How to sell ebooks as a small business

If you’re interested in selling ebooks for your small business, there are plenty of people you can sell to. In fact, ebooks command more than a £393 million market in the UK, and 49% of heavy readers use them. 

Ebooks are easy to download and read from anywhere. Their accessibility means they can reach a wider audience without shipping costs. It’s a great way to earn money from your knowledge. But you may be wondering how to get started.  

This guide will discuss how to sell ebooks as a small business, including:

• What you’ll need to make ebooks
• How to write and create ebooks
• Where to sell your ebooks 

Before you can write your ebook, you’ll need to decide what to write about. If you already have a small business, the idea will likely be relevant to that company. For example, if you’re a successful graphic designer, you may want to write about that. Ask yourself what you can teach that people can’t find elsewhere. The more credibility and expertise you have, the more people might be willing to pay for your book.

Once you know what you’ll write about, research other books in that genre. Looking at sales numbers can help you determine what people are interested in reading. It can also show what gap you can fill. 

Research can help you focus your topic, but it can also determine your target audience. If you write an ebook about the wine industry, for example, you’re likely targeting people who are interested in wine. More specifically, you might target people who are either newly interested or already knowledgeable.

Your reader will help decide what language to use and which areas to cover. Plus, knowing your market size can help you create sales goals. This research will help you effectively market your ebook to increase sales opportunities. 

Once you plan how to sell ebooks, you can start putting yours together. We’ll cover the steps to making a professional finished product. 

Before you write the book, outline your ideas. This will help you decide what topics to cover and what research you’ll need to do before you write about this topic. You can also use your outline to decide which chapters you’ll have and how long the book will be. 

Planning your outline before you write will help structure your writing time. This will streamline the process and make your ebook writing more productive. 

You’ll need a computer and writing tool like Google Docs or Word Docs to write your ebook. Try to schedule your time well. For example, maybe you want to write 20,000 words. If you want to draft the book in one month, you may write for two hours or 1,000 words a day. This can organise your time to reach your goal. 

While writing your book, try to optimise it for search engines, so it is more accessible on the internet. By using SEO best practices, you can target keywords and add hyperlinks to the content. This will help your ebook rank when people search for similar topics. 

Once you have the book drafted, you’ll need to revise and proofread it for clarity. First, ask yourself if you covered everything in your outline and targeted the right reader. Then, have someone else read it to catch things you may have missed. Finally, use a proofreading software like Grammarly to make sure your ebook is free of major writing errors. 

To sell it online, you’ll need to format your finished book. Keep in mind that ebooks don’t need an ISBN, or International Standard Book Number. But, you will need to purchase an ISBN if you plan to sell a printed version. 

PDFs are an easy way to format ebooks. You’ll just need to save or download the file in PDF format. This way, people can easily download them on their computer, phone, or tablet after purchase. But, PDF is less efficient for reading than some other forms, like e-readers. 

You can find e-reader formatting software like Issuu or Draft2Digital, but if you sell on Amazon, you can use their ebook formatting tool. Using an e-reader format can make your book easier for digital consumption. People can swipe through pages, leave highlights, and use them on e-reading devices alongside their phones or computers.

Once your ebook is written and ready to go, you’ll need to list it to start making sales. There are a few places you could consider. 

One of the most popular options for selling ebooks is the Amazon digital book store. In fact, 79% of ebooks in the UK are sold on Amazon. The next most popular places are the Google Play store and the Apple Books store.  

Before you list your book on these platforms, determine a good price by looking at similar listings. Aside from selling your ebook on popular sites, you can also list it on your business website. By setting up a sales page, you can start bringing in money without a third party platform. 

To increase your sales, you’ll need to market your ebook. To do this, consider how the content in your book can help people. You can start growing your audience by posting about it on your social media platforms. 

Also, consider giving away some free copies of your book to encourage reviews. Positive reviews could spark interest from potential buyers. You can also provide buying incentives if you advertise discounts or sales. The more you get your ebook out there, the more sales you can earn. 

To manage the sales of your ebooks, you’ll need to have solid financial organisation. But, financial management can be stressful and time-consuming when you’re self-employed. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.