In July 2022, I launched my online shop at www.CreativePennBooks.com. It’s built on Shopify’s eCommerce platform, and in this solo episode, I’ll explain why I built the store, my lessons learned, tips if you want to build your own, and how I intend to expand it over time.  This episode is sponsored by my wonderful patrons. If you find the podcast useful, you can support the show at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn and you'll get discounts on my books and products, plus you can ask your questions in my private monthly Q&A. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.  Show Notes * What is selling direct? Why sell direct?* Why I switched from Payhip to Shopify* Why a separate store, www.CreativePennBooks.com instead of WooCommerce within my existing sites?* Why Shopify rather than Kickstarter?* The Minimum Viable Store approach* Software and integrations — what else do you need? * Options for drop-shipping print-on-demand books — Lulu Direct and Bookvault.app and why I made the choice I did * How does the money work? What are the costs? How do I get paid?* What about sales tax / VAT?* How long does the setup take? * What about support issues? How time-consuming is it?* What about marketing? How do you get traffic to your store?* What are my plans for the store?* Are direct sales for you?* Free books if you buy direct — and where to find help if you need it You can find my store at www.CreativePennBooks.com and linked in the menu as Shop and also on every book page. Imagine this…  You write what you want, with no concern about how an algorithm will treat your release. You’re in control of the site and your sales pages, with no other ads on your page to distract potential readers. You release your books in multiple formats, direct to your readers and listeners. You don’t have to store and ship books since they are printed on demand and sent straight to the buyer. Customer service for ebooks and audiobooks is even taken care of by the wonderful team at Bookfunnel. The customer receives a fantastic product and you get money in your bank account within a day or two, or even within the hour.  You also get the customer’s name, email, and address as well as details about what they bought and when, so you can foster an ongoing relationship. You can expand your store into different kinds of products through other print-on-demand services — merchandise related to your books,