but my opinion is quite different.

i've been active in the e-book sphere for a long time, and i've studied e-book authoring quite extensively, even programming some systems myself, and i think leanpub is quite good. i liked it better when you didn't have to make a lump-sum payment in advance, but even now, i think it's one of the best systems around, especially for people who don't want to code their own solution. and leanpub gives you access to a customer-base that's more than large enough to warrant the small percentage they skim off your sales.