Direct sales tools can be amazing. They can also quietly turn into a second job. Here’s how to tell the difference.
If you’re thinking about selling direct, you’re already ahead. Direct sales gives you higher margins, better customer data, and a relationship with readers you actually control.
It also comes with a reality check: the wrong tool will make you feel like you’re running a tiny ecommerce warehouse in your spare time.
Product tours exist to help you avoid that.
Browse the product tour library here: Product tours (Tech Tools)
Start with the job (because “sell direct” is not a workflow)
Direct sales can mean a lot of things. Before you pick a tool, name your version:
- “Sell ebooks and deliver files automatically.”
- “Sell bundles and backlist promos.”
- “Sell signed print + special editions.”
- “Run preorders and launches.”
- “Sell subscriptions or memberships.”
- “Fulfill Kickstarter rewards without chaos.”
Different jobs need different setups. A tool can be great for one and miserable for another.
What to look for in a direct sales product tour
1) The storefront experience (reader-facing, not founder-facing)
A tool can be powerful and still look like a 2009 checkout page.
In the tour, pay attention to:
- Mobile checkout experience
- How easy it is to find products and buy
- Confirmation emails and delivery clarity
- Upsells/cross-sells that don’t feel gross
If buying feels confusing, readers will bounce. They’re not stubborn. They’re busy.
2) Product setup that matches how authors sell
Authors don’t sell “one thing.” We sell combinations.
In the tour, look for:
- Bundles and box sets
- Coupons and promos that don’t require a spreadsheet
- Multiple formats (ebook, audio, print)
- Add-ons and order bumps (if you use them)
- A clean way to manage backlist offers
If every product type requires a workaround, you’ll feel it later.
3) Delivery and fulfillment (the part that breaks hearts)
This is where direct sales gets real.
In the tour, look for:
- Digital delivery options and file limits
- Automation triggers after purchase
- Integrations for delivery platforms
- Refund and resend workflows
- How it handles updates (new file version, bonus content, etc.)
If delivery feels fragile, your inbox becomes your fulfillment department.
4) Taxes, payments, and “adulting stuff”
Not exciting. Still necessary.
In the tour, check:
- Payment processors supported
- Sales tax/VAT handling basics
- Payout timing and reporting
- What you can export (orders, customers, products)
If you can’t get your data out, you’re renting your own business.
5) The maintenance reality
Ask this while watching:
“Can I run this when I’m tired?”
Look for:
- How many clicks basic tasks take
- How changes get made (prices, files, offers)
- Where settings live (and how easy they are to break)
- What support looks like when something goes sideways
You want a tool that supports the business, not a tool that demands weekly ceremonies.
The “direct sales sanity” checklist
After the tour, you should be able to answer these without guessing:
- Can I sell what I sell (formats, bundles, promos)?
- Can I deliver it without manual work?
- Can I understand the reporting without pain?
- Can I maintain it without hiring a part-time wizard?
- Can I export my customer and order data?
If the answer is “maybe,” that’s usually “no.”
Want help choosing the right fit?
Bring the question into Campus. Keep it simple:
- What you want to sell
- How you want to fulfill it
- Your biggest constraint (time, budget, brain bandwidth)
Join the community here: Go to Campus
Start Here (use this if you’re brand new)
Quick-start plan (15 minutes total):
1) Watch one product tour for a tool you already use: Product tours (Tech Tools)
2) Pick one webinar replay that matches a current problem: Weekly webinars + replays
3) Read one book club summary and steal one idea for this week: Book Club Summaries
Ready to jump in?
Browse the product tours here: Product tours (Tech Tools)
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