How To Make Money Publishing E-books Online

Indie authors are becoming overnight sensations in the New York Times and USA Today, on Amazon, and everywhere e-books are sold, proving there’s no longer a stigma to self-publishing. Publishing your own ebook has never been easier and more profitable!

How would you like to have the title of ‘author’ added to your name without going through the difficulty of book publishing? With the technology of e-books, you could make money by writing your own books and selling them online.

What Is An Ebook?

E-books, as the name implies, are simply electronic books that can be compiled with special software and read on a personal computer (PC) or an electronic device designed specifically for reading e-books (e-book reader). E-book readers are becoming more and more common.

Benefits of Creating E-books:

There are so many ebooks available on the market today, covering every imaginable topic and catering to a different audience. In some genres, self-published e-books even outsell those from traditional publishers, because readers are looking for fresh new authors and stories that aren’t written using a formula. If you’re in business, an e-book can be your new business card and play an important part in your content marketing plans.

What Makes a Good ebook Publisher?

If you can use a word processor, have a book written—or have an idea for one—and want to see your name in print, you just might have what it takes to succeed in self-publishing E-books. A flair for writing is desirable or you feel you can share expert advice and information on a specific field. But of course, not any ebook will do. You will want to come up with one that will best appeal to your target audience.

Starting an ebook business online can be a profitable venture, especially when done strategically. Here are the key steps to launching your ebook business:

1. Choose Your Niche

  • Identify your target audience: Select a niche that you are passionate about and knowledgeable in. Some successful niches include personal development, entrepreneurship, faith-based content, health, or niche hobbies.
  • Research market demand: Use tools like Google Trends, Amazon Kindle Bestsellers, and keyword research tools to discover high-demand ebook topics.

2. Create or Source Your Ebook Content

  • Write your own ebook: If you are an expert or have experience in your chosen niche, write an ebook that offers value, practical advice, or solves a problem.
  • Hire a ghostwriter: If writing isn’t your strength, hire a freelance writer to create the content based on your ideas.
  • Use public domain content: Some entrepreneurs repackage content from public domain sources and make it more accessible or up-to-date.

Tips for writing a good ebook:

  • Focus on solving a specific problem for your audience.
  • Ensure the ebook is engaging, well-structured, and formatted for easy reading.
  • Keep the content practical, especially in areas like business or personal development.

3. Format the Ebook

  • Use tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or Scrivener to write and format your ebook.
  • Convert it to popular formats like PDF, EPUB, or MOBI using tools like Calibre or Kindle Create (for Amazon Kindle).
  • Ensure the design is visually appealing, especially with a good cover, as first impressions matter. You can create a professional-looking cover using tools like Canva or hire a designer from platforms like Fiverr or 99designs.

4. Set Up Your Website or Platform

  • Create your own website: You can use platforms like WordPress or Shopify to create an ebook storefront where you can sell directly to customers.
  • Join an existing platform: Many entrepreneurs use established ebook marketplaces such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Apple Books, Gumroad, or Etsy.
  • Set up a payment processor: If selling on your own site, integrate payment processors like PayPal, Stripe, or Square to handle transactions.

5. Price Your Ebook

  • Research the average prices of ebooks in your niche to stay competitive.
  • Consider offering tiered pricing, bundles, or discounts for multiple purchases.
  • Experiment with pricing to see what works best for your audience (lower prices may attract more readers, but premium pricing can signal higher value).

6. Market Your Ebook

  • Social Media: Use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to promote your ebook and engage with your audience.
  • Email marketing: Build an email list and nurture it with valuable content, then promote your ebook to your subscribers. Tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit are ideal for email campaigns.
  • Content marketing: Write blog posts, create videos, or host podcasts around topics related to your ebook. Optimize your content for SEO to attract organic traffic.
  • Paid advertising: Consider running Facebook or Google ads to drive traffic to your sales page.
  • Collaborations: Partner with other influencers, bloggers, or businesses in your niche for cross-promotion.

7. Collect Reviews and Feedback

  • Ask your first customers or readers for feedback and reviews. Positive reviews will increase trust and improve conversion rates on platforms like Amazon.
  • Implement feedback to continuously improve your ebook quality or release updated versions.

8. Scale and Grow Your Business

Automate and systematize: Use email marketing funnels, automated ads, and content scheduling tools to reduce manual work and grow your audience.

Create more ebooks: Once you have a successful launch, create additional ebooks in similar or complementary niches to build a series.

Offer complementary products: You can sell workbooks, online courses, or memberships alongside your ebooks.

Ebook Topics In High Demand

Ebooks or electronic/digital books are easily the most common and in-demand type of information products available today. This is probably because it is the easiest and cheapest of information product you can sell and buy. There are so many ebooks available on the market today, covering every imaginable topic and catering to different audiences.

If you have a flair for writing or you feel you can be able to share expert advice and information on a specific field, you can consider creating your own ebook and sell it in the market. You will want to come up with one that will best appeal to your target audience. Information marketing is one of the most rewarding businesses available today, with very little or no money required to get started. The demand for ebooks can vary depending on current trends, target audience, and niche markets. However, some categories of ebooks consistently perform well on the Internet: Below are the most popular Topics in Demand in the market today!

1. Self-Help and Personal Development

  • Books focused on personal growth, mental health, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness.
  • Popular topics include time management, goal setting, productivity, and self-improvement.

2. Business and Entrepreneurship

  • Ebooks on starting and growing a business, leadership skills, scaling a startup, and entrepreneurship, especially for niche markets like women entrepreneurs or online businesses.
  • Guides on how to use tools like SEO, digital marketing, and social media for business growth.

3. Health, Fitness, and Wellness

  • Topics such as nutrition, fitness plans, mental health, and holistic living.
  • Niche areas like veganism, keto diet, and intermittent fasting are particularly popular.

4. Spirituality and Religion

  • Christian living, Bible studies, devotionals, and spiritual growth books.
  • Niche faith-based topics like women in ministry, overcoming life challenges with faith, or practical theology are often in demand.

5. Financial Literacy

  • Ebooks covering budgeting, debt reduction, investing, and financial independence.
  • Topics such as managing personal finances, cryptocurrency, and how to make money online.

6. Marketing and Digital Skills

  • Books on digital marketing strategies, social media marketing, email marketing, and content creation.
  • Specialized topics like Etsy or Shopify success, running Facebook or Google Ads, and freelancing.

7. Parenting and Relationships

  • Guides on effective parenting, managing family life, homeschooling, and child psychology.
  • Relationship ebooks that offer advice on marriage, dating, and building strong family bonds.

8. Niche Hobbies and DIY

  • Ebooks on crafting, cooking, photography, gardening, or specific creative projects.
  • Instructional books for DIY projects, home improvement, or unique hobbies like knitting or woodworking.

9. Fiction

  • Romance, thrillers, science fiction, and fantasy novels remain popular.
  • Niche genres like young adult (YA) fiction, historical fiction, and dystopian fiction also have dedicated audiences.

10. Educational Content

  • Guides on learning new skills, such as coding, graphic design, or language learning.
  • Ebooks tailored to niche skills like online course creation or mastering tools like Excel or QuickBooks.

How To Copyright Your ebooks

Copyrighting your book prevents others from copying your work without your permission. This includes stealing ideas, characters, or plot. Copyrighting your book also protects your work from plagiarism and theft. To copyright your ebooks and protect your intellectual property when selling them online, follow these steps:

1. Automatically Protected by Copyright Law

  • In most countries, your ebook is automatically protected by copyright law as soon as you create it and it is in a fixed, tangible form (like a digital file or manuscript). This gives you exclusive rights over its use, including reproduction, distribution, and adaptations.

2. Register Your Copyright (Optional but Recommended)

  • While your ebook is automatically protected, registering your copyright provides additional legal benefits, such as:
    • The ability to sue for statutory damages and legal fees in the event of infringement.
    • A public record of your copyright ownership.
  • In the U.S., you can register your ebook with the U.S. Copyright Office online:
    1. Go to copyright.gov.
    2. Create an account and complete the registration form.
    3. Upload your ebook file and pay the filing fee (currently around $45–$65).
    4. Receive a certificate of registration.

For other countries, check the relevant copyright office’s website (e.g., UK Copyright Service, Canadian Intellectual Property Office).

3. Include a Copyright Notice

  • In your ebook, include a simple copyright notice on the first few pages. It should look like this:
    © [Your Name or Business Name] [Year] All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
  • This serves as a clear declaration of your copyright ownership.

4. Protect with Digital Rights Management (DRM)

  • Many ebook platforms (such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Apple Books, or Google Play Books) offer DRM protection. DRM limits unauthorized copying, sharing, or printing of your ebook.
  • While DRM is optional, it helps prevent piracy and unauthorized distribution of your ebook.

5. Trademark Your Brand or Title (Optional)

  • If your ebook is part of a larger brand (like a series or business), you may want to consider trademarking the title or your brand name for additional protection.

6. Use Watermarking or Tracking

  • For extra security, you can embed a watermark or unique identifier in each ebook file to track illegal distribution or use. This can help you identify the source of infringement if it occurs.

By taking these steps, you can protect your ebook from copyright infringement and ensure that you retain control over how it is used and distributed online.

Places to Sell e-books Online

You can sell your e-books through Online e-book retailers or through your own website. Some popular e-book sellers are:

iTunes:

Apply to the iTunes book’s account program. The service only accepts the epub format (and multi-touch).  ISBN is recommended but not required for any book you are offering on the iBooks Store. An ISBN uniquely identifies the book and its current edition and helps you to ensure that you are marketing the right book. The ISBN is also required for reporting your book’s sales to industry reporting agencies and charting organizations.

Learn More

Amazon Kindle

Amazon accepts epub format, independently publish with Kindle Direct Publishing to reach millions of readers. Get to market fast. Publishing takes less than 5 minutes and your book appears on Kindle stores worldwide within 24-48 hours. Make more money. Earn up to 70% royalty on sales to customers in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, India, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and more. Enroll in KDP Select and earn more money through Kindle Unlimited and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.Keep control. Keep control of your rights and set your own list prices. Make changes to your books at any time.

Learn More

Google Books 

Promote your books on Google—for free. Apply to the partner program. Submit the epub and pdf version (up to 250MB file size). No ISBN required, google will assign one after upload.

Learn More..

Nook (Barnes and Noble)

Publish your book on the popular NOOK eReader and your book will share virtual shelf space with the latest New York Times’ bestsellers, Pulitzer Prize winners, and time-honored classics.

Learn More

Sell From Your Website

You can always sell your PDF ebook from your own website. There are many different free e-commerce programs you can use to set up your own online store.

Which will mean you will no longer be splitting the profits with ebook vendors. Another positive of selling from your own site though is that you can set up your own affiliate program. This means that you can offer a commission to Internet users who are will to help you sell your book.

While this still means you will be splitting the profit once again, it also means that you’ll have the opportunity to recruit hundreds of people interest in helping you to sell your book on commission. Which in turn, can result in you selling countless copies that you wouldn’t have otherwise sold.

The downside about selling the books on your own is you’re vulnerable to pirating. And it means you may not have access to the large audience that you would have through the large ebook vendors.

Make Money Publishing Kindle e-books

Create and sell Kindle ebooks for amazon kindle and join the hundreds of thousands of writers making money selling kindle books. For fiction and nonfiction authors alike, publishing on Kindle is a valuable opportunity that shouldn’t be overlooked.

You can Self-publish eBooks and paperbacks for free by converting your books into electronic format with the Kindle Direct Publishing self-publishing tool. And you can sell them in the Amazon Kindle store and reach millions of readers on Amazon.

You can get your books to the market quickly and easily. Simply upload your content, enter the sales copy and pricing information, and in less than 5 minutes your book appears on Kindle stores worldwide within 24-48 hours.

And the royalty rates are great, you can earn up to 70% ebook royalties. Only there is one catch The royalty rate you get paid from Amazon for eBooks is 70% of the retail price if the price of your eBook is between $2.99 and $9.99. If your book is priced between $0.01 and $2.98 or greater than $9.99, you get paid 35% royalties.

On the upside according to Amazon’s 2019 review of its Kindle sales, there are thousands of self-published authors taking home royalties of over $50,000, while more than a thousand hit six-figure salaries from their book sales in 2018. What are you waiting for head over to the kindle direct publishing and begin earning money!