Now that your manuscript is finished and ready to be published in digital format, have you decided where to sell books? For many authors who choose to bypass traditional publishing routes, this can be the most difficult choice. While direct publishing services offered by proprietary eReader marketplaces can be appealing, it’s important to carefully weigh all of your options. There are some hidden concerns and drawbacks which can make these less than effective for new authors, and better alternatives aren’t always immediately obvious. Taking some time to explore choices you don’t even know you have can be substantially impactful to your career.

Where to Sell Books When You Want to Retain Control

The choice to self-publish is often largely motivated by a desire to stay in control. Many authors would rather assume full responsibility for devising marketing and sales plans than to turn over their earnings, creative control and reprinting rights to a corporate publishing house. Unfortunately, the major eBook retailers can demand a similar level of control to traditional publishers, with few of the benefits.

In most cases, the highest percentage of sales proceeds can only be earned when you enter into an exclusivity agreement. This means you won’t be able decide where to sell your books beyond this single outlet, because you’re not allowed to make them available anywhere else. Your audience is immediately limited to owners of a single device or smartphone app. Even worse, you’re earning a larger portion but unable to control your pricing. What seems like a more lucrative choice can cost you money in the long run, because a higher percentage of a lower cover price isn’t necessarily a lucrative system.

Starting and maintaining your own web store is the perfect solution for many authors wondering where to sell books. Too many skip this option, thinking it difficult and expensive. The truth is, with the right tools and services, you can establish an efficient and effective business on a tiny budget.

What You Need to Start a Web Store

There are a few basic must-haves for merchants starting a digital storefront. First, you must be able to process payments. Trusted systems like PayPal and Google Wallet are ideal, because they inspire trust in your customers and make collecting money a snap for you. Because you can’t sell products to people who don’t know they exist, how you market your work is almost as important as deciding where to sell books. Prepaid marketing can be expensive, and isn’t guaranteed to work. Affiliate networks, on the other hand, allow you to partner with marketing professionals who only get paid when they make a sale. You share a tiny portion of your earnings from those particular sales, so you aren’t gambling with your marketing budget.

Because today’s online buyer expects instant access to their products, choosing how and where to sell books should be influenced by your ability to automate download delivery. Dedicated eCommerce platforms like PayLoadz.com seamlessly integrate PayPal and Google Wallet, while also providing you with secure file hosting and order fulfillment automation. Access to affiliate networks is included, and you don’t even have to invest in an expensive, custom website. You can easily turn a template site you build yourself, a social media profile or a free blog site into your own webstore with easy cut-and-paste HTML linking.

Get started today, and find out just how easy it can be to get your eBook store off the ground with a high-quality eCommerce provider.