(Some) Of The Best Ebook Selling Websites.

Any list of the best ebook selling websites is going to be good for a small amount of time. There are sooooo many websites trying to get authors to use them. So what we have done is this:

• found the ones with the largest user base and largest distribution
• they also are recognised

Sure we may have missed your favourite, but that leads us onto the next point. Your goals.

• At the end of the day it doesn't really matter. Do people care if they see a check out from Gumroad or Clickbank? No, they just want to get the item, there is a guarantee and that they aren't going to get scammed. So they might not care, but the trust factor for Amazon is high so thir concerns are much limited. Also it depends upon your needs. For example, if you want to write an ebook and be done with it, then larger companies might be your thing. They will handle conversion, processing, refunds and payment. All you have to do is sell your ebook.
• If you want a little bit more of a hands on then most of the companies will allow you to do that. So some will just give you the payment- like Paypal. others might give you the affiliate to sell your ebook- like Clickbank. Others are simple and easy to understand- like Gumroad but you will need to do more marketing. Others will give you everything and a little bit more- like Shopify.
  
• Do you know if your demographic will chose that platform?
  
• These websites are always changing. What they offer today, they might not offer tomorrow. Some will go away, others will stay.

But always remember one thing. Are they doing this for a percentage or a fee?

So, how are they getting paid? Because if it is a subscription then you need to find that monthly money all the time or no book sales. If it is a percentage, then you will need to take that into consideration when pricing your ebook.

So lets check out:

The top 9 best ebook selling websites

0- Your own website. People miss out on this one. You have access to everything and hold all the traffic. Sure it is scary but maybe once you have got your ebook sales going you might need a website to direct customers to. As, and we have said it many times. These companies own the traffic and the customer data, not you. So it is a trade-off between platform control, exclusivity requirements, and potential limitations in visibility.

Amazon Kindle.

Positives:

1. Wide Reach: Amazon's massive customer base provides extensive exposure to potential readers globally.
2. Its Amazon, the trust factor is very high
   
3. Author-Friendly: Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) offers a user-friendly platform for authors to self-publish and control their content.
4. Kindle Unlimited: Authors can enrol in Kindle Unlimited, a subscription service that allows readers to borrow and read ebooks for a monthly fee.
5. Robust Marketing Tools: Amazon provides promotional tools such as Kindle Countdown Deals, Kindle Free Promotions, and targeted advertising options.

Negatives:

1. Exclusivity: Kindle Select requires authors to grant Amazon exclusive distribution rights, limiting the availability of their ebooks on other platforms.
2. Amazon "owns" the customer details
   
3. Royalty Structure: While competitive, the royalty structure varies based on factors like pricing, delivery costs, and regions.

Apple Books:

Positives:

1. Global Reach: Available in over 50 countries, Apple Books provides a global platform for authors.
2. User-Friendly Interface: Apple Books offers an aesthetically pleasing and intuitive reading experience.
3. iBook Author: Authors can use iBook Author to create interactive, multimedia-rich ebooks, enhancing the reader experience.

Negatives:

1. Market Share: While growing, Apple Books has a smaller market share compared to Amazon Kindle.
2. Limited Author Tools: Apple's author tools are not as extensive as some competing platforms.

Barnes & Noble Nook:

Positives:

1. Established Brand: Barnes & Noble's longstanding reputation lends credibility to ebooks sold on the Nook platform.
2. User-Friendly App: Nook's app provides a seamless reading experience for users.

Negatives:

1. Market Share: Nook's market share is smaller compared to industry giants like Amazon.
2. Limited International Presence: Availability may be restricted in some regions, limiting global reach
3. Unless they are on Nook or in one of the bookstores, how many people go directly to Nook to buy? If you have a link on your website and use them as a payment processor that might be better as you are using their associated trust.

Kobo:

Positives:

1. Global Presence: Kobo is available in over 190 countries, making it an attractive option for international authors.
2. eReader Compatibility: Kobo has a line of eReaders, contributing to a dedicated user base.
3. Collaboration with Indie Bookstores: Kobo partners with independent bookstores, fostering community support and discoverability.

Negatives:

1. Smaller Market Share: Kobo faces stiff competition from larger platforms.
2. Marketing Tools: While available, marketing tools may not be as robust as those on Amazon.

Gumroad:

Positives:

1. Direct Sales: Authors can sell directly to consumers, maintaining control over pricing and distribution.
2. Flexibility: Gumroad supports various digital products, offering flexibility beyond ebooks.
3. No Exclusivity: Authors retain complete control over their content and can sell elsewhere simultaneously.

Negatives:

1. Limited Visibility: Gumroad relies on authors' self-promotion efforts, potentially leading to challenges in gaining visibility.
2. Less Discoverability: Gumroad is not as widely known as major ebook platforms
3. Cost structure- is it subscription, after a certain amount of sales or percentage of?

Shopify:

Positives:

1. Customization: Shopify allows complete control over the design and branding of an online store.
2. Its professional, it is helpful if you are going to be selling more items that can be used on the Shopify store. These don't have to be ebooks. But they offer breadth of use.
   
3. Integrated Sales: Ebooks can be sold alongside other products, providing an opportunity for cross-selling.
4. Marketing Tools: Shopify offers a variety of marketing apps to enhance promotional efforts.

Negatives:

1. Learning Curve: Setting up and managing a Shopify store can be complex, requiring technical proficiency.
2. Costs: Shopify involves monthly subscription fees and transaction costs, which can impact overall profitability.

PayPal:

Positives:

1. Payment Processing: As a trusted payment gateway, PayPal ensures secure transactions for authors and readers.
2. Global Transactions: PayPal supports transactions in multiple currencies, facilitating international sales.
3. Versatility: PayPal can be integrated into various selling platforms, providing flexibility.
4. In its basic form PayPal is quite underused with very low fees
   

Negatives:

1. Limited as a Platform: PayPal primarily serves as a payment processor and lacks dedicated features for selling and promoting ebooks.
2. Competition: Faces competition from more comprehensive platforms offering integrated solutions.

ClickBank:

Positives:

1. Affiliate Marketing: ClickBank is renowned for its affiliate marketing model, potentially expanding product visibility through a network of affiliates.
2. Digital Product Marketplace: Known for digital products, including ebooks and informational content.
3. Payment Processing: ClickBank handles secure payment transactions on behalf of vendors.

Negatives:

1. Quality Control: The quality of products on ClickBank can vary, affecting the overall reputation of the platform.
2. High Competition: The marketplace is competitive, and standing out among numerous products can be challenging
3. ? the quality of the affiliates and how they sell- you can ban some but it can be more hands on than you think
4. You are going to be HR and customer service
   
5. Costs: Percentage plus an amount per product

Smashwords:

Positives:

1. Wide Distribution: Smashwords distributes ebooks to various retailers, increasing exposure to potential readers. It can distribute to many of the above companies. We do not know why people are not jumping onto this.
   
2. Author Tools: Provides tools for formatting, publishing, and managing ebook distribution.
3. No Exclusivity: Authors have the flexibility to distribute their ebooks elsewhere
4. Earnings are high compared to others
5. They manage earnings and refunds
   

Negatives:

1. Formatting Challenges: many people do not read the StyleGuide and that affects authors encountering formatting issues during the conversion process, impacting the overall quality of ebooks. If you need to update an ebook you need to get it processed again.
   
2. Royalty Structure: Distribution to external retailers through Smashwords affects earnings, as retailers take a percentage.

Some special mentions

Some special mentions just because:

Sellfy: Sellfy has a free plan with limitations on the number of products you can sell. They take a transaction fee on each sale.

Ejunkie: Not expensive, has some cool aspects for eproduct vendors.

PayHip: PayHip is free to sign up, and you can list digital products for sale. They charge a transaction fee on each sale.

Google Drive or Dropbox: You can use these cloud storage services to host your digital products and share the download link with your customers. It can be a nice way of finding out if your product sells without investment.

For us?

The best ebook selling websites that we sell on are Amazon, Smashwords and Clickbank. We believe, at the present time, that we have covered a wide distribution. Smashwords (which is crazily under utilised) distributes to Kobo and Apple. Amazon has their own sub companies and many websites also carry Amazon books. Clickbank we have used for ages and we mainly use it for its affiliate base. Plus with Clickbank we also can figure out who bought our products and have a somewhat idea of our customer. Clickbank fees and some of their content rules can be irksome but tolerable. You do have to handle customer support, but in our view that is a good thing.

So remember the following before you choose one of the best ebook selling websites are these points:

• how much do they charge, is it worth it?
• how much effort do you need to put in to get your desired result. Are you pushing a rock uphill or down?
  
• do you want control over your audience to sell to later?
• can you make your ebook compatible?
• are you reaching your desired audience?
  

These are all very important and can only be answered by you and your plan.

For more online eProduct selling, check out the Jasonera blog here.

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