Are you struggling to sell books at the big online stores? Perhaps it's time to start selling directly to your readers. Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant talk about their experiences doing just that—the pros and the cons. They compare the tradeoffs between Amazon, KU, and direct stores, then discuss what it takes to build a storefront that feels more like a living catalog than a marketplace listing. Sean Platt shares why he is shifting toward direct sales, including better economics, stronger audience connection, and the ability to bundle, experiment, and control the customer experience. And why he's modeling his website off of TV streamers, not other author sites. Johnny B. Truant explains that direct selling to readers takes work, but can feel more transparent and rewarding than relying on Amazon.

LINKS: Sean's site: https://seanplatt.net/ Check out Story Keepers (all Sean's books at one price) https://seanplatt.net/storykeepers-plus/ Johnny's site: https://Johnnybtruantbooks.com

Hugh Howey's free writing software Neo: https://www.hughhowey.com/neo

BOOKS AND PODCASTS MENTIONED East of Eden by John Steinbeck Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck

Scriptnotes: East of Eden with Zoe Kazan https://johnaugust.com/2026/east-of-eden-with-zoe-kazan

Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome and the episode topic: selling directly to readers SOMETHING COOLS 01:35 — Dave talks about the excellent Neo, Hugh Howey's free writing software for writers. 04:42 — Safari, Riverside, and Johnny's browser frustration 06:01 — Sean's pick: Netflix's *East of Eden* and why it matters to writers and how it shaped him as a writer. TOPIC OF THE SHOW: Direct Selling to Readers 11:17 — Why KU and Amazon have not fit Sean's catalog 13:45 — Launching a direct store after years of false starts 14:58 — Johnny on not caring about Amazon and talking about what direct selling really requires 17:37 — Johnny raising print prices on Amazon and discovering what readers will actually pay 19:44 — The huge amount of prep behind a direct storefront 21:02 — Sean's excitement about hearing from customers again 22:45 — Why Sean sees himself as a producer, not just an author 24:25 — A reader buys the whole library and validates the model 25:47 — Why having a home base matters before expanding outward 27:27 — Bundles, site-first releases, and how exclusives can work 29:49 — Feeling reconnected to art, commerce, and audience 32:12 — Why direct sales are not a universal answer 33:07 — KU still makes money, but not for Sean's preferred writing style 34:23 — Stop hunting for one magic bullet 35:38 — Amazon's customer experience versus the flexibility of a direct store 36:51 — Building the site like a streamer instead of a standard author page 37:17 — Barry Gordy, Motown, and the idea of art as a system 39:02 — Using chatbots and guided discovery to help readers navigate a huge catalog 40:11 — Backstory episodes, interviews, and added content around releases 41:41 — Experiments like a simple game and a 3D-built yacht as reader extras 42:36 — Where to find the direct stores and what comes next

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