How to sell ebooks online
You can sell an ebook online in two ways: through a store that already has shoppers, such as Amazon KDP or Etsy, or directly from your own page with a checkout tool such as Gumroad or Payhip. Stores bring buyers but take their share and set price rules. Direct sales usually leave you more of each sale, but you bring the readers.
Updated . Fees and rules were checked on each company's own pages on that date and can change.
Where to sell ebooks: fees compared
Fees as of November 2026, in US dollars, from each company's own pricing or help pages.
| Where | What it keeps or charges | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | You receive a 70% or 35% royalty. The 70% rate is paid after a delivery cost that varies with file size and averages $0.06 per sale. | The 70% rate needs a list price of $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com and applies to sales in listed countries. The 35% rate allows prices from $0.99. |
| Gumroad | 10% plus $0.50 per sale through your own links. 30% when a new customer finds you through the Gumroad Discover marketplace. | No monthly charge. Gumroad acts as merchant of record and handles sales tax. |
| Etsy | $0.20 listing fee per item, plus a 6.5% transaction fee on each sale, plus a payment processing fee that varies by country. | The listing fee is charged whether or not the item sells. |
| Payhip | Free plan: 5% per sale. Plus plan: $29 a month and 2%. Pro plan: $99 a month and no transaction fee. | PayPal and Stripe charge their own processing fees on every plan. |
What you keep from a $9.99 ebook
The sums below use the fees in the table and ignore tax. They show the difference between the options, not what you will earn.
- Amazon KDP at 70%: about $6.95 for a US sale with the average $0.06 delivery cost.
- Amazon KDP at 35%: about $3.50.
- Gumroad, your own link: $9.99 minus $1.00 minus $0.50 leaves $8.49.
- Gumroad Discover: $9.99 minus 30% leaves $6.99.
- Etsy: $9.99 minus $0.20 minus $0.65 leaves $9.14, before payment processing.
- Payhip free plan: $9.99 minus $0.50 leaves $9.49, before PayPal or Stripe fees.
To run these sums for your own price, use the where to sell ebooks calculator or the KDP royalty calculator.
How to sell an ebook in 6 steps
- Decide where your readers already are. If they search Amazon for books on your topic, start with Amazon KDP. If they follow you by email or social media, sell direct from your own page with a checkout tool.
- Prepare the right file for each place. Ebook stores want a reflowable file such as EPUB. Direct sales usually use a PDF, because it opens on any device and keeps your layout.
- Set a price. Look at five ebooks of similar length on the same topic and price inside that range. On Amazon, the 70% royalty rate needs a list price from $2.99 to $12.99.
- Write the sales page. Say who the book is for, what they will be able to do after reading it, and list the chapters. Show the cover and two or three sample pages.
- Declare what the store asks you to declare. Amazon KDP requires you to say whether text, images or translations were AI-generated. Fill in categories, keywords and tax details accurately.
- Tell people it exists. Send it to your email list, post where your readers spend time, and link to it from anything you have already published on the topic.
How to sell ebooks on Amazon KDP
Amazon KDP lists your ebook in the Kindle store. Four things to know before you upload, all as of November 2026:
- Files. KDP recommends Word (DOC or DOCX), EPUB or its own KPF format for ebook manuscripts. A PDF is accepted for some languages but is not on the recommended list.
- Royalty. You choose 35% or 70% for each book. The 70% rate needs a list price from $2.99 to $12.99. The upper limit rose from $9.99 on 7 July 2026.
- KDP Select. This optional 90-day programme puts your ebook in the Amazon reading subscription. In return, the ebook can only be distributed through KDP and public libraries during that period. It renews automatically unless you turn renewal off.
- AI disclosure. You must tell KDP about AI-generated text, images and translations. See the KDP rules on AI content.
How to sell ebooks from your own website
Direct selling is simpler than it sounds. You need three things:
- A checkout tool that takes payment and delivers the file. Gumroad and Payhip both do this without a monthly fee.
- One page that describes the book and links to the checkout.
- A way to reach readers: an email list, a social account, a blog or a podcast.
Direct sales also give you the buyer's email address where the tool and the law allow it, so you can tell them about your next book. A store keeps that relationship for itself.
If you do not have an audience yet, a free lead magnet ebook is a common way to start an email list before you sell anything.
How to price an ebook
- Find five ebooks on your topic of similar length and note their prices. Price inside that range.
- On Amazon, a price between $2.99 and $12.99 keeps you eligible for the 70% rate.
- Sold direct, a short practical guide that solves a costly problem can be priced by the value of the result, not by its page count.
- Pick a price, leave it for a month, then change one thing at a time.
The book pricing calculator gives a starting price by length and genre.
What to check before you publish
- You have the right to sell everything in the book, including images and fonts.
- Every fact, figure and instruction has been checked.
- The file opens correctly on a phone, a tablet and a computer.
- The description matches what is inside. Do not promise results the book cannot deliver.
- You have completed each store's tax and payment details.
If you made the book with EbookMuse, paid plans include a licence to sell what you make, and the book exports as PDF, EPUB and Word. Review the draft and add your own examples before you put a price on it.
Common questions
Where is the best place to sell ebooks online?
It depends on where your readers are. Amazon KDP suits books people search for on Amazon. A direct checkout such as Gumroad or Payhip suits authors who already have an audience, because you keep more of each sale, but it brings no shoppers of its own.
How much does it cost to sell an ebook online?
As of November 2026, Amazon KDP pays a 35% or 70% royalty, Gumroad takes 10% plus $0.50 per direct sale, Etsy charges $0.20 per listing plus 6.5% per sale, and the free Payhip plan takes 5%. Payment processing can be extra.
Can I sell the same ebook on Amazon and my own site?
Yes, unless you enrol the ebook in KDP Select. During a 90-day KDP Select period the Kindle ebook can only be distributed through KDP and public libraries, so you would have to stop selling it elsewhere.
Can I sell an ebook written with AI?
Usually yes, but each store has its own rules. Amazon KDP allows it and requires you to declare AI-generated text, images and translations when you upload. You are responsible for the accuracy of the book and for not infringing anyone's rights.
How many copies will I sell?
Nobody can tell you that in advance, and no tool or store guarantees sales. It depends on the topic, the price, the sales page and how many of the right people see it.