What is Bookshop?
BookBaby Bookshop is a free, personalized online storefront specifically designed for independent authors who are looking to sell their printed books, eBooks, and/or audiobooks. BookBaby prints and ships the Print On Demand books (POD copies), handles payment processing, and pays your royalties. You're able to set the price, create coupons, and add links to retail pages (like Amazon or Barnes & Noble) if you want readers to shop on other stores.
Why sell directly with Bookshop?
Many authors sell through retail channels just because they don't have any alternative. They're not website designers and they don't know how to set up things like online payment processing. That's understandable, but at the same time, there's a definite need for an easy, hassle-free way to sell your print book and eBook online. BookBaby's Bookshop fills that need.
Beyond traditional retail channels (which you can still sell through if you wish), Bookshop gives you a space that's all your own. Unlike selling your book on Amazon or other platforms, your Bookshop page is all yours — you're not competing with dozens of other authors in the same genre. There are several other reasons to consider a Bookshop page too, including:
Higher royalties
When you get a sale through your own storefront, you keep more of the retail price. BookBaby offers authors much higher take-home rates for Bookshop sales than typical retailer splits.
Faster payments and clearer data
Direct sales mean you get paid faster, plus your Bookshop page gives you detailed insights into important data from your sales. See who's buying, when, and from which offer, so you can fine-tune your pricing, ads, and promotions.
Deeper reader relationships
One of the best reasons to sell through Bookshop is that you can tailor the checkout process to your readers. For example, you can create coupons and capture buyer email addresses, which will help you cultivate a genuine fanbase rather than just make a one-time sale. Plus, you don't need any programming or design experience to make it happen; BookBaby Bookshop makes it easy to set up in just a few clicks.
How do Bookshop payouts work?
Understandably, getting paid is the big question on every self-published author's mind. So how does it work with Bookshop? eBooks sold through Bookshop net you 85% of the retail price, while print-on-demand books let you receive up to 50% of the retail price. It's a good idea to check the royalty preview in your Bookshop dashboard for the exact per-title estimate before you set the retail price.
How Bookshop handles printing, fulfillment, and eBooks
At BookBaby, we understand the unique needs of independent and self-published authors, which is why Bookshop is just one of many channels we offer to help you sell your books more effectively and easily. Here's how we take care of fulfillment:
Print On Demand
Bookshop ties directly into our POD production. When a reader places an order, your book is printed only after purchase. We then handle shipping, so that you don't need to worry about inventory hassles or warehousing. You won't have to find storage for all of your copies (and you save space over cluttering up your garage or office with them!)
eBooks
In addition to our powerful POD capabilities, we support eBook sales as well. We can convert your existing manuscript into ePUB or MOBI format, then distribute it to major retailers like Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and more. You can also bundle print and eBooks together through your Bookshop store.
Getting started with Bookshop (step by step)
So now that you understand more about what Bookshop is and how it works, how do you get started? Bookshop, like everything BookBaby offers, is designed to be easy and straightforward to use.
- Publish your book with BookBaby - First, you'll need to have your book published with BookBaby. That means uploading your print files and eBook files and completing the title metadata so that your book can be found in search engines and online catalogs.
- Enable Bookshop for the title - From your BookBaby dashboard, you can create a Bookshop page for each title. This page will include an image of your book cover, a description of your book, buy buttons for the eBook and POD book, and a place to add retailer links if you wish.
- Set pricing and coupons - Choose the retail price for Bookshop and create coupons if you'd like to run promotions. We support coupon codes that are applied at checkout on Bookshop.
- Promote your Bookshop link - Share your Bookshop link on social media, your website, and ads to send people straight to your Bookshop page (read more on our various marketing options below).
How to increase your sales on Bookshop
Selling your book isn't just something you can set and forget. Think of Bookshop as a dynamic sales channel. You can experiment with it, create campaigns, and set up valuable offers to entice potential readers to want to learn more. Here are a few of our favorite proven methods to increase your sales by using Bookshop:
Create a lead magnet to Bookshop workflow
This sounds complicated, but it's actually very simple and it works incredibly well. Use a lead magnet, such as a short intro or a sample chapter to capture email addresses. When someone opts in to receive the freebie, send them a welcome email that links to your Bookshop page. In this case, consider offering a limited-time coupon in that first message to convert warm leads that are interested in what you have to offer.
Bundle and upsell
This option is a favorite of many indie authors. Offer a Bookshop-only bundle that includes a signed paperback and eBook, or an extra short story or printable bookmarks. Bundles increase the AOV (average order value) while helping to nurture superfans.
Since Bookshop handles Print On Demand books and eBook delivery, you don't have to worry about the logistics, making it much easier than trying to handle fulfillment of the physical bundles yourself.
Time promotions around events
Plan promotional pushes around special events like a launch week, book festivals, or author Q & As. You can easily create coupons in Bookshop for those promotions and track redemption rates to see which offer and which channels convert best. We provide a number of helpful services to help you sell more books online.
Use a "retailer choice" strategy
On your Bookshop page, even when you're selling directly, you can still include links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo for readers who prefer those sites. However, in order to make your Bookshop offer stand out (so that you get more of the royalties), it's a good idea to position it as the best option by offering a bonus, better pricing, or bundles they can't get anywhere else. With an enticing offer, your users won't dream of buying anywhere else!
Take advantage of ads and retargeting
Driving traffic to your BookBaby Bookshop page can be done with both organic and paid channels. At BookBaby, we offer a number of services to help you take advantage of these markets, including our Ads for Authors program, which lets you run ads on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This way, you can send links directly to your Bookshop page. We handle the creative, the copy, and more — all you have to do is set and manage the budget for your ads.
How do I set prices for Bookshop?
This is the big question for every author who wants to use Bookshop, but isn't exactly a master of buyer psychology or marketing. Here's what we recommend to help you set prices on Bookshop:
- Match retailer prices, but add more value - You can keep the same $9.99 price as other stores, but add a Bookshop bonus, like a signed page, a short story PDF, or some other add-on so that the perceived value of buying direct is higher.
- Lower the price to encourage direct buys - Sometimes authors set Bookshop eBook prices slightly lower for the convenience and also to increase the sales volume. The 85% royalty rate often compensates for the lower sticker price.
- Higher price for deluxe physical copies - Offer a premium paperback or hardcover on Bookshop with a slightly higher price and special packaging. Since you control the offer, superfans will pay for collectible versions. Keep in mind that POD manufacturing costs matter too, so verify your profit margins in the pricing tool.
What does BookBaby handle for me?
BookBaby handles a great deal of the technical tasks so that authors don't have to. For example, we're able to:
- Convert your manuscript to eBook format (ePUB and MOBI) and distribute it to online platforms
- Distribute your print book to retail stores through our in-house POD printing and global fulfillment
- Handle payments, order processing, and royalties for your Bookshop sales
- Handle marketing services including ads, metadata optimization, and more
Common questions about Bookshop
Even with all of the detailed information you've learned about in this Bookshop guide so far, we understand you still may have questions. Here are some of the most-common questions we receive from first-time and veteran authors about offering their books on Bookshop:
Is Bookshop free?
Yes! Bookshop is the free online storefront that BookBaby offers self-published authors who publish with us. You can create a Bookshop page at no additional monthly cost.
Do I need to use BookBaby in order to sell on Bookshop?
No. Even if you published your title elsewhere, you can still set up an online storefront on the BookBaby Bookshop. You don't have to publish with BookBaby in order to sell on Bookshop.
How do payments work? When do I get paid?
We handle payments and report royalties in your author account. The payout timing depends on our payment schedule and the thresholds you meet. Please check your dashboard for payment dates and statements.
Can readers still buy my book on Amazon and other retailers?
Of course! You can add retailer links so that readers can choose to shop at their preferred stores.
We also offer a number of free resources and downloadable guides to help you get started. From finishing your manuscript to preparing your files, our helpful downloads are ready to take you from "maybe I should write a book?" to actually getting it done. We even have resources to help you plan a book launch, get more holiday book sales, and create characters that will captivate your audience. All of this comes together on your Bookshop page so that people can enter your world and discover your work directly, whether you're selling a memoir, a how-to book, or a children's book bursting with creativity.
Is Bookshop right for you? Here's how to decide.
BookBaby Bookshop is an excellent option if you want a simple way to sell your book directly without having to deal with plugins, templates, updates, scripts, and website development. It's also ideal if you prefer to let the experts handle printing and fulfillment so that you can focus your time and energy on writing and marketing. Bookshop is perfect for those who want a strong margin on direct sales without having to deal with all the backend work.
However, keep in mind that if you want full control over production and packaging, like special bindings or other options, Bookshop may not be the right choice for you. If you want pixel-precise control over the design of your pages, you may also want to choose another platform that offers a more involved website builder.
How to start selling online with your Bookshop page
Ready to get started selling your printed book, eBook, or audiobook online with BookBaby Bookshop? Here's how to get started, step by step.
- Finalize your book files, including the interior, cover, and metadata. We offer eBook conversion and design services if you need some extra help.
- Upload your title to BookBaby and choose your distribution options. Be sure to enable Bookshop for your book.
- Set the retail prices for all versions and preview your royalty payments. Confirm the global area where you'll be selling and confirm your ISBN.
- Create a beautiful Bookshop page with a compelling image of your cover, a blurb, reviews from readers, buy buttons and retailer links. You can also create and add a coupon here as a type of launch special.
- Prepare your promotional assets including emails, social posts, ads, and a "Why buy direct?" blurb that you can use in social captions.
- Launch a coordinated campaign: email your contacts, post on social media, and run short ads targeted to readers who enjoy your particular genre. Track your results and make changes along the way to refine your ads.
The bottom line on selling directly to readers through Bookshop
Selling your book directly through Bookshop is a smart choice, especially if you want to reach readers with a proven printing and fulfillment company helping make sure your book looks as professional as possible. BookBaby offers a number of services that can help give your book the professional touch readers look for, whether they're browsing bookshelves or scrolling online to find their next great read. Bookshop gives you the opportunity to enjoy higher margins, clear data, and a crisp, complete, direct way to sell your books online without the hassle.
Say goodbye to tedious web development or cumbersome, slow-loading pages. Forget about the hassle of backend fulfillment and printing and binding it all yourself. BookBaby can help you through every step of the process, from cover design to interior formatting, editing, and more. And when you're ready to sell, Bookshop gives you a channel to launch without the complexity or confusion.
Once you've set up your Bookshop page, don't just set it and forget it. Test with the precision of a scientist. Something as simple as a $2 difference in price or a single coupon code could make all the difference. A single bundle with a little something extra or a subject line in an email that truly resonates with your reader might be all it takes to send your sales skyrocketing.
BookBaby's analytics tell you all about who's reading and who's buying (where they came from and what they bought). Study this information carefully, then rinse and repeat. Over time, lots of little wins start to stack up.
Plus, Bookshop is an excellent tool for building repeat readers and a legion of superfans. Encourage readers to get the full story by purchasing a print + digital bundle or offer a little something extra like author insights or character sheets in PDF form as a special bonus that readers can only get by buying direct. This is how you start building a sustainable business as an author.
Make buying through Bookshop a little like joining a small, tight-knit secret club. It could be something as small as a handwritten thank-you note, but small things like that add up quickly to build and reinforce reader satisfaction and recommendations. BookBaby gives you the tools you need to not just explore what it's like to sell your story, ideas, and expertise online, but truly capture the imagination of your readers.
Contact BookBaby and get started with publishing your book through a powerful Print On Demand solution that helps you handle everything from eBook conversion to editing and more. Get your free quote to get started!