Today, I was comparing the potential return on selling my book via Amazon and Ingram Spark, or making a shop and using Lulu Direct to fulfill my print orders. Turns out the difference in what returns to me as the author is very little between the two routes.
Am I wasting my time?
Probably, if I want to sell more than a few books. It’s way easier to forget building a shop on your website and just go all in with the main distributors of the day.
Not if casting a vote for my creative independence is important to me.
When I set up my own shop, no matter how many people show up—to browse or to buy—I’ve created a little space where it’s possible to connect with others.
Am I wasting my time?
You can be the judge of that.
For those interested, this appears to be the simplest and most efficient way to deliver my book, at least to begin with:
For Digital Products (Ebook + Audiobook):
- Payment: Payhip
- Delivery: BookFunnel (Already using BookFunnel to deliver Advanced Reader Copies, so it makes sense to use it again here)
- Cost: Just transaction fees, no upfront investment
For Print Books:
- Start: Manually input Lulu orders
- Scale Later: Add automation when volume justifies it
For Audio Distribution:
- Retailers: Findaway Voices (Audible, Apple, Spotify)
- Direct Sales: BookFunnel