I've been selling ePub and MOBI files from my website with Payhip. I recently set up a WooCommerce page to sell paperbacks. I really like the WooCommerce platform and would like to start selling ePubs and MOBIs through the WooCommerce store. However, WordPress does not allow ePub and MOBI files to be uploaded as media files. I've seen a few plugins that allow ePub and MOBI uploads but I'm not sure which ones are the best. I'm concerned about file security and reliability of the plugin.
Can anyone recommend a plugin or another method to upload these file types to WordPress to sell through WooCommerce? Or a way to create a secure URL for WooCommerce to link to for download?
I'd appreciate any advice on this. Thanks!
This one looks good but I haven't tried it. Its screenshot includes how to do it for epub/mobi files.
Thanks, Matthew! I'll look more into this one.
I would look at using bookfunnel as well. You can integrate them with both woocommerce and payhip and they will deliver the files and handle any issues about getting the file on the readers device.
Nothing to add really, I just want to keep up on this thread.
You probably already know this, but if you are creating the mobis with Kindlegen, (which is what the kindle previewer, InDesign and Scrivener use to generate mobis ) then you might run into legal issues. Kindlegen TOS states that you can only sell mobis created with Kindlegen via Amazon and nowhere else.
RD, it's off-topic, but I'd like to hear more about how you've achieve whatever level of success from selling direct from your own site. It's something I'm moving towards, but everyone decries it as impossible because, among other things, you can't attract enough website traffic.
Without giving away any secrets, can you give away a few secrets?
If I'm not mistaken, Vellum also uses Kindlegen to generate eBooks for Amazon.
I didn't know about this. Thank you for letting me know!
Thanks for this! I'll check it out.
It took me a long time to find an audience for my book Dang. I first published it as a serial novel in 2014 under a slightly different author name. That was a major bust but invaluable in terms of the lessons I learned. The books are still out there because I published paperbacks. Those pages NEVER go away!
In 2016 I republished Dang as one complete book. After lots and lots and lots and lots of experimenting with advertising on FB, AMS, and Google ads (the whole shebang), I finally found my readers. I changed my cover at the end of 2017 and that helped me reach more readers.
I started using Payhip in mid 2018. I started experimenting again with FB ads and found readers willing to buy direct. I think the biggest barrier is finding people willing to buy using PayPal from an unknown site. They are out there but I had to figure out how to reach them.
Overall, I learned my book doesn't sell like other books. I've been in KU and always made more with paid sales than page reads. I've been in the top 100 of Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime Fiction > Murder and Action & Adventure > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime in and out of KU but that didn't help me with sales. If I stopped promoting it myself then sales dried up. My book only sales if I push readers to it. Once I realized that I started to streamline my advertising and figured out how to make money with one book while I've been working on the second since 2015 (I know, I know).
Thanks a million for this. It supports somewhat my idea that direct sales can be achieved with the correct mix of social media advertising, good product and an appealing website. I know it's still a BIG ask to achieve this, but my bottom line is it's got to be ever-so-slightly more possible than getting the Amazon system to work in your favour. In other words, achieving sales direct from your website is the lesser of two enormous challenges - the other being attracting customers to your Amazon product page. I'm inspired!