“I don’t want a traditional publishing contract. How do I sell my books in digital format?” This is one of the most common questions from new authors, and the sheer number of self-publishing options can make it a difficult one to answer. From managed sales through a proprietary eReader marketplaces to managing your own web store, there are a vast number of choices. Some of the most popular are also accompanied by a number of drawbacks with implications which may not be immediately apparent. Before you make a choice with the potential to negatively affect your earnings and career trajectory, take some time to explore your options. You may find the best option for your new business is also the most cost-effective and efficient.

Which Tools Do I Need to Sell My Books?

One of the most important things to consider when building your business plan is how you will meet not only your needs, but also those of your customers. You should ask more than, “what do I need to sell my books?” You should also ask yourself what your customers will need and expect. By understanding the needs of everyone involved, you’re better positioned to meet them in an effective manner.

Your customers need to feel confident that their sensitive financial information is secure. Services like PayPal and Google Wallet are known and trusted around the world for providing secure payment processing, and are great options for any new merchant. Since the primary appeal of digital shopping is the ability to gain immediate access to purchased goods, your customers will also expect automated content delivery. Manually monitoring sales alerts and fulfilling orders will inevitably lead to delays and missed orders, which have the potential to do irreparable damage to your customer service reputation.

As a merchant, you need access to secure file hosting to keep your products protected from leaks or theft. Since you can’t sell a product if no one knows it’s available, you also need reliable, risk-free marketing which fits within your budget. You don’t need an expensive, professionally-built website with all the online sales bells and whistles, but you do need a sales hub. Choose the right sales system, and you can streamline all of the features you and your customers need at a low cost. Dedicated eCommerce platforms like PayLoadz.com also make it easy to cut and paste HTML into a free blog site, a low-cost template site or even a social media profile. With one inexpensive service, you’re able to stop asking, “how do I sell my books,” instead starting your journey to independent sales success.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Help Me Sell My Books?

Prepaid ads are expensive, and there’s absolutely no guarantee they’ll be effective. Your target audience may click on your ad, or they may scroll right past your sponsored social media post. High-quality eCommerce platforms do more than provide the tools you need to facilitate sales; they help your business grow by giving you access to built-in affiliate networks. Instead of investing blindly in expensive ads in hopes of building traffic, you’ll be able to pay for marketing only when it works. Your affiliates are paid a small commission, so they have an incentive to boost the signal and you have no need for a large promotional budget.

Take the first step to becoming an independent and successful author. Launch your very own web store today, and start making your dreams a reality.