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+--- Thread: Where to host/sell your books (/showthread.php?tid=189)
Where to host/sell your books - hellostarshinepub - 04-17-2026
ITCH *
Pros:
- Middle of the road leniency (for now) with taboo subject matter no longer allowed, but still allowing NSFW.
- Easy setup, no code or web management skills required. No upfront costs.
- Still pretty popular with readers, as far as I know.
- Readers can tip with proper setup.
- No royalty fees.
- No payout minimums.
Cons:
- Steep taxation if you do not live in a country with a tax agreement with the US. (Please fill out the tax survey)
- Slow payouts (usually 2+ weeks, however I've heard of people waiting months)
- Fees taken out at payout which often include random "debts" from previous payouts.
- No ability to split payments.
- Set up your own previews.
PAYHIP
Pros:
- Easy setup, almost no code or web management skills required. No upfront costs.
- Fairly popular with readers.
- Readers can tip with proper setup.
- Payment splitting built-in (but will charge fees twice).
- No royalty fees.
- Payouts immediately with sale.
Cons:
- Uses Stripe or Paypal, which have fees generally not suitable for items under ~$1.49
- Does not technically allow NSFW at all which they claim is because of Stripe, who do have quite draconian policies. Fully relies on not getting caught.
- Stripe will charge you tax invoices.
- Set up your own previews.
- They have a "marketplace" but this is not viable for NSFW, so you have to drive your own traffic.
D2D/Smashwords
Pros:
- They "discourage" outright non-con, but they are extremely lenient on content and are one of the only remaining storefronts allowing taboo content such as incest, dub-con, bestiality, and age play.
- Storefront which comes with readers built in to build trust.
- Slightly clunky but straightforward setup, no code or web management skills required. They accept epubs, but will even take a docx and convert it.
- Will do free previews for you.
- Payment splitting built-in through "collaboration" function.
- Choose from a variety of payout methods, including free international direct deposit/wire transfer.
- Distributes to Smashwords as well as dozens of other platforms/storefronts of your choice on your behalf (Be advised that these other platforms have content rules which differ from SW/D2D, and D2D cannot distribute all books to all platforms if your book's content is not allowed on the other platform).
Cons:
- $20 setup fee for new accounts and annual $12 fee for those making under $100 over 12 months. This is being done in order to try try and dissuade the number of slop "authors" flooding the platform since they don't make sales but are using up a ton of server bandwidth, and are near-impossible to catch/keep up with. However, because of these fees, if you're not established or have other channels like Amazon or PH where the majority of your readers go to buy, I would call the platform not viable for you personally.
- Your first book will be slow to publish as it will be manually reviewed. Plan accordingly.
- Has (relatively low) payout minimums and fees for non-direct deposit (usually based on payout platform fees).
- Payouts once a month if you hit the minimum for your chosen payment method.
- Royalty structure recently changed to give lower payouts to cheaper books. However, their royalty structure is still overall quite generous.
- No tipping.
- Steep taxation if you do not live in a country with a tax agreement with the US. (Please fill out the tax survey)
AUTHOR WEBSITE
Pros:
- Content allowed is based on your personal risk profile.
- Payment processing is up to you. Use a wordpress plug in, using wordpress.com, use something else! The world is your oyster.
- No royalty or service fees other than those form the payment processors you choose to use.
- Tipping if you know how to set it up.
- Payouts immediately with sale.
- The world is your oyster. If you can make it work, it can have that feature.
Cons:
- Basic knowledge of coding or wordpress.org required to be successful.
- The ultimate "do-it-yourself." Set up your own previews, figure out your own payment splitting, establish your own readership, and build your own reader trust. Works best if you are already established and have eager buyers lined up.
- Upfront/annual costs for web hosting and domain.
AMAZON **
Pros:
- Allegedly the biggest readership on the internet. Can be a good way to get your name out there and get discovered by readers if you know what you're doing.
- Clunky but easy setup, no code or web management skills required. No upfront costs.
- Creates previews for you.
- Direct deposit, wire transfer, or paper check payment with minimal fees.
Cons:
- Disallows most taboo, and I believe technically disallows erotica. A case of "don't get caught." (See: Why Chuck Tingle started writing Tinglers)
- Extremely predatory royalty structure and predatory exclusivity/KDP structures intended to trap you on the platform.
- Payouts can be so low it's basically exposure bucks.
- Extremely slow receipt of payouts (sometimes multiple months).
- No tipping.
- No ability to split payment.
* I no longer use Itch. This information may be out of date.
** I have NEVER used Amazon. This information may be out-of-date or inaccurate.