Guides
How to sell ebooks on Etsy and Gumroad
Amazon finds readers for you and keeps 30% or more. Etsy and Gumroad keep less and give you something Amazon never will: the buyer’s email and a storefront you control. Here is how to list the same PDF on both, and what to expect.
Etsy: the marketplace for printables
Etsy shoppers look for planners, workbooks, templates and guides they can print. Create a digital listing, upload the PDF (up to 20 MB per file, five files), and invest in the listing images: mock-ups of the pages on a tablet or printed, because that is what sells on Etsy. Fees: $0.20 to list, 6.5% of the sale, 3% + $0.25 payment processing, plus 12% to 15% if an Etsy offsite ad brought the buyer. Price $7 and up; fixed fees eat cheap items.
Gumroad: your own shop in ten minutes
Create a product, upload the PDF and EPUB, write the page, set a price or let buyers pay what they want. Gumroad takes 10% plus card processing, handles EU VAT, and gives you the email of every buyer for your list. No approval, no categories: traffic is yours to bring, from your newsletter, YouTube or social accounts.
Payhip and the alternatives
Payhip charges 5% on its free plan and 0% on paid plans, with coupons and affiliates built in. Lemon Squeezy and Ko-fi are similar. Pick one; the differences are smaller than the difference between having an audience and not.
Files and formats
Sell the PDF (typeset, looks the same everywhere) and include the EPUB for Kindle readers who side-load. Both come from the same manuscript on create-ebook. Watermarking is optional; most sellers skip it.
Taxes
Etsy, Gumroad and Payhip collect and remit sales tax and EU VAT on digital goods where required. Income tax is yours, in your country, on what you receive.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell on Etsy and Amazon at the same time?
Yes, unless the book is in KDP Select.
Do Etsy buyers really buy ebooks?
They buy digital products with a visible use: workbooks, planners, guides with checklists. A pure text novel sells poorly on Etsy.
How do I make listing images?
Screenshot pages of the PDF and place them in a mock-up in Canva. Show the inside, not just the cover.
Which is best for a first ebook?
Amazon for discovery if you have no audience; Gumroad if you already have a newsletter.