All you need to know to sell ebooks in 2024

Nowadays, it is often said that you can learn literally anything on the Internet, with available knowledge ranging from crocheting to advanced economics. One of the forms in which experts offer their knowledge to learners is ebooks. Their undeniable advantage is that, unlike online courses or training sessions, an e-book can be written, published, and start making money online in a very short time—sometimes in just one day. But more on that in a moment.
If you're reading this guide to selling ebooks, you're likely either thinking about publishing your first e-book or you already have some publications under your belt and are looking to optimize your preparation and sales processes (and boost conversion). The information and materials below will be helpful in both scenarios.

Step 1: Estimate ebook sales before you start writing

Selling ebooks online is a very tempting option for passive income. Once written, content has the chance to generate revenue for many weeks or months. And if you dare to update and regularly improve the quality of your publication, you can sell your digital product even for several years.

No wonder, then, that more and more creators want to try their hand at selling ebooks online. If you are one of them, you probably know at least one inspiring example of a person who wrote an ebook and then sold a huge number of copies in a very short time and still makes a fortune on it today. You should know, however, that such a scenario is quite rare.

Anyone can sell ebooks today, but not everyone will find it so easy. To increase your chances, you need to put in a lot of work, and it’s best to start working on your success much, much earlier

Before you put the first words of your e-book on paper, first think about how you intend to make the world know about it. Conduct a simple analysis that includes:

• Who you are targeting your e-book to - what is the size of your target group? Is your publication targeted at a very specific niche? Or is it universal enough to interest a large group?
• Marketing channels - where will you promote your ebook? Creators most often choose Social Media (Facebook, LinkedIn, X, but also Instagram and TikTok), email marketing, paid ads, publications in topic groups
• Distribution channels - where will you sell your e-book? Will you create your own store, or maybe add it to a publisher’s platform? And if so, what reach can you expect there?
• Potential reach in your own channels - how many people subscribe to your newsletter (and open your messages)? How many followers do you have on Social Media? How many industry groups are there in the niche for which you intend to create an e-book?
• Budget for promotion - how much are you willing to spend monthly on ads?
• Competition analysis - are there similar ebooks on the market? If so, what is their quality? What is their price?

Assessing the real chances of sales and reaching potential customers at such an early stage will save you disappointments and make you not have to wonder why no one is buying your ebooks after publication.

**Example: **Let's assume you already have an e-book ready. You want to offer it for $39. You run an Instagram account that is followed by 2810 people and you send out a newsletter subscribed by 619 users, with an average email open rate (CTR) of 48%.
What the sales conversion of your e-book will be depends on many factors, including:

• in what industry you operate,
• how strong your relationship with your followers is (how likely they are to trust a digital product you've authored),
• whether you can effectively showcase the quality of the prepared material,
• what the price will be.

For the purposes of our example, let’s assume that your sales conversion rate will be 3% - both on socials and in your newsletter. This means the overall number of buyers will be: 

**From Social Media: **3% x 2810 people = 84 people
**From newsletter: **3% x (48% x 619 people) = 3% x 297 people = 8 people
**Total: **93 people

So, if the only action you take to promote the ebook is to post on Social Media and send a mailing to your subscribers, with favorable conditions, you have a chance to sell about 90 ebooks. That, in a nutshell, could generate an income of 90 x $39 = $3,510. Not bad, right? The only question is, what then? That when marketing efforts comes in, and the ebook sales is no longer passive. 

Of course, the larger the group of recipients and followers and the more posts, mailings, or ads, the greater the revenue will be. But I hope our example has shown you that selling your ebooks can only be a way to passive income, provided you have a good background and, for example, previously spent time building your reach and gaining the trust of your recipients.

**Important: ** At this stage, it is worth considering publishing the first e-book (or its excerpts) for free - the entry threshold will be lower, and if the content brings REAL value, there is a very high chance that recipients will decide to buy your next publication in the future.

Step 2: Choose the topic and scope of the ebook

Choosing the topic for your ebook is often a challenging decision for any ebook creator. The most natural path will obviously be to create a publication based on your expertise. However, before you make a decision, it is worth taking a look at the competition and giving your idea some framework.

Check competitive ebooks

Start by checking if there is already a similar digital publication online. If so, check when it was released and whether all the data contained in it is up to date. Also consider whether the material you have in mind would match its quality and what you can do to bring more added value. Yes, this may require downloading or even buying a competitive ebook. If you're unsure about your content's ability to compete, this step is crucial to make sure your ebook stands out.

And what if a similar e-book has appeared in the English-speaking part of the internet? I strongly warn you against copying someone else’s content (it’s not only unethical, but simply illegal) and against paraphrasing it. Indeed, there is a good chance that your recipients have never seen the base text in English, but sooner or later someone may point out a striking similarity to another ebook.

Match the format to the topic

However tempting the prospect of selling ebooks may be, consider whether the topic you are considering is actually suitable for this digital format. If you can write about a maximum of 3-4 pages, it is probably better to create a blog post or a series of posts on Social Media.

On the other hand, if the topic is very broad, and you already have 30 points you want to cover at the start, you must reckon with the fact that you probably will not be able to close 30 pages of content. This does not have to be bad news, because today on the internet you can find e-books that are 50, 100, or even 250 pages long. However, such extensive materials may be more demanding in terms of preparation and sales.

Above all, you need more time to create them, which is risky if you are not sure whether the sales will succeed. Preparing the layout of the ebook will also take longer and, if you are using the support of a graphic designer, will be more costly. The price may also be a challenge. Most ebooks on the market are priced in the tens of dollars, and you likely don't want to sell a 150-page ebook packed with knowledge for just $5.

Important: Regardless of what you specialize in, if you really have solid knowledge on the subject, there is a good chance that there are people on the internet who you can teach something. So you do not have to have 25 years of experience and be the only expert on the subject in this part of the world to consider creating and selling ebooks.

Step 3: Create a plan and start writing

Before you start writing, take the time to plan - and however unnecessary it may seem, you will thank me later.

Start by thinking about the shape of the e-book. You can do this by writing a table of contents or transferring “on paper” the main thoughts and assumptions. It's crucial to create a general outline that will help you determine the scope of the ebook, identify the materials it will include, and estimate the time needed to write it. Example? If at the very beginning you know you want the ebook to contain a lot of external research and links, you will need a significant amount of time to find and verify them. Conversely, if you want to focus 100% on the knowledge that is already in your head, writing will go much faster.

And once you have a plan, it’s time to start writing. The following techniques and tools will help you write great content:

• Mind mapping. This technique will be especially useful in the early stages of writing, when your thoughts are still unordered, and each new idea brings three more along with it. A tool worth using is MindNode.
• Text editor. Where your text will be created is of colossal importance. It is worth choosing a tool that is comfortable and functional for you, for example, allowing auto-saving of text or access to it on different devices. It will also be essential to get rid of “distractors” - be sure to check out iA Writer or Bear.
• Writing in iterations. When writing text, it's easy to get hung up on a single thought and spend too much time on one sentence or paragraph. To avoid this, start by writing a very rough first draft. Write quickly without rereading your text initially, then return to it several times to refine your thoughts with each review. This approach will significantly speed up the entire process. And if you still find yourself stuck, trust me—a break can work wonders.
• Taking notes. Sometimes ideas for content will surprise you in the least expected place. It is therefore always good to have a tool at hand, even something as simple as voice notes, to be able to not lose an interesting thought. It is important to write it down as soon as possible.
• Sketching content. A technique that I highly value is creating a preliminary sketch of the text. You can do this based on the table of contents. The idea is not to write the entire chapter right away, but to get the most important ideas, links, graphics, etc., that you want to use out of your head. And then connect them into one whole. This will allow you to create a better structure for the ebook, while significantly speeding up the work.
• Always double-check. Even if you’re writing about a field in which you specialize, it’s crucial to verify that your knowledge is completely current. Perhaps there was a recent post or news update online that’s worth including when publishing an ebook?

While writing an ebook, you might wonder how much knowledge to share. Especially if ebooks aren't the core of your business and you see them as a stepping stone to selling something bigger, like an extensive online course.

I believe it's better to overdeliver than underdeliver. Naturally, there's a balance to strike because if your ebook covers everything your course does, why would customers pay for the course?

Conversely, don't be misled into thinking that sharing a wealth of valuable information in your ebook for free will deter people from spending in your online store. Paradoxically, the effect is often the reverse—users view your free ebook as a valuable preview of what they can expect from your course or book. If your publication is vague, how will they trust that your other digital products have substance?

Thus, two strategies are commonly employed: the first maintains a balance where some knowledge is shared through free or low-cost materials like ebooks, while the rest—such as advanced topics, tool lists, or your expert insights—is reserved for a paid or pricier product like an online course. The second strategy involves giving away up to 90% of the content for free and charging for the remaining 10%. It might sound radical, but this approach can be highly effective, especially if you organise cohort-based courses where the real value is direct interaction with the instructor.

Step 4: Take care of the optimal appearance and format of the ebook

Appearance of the ebook

In the realm of ebook sales, it has become established that a "decent" publication should not only offer valuable content but also boast an appealing appearance. This often involves hiring a graphic designer skilled in text layout who can not only add stunning graphics and an attractive ebook cover design but also ensure the text is arranged for comfortable reading. 

This might seem daunting, especially if you are novice creator, worried about the potential workload and costs of designing your ebook. However, let's consider a different perspective.

Of course people tend to judge book by its cover, but if your ebook is strong on content, it doesn't need to be flawless visually or packed with elaborate infographics. While aesthetically pleasing materials are more enjoyable to consume, think about how much your audience will actually notice and value these enhancements—or if they would be willing to pay more for an ebook because of its visual appeal. I truly don't think so. 

**Important: **When deciding on your ebook's presentation, remember the principle of "better done than perfect." Focus on optimizing the time and resources you dedicate to its appearance.

Choose the proper ebook format

Just a few years ago, most creators opted to sell their ebooks in PDF format. Subsequently, formats tailored for ebook readers—EPUB and MOBI—gained traction. Today, in addition to these three primary formats, ebooks in so-called open formats, which are read online without the need for downloading to a device, are becoming more common. Each format has its own set of advantages and limitations:

• PDF: Ideal for ebooks containing numerous tables, charts, and graphics. The fixed layout ensures that elements do not shift. Ebooks in this format can only be read on phones or computers.
• EPUB: An open standard file format for ebooks, EPUB files are designed to be responsive, adapting to various screen sizes. This means users can download them to any device, such as an ebook reader, smartphone, tablet, or computer.
• MOBI: Similar to EPUB, but exclusively for Amazon's Kindle devices and applications.
• Online ebooks: This last format is excellent for publications that require frequent updates or even co-creation by readers. Users can access the ebook and all its updates online, through a platform or a dedicated page.

Publishing ebooks online not only requires less effort in text layout, but also offers tons of other benefits. You can seamlessly update its content without having to distribute a new version to buyers all over again. Plus, you can even create an interactive ebook and invite your readers to contribute!

A notable example is the e-book “Everyday on Autopilot” by Adam Gospodarczyk and Greg Rog, available exclusively in an online format. The authors chose not to offer it in PDF or MOBI formats to ensure that every customer could easily access updates. This approach meant they did not focus on creating a visually stunning file and spent minimal time on the publication's appearance. Did the absence of a visually appealing PDF negatively impact sales and reception? Not really. 

“My priority is to convey value in the most effective way. In the case of our ebook, text and screenshots in selected places were enough. The possibility of content updates is something that absolutely no one expected. If necessary, I can add all additional elements at any time.” ~ Adam Gospodarczyk

And what if you decide to, after all, create the ebook in a traditional PDF format? Go check for ebook templates! You can e.g. use Canva to craft a really neat ebook design all by yourself. 

Important: Whether your ebook will be available online or as a downloadable PDF - keep in mind the maxim "better done than perfect" and optimize the time and resources you will devote to preparing its visuals.

Step 5: Try to sell ebooks that you would pay for yourself

The motivations for creating ebooks can be VERY different. For some, it will be a way to share their knowledge. Others will choose ebooks as a way to expand their reach. And still others will want to simply create a so-called lead magnet, which will help them acquire as many email addresses of potential recipients as possible.

Each of these options can be good, under one condition - the created ebook must be really high quality. What is a “quality ebook” today? To answer this question, let’s step into the shoes of a potential customer for a moment.

Deciding to download or even more so to buy an e-book, the user has to go through a certain threshold of entry. In the case of downloading an ebook for free, they will usually have to provide their data, including an email address and phone number. In the case of a purchase, the threshold is even higher, because it will be necessary to spend money - sometimes small, sometimes larger, because the prices of higher-end e-books reach even $200. If the customer already knows the author and trusts them, or if other buyers’ glowing reviews confirm the material’s quality, then the entry threshold will be relatively low.

But if we meet a given author or company for the first time, and there is little evidence of the quality of the ebook, deciding to leave our data or money, we also give them a large credit of trust, believing that the ebook will be worth it.

Unfortunately, this trust can be easily disappointed, especially if the ebook content is of low quality or if the material meant to address a complex issue is only 10 pages long. This undermines the market, making customers hesitant to spend money on ebooks (even when they’re priced very low) or provide false information to download them.

To ensure your ebook meets customer expectations, consider the following:

• From the start, clearly communicate what the publication contains, for example, by providing a table of contents or a free excerpt. Monitor how potential customers react to this information.
• Evaluate whether the topic has been thoroughly covered or if it needs more depth (has someone else covered it more comprehensively?)
• Ask yourself, would I be willing to pay X amount for this ebook? Would I be satisfied with it?
• Directly inquire with your audience if they are interested in such material and what they would like to see included.

Step 6: Create an “online store” dedicated to selling ebooks

When planning to sell your ebook online, you'll come to a point where it will be necessary to choose a tool that will allow you to create a "store." In this area, it's very easy to "overshoot" and spend far too much money and time. After all, does it really make sense to set up a full website and advanced ecommerce just to sell one ebook?

In fact, to legally sell an ebook you don’t actually need to set up a traditional online store at all. It’s enough to use a solution that allows for:

• presenting the product
• handling payments

From my experience, the two most viable options are: self-publishing your ebook or selling through a well-known ebook publisher. Here again, I recommend the principle of minimum effort, maximum result. In most cases, to sell an ebook on your website, all you need is a simple landing page and a tool that allows you to create a payment link. The good news is that you can handle this on your own even if you don't have technical knowledge - you can easily build a landing page using Carrd, and start selling in a few minutes using Easycart.

Selling ebooks with Easycart

Easycart empowers you to sell digital content effortlessly, even without technical know-how or prior experience. Simply set up a one-step shopping cart with us, showcase your product, incorporate sales-boosting elements like time-limited promotions, and publish it anywhere.

Whether you have your own website or landing page, just link the cart under the “Buy e-book” button. You can also embed the cart link in your social media bio, include it in a newsletter, or send it directly to customers via private message. Anyone who clicks the link will see the product details, select an ebook variant (if available), and easily proceed to preferred payment method.

**Important: **With Easycart, there’s no need for your own website or online store. We also facilitate the selling of ebooks without the necessity of setting up a formal business—contact us if this option interests you!

Why choose Easycart for selling ebooks?

• Quick setup: Set up and publish a shopping cart in just 15 minutes, and you’re ready to sell your ebook
• No need to set up and maintain an online store
• Support before and after the sale: We manage all transactional emails and can even deliver the product directly to your customers. Just upload it along with its description.
• Immediate e-book access - immediately after purchase, customers will be able to download the ebook directly from the transaction confirmation page. Later, the ebook will be available within their Easycart account
• Enhance your sales: Use our features like discount codes, time-limited promotions, or subscriptions without needing any technical skills.

This way, you can introduce potential customers to what the ebook is about and why it's worth buying, and then enable them to purchase it. And believe me, you really don't need anything more. 

Publish your ebook on a marketplace

Alternatively, you can choose to offer your ebooks via one of the ebook publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Just keep in mind that this option comes with both significant benefits and drawbacks. You can market your ebook directly to a customer base that is already intending to purchase digital publications. You also won't need to worry about all the technical details.

On the flip side, more sellers mean bigger competition. Even though there are more users who research similar ebooks, there's no guarantee it'll be yours that catches their attention. You are also completely dependent on the external provider—to publish and sell your ebook, you need to pay a commission. Additionally, if the platform's policy changes, you might find yourself without any sales.

Important! If you decide to start selling ebooks through a publishing platform, make sure to choose a reliable provider. There are various online platforms that offer ebook distribution, and it's crucial to thoroughly read their terms and conditions.

Step 7: Market your ebook the smart way

Even the best e-book, directed at the most loyal community, won't sell itself. I'll say more, your sales result mostly depend on how the promotion goes and how many people you can reach. This doesn't mean, however, that you necessarily need to hire an agency or freelancer to carry out marketing activities for you. Most creators handle the marketing of their ebooks on their own, even though not all of them are experienced marketers.

So if you plan to carry out the promotion of the ebook on your own, take a look at the list of steps below that will help you achieve this.

1. Define the activities you need to undertake to sell your ebook online

To avoid acting blindly, try at the very beginning to consider:

• how long will you actively promote the ebook?
• how many people do you want to reach?
• what volume of sales is profitable for you? (the necessary minimum that makes spending time on the ebook make sense)

This will make it easier for you to set specific goals and actions that will help you achieve them. You might, for example, run intensive promotion for the first month, and then if the ebook achieves other goals, switch to a more passive sales model.

I**mportant! **Always take into account that your plans may... not work out and will require modification. That's why it's worth creating a framework, not a detailed step-by-step action plan that includes every smallest detail.

2. Choose the channels for promoting and ebook selling

I strongly encourage you to focus on those where you feel most confident and where you usually communicate with your audience. In the basic option, I would choose a set: newsletter (definitely!) + max. 1-2 channels on Social Media (e.g., Instagram + Facebook). This will prevent you from spreading yourself too thin and deliver better quality than if you were to share your ebook in absolutely every possible place.

3. Plan an ebook publishing calendar

When planning your e-book publishing calendar, consider how often and what type of posts you want to publish. Create a simple calendar that includes not only your social media posts but also your email newsletters. This structured approach allows you to prepare content in advance, ensuring a consistent and calm rollout of your marketing efforts.

Additionally, by planning ahead, you can align your content with key dates or events relevant to your target audience, enhancing engagement and effectiveness. This method is far more efficient than creating content spontaneously, which can lead to rushed decisions and uneven promotion. By having a clear plan, you can ensure a smooth execution that maintains momentum and keeps your audience engaged throughout the launch phase and beyond.

4. Prepare materials in advance

After the start of the ebook promotion, you will have your hands full (hopefully!). Potential customers will contact you with questions, orders will need to be handled, and those who decided to purchase will need to be taken care of. Therefore, it's worth preparing as many materials as possible in advance. You can literally write all the posts and create the appropriate graphics beforehand. And if later during the promotion there is a need, just add additional content to them.

5. Harness robots to help you sell ebooks

Did you know that having a ready publication calendar along with content and graphics, you can use automation to later publish them on their own at the time you choose? In the basic option, you can simply choose a tool like Buffer, which will enable this. And if automations in Make or Zapier are not foreign to you, you can even create a publication calendar in Notion and connect it with Buffer so that the content pulls into it automatically.

6. Keep your finger on the pulse

All the actions described above are meant to give you time to respond to what happens after the promotion starts. Maybe your customers will share information about the e-book on their profiles? Or ask you for details, e.g., in comments on Instagram? You never know what might happen, so it's worth having spare time to take advantage of such opportunities and, for example, share customer posts on your own and respond comprehensively to questions.

7. Overdelivery

Providing customers with more value than they expect is probably the most effective method to win their hearts and encourage them to generate positive reviews. Especially if what you add to the ebook after they buy it is available without additional charges. Example? The first version of the ebook "Everyday on Autopilot" had 80 pages. Today there are already over 200, and a co-author has joined the project, bringing tremendous added value. Each of the people who bought this first version has automatic access to additional content.

Step 8: Let automation help you sell your ebook on autopilot

Writing the content of a successful ebook is often just the tip of the iceberg. Especially if the creator is not proficient in online sales, and the ebook is more of an additional project than his main focus. Of course, we would all like to find ourselves in a situation where interest in the ebook is so great that it's not clear what to do with our hands. In reality, however, it's worth protecting yourself from such a scenario to ensure a proper customer experience for each interested person. After all, every satisfied customer can become a promoter of your product.

And what will help you secure time to care for customers (and launch your ebook easier) are automations. Their scope will, of course, depend on your skills, but below you will find a general list of activities that can happen completely without your involvement:

• immediate provision of the purchased e-book in PDF format or as a login-protected website
• securing the ebook with a watermark
• sending a sequence of emails to customers, e.g., asking for a review from https://app.easytools.pl/easylove
• high personalization of messages (e.g., by declining names)
• notifications of purchases and sales analytics
• advanced: "evergreen" sales

Step 9: Determining the right price to sell your ebooks online

Last but not least, let's talk about the price of your ebook. We've already crunched some numbers on how many ebooks you need to sell to make it profitable, but now let's focus on the pricing details.

Setting the right price for your e-book is crucial when you're selling directly to consumers in the competitive ebook market. There's a fine line between an ebook being too cheap and too expensive. If the price of your ebook is too low, especially if it covers extensive content, potential buyers might perceive it as lacking value.

Conversely, a very affordable ebook price can make the purchase decision easier for customers. However, let's consider the economics: if you decide to sell your ebook for $9.99, how many copies will you need to sell to cover the preparation costs and make reasonable ebook profits? On the other hand, if the quality of your e-book is exceptional and it brings great value, wouldn't it be smarter to sell 10 ebooks per month for $119 each rather than 119 ebooks for $9.99 each? Selling ebooks on your website allows you to experiment and find the best strategy to make your ebook hit the sweet spot in the market. This approach ensures you effectively sell online, balancing earning potential with market accessibility.

**Important! **It's always worth checking how much your major competitors are selling their ebooks for, but don't let this curb your aspirations. Of course, competitor analysis will help you make some initial assumptions about pricing, but if you're confident that your publication offers exceptional value and stands out, don't be afraid to adjust the price accordingly.

Start selling ebooks online - Summary

Selling digital products is a fantastic way to make money online. The vast number of ebooks available on the market today proves that virtually anyone can publish their own. However, it's important to approach this venture with a clear head. Creating an ebook is just the beginning; many ebooks on the internet never gain traction and are read by only a few. Before you start selling, ensure you understand the market well and have a solid plan to distribute your ebook effectively to its target audience.
To conclude, I've prepared a list of tools for you that will help you sell ebooks in the most efficient and smart way!

• Carrd.co, Webflow - creating a landing page
• Canva - preparing ebook graphics or social posts 
• Easycart - the easiest way to sell your ebook 
• Notion - managing your ebook project; creating an action plan and publication calendar
• Super.so - publishing a website based on a page in Notion (great for publishing ebook content - in combination with the login wall feature of Easycart, you can allow access only to customers)
• Airtable - storing order information 
• MailerLite - system for sending newsletters to customers
• Make.com (formerly Integromat) - automations
• Hemingway Editor - great for making the content more clear and easy to read