I Want to Self Publish a Novel?

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I want to self-publish a novel. Should I do this through Amazon or create a website and allow people to download my e-book as a PDF?

The simplest reason is money. If you sell a your book through your website you make 100% of the profit ... in theory. In practice, there's quite a bit more sweat equity an author has to put forth - along with some actual equity to pay for anything t don't know how to do or program - so t generally end up actually losing money by hosting their own 'retail' store site. There's also a mistake that authors often allow their ego to make. t believe t've written the Greatest Book Ever, and that buyers will beat a path to their door. In virtually every case, t're wrong. There is NO author whose website can outsell Amazon, or that has a greater reach. Amazon comes with the one thing that author websites don't have. traffic. With traffic comes potential buyers. No one is going to want to be an 'affiliate' to a company that doesn't have a whole host of books, no one wants to upsell for an amateur. And amateurs generally only get amateurs to sell for them. With that many dodo birds, something has to become extinct. The argument that Amazon is 'taking a cut' is just silly. To properly market, produce, sell, generate recurring business, and make money, the author selling the book is going to be investing thousands of dollars and thousands of hours. And that's without any promise of ANY return. Sure, it's cool to be in charge of your own destiny and reap 100% of the rewards ... but 100% of nothing is still nothing. Amazon's 'cut' - by comparison - is an incredible bargain. You give away 30% of actual PROFITS in exchange for contacts, buyers, advertising, and SALES. Is running your own store a good idea? Sure. It's a lot of work and will cost you thousands of dollars, hundreds of headaches, and you'll learn quite a few lessons. Is selling through outlets like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and others a better idea? Abso-freakin'-lutely!

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If you want your fans to buy your books instead of just your own, then this is the way to go. If you don't like that then your website is probably not worth a damn. Click to expand... I'd imagine authors would rather see everyone, even those who sell a few books, make more money than one tiny person. It takes a LOT of work and a lot of time, and Amazon only shows their hand from time to time. It's their money and their control, and they're not going to give it to anyone but the largest and most successful. That's Amazon's philosophy. In the end of the day, Amazon sells millions of books.