The Author Resources Hub

Direct-to-reader sales are how the most financially sophisticated indie authors are building higher-margin, platform-independent income. This hub guide covers Payhip, Shopify, Gumroad, Patreon, and the full direct sales ecosystem—including how to start, what each platform does best, and how direct income fits into a complete wide publishing strategy.

BookBaby is a full-service self-publishing platform with ebook and print distribution, professional design and editing services, and a direct retail bookstore. This guide gives indie authors an honest look at what BookBaby offers, what it costs, and when it makes sense as part of a wide publishing strategy.

BookFunnel doesn't sell books or collect royalties — it controls what happens after a reader clicks. That makes it one of the most useful infrastructure tools in a wide author's toolkit.

Wide publishing means distributing to every retailer. Wide platform building means owning an audience that doesn't depend on any of them. This guide covers author websites, email list strategy, reader magnets, and how to build the author-owned foundation that powers a durable wide business.

Lulu is the print-on-demand platform that goes beyond what KDP Print and IngramSpark offer—providing direct ecommerce, Shopify integration, specialty formats including photo books and large-format printing, and global distribution from a single author account. This guide covers when and how to use Lulu in a wide publishing strategy.

IngramSpark is the print distribution powerhouse that connects indie authors to over 40,000 bookstores, retailers, and libraries worldwide. This guide covers setup, pricing, distribution settings, and how to use IngramSpark as a core component of a professional wide publishing strategy.

Smashwords built the foundation that wide publishing stands on. This article covers the platform's history, its founder's philosophy, what the Draft2Digital merger changed, and what wide authors need to understand about the current state of the Smashwords ecosystem.

Draft2Digital lets wide authors distribute to dozens of retailers, library platforms, and subscription services through a single account. This guide covers how D2D works, what it costs, where it distributes, and how to use it as part of a professional wide strategy.

Kobo Writing Life is the self-publishing portal for Kobo, one of the most respected wide platforms in the indie author community. This guide walks you through everything from account setup to promotional strategy.