Cutting Out the Middleman: Why Buying Direct is Better for Everyone

For a long time, there was really only one way to read a digital book: you went to the “Rainforest Giant,” you clicked “Buy Now,” and you hoped the author saw a few pennies from that sale. But the landscape of 2026 looks very different. You may have noticed more buttons on my website that say “Buy Direct.”

This isn’t just a backend change; it’s a movement championed by industry leaders like The Creative Penn and Kickstarter. The biggest trend in indie publishing right now is the shift toward Direct Sales. But why does that matter to you, the reader?

1. You Actually Own Your Books (No DRM)

Here is a scary truth: when you buy a book from a major retailer, you often don’t own it—you are just licensing it. They can technically delete it from your device at any time.

When you buy The Observer directly from my shop, you get the file. It’s yours. Using services like BookFunnel, I can deliver the ebook directly to your Kindle, Kobo, phone, or tablet seamlessly. There are no walls keeping your library locked in one ecosystem.

2. Supporting the Creator, Not the Platform

It’s an open secret in the industry that retailers take a massive cut of every sale—sometimes upwards of 65% depending on the territory. When you buy direct, nearly 95% of that money goes to the person who actually wrote the words.

This sustainability is what allows indie authors to keep writing niche, genre-blending stories like The Spirit Saga without having to water them down for mass-market appeal.

3. Better Deals for You

Because I don’t have to pay that “middleman tax,” I can pass the savings on to you. This means I can offer:

• Discounted bundles of the entire series.
• Exclusive bonus chapters found nowhere else.
• Signed paperbacks that I ship from my own desk.

The best way to get access to these direct-only deals is to join my newsletter. That is where I announce flash sales and drop new content first.

Frank Hess fights to protect his family from massive, overpowering forces. In a way, buying indie is a little bit like that, too. It’s a small act of rebellion that keeps the creative spirit alive.

Have you ever bought a book directly from an author? How was the experience? Let me know in the comments!