Use Cases
![[Customer Story] Why TestDome Considers FastSpring a Real Partner](https://fastspring.com/wp-content/themes/fastspring-bamboo/images/promotional/2023/FastSpring-TestDome-blog-thumbnail.jpg)
If you’ve been dreaming of creating an ebook about something you’re fiercely passionate about and want to share your expertise with the world, you’ve come to the right place. Heck, you’ve come to the right place even if you’re not sure what you want to write about; you just know you want to know how to make an ebook.
Who can blame you, since ebook sales continue to dramatically increase annually and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down.
The great news is that selling an ebook online is an entirely attainable goal. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people out there who value your knowledge and would love to absorb it.
So, what exactly is an ebook, and why is it any better than a regular book?
Why Ebooks are Valuable for Your Business
Ebooks are still books. They’re just digital versions that are available online for download. Any topic is fair play, as long as you can find your target market.
Regardless of what industry you’re in, your budget, or how experienced you are in creating an ebook, there are always new things to learn. Even when you’re convinced you know everything there already is to know, staying open to new information can help you develop your final product and marketing strategy.
When executed right, you can sell ebooks that will grab your audience’s attention and establish credibility in your area of expertise.
The next question then becomes how to sell ebooks. In this article we will go over the basics of how to get started including:
- How to choose an ebook topic you’re passionate about
- The importance of researching your ebook topic
- How to choose the best title for your ebook
- Selecting the right ebook format
- How to sell your ebook online
Choose a Topic You’re Passionate About
As Mia Hamm says, “If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion.” Having a passion for whatever you’re writing about will bring extra panache to the table. That’s why it’s a good idea to choose to write an ebook about something that you’re incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about. It will make all the difference!
If you have to spend long hours brainstorming over what your ebook should be about, then it’s time to simplify. Stop thinking about what your audience might want from you, and start thinking about what you want to offer them.
Usually, when you look inside yourself and choose something that you genuinely love, the words will start oozing out of you.
Simply put, the writing process will go much more smoothly if you dig what you’re doing.
Do Plenty Of Research
When spouting out facts in your ebook, don’t just expect other people to take your word for it. You’ll need to support your thoughts with concrete evidence. You must back up your ebook with experts in your field that can lend support to your claims.
Any time that you’re sharing your know-how on a subject with an audience, your topic should go beyond just your own experience. Providing facts to support your claims offers credibility that serves as the nuts and bolts of your claims.
Please don’t haphazardly heave information at your readers without finding compelling ways to keep them engaged. Clearly, state findings that will help contribute to your readers’ lives while keeping them interested. Hypothetically, your audience may not even be familiar with your field of expertise. Keeping them hooked is essential.
Choose the Right Title
They say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but sadly people will judge your ebook by the strength of its title. Choose wisely!
First, make sure that your title is an accurate representation of what you’re ebook is about- but make it interesting! Don’t be afraid to add a little flair to the title. Opt for one that will instantly catch people’s eyes and get to the point. Books that have a catchy or persuasive title are usually much more successful.
By opting for an attention-grabbing title, you’ll be well on your way to encouraging excited buyers to give you their money.
A great example of an engaging book title is one that uses magnetic yet straightforward language.
Don’t Get Discouraged
Throughout the writing process, it’s normal to hit obstacles. Everyone suffers from writer’s block once in a while. If you find that you’re having trouble completing an ebook, then you’re not alone. If you’ve never written one before, it can be downright daunting! Here’s the trick: don’t get too ahead of yourself.
Start small. Try to set a goal for your word count, and slowly make your way there. Make a point of sitting down to write every single day. Some days may be better than others, but with enough steadfast determination, you’ll eventually get it done.
Don’t worry about making it perfect before it’s completed, either. The idea is to get a full body of work first, then you go back and fine-tune it.
Another option to consider is hiring a ghostwriter to write your ebook for you. If paying someone else to do it for you is in your budget, it may be a great timesaver if your only goal is to sell ebooks online.
Proofread Thoroughly
There’s nothing that makes people want their money back like bad grammar and typos.
After completing your piece, go back and make improvements wherever possible. Revise, revise, and revise again. Proofreading is a critical part of trying to sell your ebook to customers. If you have misspelled words or incorrect grammar, it will detract from your credibility.
Proofreading is more than just typos and misspelled words. Even if there are no glaring errors, there are always more sophisticated ways to phrase things. Polish your book up! Put a bow on it. Add a little glitter!
You get the idea.
Proofreading is also a process of considering the flow and authenticity you’re presenting to your audience. What kind of tone do you have? Are you coming across the way you’d like to? Break it down and dissect it piece by piece until you’re absolutely sure there are no areas you could improve on.
Choose the Right Ebook Format
Once upon a time ebooks were almost always in PDF form. After all, PDFs are familiar, easy to make, and universally compatible on any computer. They can be limiting, however. For one, they can be challenging to read on smaller screens, and don’t offer much in terms of interaction.
Down the road, ebooks have branched out into many other formats that come with their pros and cons. To learn more about the different types of ebook formats that you can choose from, go here.
Create a Killer Design
Now that you know how to make an ebook, it’s time to put the icing on the cake. Regardless of what’s inside your book, your design will play a massive role in how appealing it is to audiences. Don’t waste your time settling for a mediocre layout.
Choose software that offers a smooth import of your content, plenty of design templates, and of course, logical editing tools. The last thing you want is to get lost in the process because you don’t understand the software.
Here are some handpicked links for choosing the best ebook design software.
Put your heart and soul into it and make sure that it’s a reflection of what you’re trying to convey. Above all, don’t be afraid to get creative and bring your ebook to life with innovative additions. You can add everything from dynamic graphics to videos! Research shows that interactive content converts considerably more than standard content.
However, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t dominate your book’s information with too much flair. Make sure that you keep your formatting straightforward and don’t go too overboard with the visuals. While creativity is essential, it’s also critical that you make it easy for your readers’ eyes to digest what they’re reading. Too many bells and whistles can steal the spotlight from your subject matter and even turn readers off.
For a more in-depth look at how to incorporate videos, widgets, or even 3D images into your ebook go here.
Sell Your Work
Now that you’ve got the final product, it’s time to start selling your work. There are several ways to do so. You can always sell your ebook directly from your own website using an ecommerce partner like FastSpring.
You also have the option to sell through a third-party site like Amazon, EBooks.com, and even Ebay. However, selling your ebook through your own site will give you greater control over your audience. Not to mention that third-party sites will never give you 100 percent of your profits, and you’ll be selling in a sea of competition.
However, please make no mistake about it; there is a learning curve for learning how to create an ebook store website. It will take a considerable amount of time and effort on your part. There are drawbacks to both ways of selling your ebook, which you’ll have to consider carefully.
To learn more about selling directly to consumers on your website, take a look at the guide, How to Sell Direct to Consumers(D2C). This comprehensive guide includes an overview of what D2C means for your business, why companies need to move beyond app stores and marketplaces and focus on D2C, and how to set your business up for success selling D2C.
Start Your Ebook Today
Now that you have a better understanding of the basics of making and selling an ebook online, it’s time to dive in. After all, what have you got to lose by diving into a potentially huge business opportunity with very low risk?
Many others have written successful ebooks, and so can you!
