Selling Books Direct: Insights from 500+ Authors [2025 Update]

More and more authors are choosing to sell their books directly to readers from their own websites.

The appeal is obvious…

By selling direct, you cut out the middlemen (looking at you, Amazon) and get to keep a bigger cut of the royalties.

You have complete control too — pricing, marketing, the entire sales process, etc. You can also build a more personal connection with your audience when you sell direct.

But I always wondered…

What does it really take to make direct sales work well as an author? Is it just an over-hyped side-hustle, or can you actually build a sustainable business around it?

So, last year, I went straight to the source. My team at Kindlepreneur surveyed hundreds of authors who have tried selling directly to readers.

The data we uncovered was eye-opening. So much so, we ran another survey for 2025.

In this detailed study, I'll break down all the stats, genre trends, platform comparisons, and visual charts from our groundbreaking survey.

Whether direct sales is already your thing or you're just curious about it, you'll get an honest look at what it actually takes to transition to this author-driven sales model.

Let's break it down.

NOTE: Caveat to the Survey & Statistics

This is a note to all my statistician readers or analytically minded folks: Please note, that I fully understand that there are outliers that can and will occur, and that perhaps by the existence of a survey, that maybe only certain types of authors would have decided to fill out the survey. However, with 547 responses, I believe we had enough significant data points to adequately develop a well-represented outcome. Furthermore, the questions posed were designed to help give proper representation and we feel as solid as we can on the below findings.

Who is Selling Direct?

To start, we looked at the experience levels of the authors selling direct:

Our survey revealed that a whopping 66% of authors selling direct have published at least 5 books over their careers — matching last year's survey.

Even more notably, 46% have over 10 books under their belts (2% higher than last year).

Interestingly, 31% of these authors who are selling direct had only ventured into doing direct sales within the past year — with another 29% admitting they had only started selling direct in the past 1-to-2 years.

(Last year's numbers were 40% and 24%, respectively.)

This suggests direct sales is still a relatively new frontier for many authors.

This next one is eye-opening.

The numbers clearly showed that authors with more books tend to make more money from direct sales consistently.

Authors with 10+ books earn $1,045 per month on average, effectively a 5X return versus having 2-4 books.

This reaffirms the notion that sustained book sales directly correlate with the number of books an author produces.

Key Takeaway: Established authors with large catalogs of works appear to be making a calculated business decision by moving to direct sales. An increasing number sees direct sales as a viable product distribution channel.

What Genres are Thriving in Direct Sales?

Next, we looked at which fiction and non-fiction genres are finding the most traction with direct sales models:

As expected, the romance, fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction genres dominated among the fiction authors who sell direct.

However, nonfiction saw an unexpected surge in popularity for direct sales. In last year’s survey, 17% said they wrote non-fiction, but in this year’s survey the number jumped to 28%.

The strong nonfiction presence highlights a promising niche opportunity. Authors with expertise in certain topics can leverage direct sales to monetize that authority.

On the other hand, children's books were notably underrepresented among those selling direct, with only 3% saying they wrote in the genre (the same percentage as last year’s survey).

This could point to unique challenges for that genre when it comes to direct sales strategies.

Key Takeaway: Direct sales offer an enticing revenue stream for nonfiction authors who can capitalize on their established platform and subject matter expertise. The model's suitability may vary across different book categories.

The Power of an Email List

In last year’s survey, we found a clear, positive correlation between email list size and monthly direct sales income — with authors having an email list of over 15,000 subscribers earning 20X more than authors with email lists under 100 subscribers.

In fact, our data showed around 45% of the successful direct selling authors had over 1,000 subscribers on their email lists.

It was a powerful insight…

A large, engaged mailing list provides authors with a direct line to readers and a captive audience of fans, effectively allowing them to market new releases, promote special offers, and drive sales conversions.

So, in this year’s survey, we wanted to find out which email marketing services authors use when selling direct.

And the results? Surprising…

A whopping 23% of the authors surveyed didn’t use an email marketing service at all.

And while it wasn't surprising…

(If you don't have an email marketing service, chances are you have zero email subscribers, right?)

…our data showed that the 23% of authors without an email marketing service averaged only $149 per month in direct book sales.

The lesson?

The same one found in last year’s survey…

Having an email list is a good idea.

So, if you haven't set up an email list, you should definitely look into starting — sooner than later (and especially if you want to sell directly to readers).

How Can Authors Build Their Email List?

Strategies for List Building:

1. Leverage Lead Magnets: Offer something irresistible for free—a novella, a preview chapter, or an exclusive story—in exchange for an email sign-up.
2. Use Pop-up Forms: Tools like OptinMonster can help capture potential subscribers with timed pop-ups, exit-intent technology, and targeted messaging.
3. Utilize Social Media: Promote your newsletter sign-up link across your social media platforms, pinning it where possible.
4. Engage with Content Upgrades: Provide additional, valuable content related to your books or genre in exchange for email addresses.
5. Network at Events: Collect emails during book signings, conferences, and readings, always with permission.

Email Platforms for Authors:

1. Kit: (Advanced Recommendation) Perfect for those looking to dive into advanced email segmentation and automated marketing campaigns, Kit (formerly ConvertKit) helps personalize your communication with readers.
2. MailerLite: (Medium Recommendation) A popular choice for authors just starting out, thanks to its user-friendly interface and free tier for smaller lists.
3. Author Email: (Starter Recommendation) Designed with authors in mind, with lowest price being central, but limited in its ability. However, I have a strong feeling Author Email is going to pick up on capability really soon.

Key Takeaway: Growing a sizeable, quality email list should be a top priority for any author looking to maximize their direct sales potential. An email list provides direct access to readers and drives revenue.

What Products Are Authors Selling Direct?

Of course, we were curious to see what types of products and formats the direct selling authors were offering:

While eBooks were hot on its heels, print editions (hardback and paperback) were once again the top format for direct sales among our surveyed authors.

Among the print providers, Amazon KDP and Ingramspark tied for first place in the race for most popular printer for paperback editions sold directly by authors. Combined, they had a 46% market share (BookVault’s 13% put it in third place).

I should note that there was a positive correlation between offering a greater variety of product types (ebooks, paperbacks, hardcovers, audiobooks, merchandise) and generating higher revenues.

Key Takeaway: Don't just sell the eBook file itself. Creating diverse product bundles and merchandise leveraging your intellectual property can significantly boost direct sales income.

Evaluating Direct Sales Platform Options

Choosing the right platform to power their direct sales storefront proved critical:

According to our survey results, WordPress with WooCommerce was the dominant solution for authors selling direct — beating Shopify, which claimed the top spot in last year’s survey.

Shopify higher subscription fees compared to other platforms — something authors mentioned in last year’s survey — was likely a reason for its drop to 2nd place.

However, I should note that authors generating higher monthly direct sales tended to choose Shopify, indicating that its functionality, app/plugin integration, and user experience outweighed fees for these authors.

Other popular choices were ecommerce platforms like Wix, Payhip, and Squarespace. Options like Gumroad and Podia, which had 2% and 1% market shares in last year’s survey, respectively, were both less than 1% this year.

Ease of use was a driving factor in adopting these solutions, despite somewhat more limited customization options.

Key Takeaway: Selecting the ideal ecommerce platform is crucial and depends on your budget and desired functionality. Shopify stands out for maximizing direct sales, albeit at higher startup/maintenance fees, while WordPress and WooCommerce let authors avoid many fees while allowing unlimited customization (at the cost of complexity, of course).

How Authors Generate Traffic to Their Websites

A new question in this year’s survey focused on traffic. Specifically:

How do you drive traffic to your website?

And while most authors used a variety of traffic sources, there was a clear winner…

A whopping 42% of survey participants said they used social media — Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, etc. — to drive traffic to their website.

Email marketing (newsletters, sales emails, etc.), paid ads, and content marketing (blogging, podcasts, etc.) came in at 23%, 16%, and 10%, respectively.

Key Takeaway: While social media is the top traffic source for authors right now, it’s wise to never put all your eggs in one basket. A traffic strategy that includes multiple social media platforms, email marketing, blogging, and maybe even — depending on your situation — paid ads is a diverse one that will help you weather (almost) any storm.

The Verdict: Should You Sell Books Direct?

Our survey data provided clear insights into the characteristics and best practices of authors finding success with direct sales strategies:

1. Having a substantial backlist of published titles (5+ books)
2. Building and nurturing an engaged email list of fans
3. Offering multiple product formats and merchandise
4. Utilizing a robust, scalable ecommerce platform optimized for direct sales
5. Having multiple sources for website traffic

While higher royalties and greater independence is compelling, direct sales is not always an easy undertaking. It requires a deliberate strategy tailored to each author's unique goals, resources, and existing audience.

For authors willing to put in the effort, exploring direct sales can be well worth it. It represents a strong path towards increased earnings and creative control over your author business.

However, those just starting out or with limited marketing bandwidth may find the added complexities overwhelming. In those cases, continuing to leverage major online retailers while gradually building your direct sales capabilities could be more prudent.

Overall, the movement towards direct sales speaks volumes about how the indie author landscape continues evolving. Writers have more power and pathways to entrepreneurial success than ever before.

Key Takeaway: Transitioning to direct book sales opens up lucrative possibilities for earnings and creator autonomy – if you have the right foundations in place. For some, it may be premature. Carefully evaluate where you are in your author journey before diving in.

Making Direct Sales Work: More Than Just Selling Books

One overarching theme that emerged from the authors thriving with direct sales models: it's about far more than just transactions.

Successful direct selling is rooted in building deeper connections and relationships with your readers. It requires understanding their desires, providing exceptional value beyond just your written words, and leveraging an overall brand experience.

While the lure of higher royalty rates initially attracts many, the ultimate rewards extend beyond just financial. Direct sales empower authors to cultivate a tight-knit community of raving fans who become evangelists for their work.

So as you explore selling direct, remember: it's not just about finding ways to sell more books. It's about thoughtfully nurturing direct reader relationships, delivering outstanding customer experiences, and charting your own course as an authorial entrepreneur.

Done right, harnessing the power of direct sales can be a complete game changer for your author career.