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What tools can I use to format my book?
How do I create a book cover?
Where should I self-publish?
These are the questions every independent author navigates before they turn their manuscript into a ready-to-sell title. With a growing number of self-publishing tools, writers have more freedom and agency over their publishing journey than ever, but they also face more decisions at every step of the way.
Choosing the right publishing platform is, arguably, the most consequential: it affects how much you earn per sale, when you get paid, what content you can publish, and how much control you keep over your own work.
This guide focuses on Written: what it offers, what kind of authors get the most out of it, and where it might not be the right fit.

What is Written?

Written is a direct-to-reader publishing platform for authors who want to sell their writing and keep more of what they earn. It's free to use, currently supports ebooks, and charges a flat 10% commission, which means that authors keep 90% of every sale. Payouts are instant, with no minimum threshold, and funds go directly to your bank account or crypto wallet.
Beyond standard ebook sales, Written offers exclusive features: for example, 1) limited edition ebooks, which let authors cap the number of available copies to create scarcity and exclusivity, and 2) donations, which give fan fiction authors and others a compliant way to receive direct reader support.

Who is Written for?

Authors with an existing audience

Written is built for authors who already have a community — whether that's a social media following, an email list, a Substack, or a loyal fanbase built over years of publishing. Although Written has built-in discoverability features, it’s primarily designed as a direct-to-reader platform, which means it works best when you're bringing your audience with you rather than relying on the platform to find readers for you.
If you've spent time building on BookTok, Instagram, or a newsletter, Written is where you can start converting that audience into book sales. And keep nearly all of what you earn when you do!

Authors who prioritize revenue per sale

At 90% royalties with no delivery fees and no price restrictions, Written is the highest-earning option available for ebook self-publishing. There are no royalty tiers, no fine print about file size, and no requirement to hit a specific price window to unlock a better rate.
For context: an author selling 1,000 copies of a $15 ebook earns $13,500 on Written. The same sales on Amazon KDP — where the 70% royalty applies only within the $2.99–$9.99 range, and a delivery fee is deducted per MB — would yield significantly less, and only if the book qualifies for the higher tier.

Authors who want instant access to their earnings

On most traditional platforms, authors wait 30 to 60 days after a sales month closes before seeing any money. Written removes that delay entirely. As a direct-to-reader platform, it doesn't hold or batch your earnings. Funds land in your account shortly after you click withdraw, with no minimum payout threshold.
For authors managing their writing as a primary income stream, or anyone who wants to see the direct return from a launch in real time, that matters.

Authors writing outside mainstream categories

Amazon KDP has content restrictions that go beyond legal compliance. Explicit content, certain genre and theme combinations, and anything outside their category guidelines can lead to rejected uploads or unexpected delistings.
Written applies legal content limits only, with no genre restrictions and no explicit content bans. That makes it a reliable publishing home for erotica, dark romance, and other categories that don't fit neatly into platform content policies.
It also gives fan fiction authors a compliant route to earn through donations, something few platforms support without taking a significant cut.

Authors who want to create premium or collectible editions

Limited edition ebooks are unique to Written. Authors can set a fixed number of copies available for sale, turning a release into a collectible, an exclusive early-access offer, or a high-value reward for core readers. Combined with a higher price point, limited editions give authors a way to earn more from fewer sales while deepening the relationship with their most engaged audience.
This is particularly well-suited to authors who already have a community that follows releases closely and would pay a premium to own something exclusive.

Is Written the right platform for you?

The clearest signal that Written is the right fit: you have an audience, you're a writer, and you want to earn more from what you sell.
If you've built a following anywhere — social media, a newsletter, a podcast, a community — Written is the most direct way to monetize that relationship. The 90% royalty structure, instant payouts, and zero exclusivity requirements mean you're keeping more of what you earn, getting paid faster, and retaining full flexibility to distribute wherever else makes sense.
Written also opens up revenue streams that don't exist on most platforms: limited editions for authors who want to create scarcity and charge accordingly, and donations for fan fiction creators who can't monetize through direct sales.
For authors who own their audience and are ready to earn from it on their own terms, Written is a strong long-term choice.
→ Start publishing on Written today: written.app
→ Written vs Amazon KDP compared: https://written.app/blog/1087