Selling Books Off Your Author Website

I am available for more project work, and now is a good time. If you have a project you want to start for 2023, please contact me at info@3LPublishing.com and I’ll give you a 10% discount, which can add up to some significant dollars.

 

Today’s topic: Selling Books Off Your Author Website

 

A lot of authors have opted out of selling print books on Amazon. They use their author websites to promote and sell books. Privately selling your books has pros and cons. So, let’s explore it.

 

Amazon Advantage is no longer free. It costs $99 a year to have an Amazon Advantage account. In the big picture, $99 a year doesn’t seem like a lot of money. Now consider that your royalty from Amazon Advantage is 45 percent, plus the cost of postage and handling. A book sold for $19.95 receives $8.98 in royalties. Next consider postage. A typical book sent Media Mail costs about $3.50. Here’s the math:

 

Retail Price: $19.95

Gross Royalty: $8.98

Postage: $3.50

Net Royalty: $5.47

 

Now consider print costs. How much does it cost to print the book (cost per book). Small print runs can only be done by print-on-demand printers (major presses don’t print anything under 500 copies). The average print cost for a 200-page book is $4.50 a book. So, you actually net $1 a book (let’s round it off). You realize that $99 a year means you have to sell at least 99 books to break even. Unless you’re working with a hybrid publisher like 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com) where we pay the annual fee and do fulfillment of groups of books, which reduces overall postage costs, this model only works when you sell hundreds of books.

 

I didn’t mention the returns. Amazon’s algorithm projects sales and triggers purchase orders for the titles. When the book fails to produce a lot of sales and Amazon has over-ordered, they don’t store the books. They send them back, which results in circular sales. They send books back, but sales may suddenly spark again. Then they re-order the books they just returned. It’s obvious the extra costs in redundant postage adds up. Additional postage and handling can flip profits into losses.

 

The book publishing business needs reform in this regard. I know of no other industry that allows products to be purchased and then sent back to the original manufacturer.

 

What is the alternative? You can sell directly off your own author website. However, you need to realize you’ll be in charge of the process. You’ll have to set up a shopping cart (I use Shopify) and fill orders. You’ll have to manage your fulfillment process and develop a business model that is the most effective use of your time and effort. You can hire a virtual assistant to take care of it, that is, if you’re too busy.

 

I recommend this approach for authors who feature their books as a part of their business platform. The numbers make more sense. You keep the full sale of your book and pay for shipping and handling. Your net profit can go from a $1 to $10 per book, which justifies doing it privately while losing the overall exposure on Amazon. Some people no matter how many times you explain your book is only available on your website will want to purchase through Amazon. You have to factor all of this together to make your decision.

 

Another important note to consider. Once a print book goes on Amazon, resellers can come in and sell used copies at ridiculously low prices. Resellers become your competition for your own book. If you do not post it on Amazon, resellers can’t resell it and undercut your price. A lot of book reviewers will take your sample book and resell it, which is rude. They can profit off your free copy.

 

Just some food for thought. Until next week, “write” on!