One strategic decision every self-published author has to make is: Should I publish my books on one platform, or on many?

But this is actually a second-order decision, because it begs the question: Should I publish a book on a platform at all, or just on my own website?

At Leanpub, we obviously think that for the vast majority of self-published authors, using one or more established platforms is the right decision.

In this Lean Publishing Tip of the Day, Leanpub co-founder Len Epp sets out five reasons why.

The Platform Handles All The Business Stuff

Do you want to collect sales taxes from Europeans who buy your books from your website?

Do you want to deal with refunds? Chargebacks? Third-party online payment providers? Invoices? Giving your account reports in multiple currencies?

The answer for most people (and their accountants!) is a strong no.

When you self-publish on Leanpub, we basically take care of all the business stuff. You just get royalty payments from us.

The Platform Handles All The Technology Stuff

Do you know what to do if your website goes down? Do you want to know what to do?

You’ve heard of people offering discount coupons for their books - do you know how to do that? Or set up QR codes for a slide deck or flyer?

You might want to, but most people don’t, mainly because you’re cutting yourself off from all the opportunities that people like software engineers can build for you - that’s what they do all day every day.

Being Part Of A Community Of Readers And Authors Has Huge Benefits

When you publish your book on an established platform, there’s already a whole community of both readers and authors using the platform every day - discovering new books and authors, and sharing ideas.

You may prefer to be entirely on your own, but you’ll definitely be missing out on some things if you do that, including the motivation that comes from interacting with other people.

The Platform Keeps Up With The Latest Marketing And E-commerce Trends

It’s not just technology that’s always changing, its strategies and tactics and trends in marketing and e-commerce as well. If you’re on a good platform, they’ll constantly be evolving and self-improving, not least because they may have thousands or even millions of customers engaging with them every day, showing them what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong as a platform for self-published authors, in real time.

The Platform Saves You Time To Focus On What You Love To Do And Are Good At Doing

A good platform takes all the technical, business, and other stuff off your hands, including taking the time to provide you with good advice based on their expertise (cough!).

You should be focusing on what you can do best, that no one else can do for you: writing, thinking, imagining, and doing the things only you can do to reach a bigger audience.

Watch the livestream to learn more!

PS: You Should Still Absolutely Have Your Own Website!

You should still have your own website of course! Letting people find you through a website of your own is one of the most important things you can do as a self-published author. But should you use a platform for the publishing and selling.part? Absolutley.

Watch Clips From The Video