Congrats—you’ve decided to print your books with PufferPrint and you’re planning to sell them on Amazon!
Amazon offers two primary options for self-publish authors: Amazon Advantage and Amazon Seller Central, but deciding which is right for you can be confusing or even overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you chose the right Amazon program for you—depending on your unique goals, resources, and desired level of control.
Let’s dive in!
Amazon Advantage
Amazon Advantage is a consignment program specifically designed for authors, publishers and media producers. This program requires you to apply for acceptance into the program and has an annual membership fee.
As a participant, you supply inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, where Amazon handles storage, shipping, returns, and customer service. Your book listings appear with the coveted “Ships from and sold by Amazon.com” badge, which boosts customer confidence. Books sold through Advantage are also eligible for Amazon Prime, making them more attractive to millions of Prime members thanks to fast, free shipping and easy returns.
With Amazon Advantage, Amazon pays you 45% of your list price per sale. This means they take a 55% cut as a distribution and fulfillment fee. This may sound high, but it’s pretty similar to the discount required by physical bookstores like Barnes and Noble. There is also a $99 annual membership fee to participate in the program.
With Amazon Advantage you’ll also need to ship your inventory to Amazon at your own expense. But once the books are at their warehouse, Amazon handles the rest.
This program is ideal for authors and publishers who prefer a hands-off sales process and maximum Amazon visibility. However, one major downside is that you surrender control over your book’s retail price—Amazon can adjust the sale price without your input, though your compensation remains based on the list price you submit (so you’ll get paid the same for every book sold regardless of the amount the customer pays Amazon).
Amazon Seller Central
Amazon Seller Central is a broader program open to third-party sellers of all categories of goods on Amazon (including books). It gives you full control over the sales process. You’ll set your own prices, craft your product listing, and be responsible for the fullfilment of your orders. You can choose between two fulfillment methods:
- Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM): You manage inventory, handle shipping, and provide customer service.
- Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): You send books to Amazon, and they handle storage, order fulfillment, and customer service—similar to the Advantage program.
Seller Central offers more control. You also retain a higher percentage of each sale—usually around 85%, after Amazon’s referral fees and other costs. You can register with an Individual Plan (no monthly fee but $0.99 per sale) or a Professional Plan ($39.99/month, with no per-item fee).
While Seller Central demands more involvement, it gives authors and small publishers greater flexibility and often better top-line margins per book.
Keep in mind that while your cut of each sale is higher with Seller Central, you’re also responsible for the cost of fulfilling each order—either shipping books yourself or using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). You’ll also need to manage customer returns, which can introduce additional shipping and restocking costs that many first-time sellers overlook. Make sure you consider the full cost of selling and shipping each book when choosing between Amazon Advantage and Seller Central.
Key Differences Between Amazon Advantage and Seller Central
| Amazon Advantage | Amazon Seller Central | |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Listing Page | Amazon creates the listing | You create and manage listing |
| Sales and Marketing | Amazon sells your books | You sell your books as a third-party seller on Amazon |
| Pricing Control | Amazon controls pricing | You control pricing |
| Eligible for Amazon Prime | Yes | Only with FBA |
| Fulfillment | Amazon fulfills all orders | You fulfill your orders unless you use FBA |
| Profit Margin | 45% of list price | ~85% after fees |
| Fees | $99 Annual Fee | Individual Plan: – No Monthly or Annual Fee – $0.99 per sale Pro Plan: – $39.99 per month |
Preparing Your Books for Amazon Advantage or FBA
When selling through either Amazon Advantage or FBA, Amazon requires you to add a specific barcode (known as an FNSKU label) to each individual unit you send to their warehouses. This barcode is different from your ISBN barcode, and it’s used for inventory tracking and fulfillment within the Amazon system.
If you choose to use Amazon Advantage or Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA), PufferPrint can print these Amazon-supplied barcodes as stickers and apply them to your books after they have been shrink-wrapped. This ensures your books are ready to ship directly to Amazon, compliant with all of their requirements, and saves you the time, cost, and labor of handling this step yourself.
PufferPrint can also streamline the process by splitting your shipment. We can deliver part of your order to you for in-person sales and events, while shipping the remainder of your order directly to the Amazon fulfillment center of your choice. This saves you time and eliminates the hassle and costs of receiving and reshipping inventory yourself.
Final Thoughts
Selling your book on Amazon is one of the most powerful ways to reach new readers, and understanding the difference between Amazon Advantage and Seller Central is key to choosing the right path. Whether you want Amazon to handle the heavy lifting or you prefer to control every aspect of your book sales, both platforms offer viable ways for self-published authors to succeed!
If you’re ready to start printing, then grab your free quote!
