You put the time, energy and effort into writing your manuscript; why would you turn full control over to a publishing company in exchange for a fraction of what your book earns? As an author, you want to retain full creative control and publishing rights, along with your hard-earned sales revenue. Fortunately, there is another option you can consider when you’re ready to sell your books. With the potential to reach a global audience while building your name into a recognizable author brand, self-publishing online can help you reach both your personal and financial goals.

Why You Should Sell Your Books in Digital Format

Self-publishing has become a much more viable and lucrative option for today’s new authors, thanks to the widespread popularity of eReaders and smartphone apps dedicated to reading. These days, book lovers are able to carry entire libraries in their pockets, with hundreds or even thousands of books on one small device. This has given rise to an entire online self-publishing industry, with some independent authors becoming millionaires without the help of a literary agent or publisher. Best of all, the prohibitive costs once associated with self-publishing are no longer an issue. Even an author with limited start-up capital can earn a substantial amount of money by releasing independently. You don’t have to pay for the first printing run out of pocket, hoping you’ll sell enough physical copies to break even. You don’t have to finance subsequent editions, or keep physical stock. One eBook file can be sold an infinite number of times, and will never cost you money to replace.

You have the ability to sell your books to an almost limitless audience; all you need is the right tools for the job and a willingness to self-promote. Before you sign the rights to your own manuscript over to a publisher or spend one more day drafting query letters, take the time to explore this relatively inexpensive and potentially lucrative option.

How to Sell Your Books Independently Online

If you’re ready to take the first step towards independent publishing, it’s time to start thinking about the business side of book sales. There are a few things you’ll need to provide to your readers, and a few tools you’ll need for yourself in order to efficiently and effectively sell your books.

First, you need a payment processing system in place. You can’t make money if you’re not able to process the payments you receive for your work, and manual credit card processing presents a number of risks. The best way to protect yourself and your customers is to work with a reputable, well-known service provider like PayPal or Google Wallet. You’ll also need to make sure your customers are able to access their new eBooks immediately after completing a transaction, so automating content delivery is a must.

Efficiency is the name of the game when it comes to online sales, so you don’t want to outsource all of your business needs to separate service providers. Working with a single eCommerce platform, like PayLoadz.com, allows you to integrate PayPal and Google Wallet seamlessly with your vital file hosting and content delivery tools. High-end providers will even include access to valuable marketing systems, like affiliate marketing networks, to help you expand your marketing reach. Don’t rely upon a publishing company to distribute your book while retaining the lion’s share of the profits. Sell your book yourself, and control your own career path.