As I mentioned in last week’s blog post on author earnings, buying directly from authors’ or publishers’ own webstores is often the best way to make sure more of your book money goes to the people who create the stories you love.
That’s why I compiled a list of sapphic fiction publishers and authors who sell their books directly to readers.
Should we boycott Amazon and only buy directly from authors and publishers?
Before we dive into the list of webstores, I want to clarify that this isn’t a call to boycott Amazon or other big retailers–at least when it comes to buying sapphic books.
While buying directly is a great way to support some publishers and authors, most sapphic authors don’t have a webstore of their own for various reasons:
- Technical and financial obstacles: Setting up a webstore requires at least some technical know-how or paying a professional to do it. Depending on the e-commerce platform, there can be significant upfront costs involved.
- Time and effort: Running a webstore also means authors have to handle customer service, troubleshoot download issues, and ship off paperbacks. Some authors would rather spend their time writing.
- Amazon’s KU exclusivity clause: Most sapphic indie authors enroll their ebooks in Kindle Unlimited (KU), which has an exclusivity clause. That means they can’t sell their ebooks elsewhere, including their own webstore. For many authors, KU provides them with a majority of their income, so leaving KU to set up their own webstore is not a viable option for everyone.
I go into more detail about why boycotting Amazon would mean boycotting most sapphic indie authors in this blog post on how best to support LGBTQ+ authors.
On the reader’s side, it’s also not realistic—or inclusive—to expect every reader to only buy books directly. Especially for avid readers who read hundreds of books per year, it might be impossible to buy them all at full price. Subscription services like KU or Kobo Plus give readers access to more books and allow them to try new authors that they might otherwise not have found or taken a chance on.
So while buying directly from authors & publishers is great, it’s not always possible. This list of webstores is meant to give readers more options, not to call for blanket boycotts.
Sapphic fiction publishers with their own webstore
If you want to buy directly from small presses that specialize in sapphic fiction, here are some of the sapphic publishing houses that offer books through their own webstores:
Affinity Rainbow Publications (sapphic ebooks)
Ausxip Publishing (queer ebooks)
Bedazzled Ink (sapphic ebooks)
Bella Books (sapphic ebooks & paperbacks. Bella Books also sells ebooks & paperbacks from other sapphic presses & authors)
BLF Press (sapphic paperbacks)
Bold Strokes Books (sapphic ebooks & paperbacks)
Brisk Press (sapphic ebooks & paperbacks)
Bywater Books (sapphic ebooks & paperbacks)
Desert Palm Press (sapphic ebooks & audiobooks)
Flashpoint Publications (sapphic ebooks)
JMS Books (queer ebooks)
Launch Point Press (sapphic ebooks)
Nefarious Bat Press (Queer ebooks and signed paperbacks)
NineStar Press (queer ebooks)
Queen of Swords Press (Queer ebooks and paperbacks)
Sapphire Books (sapphic ebooks)
Space Fruit Press (Queer ebooks)
Space Wizard (Queer paperbacks)
Ylva Publishing (sapphic ebooks)
Sapphic authors who sell their books directly to readers
Some sapphic authors run their own webstores, allowing readers to purchase ebooks, paperbacks, or even signed copies directly.
Here’s a list of 50+ authors who sell their books directly to readers:
Adrian J. Smith (Ebooks, paperbacks, signed paperbacks)
Alison Naomi Holt (Ebooks & audiobooks)
Allison Temple / Alli Temple (Ebooks & signed paperbacks)
Alyson Root (Signed paperbacks via her website; unsigned paperbacks via Payhip)
Anna Ferrara (Ebooks)
Anne E. Terpstra (Signed paperbacks)
Aricka Alexander (Ebooks & signed paperbacks)
Arizona Tape/Ariana Jade (Ebooks)
Aveda Vice (Ebooks, signed paperbacks)
Avery Cassell (Signed paperbacks)
Bam Stroker (Ebooks)
Ceillie Simkiss (Ebooks & paperbacks)
Clare Lydon (Ebooks, paperbacks, audiobooks)
Dax Murray (Ebooks)
Elaine J. Daniels (Signed paperbacks)
Elena Graf (Ebooks and paperbacks)
Elliott Hay (Ebooks, audiobooks, unsigned paperbacks, signed paperbacks)
Elva Birch (Ebooks & signed paperbacks)
Emily Banting (Paperbacks, hardcover, audiobooks)
Haley Price (Signed paperbacks)
Harper Bliss (Ebooks, audiobooks, paperbacks, signed paperbacks)
Hildred Billings (Signed paperbacks, unsigned paperbacks, hardcover)
J.A. Vodvarka (Signed paperbacks)
J.E. Leak (Signed paperbacks)
Jen Lyon (Signed paperbacks)
Johana Gavez (Ebooks, audiobooks)
Jolie Dvorak (Paperbacks, signed paperbacks, audiobooks coming soon)
Jordyn Kelly (Signed paperbacks)
J.S. Fields (Ebooks, audiobooks, print)
Karin Kallmaker (Ebooks, audiobooks, signed paperbacks)
Karmellah Howlett (Signed paperbacks; US only)
KG Smith (Signed paperbacks, unsigned paperbacks)
Kristina W. Kelly (Signed paperbacks)
Ladz (Ebooks, signed paperbacks)
Lauren Gallagher (Ebooks)
Leyla Reyne (Ebooks, audiobooks, signed paperbacks)
Lexa Luthor (Ebooks & audiobooks via Payhip; signed paperbacks via Etsy)
Lucy Felthouse (Ebooks via Payhip; signed paperbacks)
Lyssa Chiavari (Ebooks, paperbacks, signed paperbacks)
Marie Cardno (Signed paperbacks & hardcovers)
Melissa Tereze (Signed paperbacks, unsigned paperbacks)
Meredith Rose (Ebooks and hardcovers)
Merlina Garance (Ebooks, signed paperbacks)
Naomi Rivers (Signed paperbacks)
Pip Landers-Letts (Signed paperbacks)
Rachel Bowdler (Signed paperbacks)
Ragini Werner (Signed paperbacks)
R.E. Bradshaw (Ebooks)
Rena Sapon-White & Ella Schaefer (Ebooks, coming soon)
Rien Gray (Ebooks)
Romy Morgan (Signed paperbacks, UK only)
R.P. Dunwater (Signed paperbacks)
Ruby Landers (Ebooks and paperbacks)
Ruby Roe (Ebooks, signed paperbacks, signed hardcover, audiobooks, merch)
Ruby Scott (Ebooks, signed paperbacks, unsigned paperbacks)
Sabrina Kane (Signed paperbacks)
Sam Skyborne (Ebooks & signed paperbacks)
Sapphic Lit Pop-Up Bookstore (Co-op of authors selling paperbacks at events)
SD Simper (Signed paperbacks and hardcovers)
Shannon O’Connor (Ebooks & signed paperbacks)
Si Clarke (Ebooks, audiobooks, unsigned paperbacks, signed paperbacks)
Siobhan Muir (Ebooks)
Spencer Rose (Ebooks & paperbacks)
Stephanie Lee (Unsigned paperbacks & signed paperbacks)
TJ Dallas (Signed paperbacks and artwork; unsigned paperbacks)
TL Travis (Ebooks & signed paperbacks)
Tracey Love (Unsigned paperbacks & signed paperbacks, US only)
T. T. Thomas (Ebooks)
Further reading
If you’re interested in learning more about how to support sapphic fiction authors, check out these blog posts:
- How to Make Sure More of Your Book Money Goes to Authors: This blog post pulls back the curtain on how much authors earn per sale via different platforms and formats.
- How to Support Authors of LGBTQ Books During Challenging Times: 15 helpful things readers can do to support authors and why boycotting Amazon might not be the best solution.
Don’t miss future options to support sapphic authors
Next week, I’ll post a list of authors on Kobo Plus (Kobo’s subscription service for readers), and the following week, I’ll share a list of authors you can support on Patreon through a monthly subscription that gives you access to bonus material.
If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss those lists, sign up for my blog.
Are you a sapphic fiction author who sells directly to readers?
If you’re an author of sapphic fiction who sells directly to readers, feel free to email me. I’d love to add you to the list!
If you are on Kobo Plus or on Patreon (or similar platforms), please reach out to me too so I can add you to the upcoming blog posts.
One Response
Thank you for doing this! It is very helpful.