of protection and features depending on your needs:
Don't have a Shopify account yet? Get yours here.
You might be thinking, "This sounds great, but is the extra work really worth it?" Let me show you why the answer is yes.
There's a self-published author who generated $50,000 in book sales from her landing page alone. Here's what her earnings would look like across different platforms:
When you sell a $9.99 ebook on Amazon, you're either getting $3.00 per copy (if you're in KDP Select) or $7.00 per copy (with the standard 70% royalty option). Other major retailers like Apple Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble offer similar 70% royalties when you upload directly.
But here's where it gets interesting: when you sell that same ebook through your own store, you keep $9.19 per copy after payment processing and platform fees. That's a 92% royalty. Over 5,000 sales, that difference adds up fast.
You'd earn $45,954 selling direct compared to $34,965 on standard retail platforms. That's an extra $10,989 in your pocket, not theirs. And if you're in KDP Select's 30% royalty tier? You'd only make $14,985 total. That's less than a third of what you'd earn direct.
This isn't about abandoning Amazon or other retailers entirely. It's about understanding that every sale you make through your own store puts significantly more money in your bank account. The author who made $50,000 selling exclusively through her landing page? If she'd sold those same books on Amazon's 70% royalty, she would have earned around $38,043, leaving over $11,900 on the table.
Ready to test the waters? Here's how to start:
Step 1: Choose one platform from the list above. If you're unsure, start with Payhip or Gumroad. They're the easiest to set up.
Step 2: Upload ONE book as a test. Don't migrate your entire catalog yet. See how it performs and get comfortable with the process.
Step 3: Promote it to your existing audience. Add the link to your email signature, social media bios, and the back matter of your other books. You don't need fancy marketing. Just let your readers know this option exists.
You might be surprised how much more you earn when you keep control of your sales.
If you've been wondering how to protect your ebook while selling direct, the platforms above give you the balance between security and accessibility. The question isn't whether you can afford to sell direct. It's whether you can afford not to.
Direct sales are not just about boycotting Amazon. They're about diversifying. You can still use Amazon for visibility and discoverability. Readers browse there. They search there. Let Amazon do what it does best: help people find your book.
But your direct store is where you keep the highest royalties, the fastest payouts, and control over your relationship with readers. It's where you own the customer data and build your email list for future launches.
For anthology contributors especially, direct sales may be the only way to monetize their work independently since they can't upload to Amazon without controlling the ISBN. For all authors, it's the best way to stop leaving money and data on the table.
The strategy isn't either/or. It's both. Use Amazon for reach. Use direct sales to maximize profit on every sale you can control.