Amazon is the default. It's where most readers shop, where most authors publish first, and where most publishing advice points. But "default" and "best" aren't the same thing — and in 2026, a growing number of indie authors are figuring that out the hard way.
If you're asking how to sell books without Amazon, you're not alone. You're in good company.
Why Authors Are Diversifying Beyond Amazon
The reasons stack up fast.
Royalty cuts with no warning. In June 2025, Amazon quietly dropped KDP ebook royalties from 60% to 50%. No announcement, no negotiation — just updated terms. Authors who had built their entire income on KDP took an immediate 10-point hit on every sale. If it happened once, it'll happen again.
The AI book flood. An estimated 1,100 AI-generated titles were uploaded to KDP in a single week in 2025. Many are thin, keyword-stuffed shells optimized for Amazon's algorithm — not for readers. The algorithm can't tell the difference. Real authors get buried. Discovery gets harder. Ad costs go up. (We wrote about this in detail here.)
Exclusivity traps. KDP Select offers higher royalties and Kindle Unlimited access — in exchange for exclusivity. You can't sell that ebook anywhere else while enrolled. For authors who took that deal, their entire reader relationship now runs through Amazon. That's not a distribution strategy. That's a single point of failure.
Platform dependency. Amazon can change terms, bury your book, or close your account. Authors who depend entirely on one platform have no leverage and no fallback.
Selling outside Amazon — or in addition to it — isn't fringe thinking. It's how professional publishing has always worked.
The Non-Exclusive Publishing Model
Selling books without Amazon starts with understanding the platforms that don't require exclusivity.
IngramSpark
IngramSpark is the distribution arm of Ingram Content Group, which supplies books to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers worldwide. Publishing through IngramSpark gets your book into 40,000+ retail and library outlets, including Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and independent bookstores.
- Royalties: 40–60% net (depends on format and pricing)
- Exclusivity: None required
- Reach: Global retail and library distribution
- Best for: Authors who want their print book in physical stores
Draft2Digital
Draft2Digital is a distribution aggregator that publishes your ebook to Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, OverDrive, Scribd, and more — all from a single upload.
- Royalties: ~60% of list price (D2D takes 10% of sales)
- Exclusivity: None required
- Reach: 12+ major retailers and library platforms
- Best for: Authors who want wide ebook distribution without managing each store separately
Lulu
Lulu handles print-on-demand distribution for both ebooks and print books. It's used heavily by academic authors, niche publishers, and authors who want a branded storefront.
- Royalties: 80%+ on direct Lulu storefront sales; lower on third-party retail
- Exclusivity: None required
- Reach: Amazon, B&N, Lulu storefront, global print distribution
- Best for: Print-heavy catalogs and authors who want a self-managed store
Smashwords (now part of Draft2Digital)
Smashwords merged with Draft2Digital in 2022. The Smashwords Store continues to operate as a direct sales channel with a strong reader community, particularly for romance and genre fiction.
- Royalties: 60–80% depending on sale type
- Exclusivity: None required
- Reach: Smashwords store + D2D distribution network
- Best for: Genre fiction authors with an existing following
BookBaby
BookBaby offers ebook and print distribution plus author services (formatting, cover design, editing). It charges upfront fees rather than taking a revenue cut.
- Royalties: 100% of net (after retail margin) — no ongoing platform cut
- Exclusivity: None required
- Reach: 60+ retail channels including Amazon, Apple, and Kobo
- Best for: Authors who want full royalty control and don't mind upfront publishing costs
FunBookShelf
FunBookShelf is a human-curated indie bookshelf built specifically for non-Amazon distribution. Every book is reviewed before listing — no AI-generated content, no algorithm burial.
- Royalties: 60% on platform sales, 85% on direct-to-reader sales — locked, not subject to change
- Exclusivity: None required
- Reach: FunBookShelf's curated reader community
- Best for: Indie authors who want guaranteed discovery and a permanent home outside Amazon
Direct-to-Reader Sales
Platform distribution gets your book in front of readers who are already shopping. Direct sales cut out the platform entirely.
Gumroad — Simple digital product sales with a 10% fee (or lower on paid plans). Authors sell ebooks, audiobooks, and bundles directly. Good for authors with an existing newsletter or social following.
Payhip — Similar to Gumroad, with 5% fee on free plan. Handles VAT automatically for EU buyers, which matters if you have international readers.
Shopify — Full e-commerce store for authors building a real direct-sales operation. Higher setup overhead, but you own the relationship completely. Works well for authors selling signed print editions, bundles, or merchandise alongside books.
Author website + Stripe/PayPal — The maximum-control option. You capture the full margin (minus payment processing fees of ~2.9%). The tradeoff is you handle everything: hosting, cart, delivery, customer service.
Direct sales require an audience. They don't work as a discovery channel — they work once readers already know you exist. Build distribution for discovery; build direct channels for margin.
Platform Comparison: Royalties, Exclusivity, and Reach
| Platform | Royalty Rate | Exclusivity Required | Distribution Reach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | 50% (post-June 2025) | KDP Select only | Amazon ecosystem |
| IngramSpark | 40–60% net | No | 40,000+ retailers + libraries |
| Draft2Digital | ~60% | No | 12+ major ebook retailers |
| Lulu | 80%+ (direct) | No | Amazon, B&N, Lulu store |
| Smashwords/D2D | 60–80% | No | D2D network + Smashwords store |
| BookBaby | 100% net | No | 60+ channels |
| FunBookShelf | 60% platform / 85% direct | No | Curated indie reader community |
| Gumroad | 90%+ (after fees) | No | Your own audience only |
| Payhip | 95%+ (after fees) | No | Your own audience only |
Going Wide vs. KDP Select: The Real Tradeoff
KDP Select gives you access to Kindle Unlimited page reads, Kindle Countdown Deals, and Free Book Promotions — in exchange for 90-day exclusivity windows that auto-renew unless you opt out.
The case for KDP Select:
- Kindle Unlimited readers are a real, paying audience
- Countdown Deals can spike visibility
- Higher royalties (70% vs. 35% on certain price ranges)
The case for going wide:
- No single-platform dependency
- Apple Books, Kobo, and library channels represent 30%+ of ebook readers
- Non-Amazon audience builds over time and compounds
- You can't be held hostage by term changes
Most authors who commit to KDP Select do so for 1–2 years, find their non-Amazon audience has atrophied, and have a harder time rebuilding it later. Authors who go wide early tend to have more resilient income long-term.
The answer isn't binary. Many authors run backlist titles wide and keep new releases on Select for 90 days to capture launch visibility, then open up distribution. But whatever you choose — never let a platform's exclusivity clause be the default you didn't notice when you enrolled.
The Case for a Permanent Non-Amazon Home
Distribution is about reach. But it's also about permanence.
Amazon can change its algorithm, cut your royalties, flood your category with AI content, or close your account. None of those things are hypothetical — all of them have happened to real authors.
A non-Amazon presence isn't just insurance. It's the part of your career you actually own.
FunBookShelf: Where This Ends Up
FunBookShelf exists because we think indie authors deserve a permanent, human-curated home that isn't subject to Amazon's term changes.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
- 60% royalties on platform sales — locked in your author agreement, not subject to platform updates
- 85% royalties on direct reader sales — when a reader buys directly from your author page
- Non-exclusive — list with us and stay on every other platform you're already using
- Human curation — every book is reviewed before listing; no AI-generated content allowed
- No upfront fees — free to list, we only make money when you do
FunBookShelf is currently in early access. We're selectively onboarding founding authors who want to build something that outlasts any single platform's business decisions.
It's free. It's non-exclusive. And it's one more place where readers can find your work on terms you actually agreed to.
FunBookShelf is a human-curated indie bookshelf. 60% royalties on platform sales, 85% on direct. Non-exclusive. No upfront fees. Apply for early access.