Episode 379: Are Most Books Sold on Amazon? w/ Jane Friedman | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

A People's Guide to Publishing · Oct 1, 2026 · 11m

Fun fact about Microcosm—we broke up with Amazon in 2018 and never looked back. And while we thought we would see a dip in sales, we've really seen the opposite.

There's a common thought in publishing and writing that you HAVE to sell on Amazon, because like it or not, that's where almost all the books are sold these days. But is that actually true? Does Amazon really represent the majority of books sold in the world?

Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back to chat with Joe and Elly about the realities of book sales, markets, and how Amazon defines "sales."

For more from Jane Friedman, check…