How to Write, Market, and Sell Ebooks (2024)

According tothemost recently available data, injust 2020, more than 100million ebooks were sold intheUnited States alone. Ebooks account forabout 18% ofall ofthebook sales intheUS, with this number expected togrow more andmore. Selling books online isagreat way toearn extra revenue with very low startup costs aslong asyou choose theright places andplatforms tosell andpromote your ebooks.

Ebooks can bepublished hassle-free, andwhen compared with theprint version, they typically don’t require anyshipping costs. Just bywriting andpublishing around 8-10ebooks forthecommon price of$5to$8dollars, you can easily earn agood amount ofpassive andlong-standing income, which can get very helpful asthecost ofliving continues torise.

What many don’t know isthat writing andselling ebooks online can beeasy, especially with thehelp ofemerging ecommerce tools like Ecwid that make itsuper easy tosell anykind ofproduct online. Yes! Even digital ones.

Inthis guide, we’ll begoing over themany ways you can sell ebooks online oronyour own website, top writing tips onhow towrite compelling andprofitable ebooks, andhow you can successfully market your published work togenerate leads andboost your sales.

Let’s get started!

What IsanEbook?

Asthebook industry continues tobetaken over bytherather convenient andpractical idea ofebooks, it’s not unusual formany ofustowonder what exactly isanebook. Most people would agree itismerely anelectronic ordigital version ofaregular paperback book; however, itmight bealittle more complicated andcomplex than this—especially forthose ofusinterested inwriting ebooks forprofit.

Anebook isathree-part process; writing, marketing, andselling. Ebooks made forsale andthepublic are typically made inadifferent format than that ofapdf orasimple online recipe. Ebooks typically require aformat that can’t beeasily changed orstolen bysomeone else. Also, unlike aPDF, you can expect anebook tochange layouts depending onthedevice itisopened.

There isalot that goes into thecreation andpublication ofebooks, this iswithout considering what ittakes tomarket andpromote them. Inthefollowing sections, we’ll begoing over what ittakes towrite andmarket anebook, along with some ofthemost popular platforms used bymany toincrease sales andbuild their audience.

How toWrite anEbook

The first step includes thefollowing parts.

1. Finding atopic towrite on
2. Researching thematerial
3. Writing &rereading drafts
4. Getting your ebook reviewed
5. Creating acover fortheebook

1.Finding atopic towrite on

Niche isthemost important aspect ofbook writing. Every writer should have knowledge about their niche before writing it. Choosing andmastering aniche would help you inthelong run. While one may betempted towrite about trending topics like religion andspirituality, biographies, andbusiness, one should usually consider writing about atopic one feels strongly about.

One good approach istochoose abroad topic ofyour interest andthen dive into aspecific aspect ofthetopic. This gives readers anew andextensive perspective about atopic they are quite familiar with. Also, bydownsizing theaudience you’re trying toreach, targeting amore tailored andspecific one, your chances ofgenerating profit are higher. Unfortunately, thekey tofailure istrying toappeal andsell toeveryone. Always narrow down!

2.Researching thematerial

Research isanimportant part ofebook writing. Though, there isabig difference intheoutlook ofaphysical ande-book, thebehind-the-scenes process ispretty similar when itcomes totheactual writing. Research provides authenticity toyour ebook, keeping readers engaged andcoming back formore. Ifthefacts inthebook aren’t double-checked, thebook will quickly berejected bythereaders. So, itisnecessary toresearch all material you intend toinclude inyour ebook.

3.Writing &rereading drafts

After theresearch comes themain part, one that requires agreat deal ofcommitment; thewriting andrereading drafts. Alot oftimes, people despise theactual writing part oftheprocess because itisfull ofuncertainty. The only validation foryour words comes from yourself andtaking others’ opinions istoo confusing atthis stage. However, thefirst part isjolting down your ideas. Ifyou’re able toignore theinner editor inyou, you will beable towrite abook alot faster.

After you have written thefirst draft ofthebook, thesecond part ofthis painful process comes into action. Here, you finally listen totheeditor inside you. This isparticularly annoying since rereading your own drafts can neither make you dislike your writing orprevent you from being able tosee theproblem.

You should repeat theediting andrereading drafts process afew times before thenext step.

4.Getting your ebook reviewed

It’s time toget asecond opinion onyour book. You can get itreviewed byeither someone close oraprofessional editor. There are pros andcons toeither approach.

Ifyou decide toget areview bysomeone close, they may beable toprovide criticism that isvery subjective toyour approach. This isbecause they would know you personally andbeable toprovide insight. Ifyou decide toget areview byaprofessional editor, you’ll get professional checking ofideas that may make thebook lose some originality but will make itasmart read.

The best way istoget theebook reviewed byboth parties.

5.Creating acover fortheebook

Once you’re finishing writing thebook, your work isn’t done. Itistime toprepare forthelaunch. Visual aid helps readers determine ifyour book isworth thepeek. Nomatter what anyone says, readers have always judged books bytheir covers. Hence, itisimportant foryou tocreate anattractive cover fortheebook—One that captivates thereader without straying too far from themessage thebook istrying toconvey.

The process tofigure out what thecover should look like isnot always simple. The first step istoselect acolor palette andcreate amood board based onthecontent ofyour book. Next, you can hire aprofessional illustrator todesign thecover.

Itisimportant tohave some sort ofcolor palette andmood board inmind before you contact anillustrator soyou know what you want. Nonetheless, you should always beopen totheillustrator’s suggestions too since they have years ofexperience inthematter, often providing avaluable andunique visual perspective ofyour book’s message.

How toMarket anEbook

The second step includes thefollowing parts.

1. Create anemail list with theebook
2. Get Goodreads reviews
3. Create anaudiobook version
4. Promote onsocial media

1.Create anemail list with theebook

Email lists are one ofthebest gifts ofmodern technology. They help you connect toyour audience. When you start promoting your ebook, give people incentives toopt-in toyour email list. Anincentive can besomething like thefirst 1000subscribers get free access totheebook orthefirst 100subscribers get extra e-goodies.

Asyour email list increases, start selling your product but donot try too hard, itisvery easy tonotice. The most important part ofemail lists isthat your audience should beable tointeract with you. Anemail list audience that isvery engaged, means anincreased likelihood ofthese buying your products.

2.Get Goodreads reviews

Getting reviews foryour ebook isnecessary togenerate revenue selling ebooks. The ebook will reach asubstantial audience through theword ofmouth bypeople who have read andreviewed your book.

Reviews are very good foryou. They impact your visibility onamazon KDP andhelp you reach agreater audience. You can bag some reviews ifyou list your ebook onAmazon forfree toread forthefirst 1-2weeks. You can also dogiveaways toget more Goodreads reviews.

3.Create anaudiobook version

Creating anaudiobook version ofyour ebook will boost sales. You have two options here, you can either dothevoiceover yourself orhire aprofessional.

Ifyou decide todothevoice-over byyourself, itisbest topractice inadvance via YouTube tutorials. This will help you create theneeded mood forthebook.

The other option istohire aprofessional voiceover artist. They know how tomake avoiceover extremely interesting, much better than you’d beable todo.

4.Promote onsocial media

Facebook, Instagram, andTwitter are theleading apps that can help small businesses andartists tosell their work. Each platform has its own specificities.

Facebook provides two types ofpromotions; free andpaid. For free promotion, you can join writing communities andconnect with other writers topromote your ebook. Another way istoask your family andfriends toshare your work andpromote itforyou onFacebook. For paid promotions, you can create Facebook ads that have avery targeted audience. This boosts thechances ofpeople buying your ebook byfolds.

Instagram has similar types ofpromotions. For free promotion, you can create apublic account andbuild anorganic audience slowly. This can bespeeded upbypaid promotions. You can create Instagram Ads much like Facebook ads todrive more audience toyour account andyour ebook. For Instagram, itisimportant toremember that thecolor scheme andaesthetic ofyour posts domatter.

Twitter ismuch like Instagram but with fewer words. Itisthedefinition of“less ismore”. You can create agradual audience here aswell. This will provide you with organic followers who are genuinely interested inyour work but atamuch slower pace. Tospeed things up, you can create Twitter Ads aswell. This will generate agreat number ofdigital followers andpotential buyers ofyour book.

How toSell anEbook

The last step includes thefollowing parts.

1. Dogiveaways
2. Sell ofeBay
3. Sell onGoogle Play
4. Sell onApple Books
5. Your own website

1.Giveaways

Giveaways are everyone’s favorite because who doesn’t love free things? Brainstorming ideas forcreative giveaways will increase thenumber ofpeople interested inyour work. Even ifthemajority ofparticipants don’t buy your book, they’ll become familiar with itandhopefully spread theword about it. And ultimately, they could end buying thebook inthefuture. You may beable tocontact influencers who will beinterested inhelping promote your work, helping you reach awider audience with anygiveaways you do.

2.Sell oneBay

Ebooks are one ofthetop-selling items oneBay. This popular platform isagreat resource tomake money selling ebooks. The process isquite simple, andtheebook can belisted quietly easily. You can select afew options ofpayment foritincluding PayPal, Venmo, andabook account forpeople you would like tobuy theebook.

Itisimportant towrite abook description listing theebook oneBay, this will help readers purchase thebook. Itisalso great toget andencourage reviews oneBay. Reviews are agame-changer andserve asafree form ofadvertisem*nt.

3.Sell onGoogle Play

Itdoes not cost athing forebooks publishers tosell their ebooks onGoogle Play Books. Itisnot allowed inall countries toSell ebooks onGoogle Play sohere isthelist ofcountries where people can sell their ebooks. Google Play Books only accepts PDF orEPUB format. Since thepublishing process isstraightforward, Google Play Books are agreat resource tosell ebooks.

The best part ofGoogle Play isthat people will beable tofind your ebook when they search foranykeyword mentioned inyour book, even ifitisn’t thetitle.

4.Sell onApple Books

Apple Books, like all its other products, isabit complicated but nonetheless agreat place topublish your work. The best part about Apple Books isthat itisquite compatible with night owls asitprovides anauto-night mode tooptimize thereading divide’s brightness. Apple Books offers 70% royalties forevery eBook regardless oftheprice.

There are many ways Apple users will discover your Ebooks ontheir platform, which leads tohigh sales.

5.Your own website

Your own website isalso agreat place toconsider selling your EBooks. Overall, selling books from your own site comes with several advantages andperks. One ofthebiggest ones being theopportunity tokeep all ofyour profits, without theneed topay anymarketplace fees. Sure, marketplaces offer analready existent audience, which isobviously helpful atthebeginning ortohave asacomplement toyour site, but thegoal istoultimately sell directly from your own website orstore andkeep all oftheprofit.

Besides, having your own site allows foranopportunity tobuild anaudience ofpeople who are fully dedicated toyour work andbrand, which ultimately provides you theopportunity toretarget anyvisitors you get toyour site.

Ecwid makes iteasy foryou tosell EBooks online from your own site andeven other platforms like eBay. Once your EBook isready, opening andcreating anEcwid site isquite easy andquick. Getting started onaplatform like Ecwid isfree, although amonthly fee isrequired foraccess toadvanced features andthesale ofdigital products. This issignificantly lower than many oftheother ecommerce platforms out there.

Once you have your site ready andare open forbusiness, customers can easily purchase your ebooks andwe’ll immediately receive them intheir inbox.

How Much Does ItCost toSell anEbook?

There isnoset range because itdepends onmany factors. Itisalso different forevery ebook publisher. However, asthewriter, you receive 35% to75% royalties. Besure that you have done good marketing, this will lead toahandsome passive income monthly.

The best part about ebooks isthat there are noshipping charges.

Are Ebooks Profitable?

Incomparison toprint books, ebooks are more profitable because they don’t require shipping charges andoffer more flexibility. The typical price range foranebook should bebetween $1-$10depending onvarious factors. Typically, you will beable toearn apassive income once you have published around 20ebooks.

Selling Ebooks with Ecwid

Asyou already got from this article, selling ebooks can make agreat side hustle that can easily turn into afull-time business andsource ofincome. With theright ideat andinnovative mindset, you can easily start your own ebook store with Ecwid andbegin accepting payment with just afew clicks. Noneed todeal with third-party sellers ormarketplaces, getting tokeep all oftheprofit you make.

Sign upforEcwid today andtell usinthecomments how itgoes!

Doyou want toknow more about selling books online?

• How toMake aProfit Selling Your Old Used Books
• How toStart aSuccessful Bookstore Online
• How ToSell Books onAmazon
• How toWrite, Market, andSell Ebooks
• How toCreate andSell anEbook
• 16Best Ways (Websites) toSell Your Audiobooks Online