Selling

Why sell on Gumroad

Gumroad is a creator storefront, not a marketplace. It works best when you have or are building your own audience: newsletter, social, podcast, blog. You share a link, buyers check out on Gumroad, and get an instant EPUB download.

You keep full control of the listing on Gumroad: edit price, copy, customize the product page, run sales, gate content for email subscribers. No exclusivity either, you can sell the same book on Etsy or your own site at the same time.

Who can publish

Gumroad publishing is included on Creator and Premium plans. Free users can connect Gumroad and explore the flow, but the publish step needs a paid plan. You also need a Gumroad account at gumroad.com (free to create) with a payout method set up.

What Gumroad charges (none of these are Inkfluence)

The full flow at a glance

From a finished book and a Gumroad account, publish takes well under a minute.

1. Sign up at gumroad.com if you do not have an account yet, and add a payout method.
2. In Inkfluence, click `Publish` in the top right of the editor.
3. Pick the Gumroad tab.
4. First time only: click `Connect to Gumroad` and authorize.
5. Review the auto-filled title, description, and price.
6. Click `Publish` to Gumroad. The product lands on your Gumroad dashboard, ready to share.

Before you connect

You need a Gumroad account. Sign up at gumroad.com if you do not have one (free). Add a payout method (bank or PayPal in most countries) on Gumroad so products can actually sell, otherwise they save as drafts.

Steps

One-time setup. You can start the connect flow from either the Publish dialog or your Profile page.

1. Open any book, click `Publish` in the top right of the editor, then pick the Gumroad tab. Or open Profile → `Connected accounts`.
2. Click `Connect to Gumroad`.
3. A new tab opens to gumroad.com. Sign in if you are not already.
4. Click `Authorize` on the Gumroad screen.
5. Gumroad redirects you back to Inkfluence. The Gumroad tab now shows the publish form, ready to use.

What Inkfluence can see and do

Inkfluence can create and update products on your Gumroad account. That is all. We never see your Gumroad password, payout details, customer list, or sales data.

Revoke access any time from your Gumroad account settings (Advanced → Authorized applications) or from your Profile page in Inkfluence under Connected accounts.

Before you publish

You need a Gumroad account with a payout method set up (bank or PayPal). Without payouts configured, Gumroad accepts the product but saves it as a draft until you add them.

• Chapters written and a title you are happy with
• Cover image set
• Gumroad account with payout method connected
• Paid plan: Gumroad publishing is Creator or Premium only

Steps

Inkfluence pre-fills the listing from your book content. Edit any field, then publish.

1. Click `Publish` in the top right of the editor.
2. Pick the `Gumroad` tab.
3. First time only: click Connect to Gumroad and authorize.
4. Review the auto-filled title, description, and price. Your cover is used as the product thumbnail.
5. Edit any field you want, then click `Publish` to Gumroad.
6. Click `Edit listing` on Gumroad to open the product in your seller dashboard.

Pricing and fees

Most non-fiction ebooks on Gumroad sell between $5 and $25. Lead magnets are often free or "pay what you want". Premium how-to guides reach $19 to $49. You can change the price anytime on Gumroad without re-uploading.

Gumroad takes a flat fee per sale (see gumroad.com/pricing for the current rate) plus payment processing. Payouts go to your linked bank or PayPal on Gumroad's standard schedule.

Edit price, description, photos

Open the book, click `Publish`, then `Edit listing` on Gumroad. All customer-facing fields (price, description, photos, custom sections) are edited directly on Gumroad.

Push a new file after editing the book

There is no in-place re-upload. To push a new EPUB or cover to an existing Gumroad listing: Publish dialog → Gumroad tab → Unpublish, then Publish again. The fresh publish uploads the latest EPUB and cover. Existing buyers keep access to what they already bought.

Unpublish (take it offline)

Publish dialog → Gumroad tab → `Unpublish` from Gumroad. The listing goes offline so no one new can buy it. Existing customers keep their downloads (handled by Gumroad). Re-publish anytime to bring it back.

Delete entirely

To remove a product for good, delete it on Gumroad directly. Deleting on Gumroad is permanent and cannot be undone, so unpublish first if you might want to revive it later.

Listing saved as draft, not live

Gumroad needs a payout method (bank or PayPal) before products can go on sale. If yours is not set, we save the product as a draft. On Gumroad, open `Settings` → `Payouts` and add it, then come back and click `Publish` again. The draft enables and goes live.

Gumroad says it needs identity or address verification

Gumroad uses Stripe to process payouts, and Stripe must verify your identity and address before sales can go live, even when a payout method is already added. If you receive a "needs updated identity information" email or your products will not sell, open Gumroad → Settings → Payouts and complete the verification it asks for (follow any Stripe email). Once Gumroad clears it, your products sell normally. This step happens entirely on Gumroad and Stripe, not in Inkfluence.

Cover not showing on Gumroad

Gumroad expects JPG or PNG covers. If the upload glitched, open the listing via Manage on Gumroad and upload the cover directly under the cover section. Grab the JPG from Export → Cover → Download in the Inkfluence editor.

Disconnect Gumroad

Profile → `Connected accounts` → Disconnect on the Gumroad row. Existing listings keep selling. Disconnecting only stops Inkfluence from pushing future updates.

Deleted product on Gumroad, but Inkfluence still shows it as published

Gumroad-side deletions do not sync back. Open the book → Publish dialog → Gumroad tab → Unpublish to clear the reference, then Publish again to create a fresh listing.

Publish to Gumroad is locked on Free

Gumroad publishing is Creator and Premium only. Upgrading unlocks it instantly. You can still connect Gumroad on Free to test the flow.

Why sell on Etsy

Etsy is a marketplace with built-in buyer traffic. You do not need your own email list or social following: buyers find your book through Etsy search.

Etsy handles checkout, instant EPUB delivery to the buyer, payouts, and sales tax in most regions. No exclusivity either, you can sell the same book on Amazon, Gumroad, or your own site at the same time.

Who can publish

Etsy publishing is included on Creator and Premium plans. Free users can connect Etsy and explore the flow, but the publish step needs a paid plan. You also need an active Etsy shop, registered at etsy.com/sell.

What Etsy charges (none of these are Inkfluence)

A typical $10 ebook nets you around $8.50 after Etsy fees. You set your own price and can change it anytime without re-uploading.

The full flow at a glance

From a finished book and an active Etsy shop, publish takes about a minute.

1. Open an Etsy shop at `etsy.com/sell` if you do not have one yet.
2. In Inkfluence, click `Publish` in the top right of the editor.
3. Pick the Etsy tab.
4. First time only: click `Connect my Etsy shop` and authorize on Etsy.
5. Review the auto-filled title, description, tags, and price.
6. Click `Publish` to Etsy. The listing lands on your Etsy shop, ready to share.

Why you need a shop

Etsy is a marketplace. Anyone can have an Etsy account, but only registered sellers have a "shop". The shop holds your listings, payment method, and policies. Inkfluence cannot create it for you, you sign up directly with Etsy.

Shop signup

Done in one sitting if you have bank details handy.

1. Go to `etsy.com/sell` and click Get started. Sign in or sign up (email, Google, Apple, or Facebook).
2. Pick shop language, country, and currency. Currency is what buyers see, so pick the one that matches your main audience (USD reaches the widest pool).
3. Pick a shop name. 4 to 20 characters, no spaces or special characters, must be unique. You get one free rename later, so do not over-think it.
4. Add at least one listing. Etsy needs this to finish setup. Upload a placeholder, or wait and let Inkfluence create your first real listing once you connect.
5. Add a payout method (bank account or PayPal). Required before any sale can complete.
6. Add a billing method (credit or debit card) so Etsy can charge listing and transaction fees.
7. Open shop. Etsy charges a one-time setup fee (varies by region, shown at the final step), runs a quick review, then your shop is live.

What it costs (all charged by Etsy, not Inkfluence)

A note on identity verification

Etsy may run identity verification in the background after you submit your bank info. Until it clears, your shop can show listings but cannot accept payments. This is between you and Etsy, Inkfluence has no control over it.

After your shop is open

Come back to Inkfluence, open any book, click `Publish`, pick the Etsy tab, and click `Connect my Etsy shop`. One authorization, then every book publishes in one click.

Before you connect

You need an active Etsy shop, not just an Etsy account. Finish the seller setup at etsy.com/sell (shop name, currency, payment method, payout). Connecting without a shop bounces back with a "no shop found" error.

Steps

One-time setup. You can start the connect flow from either the Publish dialog or your Profile page.

1. Open any book, click `Publish` in the top right of the editor, then pick the Etsy tab. Or open Profile → `Connected accounts`.
2. Click `Connect my Etsy shop`.
3. A new tab opens to etsy.com. Sign in if you are not already.
4. Click `Allow access` on the Etsy authorization screen.
5. Etsy redirects you back to Inkfluence. The Etsy tab now shows the publish form, ready to use.

What Inkfluence can see and do

Inkfluence can read your shop info, create new listings, and edit or remove the listings we created. We never see your Etsy password, customer list, sales data, or payout details.

Revoke access any time from your Etsy account settings (Apps and integrations) or from your Profile page in Inkfluence under Connected accounts.

Before you publish

You need an Etsy shop, not just an Etsy account. If you have not registered as a seller yet, do it at etsy.com/sell (shop name, currency, payment method, payout method). Then connect your shop to Inkfluence from the Publish dialog.

• Chapters written and a title you are happy with
• Cover image set
• Etsy shop registered and connected to Inkfluence
• Paid plan: Etsy publishing is Creator or Premium only

Steps

Inkfluence pre-fills the listing from your book content. Edit any field, then publish.

1. Click `Publish` in the top right of the editor.
2. Pick the `Etsy` tab.
3. Review the auto-filled title, description, tags (up to 10), and price. Your cover is used as the listing thumbnail.
4. Edit any field you want, then click `Publish` to Etsy.
5. Click `View on Etsy` to open the new listing in your shop dashboard.

What your buyers see

New listings land in draft state so you can review the page before it goes live. Switch the listing to Active on Etsy and it shows up in Etsy search. Buyers check out on Etsy and get an automatic EPUB download link after payment, no manual fulfilment from you.

Pricing and fees

Most digital ebooks on Etsy sell for $5 to $15. Workbooks and study guides often go higher ($15 to $35) because buyers expect printable, fillable content. You can change the price anytime on Etsy without re-uploading. Etsy minimum price is $0.20.

Etsy fees: $0.20 per listing plus 6.5% per sale. A $10 sale nets around $8.50.

Edit price, description, photos

Open the book, click `Publish`, then `Edit listing on Etsy`. All customer-facing fields (price, description, photos, SEO tags, shop sections) are edited directly on Etsy.

Push a new file after editing the book

There is no in-place re-upload. To push a new EPUB or cover to an existing Etsy listing: Publish dialog → Etsy tab → Unpublish, then Publish again. The fresh publish uploads the latest EPUB and cover. Existing buyers keep access to their purchases.

Unpublish (take it offline)

Publish dialog → Etsy tab → `Unpublish` flips the listing to inactive. Existing customers keep their purchases (handled by Etsy). Re-publish anytime to bring it back.

Delete entirely

To remove a listing for good, delete it on Etsy directly rather than from Inkfluence. Etsy keeps inactive listings around in case you want to revive them, which is usually preferable to deleting.

"No shop found" when connecting

Etsy accounts and shops are separate. Finish the seller signup at etsy.com/sell (shop name, currency, payment, payout), then click `Connect my Etsy shop` again.

Listing stuck in draft

New API listings default to draft so you can review them. Open the listing on Etsy and switch the state from Draft to Active. It will then show up in search.

EPUB is too large (20 MB cap)

Etsy caps digital files at 20 MB. Try regenerating the cover at a lower resolution, removing oversized interior images, then re-export. For very long books, split into a multi-volume set and list each volume separately.

Cover not showing on Etsy

Etsy wants JPG or PNG at around 2000px on the longest side. Open the listing on Etsy and upload the cover directly under Photos. Grab the JPG from Export → Cover → Download in the Inkfluence editor.

Disconnect Etsy

Profile → `Connected accounts` → Disconnect on the Etsy row. Existing listings keep selling. Disconnecting only stops Inkfluence from pushing future updates.

Deleted listing on Etsy, but Inkfluence still shows it as published

Etsy-side deletions do not sync back. Open the book → Publish dialog → Etsy tab → Unpublish to clear the reference, then Publish again to create a fresh listing.

Publish to Etsy is locked on Free

Etsy publishing is Creator and Premium only. Upgrading unlocks it instantly. You can still connect Etsy on Free to test the flow.

What it does

The Book Description tool reads your book (the title, genre, and opening chapters) and writes three ready-to-publish descriptions. Use them as your back-cover blurb, your Amazon book description, or your Gumroad and Etsy listing copy.

• Hook: opens on intrigue and tension. Strongest for fiction.
• Benefit: leads with what the reader gains. Strongest for non-fiction and self-help.
• Short: a punchy version with a one-line tagline, for ads and storefront snippets.

How to use it

It starts writing as soon as you open it, so you land straight on three options.

1. Open your book in the editor.
2. Click `Tools` in the left sidebar, then `Book description`.
3. Switch between the Hook, Benefit, and Short tabs to compare styles.
4. Edit the text directly in the box. The character count updates as you type (Amazon allows up to 4,000).
5. Click `Use as description` to save it to your book, or Copy to paste it into Amazon KDP or anywhere else.
6. Want different options? Click `Regenerate` for three fresh blurbs.

Where your description is used

Saving with Use as description sets your book's description everywhere it matters:

• It appears as the blurb on your exported title page.
• It is written into your EPUB file's metadata, which Kindle and other stores read.
• It pre-fills the listing when you publish to Gumroad or Etsy.
• For Amazon KDP, copy the text and paste it into the description field when you set up your book.

Which plans include it

The Book Description tool is on the Creator and Premium plans, and available to anyone with chapter credits, the same access as Kindle EPUB export. You can generate up to 25 descriptions a day.