Authors have been using BookFunnel to deliver their digital content for over a decade, and now it’s much more than that. Not only can you deliver content in exchange for an email address, but with BookFunnel direct sales, you can also sell your eBooks and audiobooks while retaining the entire relationship with your reader. And since The Bookshelf integrates with BookFunnel, you can do it all from your very own author website and you won’t need a myriad of plugins or an accounting degree. 

If you can work through the KDP process to list your book on Amazon, you have all the technical skills necessary to build your author website and storefront with The Bookshelf. We’ll automatically handle the checkout, tax, and payment process, and BookFunnel will take care of the delivery process. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the costs, setup, benefits, and ‌potential limitations.

At a Glance

What is BookFunnel?

Many indie authors already know BookFunnel is the current industry standard for delivering eBooks and/or audiobooks to readers, whether in exchange for an email address or a dollar amount.

You upload your ePub or MP3 and when you make a sale on your website, the reader will automatically be directed to a very professional, very good-looking, branded landing page where your reader can then download the file. They’ll have the option to send to their preferred reading device (such as their Kindle or Kobo) or read it directly in the BookFunnel app. The process is as close to foolproof as it can get, which is exactly what you want associated with your author brand. On the off chance a reader does struggle to download the book, BookFunnel will handle the tech support for you, so you don’t have to worry about it. 

They have many more features you can explore as well, including–but not limited to–delivery of opt-ins for your reader magnets, signed eBooks, group promotions and much more. 

Who is BookFunnel for?

Honestly, we’d recommend BookFunnel to any writer who wants to start building up a consistent readership, but in the context of this conversation, it is for self-publishing authors who want to sell their books directly to their readers.

If you want to:

• Collect and maintain the connection with your readers (aka, their names and email addresses)
• Control the entire relationship with your reader, including the sales experience that leads them to buy and consume your content
• Sell eBooks and audiobooks straight from your website
• Run sales and special promotions whenever you want to
• Maintain sales data for your digital content
• Run marketing campaigns that drive interested readers to your website (instead of Amazon)

If you are already excelling in the exclusive Kindle+ (previously Kindle Select) program, you will not be able to sell your eBook directly from your website, but you can still benefit from BookFunnel’s many other features and you can sell the audiobook directly, if you choose.

What does BookFunnel cost? 

You can find BookFunnel’s pricing on their website, but before you go looking, you should know about the perks of using The Bookshelf as your sales platform. 

You will notice that “Direct Sales Delivery” is offered only in their Mid-List and Bestseller plans, not in the First-Time Author plan. This is because there is a lot of extra work that they become responsible for when you start selling your books. 

When you sell from The Bookshelf’s platform, that extra work is covered by us, as the Merchant of Record. This means that you can register for BookFunnel’s First-Time Author plan, which is only $2.50/month, and still make those direct sales! 

If you will be selling audiobooks, you do need to upgrade to the Mid-List plan and cover the additional fees for Delivered Hours of Audio (DHA).

How does BookFunnel work with The Bookshelf?

What does the integration do?

When you’ve set up a book within your author website, you’ll have the option to Add Formats. If you choose eBook or Audiobook formats, you’ll be able to select BookFunnel as your partner. Any books that you’ve created there will show up as an option inside The Bookshelf. 

We have a step-by-step support article walking you through the simple process of setting up the integration if you’d like a closer look: Integrate BookFunnel with The Bookshelf

You’ll then be able to set a price for sale, with full understanding of the fees and your estimated profit. 

You can then create a sales page for your book using The Bookshelf, publish it, and share it with your readers. When someone buys your book, everything will automatically process and deliver to your reader. You set it up once, and it can sell any time, any where. 

BookFunnel will send your book to your reader. The Bookshelf will send payouts directly to your bank.

You do not need additional plugins, Zaps, or webhooks like you do when you sell through platforms like Shopify. 

Who handles what?

What does the reader see when they buy?

After paying for your book, your reader will have an immediate on-page confirmation, quickly followed by a direct email from The Bookshelf confirming their purchase, along with their Paid invoice. BookFunnel will automatically email your reader with a link to download their book. 

The reader will be able to choose their preferred reader, and it will open on their device as any other eBook or audiobook purchased from Amazon or other retailers would. The process is intuitive and seamless!

BookFunnel does include their support address in the delivery email, just in case the reader does run into any difficulties. 

What are the limitations?

It is a fact of life that nothing is perfect and one tool can rarely get you absolutely everything you need to succeed. We always try to be honest about any limitations, so let’s talk about the boundaries you’ll find when selling your books direct to readers through The Bookshelf’s integration with BookFunnel.

1. Two platforms to manage:
   You will build your website and storefront on The Bookshelf’s platform, but BookFunnel will be responsible for storing and delivering your content. We’ve tried to make the process as seamless and simple as possible, but as it stands, these two platforms are required and you’ll have to understand the basics of both to make this work.
2. BookFunnel plan choice:
   If you've built your store on The Bookshelf's platform and are only selling eBooks, you can integrate with any of BookFunnel's plans, including the First-Time Author plan. If you plan on selling audiobooks, you will need to upgrade to one of their higher pricing tiers.
3. Digital only:
   BookFunnel deals exclusively in the digital realm. If you want to sell print books, you will need to integrate with a Print-on-Demand provider, such as BookVault. 

If you are serious about making a career out of writing, we strongly believe that these limitations are minor in comparison to the benefits, but they are considerations to be aware of.

What are common setup mistakes?

It’s actually quite difficult to make a true mistake when integrating with BookFunnel or setting up your content, but if you don’t work in a specific order, you may have to juggle a pattern interrupt along the way. Here are a few examples:

• Before you can add an eBook or audiobook format for sale, you must integrate with BookFunnel
• You’ll need to load your book’s files and description to BookFunnel before it can discover and list it through your website
• You will need to load both formats to BookFunnel in order to add both formats on The Bookshelf

As you can probably tell, each of these caveats are pretty obvious and straightforward, but it’s not unusual to run into one of them here and there as you work through your process. They’re all incredibly easy to navigate and require little to no guesswork, though there’s always support available if you need it!

There are two important notes to keep in mind that aren’t setup mistakes, exactly, but they are very important to your success and safety as an author:

1. Exclusivity: Be very conscious of whether you’ve agreed to exclusivity before you begin selling direct to users. This most often refers to the Kindle+ program (previously KDP Select), but it can also be any contracts or agreements signed with agents or trad publishing, even if they are not actively promoting you. Be sure to check your contracts if you have any.
2. Test everything. Before you get too excited and shout about your direct sales availability from the virtual mountaintops, do a test order from your live page. It’s always better to have lived experience of the process your readers will go through.

Related Questions

Can I use my current BookFunnel account if I already have one to deliver my reader magnets?

You can absolutely use an existing BookFunnel account to integrate with The Bookshelf. In fact, that would be the best case scenario since you’re already familiar with the benefits of BookFunnel and how to use it.

Do my readers need a BookFunnel account to access the books they buy?

No, readers do not require a BookFunnel account to access the books they buy from you. They will be given the option to deliver the files to their preferred reader, which includes Kindle, Kobo, Google Play Books and more. Many readers do have a BookFunnel account, however, as their app is extremely user-friendly and a great indie alternative for the customers who appreciate options.