Selling direct vs the marketplace

19 June 2026

When to push your shop, when to lean on discovery — and how to do both.

Author Direct is built for both: a shop on your microsite and optional listing in the network marketplace.

Sell direct when

  • You want maximum margin and customer data
  • You offer signed copies, bundles, or digital exclusives
  • Your audience already follows you on email or social

Use the marketplace when

  • You want new readers to discover you by genre
  • You are building credibility with approved listings
  • You would like another path to your product pages

Best of both

Link to direct checkout from your funnel pages and email campaigns. Keep marketplace listings polished for discovery. Use the same product records — one workspace, one inventory story.