How to Sell Books Online Amazon: KDP vs. eBay
Key takeaways
- Amazon KDP pays 70% royalties on ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99, and 60% minus printing costs on print books.
- eBay charges roughly a 13% final value fee and suits signed copies, used paperbacks, and out-of-print stock, not new ebooks.
- Amazon keeps the buyer relationship on every sale, so you get a royalty line but no email address to market to later.
- Amazon cannot host online courses or companion programs, so author-educators need a direct channel alongside KDP.
- For most beginners, a stack of KDP for reach, BookFunnel for delivery, and an owned site for direct sales works best.
If you're figuring out how to sell books online amazon KDP and eBay are the two routes worth comparing. KDP prints and ships each copy and takes a cut of every sale; eBay means listing copies yourself, handling shipping, and keeping more per sale. This guide breaks down fees, buyers, and when a hybrid approach wins.
How do you sell books online on Amazon, step by step?
Setting up KDP for ebooks and print
Create an account at kdp.amazon.com, then add your title: title, description, keywords, and two or three categories. For ebooks, upload an EPUB and price it; Amazon pays 70% royalties on ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99 in most markets, and 35% outside that band or on print, per Amazon KDP. For print, upload a formatted PDF and a cover, order a proof copy, and check it before publishing. KDP prints on demand, so you never hold inventory, but Amazon takes its cut on every sale and keeps the customer relationship, which is the tradeoff worth understanding before you list anything.
That tradeoff is the whole decision in miniature. When you sell through Amazon, the buyer is Amazon's customer: you get a royalty line in a dashboard, not an email address, so you cannot follow up, announce book two, or offer a companion course. Direct sales flip that. You keep the reader's contact info and a larger share of each sale, but you take on the work Amazon silently does: checkout, delivery, and trust. If you want a walkthrough of that flip, see how to sell your book directly to readers without Amazon taking a cut.
Listing a book on eBay
eBay works for physical and used copies only. Create a seller account, photograph the book, and list it with condition notes, shipping weight, and a fixed price or auction. eBay charges a final value fee per sale, and you handle packing and shipping yourself. It suits signed copies, out-of-print stock, and used paperbacks, not new ebook distribution.
What does Amazon take, and what does eBay take?
Amazon and eBay both take a cut. The difference is what that cut buys you, and how the numbers change as your list price changes.
KDP royalty structure
KDP pays 35% or 70% on ebooks depending on your list price and territory. The 70% rate requires pricing between $2.99 and $9.99, and Amazon subtracts a small delivery fee per download. Outside that band, you drop to 35%. Print books pay 60% royalty minus printing costs, which is why a 300-page paperback often nets you only a few dollars per sale.
eBay fees and payment processing
eBay charges an insertion fee per listing (you get a monthly allotment of free ones) plus a final value fee on each sale, typically around 13% including payment processing, though rates vary by category, per eBay's selling fees page. You set your own price and keep the margin after fees. The tradeoff: eBay brings you a buyer for one transaction, but not a reader who comes back.
| Amazon KDP | eBay | |
|---|---|---|
| Ebook cut | 35% or 70% | N/A |
| Print cut | 60% minus printing | ~13% final value fee |
| Buyer relationship | Amazon keeps the reader | One-time buyer |
That reader relationship is the real cost. If you want a fan list you own, pairing either platform with a direct channel like AuthorLoft's course selling lets you turn a book into a paid course or companion program and keep 100%.
Who buys on each platform, and what do they expect?
Amazon shoppers arrive as readers. They search by title, author, or genre, click Buy, and expect the same experience every time: a clean product page, fast delivery, no questions asked. They are not evaluating you as a seller. That is why Amazon "takes a cut… and keeps the reader" — the buyer relationship belongs to the platform, not to you.
eBay shoppers arrive as buyers, and many of them are hunting for a specific edition, a signed copy, or a deal on a used book. They evaluate you directly: your seller rating, your photos, your description.
Condition grading for used books
eBay runs on condition grading. A used book must be listed as Like New, Very Good, Good, or Acceptable, and buyers expect photos of actual flaws — creased spines, highlighted pages, remainder marks. Grade optimistically and returns follow. Amazon's used marketplaces use similar standards, but on eBay the grading is your reputation.
Shipping and fulfillment differences
On Amazon, fulfillment is largely handled for you, whether FBA or Merchant Fulfilled with buy box rules. On eBay, you set the shipping cost, pick the carrier, and eat the difference if you guess wrong — eBay's fee schedule spells out final value fees on top of that. That is the trade: more control, more work. If "hours spent on website maintenance" and duct-taping tools together is what you are avoiding, a direct storefront like AuthorLoft's sell-books-directly guide keeps fulfillment simple while you keep the buyer.
Why can't you sell online courses on Amazon?
Amazon sells physical books and Kindle files, and that's it. There's no listing type for a video course, a workbook bundle with email lessons, or a companion program that walks a reader through your material over six weeks. Even if you could list one, a course buyer expects logins, progress tracking, and updates, none of which a retail listing provides.
That means courses and companion programs need a platform where you control delivery and the buyer relationship. On your own site, like AuthorLoft's author website home, you can turn your book into a paid course or companion program, sell it alongside your paperbacks and ebooks, and keep the buyer's email address. Amazon can't be that home for a course; it was never built to be.
When does a hybrid approach make sense?
Match the platform to what you're selling, not the other way around.
If you're a fiction author with 1-20 ebooks, Amazon KDP alone is usually enough. Kindle readers are already there, fulfillment is automatic, and your job is writing the next book, not running a storefront. Keep BookFunnel for reader-magnet delivery and you're covered.
If you're an author-educator, hybrid is mandatory. Amazon's content guidelines bar anything that isn't a book, so courses, companion workbooks sold as programs, and coaching have to live elsewhere, per Amazon's KDP content guidelines. List the book on KDP, sell the course from your own site, and use the book's back matter to move readers across. That's the model behind AuthorLoft: the book sells on Amazon, the course and email list stay yours, and you keep 100% of what the course earns.
If you have used or print inventory, eBay earns its keep as a second shelf. New ebook on KDP, signed paperback or backlist copies on eBay.
The cost of going hybrid yourself is real: a second storefront means another set of listings, another inbox, and another dashboard. If that sounds like more tabs than you want, starting from your own site costs less than you'd guess.
What about selling books for free online or from your own site?
Direct selling means the reader joins your list and you keep 100% of the sale price, minus payment processing. Amazon takes a cut and keeps the reader; a sale from your own site does neither. That is the whole appeal of tools like BookFunnel for delivery and your own storefront for checkout.
The honest tradeoffs of direct selling
You are now the merchant of record. Refunds, chargebacks, VAT on EU sales, and delivery questions land on you, not a marketplace. There is no Amazon traffic: every visitor comes from your email list, social posts, or ads you pay for. Expect slower volume than KDP page reads, especially with one or two books.
Also mind condition expectations if you sell print directly. Amazon's own marketplace rules show how much buyers care about this: KDP spells out acceptable condition for used and media listings in its condition guidelines, and your direct buyers will hold you to similar standards.
The practical path for a beginner author: keep KDP for reach, run direct sales alongside it, and move each new reader onto an email list you own from day one.
Which is the best place to sell books online for a beginner author?
For most authors with 1-20 books, the answer is a stack, not a single platform. Keep Amazon KDP for distribution, because that is where book buyers already search. Add BookFunnel for delivering reader magnets and review copies. Then add one place you control: a site with an email list you own, so Amazon takes a cut but doesn't keep the reader.
Run your own site through the same criteria you applied to Amazon and eBay. Fees: payment processing takes roughly 3% per sale, and you keep the rest, which beats a 60% print royalty minus printing costs. Fulfillment: BookFunnel delivers ebook files and reader magnets automatically, and print-on-demand partners ship physical copies without you touching a box. Buyer expectations: readers arrive because they follow you, not to bargain-hunt, so you compete on relationship rather than price.
Audience fit: strongest for building a fan list you own, announcing book two to people who already bought book one, and turning a nonfiction book into a paid course or companion program, which Amazon doesn't allow. The catch is traffic: Amazon brings shoppers whether you market or not, while your site gets whatever visitors your email list, social posts, and ads send it. Budget for that marketing work before you commit.
Where it falls short: AuthorLoft is unproven. It went live in June 2026, so it has no independent track record, and you'd be trusting a young SaaS with your storefront. Treat it as your owned channel, not a replacement for KDP.
FAQ
Can I sell used books on Amazon KDP?
No. KDP prints new copies on demand and sells ebooks; it has no listing type for used stock. If you have used paperbacks, signed copies, or out-of-print inventory, eBay is the better fit. There you list each copy yourself, grade its condition honestly, photograph real flaws, and handle packing and shipping. Amazon's used marketplaces exist separately from KDP and don't apply to your self-published titles.
How do I sell ebooks on Amazon without a publisher?
Create an account at kdp.amazon.com, upload your EPUB, write the description, pick keywords and categories, and set your price. You keep full rights and publish under your own name or a pen name. Royalties run 70% on ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99 in most markets, and 35% outside that band. No publisher, gatekeeper, or upfront fee is required.
Is eBay or Amazon better for selling a self-published book?
For new self-published books, Amazon KDP, almost always. Ebook buyers search there, print fulfillment is automatic, and royalties arrive without you touching a box. eBay only makes sense as a second shelf for signed copies, used paperbacks, or backlist stock you physically hold. On eBay you keep more per sale after its roughly 13% final value fee, but you do all the work.
Do I need an LLC or business license to sell books online?
Usually no, not at the start. Most self-published authors sell as sole proprietors and report income on their personal tax return. Requirements vary by country, state, and local jurisdiction, so check your own rules before selling. An LLC can make sense later for liability protection or taxes, but nothing about KDP or eBay requires one to open a seller account and start listing.