Kindlepreneur's New Direct-Sales Guide Says No One Platform Fits Every Author

Kindlepreneur founder Dave Chesson has rewritten his guide to selling books directly to readers, and the new version declines to name one best platform. "There isn't one platform I'd recommend to every author," Chesson writes in The Author's Complete Guide to Selling Books Direct to Readers, updated October 21. Instead, the guide sorts the options by an author's situation, from those testing direct sales for the first time to those building a full store.

Who is already doing it

The guide draws on a Kindlepreneur survey of more than 800 authors. Among those finding success with direct sales, 66% have a backlist of at least five published books, 44% have an email list of 1,000 or more engaged subscribers, and 40% have been selling direct for less than a year, according to the survey.

Chesson cautions against reading those figures as entry requirements. "It's crucial not to interpret these statistics as prerequisites for success," he writes. The figures come from Kindlepreneur's own survey, and the guide does not publish its full method.

The options, by situation

For authors planning "a major direct-sales business," the guide points to Shopify, which Chesson calls "one of my top recommendations" for a store with ads, bundles and advanced email marketing, while warning of more setup work and a monthly fee. WordPress users can add WooCommerce, which he says offers more control but more upkeep.

For authors who want to test the idea cheaply, the guide highlights Payhip's free plan, which it says has no monthly fee but takes a 5% transaction fee on top of payment processing. For print books, it lists BookVault and Lulu Direct as print-on-demand services that connect to storefronts, and BookFunnel for delivering ebooks and audiobooks.

The guide also covers Tertulia for Authors, which pairs an author website with a store. Chesson lists its drawbacks plainly: print orders require self-fulfillment, email marketing is capped at 2,500 contacts, and the author is responsible for sales taxes and customer support.

Before switching on a store

The guide flags a rights issue that catches some authors. "If your book is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, you will need to take it out of KU before you can sell those ebooks direct," it says, because KDP Select requires ebook exclusivity.

Chesson also suggests making a separate edition of each ebook for direct buyers, with "Also By" pages and newsletter links pointing to the author's own store instead of Amazon. And he recommends placing a test order before announcing anything, to check checkout, confirmation emails and delivery.

The case Chesson makes

Chesson frames direct sales as protection against crowded retail. "With how competitive Amazon and other retailers have become (and with AI making it easier than ever for people to publish books), I think it's only going to get harder for authors to stand out," he writes.

He does not tell authors to leave Amazon. "Selling direct can simply be another way for readers to discover and purchase your books," the guide says, and his closing advice is to "start small, see how your readers respond, and build from there."

Sources

• Kindlepreneur: The Author's Complete Guide to Selling Books Direct to Readers (updated October 21, 2026)