How to Create and Sell an Ebook (2024)

Ifyou’ve managed your business foranylength oftime, you’ve probably picked upahelpful hint ortwo along your way. And depending onhow helpful those hints actually are, your customers might even bewilling topay forthem.

Ebooks are asimple way foronline merchants tomonetize their knowledge andexperiences bycreating adigital product that can beeasily purchased anddownloaded from their online stores.

Ifyou’re just starting out with digital products, you might not know exactly how toapproach selling ebooks. Inthis post, we’ll walk you through how tocreate anebook, connect you with helpful resources tosimplify theprocess, andget you started down thepath tooffering your very first ebook product inyour online store.

Related: 11Digital Product Ideas That Fit Almost Every Storefront

Five steps toselling anebook:

• Select aTopic forYour Ebook
• Write Your Ebook
• Format Your Ebook
• Sell Your Ebook
• Promote Your Ebook

How toSelect aTopic forYour Ebook

The first step tocreating asuccessful ebook istodecide what your ebook will beabout.

Generally, ebooks teach areader how todosomething. Unless you’re anovelist orapoet, you’ll want toconsider how your skills andpersonal experiences could beused toprovide actionable value toyour readers andhow that value can relate back toyour store’s main product offerings.

For example, ifyou sell paper crafts, arelevant ebook tosell online might besomething like: “Affordable DIY home decor with paper crafts.”

Tie inpersonal examples from your own life orprojects toadd ahuman element totheactionable advice you’re sharing inyour ebook. Using our paper crafts example again, you could show some oftheways you’ve personally used paper products todecorate your home. This adds relevant context toyour ebook andoffers opportunities forinteresting visuals tohelp illustrate your content.

Before you start writing, besure toreview what types ofebooks— ifany— your competitors are offering. Inorder foryour ebook toreally besuccessful, itneeds tooffer something your customers don’t already have from thecompetition. Dosome research around thetopics you’re considering writing your ebook about, then consider how you might differentiate your ebook with new content oraunique angle.

Browse top sellers onAmazon tounderstand readers’ preferences— that will help you tostart selling ebooks that will actually get read.

How toWrite anEbook that Sells

Once you’ve found theperfect topic foryour ebook, use these tips toguide you through thewriting process andcreate anebook that sells.

Focus onahow-to

People often buy ebooks because they want tolearn something. Soastep-by-step approach toyour subject isagreat way tostructure your ebook. Walk thereader through processes, use lots ofexamples, andweave inyour personal experiences whenever itfeels appropriate. Ifyou spell out each step oftheprocess indetail, not only will your ebooks content behelpful foryour readers, but it’ll practically write itself.

Think ofacompelling title

The title will play alarge part inwhether ornot ashopper isinterested inpurchasing your ebook— soit’s important that you take thetime towrite atitle that’s both interesting andattractive foryour target audience. Use concepts like thecuriosity gap, apain point, oradesirable outcome tomake your ebook feel like amust-have.

For example: Ifyou’re writing anebook about canning fruits andvegetables, “How toSave $500AYear onGroceries” would beamuch more compelling title than “The Guide toCanning” because ittempts thereader with amore desirable outcome.

Aswriters ourselves here attheEcwid Blog, we’ve learned that titles beginning with “How to” resonate best with our readers.

Other ways tomake your ebook title more compelling:

• Provoke: “You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing andWhy ItMatters”
• Intrigue: “The Man Who Mistook His Wife foraHat”
• Use repetitive phrases: “Fitter, Happier, Healthier: The Ultimate 4Week Body Transformation Plan.”

Use simple words

Unless you’re writing your ebook onnuclear physics, your writing should probably befairly easy tounderstand.

Ever find yourself re-reading thesame sentence over andover again, but you just can’t ever seem todigest what it’s saying? Chances are, that sentence was either too long, too wordy, orboth.

One universal rule ofwriting toeducate is: themore simply you can state your points, thebetter. Unless you’re apoet oracclaimed novelist (and ifyou are, that’s awesome) it’s unlikely customers will bebuying your ebook tofind out how many big words you know. More than likely, they’re buying based onthepositive outcome promised inyour title. And they’ll want tounderstand andattain that outcome asquickly andefficiently aspossible. (for example, theuse of“on condition that” instead of“if”.)

Tomake sure your writing isunderstandable, avoid theuse ofjargon, acronyms, andanyindustry speak that might beunfamiliar toyour audience. Ifyou’re still not sure whether your writing issimple enough, check out theHemingway App. This handy tool will run your writing through achecker andautomatically highlight words that are too big, sentences that are too long, passive voice, andunnecessary adverbs.

Use your intro pages wisely

Most ebooks offer thefirst 10-20pages asapreview toread online forfree. This gives potential customers ataste fortheebook’s content andhelps them decide whether it’s something they might beinterested inpurchasing tolearn more.

Because thepreview can play alarge part inwhether ornot ashopper chooses tobuy your ebook, it’s important touse these pages wisely. Inthefirst 10-20pages, lay out exactly what you’re going tocover inthefollowing pages andwhy readers should care tolearn more. Hook your readers early with agreat value proposition andclosing thesale onyour first ebook should beaneasy win.

Take itslow

It’s easy towant tosprint tothefinish line when you’re writing your first ebook. But don’t rush thewriting process. Instead, try setting anattainable daily/weekly goal forthenumber ofpages orchapters you’re going towrite, then stick toyour goal. And using atool like theFocusBoosterApp orthePomodoro Technique will help you minimize distractions while you write.

Ifyou find yourself struggling with writer’s block, don’t linger there. Move ontothenext chapter tokeep theprocess moving, andcome back tothat spot later once you’ve had some time away.

Ifyou’re not sure how toorganize your thoughts, atool like Airstory can help you break down key thoughts into digital notecards that you can visually organize andarrange until you’re satisfied with thestructure andready todive in.

Ifyou’re looking formore tips onwriting your ebook, check out:

• How towrite your first eBook from WikiHow
• Write aneBook in30Days bySellfy

How toFormat Your Ebook

Upnext: formatting. When creating ebooks, there are afew design elements tokeep inmind tomake your content more reader-friendly.

Select agood ebook file format

Different e-readers support different file formats. Ifyou want tosell ebooks successfully, you’ll need tomake sure your final file format works foryour customers. Tobesafe, study thedifferences between ebook file formats carefully, andoffer your ebook inseveral formats tomake sure your customers can find afile that works forthem.

The PDF isbyfar themost common file format forebooks. PDFs open seamlessly across avariety ofdifferent operating systems, andthey allow readers toeasily access, download, andprint their ebooks from their various devices. And because PDFs don’t require anyspecial software tocreate, they’re great forebook authors too. All you need isaword processor that lets you save PDFs, andyou’re good togo.

Choose afont that’s easy toread

It’s not just thewords you use that make your ebook easier toread. Your font style also plays acritical role increating anebook that’s easy forreaders tounderstand. According toAWAI, san serif fonts are thebest forreading online (simple fonts that don’t include “feet” orflourishes), with Arial, Courier, andVerdana among themost legible. Surprisingly, while Times New Roman was historically thedefault font forword processors, it’s actually theleast preferred font-style byonline readers. AWAI also recommends using afont size of12orlarger.

You may betempted toexpress your creativity through your font choice, but decorating your ebook with non-standard fonts ismore likely toresult inacomplicated reading experience than avaluable differentiator. Soit’s best tostick with proven fonts that are optimized foreasy reading.

Finally, your ebook should beresponsive tofit your reader’s screen size. This means that your reader will always have anoptimal reading experience, regardless ofwhat screen size your reader isviewing your ebook on.

Use aconsistent color scheme foryour ebook

Whatever color scheme you choose, you’ll want tomake sure it’s consistent throughout your ebook. Select apalette of2-3colors that pair nicely with your company branding, anduse these inyour cover, font colors, headers andfooters, andanygraphics you use throughout your ebook. Ifyou need alittle help selecting acolor palette, tools like paletton.com will help you find colors that work well together.

Format your ebook foreasy scanning

Eye-tracking studies show that when people are reading onacomputer ormobile device, they typically scan thecontent inanF-shaped pattern.

You can format your ebook toaccommodate this behavior byleft-aligning your text andusing short, bite-sized blocks oftext that are easier toscan— like bullet point lists andshort sentences. Whenever possible, avoid long paragraphs that require more than aquick glance toread andunderstand.

Use images inyour ebook

It’s always easier tosell something when itlooks good. Sodoyour best toadd value toyour digital product with exciting graphics andillustrations.

Ifyou already have your own high-quality photography, incorporate itinto your ebook toillustrate steps inaprocess orend results. Ifnot, look forhigh quality stock images tocommunicate your ideas. Sites like Death toStock Photo, Unsplash, andGratisography all offer great stock images that you can use forfree.

Design abeautiful cover foryour ebook

Asthefirst thing your audience will see, agood cover design isimportant. Not only will your cover design help sell your ebook, but it’s also arepresentation ofyour brand. Free tools like Canva let you easily design professional ebook covers using their pre-made templates andstock design elements.

Other ebook cover design tools include:

• Adazing
• CoverDesignStudio

Don’t forget toask afriend orcolleague togive your cover aquick look forafresh perspective before settling onafinal version. Fresh eyes can spot mistakes you might have missed andmight even offer aninsight toturn your good cover design into agreat one.

Proofreading

Before you can start selling your ebook, you’ll need tohave someone proofread itforspelling andgrammar mistakes. Dropping your text into afree tool like Grammarly isgreat forafirst pass andcan usually catch most major mistakes, but nothing beats aset ofhuman eyes reviewing your work (at least forthetime being). Because thelast thing you want todoissend out your first ebook with abunch ofmisplaced commas andapostrophes.

How toSell anEbook Online

Ebooks can besold onanynumber ofonline platforms, including Amazon, iBooks, your own online store, Google Play, Fiverr… thelist goes on.

Ifyou’re planning tomake aliving selling ebooks online, you’ll probably want tolist your books anywhere you can. Inthis article, we’ll focus ontwo common ways tosell your ebooks: Amazon Kindle andyour own online store (using Ecwid E-commerce asanexample).

Sell ebooks onAmazon

Ifyou’re afirst-time author, earning money from your ebook onAmazon may take some time. Because ofthesheer breadth ofoptions ontheKindle marketplace, theaverage self-published author only makes around $1,000per year selling onAmazon’s platform. However, thanks toits giant audience, Amazon can still work well asanavenue topromote your brand.

Ifyou plan tosell ebooks toattract shoppers toyour other products andservices, consider offering your first ebook forfree foraperiod oftime. This will help you garner some early attention from readers who might otherwise behesitant topay forabook from anunknown author, andcan beinstrumental insecuring those all-important first reviews. Once your ebook has some momentum, you can flip theswitch tostart getting paid forcustomer downloads.

Selling ebooks onAmazon can befairly nuanced, sotake some time tostudy this topic before launching your first ebook. For example, check out this practical guide from Joseph Hogue: How IMade $1,928Last Month Self-Publishing onAmazon.

Sell ebooks inyour online store

Ifyour e-commerce platform supports selling digital products, one oftheeasiest ways tosell your ebook isfrom your own online store. For example, Ecwid allows customers toadd digital products totheir carts andcomplete thecheckout process intheexact same way they dophysical products. Once thedigital product isordered andpaid for, Ecwid sends anemail tothecustomer with thedownload link.

With Ecwid, there’s nolimit tothenumber ebooks you can sell ortheir respective downloads. Every file can beupto25GB.

Ifyou’re ready tostart selling ebooks with Ecwid, simply follow thesteps below:

1. Log intoyour Ecwid Сontrol panel andgotothe“Catalog” page.
2. Click anyproduct toedit itorcreate anew one.
3. Open the“Files” tab.
4. Upload thefiles you want tosell.

Need more info? Visit Ecwid Help Center forcomplete details andFAQs onselling digital goods through Ecwid.

How toPromote Your Ebook

When you’re finally ready tostart selling your ebook, you’ll need some smart tactics toget theword out. Here’s acouple great ways tobegin promoting your first ebook:

Use social media. Schedule several posts across your social media channels tolet your followers know that your new ebook isavailable forpurchase. And ifyou’re offering itfree foralimited time, don’t forget tomention that aswell!

Guest post. Try tofind some relevant, high-traffic blogs you can guest post ontotalk about topics that are relevant toyour new ebook. Even ifyou’re not pitching your book inthepost itself, you can link out toitinyour bio.

Doapodcast tour. See ifafew podcasts would bewilling tohave you onasaguest toshare alesson ortwo from your new ebook (without giving too much away, ofcourse). This will help build interest with new audiences andoffers another chance toshare thelink inyour bio.

Partner with influencers. Ifyou’re connected with bloggers orinfluencers inaniche that’s relevant toyour ebook’s subject matter, ask ifyou can team uptogive away afew free copies.

Selling ebooks isjust like selling anything else: it’s all about finding effective ways toget your product infront ofyour audiences. And once you’ve found them, keep itgoing. Don’t let your promotional plan fizzle out after thefirst week— put together astrategy that will keep sales rolling inmonth after month through new channels andopportunities.

The main thing toremember istokeep finding new, creative ways toget your ebook infront ofnew audiences. Don’t let your promotion plan fizzle out theweek after release— put together astrategy that will keep sales rolling inmonth after month through continuous new opportunities.

Selling Ebooks: Teach What You Know

From teaching others about your industry andproducts, tosharing your experiences asanentrepreneur, writing ebooks isanopportunity toturn your story into aproduct you can sell.

Does itrequire time andplanning? Ofcourse. What good e-commerce venture doesn’t? But when it’s done right, ebooks can help customers see your brand andyour products inawhole new light— andput afew extra dollars inyour pocket forgood measure. Sowhat are you waiting for? Get started today bycreating your very own online store.

This post was originally published in2017andhas been updated foraccuracy.

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