Selling direct to readers can sound like the ultimate author-business upgrade: higher royalties, faster payouts, more control, and a customer list you actually own.

But is it the right move for your book right now?

In this episode, we unpack the real tradeoffs behind selling books from your own website—and why launching a direct-sales store before you have the audience, systems, or offers to support it can become an expensive distraction. Amazon may take a bigger cut, but it also delivers something many authors underestimate: reader trust, familiar checkout, Prime shipping expectations, and an enormous built-in shopping habit.

We break down what direct sales actually require behind the scenes, from inventory, shipping, sales tax, customer service, refunds, and fulfillment to the not-so-small challenge of convincing a reader to pay shipping when Amazon has trained them to expect it fast and free.

Then we get into the more important question: when does selling direct make sense?

You’ll hear what successful direct-selling authors tend to have in place first, why your email list is the real engine behind direct revenue, and which offers give readers a reason to buy from you instead of defaulting to Amazon—think signed books, exclusive editions, bundles, bonuses, and companion products.

We also answer a listener question about beta reader feedback: what you can ethically use, what should stay private, and how to turn powerful reader comments into marketing assets across your Amazon page, website, email newsletter, and social media.

Before you build a store, make sure you understand what will actually move the needle. Listen now, subscribe for more practical book marketing guidance, and share this episode with an author who is wondering whether direct sales are worth the effort.

Send us your feedback!

Preorder Think Local Sell Global and claim your free Local Buzz Blueprint, a customized local visibility plan with personalized outreach ideas, pitch angles, and ready-to-use marketing tools built around your book and community!

Offer ends July 31.

📱 Text Penny & Amy: Send your marketing questions, show feedback, and episode ideas. Text PODCAST to (888) 402-8940 to join and get new episode alerts. Save our number!

⭐ Enjoying the show? Please follow the podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews help more authors discover the show.

💬 Don't use Apple Podcasts? Email your review to info@amarketingexpert.com and we'll feature it on our website.

Could your author newsletter become a new income stream—or will charging readers create more work than revenue?

Paid newsletters are everywhere right now, especially with platforms like Substack making it look easy to turn emails into monthly income. But for authors, the question is not whether someone is making money with a paid newsletter. It is whether your readers have a compelling reason to pay for yours.

In this episode, we break down what actually works: the types of exclusive content readers may value, why a strong mission or niche can matter more than a large subscriber count, and how expert curation, analysis, behind-the-scenes access, or special offers can help a paid tier feel worthwhile.

We also get honest about the parts no one likes to talk about: the ongoing content demands, the pressure to keep subscribers engaged every single month, and the conversion math that can quickly change the revenue picture. With free-to-paid conversion rates often landing around 3%, authors need to understand what it really takes to make this model profitable before building an entirely new content machine.

You’ll also hear why your free newsletter should remain the foundation of your reader relationship, even if you decide to test a paid option—and what to consider before moving your audience to Substack or another platform that could pull attention away from your website, SEO, and broader author brand.

Plus, we answer a listener question about book relaunches: when a relaunch makes sense, what separates it from simply “always promoting,” and how to use new momentum—like an award win, fresh positioning, or an updated edition—to give a book another real shot at visibility.

Before you put your newsletter behind a paywall, listen to this episode. It could save you time, help you protect your reader relationship, and give you a clearer path to building income that actually supports your author career.

Send us your feedback!

Preorder Think Local Sell Global and claim your free Local Buzz Blueprint, a customized local visibility plan with personalized outreach ideas, pitch angles, and ready-to-use marketing tools built around your book and community!

Offer ends July 31.

📱 Text Penny & Amy: Send your marketing questions, show feedback, and episode ideas. Text PODCAST to (888) 402-8940 to join and get new episode alerts. Save our number!

⭐ Enjoying the show? Please follow the podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews help more authors discover the show.

💬 Don't use Apple Podcasts? Email your review to info@amarketingexpert.com and we'll feature it on our website.

You do not need a free afternoon—or an exhausting new marketing plan—to make meaningful progress with your book. In this episode, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell break down how authors can use just 15 focused minutes to improve the parts of their marketing that keep working long after the timer stops.

They start by celebrating Penny’s new release, Think Local, Sell Global, then get straight to one of the biggest traps authors fall into: confusing constant activity with actual momentum. Posting randomly, scrolling for ideas, or trying to “do all the things” may feel productive, but it rarely builds the visibility, trust, and reader connection that lead to book sales.

Instead, Penny and Amy share a smarter question to ask before you spend your time: What can I improve today that will still be helping my book next week, next month, and three months from now?

You will hear practical, high-impact ways to strengthen your book’s discoverability and conversion in short, manageable bursts. From tightening the opening lines of your Amazon description and reviewing your categories and keywords to refreshing your author bio, improving your website, adding A+ Content, and checking what readers see inside your Look Inside preview, these are the book marketing assets that can quietly do more of the selling for you.

They also talk about the long-game power of email marketing, how to reconnect with a quiet newsletter list, and what to say when you are convinced you have “nothing to send.” Plus, they share realistic 15-minute, 30-minute, and 60-minute marketing plans to help you stay visible between launches without burning yourself out.

If your book marketing has felt scattered, time-consuming, or impossible to keep up with, this episode will help you refocus on the small improvements that create a much bigger payoff.

Send us your feedback!

Preorder Think Local Sell Global and claim your free Local Buzz Blueprint, a customized local visibility plan with personalized outreach ideas, pitch angles, and ready-to-use marketing tools built around your book and community!

Offer ends July 31.

📱 Text Penny & Amy: Send your marketing questions, show feedback, and episode ideas. Text PODCAST to (888) 402-8940 to join and get new episode alerts. Save our number!

⭐ Enjoying the show? Please follow the podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews help more authors discover the show.

💬 Don't use Apple Podcasts? Email your review to info@amarketingexpert.com and we'll feature it on our website.