One of the best things about an ebook is that virtually anybody can make it. Ebooks are also a great digital product to sell on the internet because they can be made on a small or a large budget. The first step to writing an e-book is to find a nice topic to write about, preferably something you already have knowledge about. So, if you’re knowledgeable or competent in a particular subject, you’ve already gotten off to a great start! But don’t worry if you don’t think you have enough knowledge or experience in the field to write and sell ebooks on it. There are still options, and creating and selling ebooks online is still possible.
Are you ready to get started? Let’s go then.
What can Ebooks be about?
The subject options for writing your e-book are endless! It is profitable to publish an ebook as long as there is a demand for the topic!
Most people have sufficient competence and knowledge to write an ebook on a specific topic. You may register an ebook about a topic related to your profession, a hobby, or simply the foods or activities you like doing.
To write and sell an ebook, you don’t even need to be an expert or have any certifications related to the subject. If you’re honest with your readers and tell them right away that you’re not an expert and that your ebook is wholly based on your own opinions, you won’t be fooling them.
These are significantly fewer steps to get you started—they may or may not relate to you, but they demonstrate the breadth of ebook content available.
Because your product is available globally, your ebook’s topic might be relatively niche—it doesn’t have to be something everyone would buy. This allows you to focus on a specific place while selling to a large audience.
Let’s get right to work computing out how to make an ebook.
The book’s content and the ebook’s design are the two elements that make up an ebook. Let’s take a more in-depth glance at each of these points.
Phase 1: How to write an Ebook?
Textual material for your ebook can be created in a variety of ways, including:
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Write it yourself
Writing your ebook makes sense because it will most likely be about your own experiences, abilities, or expertise. What could be more beneficial to the reader than receiving information from the source? This is an excellent option if you have basic writing skills and a good understanding of language and punctuation. After all, you want your ebook to appear as professional as possible, so knowing basic grammar and punctuation can help a lot. Apps like Grammarly may help you find mistakes you might not have seen otherwise.
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Hire writers
If you aren’t a confident writer or don’t have the time to create your ebook, hire a writer. This way, you can give them all of the stuff you want them to cover, and they’ll be able to put it into an ebook. iWriter, Upwork, Fiverr, and FreeUp are just a few places where you may find authors.
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Compile interviews, Research and case studies
You don’t have to write everything in your ebook; you may use information from several places, including interviews, research, case studies, and even testimonials and quotes. You must get legal authorization to include any copyrighted content in your ebook.
A note on Copyright and Plagiarism
This brings us to a crucial point: plagiarism and copyright.
When developing content for your ebook (both written and graphic), it must be made by you, or you must have the appropriate licenses to use someone else’s in your ebook, and you must include proper citations to avoid plagiarizing or infringing on anyone’s copyright. If you’re not certain if a work is protected or if you need someone’s permission to use it in your ebook, ask them nevertheless. It’s consistently preferable to be safe than sorry.
We are not recognized legal consultants, so we can’t provide you with official legal advice on this; nonetheless, we encourage you to do your due diligence to ensure that your ebook isn’t plagiarized and is unique to you. If you employ a writer or utilize stock photos in your ebook, be sure you have the necessary authorization to use their work in a product you’ll be selling. Their work is unique and doesn’t plagiarize anybody else’s.
Phase 2: How to design an Ebook?
There are multiple options for creating an ebook, including doing it yourself using various types of softwares or paying a professional to do it for you. If you want to make your ebook, you may do it with the following programmes:
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Canva
Canva is a beautiful alternative for those who are new to design. They provide several ebook templates to choose from, which you can customize and fill with your content. If you’re examining for a quick way to get started with easy software, Canva is a terrific place to start.
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Adobe Photoshop
You may create your ebook with Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator if you have a little more design experience. This option requires programming knowledge, so you know what to do and how to accomplish it, but it also allows you to develop an ebook design that is unique to you because you’ll be starting from scratch. This is usually a good choice if you’re already familiar with Adobe technology. Check out Skillshare’s Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator tutorials if you’re unsure where to start.
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Creative Market
If you want the ability to create a custom ebook while still making it easier than beginning from scratch, this is the best option. On Creative Market, you can get ebook templates that you can customize with tools like Canva or Adobe InDesign to place your content into a template and go on quickly. It makes it simple while seeming entirely professional, ensuring that your ebook has the best possible chance of success.
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Use a text document.
Create your ebook in a text document to keep it simple. Most ebooks are PDF files (we go over this in more detail in the “How to Save Your Ebook” section below), so go ahead and build your ebook in Word, Pages, or a Google Doc! While buying an ebook that has been meticulously produced with images, illustrations, and other visual assets is a pleasant experience for your ebook reader, if your audience wants to read what you have to say, deliver it to them in plain text. Always go with your gut!
Finally, if you don’t have the time or skills to produce your ebook, you may always hire someone to do it for you. To take over the design process, look for ebook designers on freelance sites like Upwork, Fiverr, or FreeUp.
How much does it cost to make an Ebook?
The best part about producing ebooks is that they are pretty inexpensive to manufacture. You could go all out and hire professional authors and designers to create your ebook and purchase high-quality stock photos, but you don’t have to. Several programmes may help you create a very professional-looking ebook without spending a lot of money.
As a result, ebooks are an excellent low-cost eCommerce option. Ebooks might be a good option if you’re starting a business on a shoestring budget and need a low-cost product to offer. You may produce an ebook without spending any money if you want to.
However, if you have a budget for developing your ebook goods, you should be aware of the following costs:
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Hiring writers
Hiring a writer on Upwork costs from $20-$40 per hour and may cost as much as $125 per hour.
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Hiring designers
Hiring a designer to develop an ebook for you on a marketplace like Upwork might cost $35 and $65 per hour.
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Paying for software
If you want to make your ebook, you’ll probably need software like Canva (free to use, but you’ll require a Pro account to access all parts, which begins at $9.95 per month) or Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator (per cost $20.99 per month or select the $52.99 per month program to get admission to all Adobe apps).
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Purchasing templates
For developing your ebook using a template, Creative Market offers a variety of options, with most costing between $16 and $40 for a commercial license. However, depending on the number of ebooks you intend to sell, you must purchase the proper support.
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Purchasing stock photos
You may use stock photos from various sources, including Creative Market and any of the sites listed in our 200+ Graphic Design Resources list. A single photograph might cost anywhere from $2 to $10 or more, while a collection of pictures can cost $20 to $40. Make sure you select the right licensing option once more.
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Outsourcing custom graphic source design
A graphic designer would charge you between $20 and $60 per hour for unique graphics or illustrations.
Phase 3: How and where to sell Ebooks?
You’ll need a location to sell your ebook once you’ve created it and are ready to publish it. There are a variety of additional venues to market an ebook online, but we’ll focus on the most common. You may sell your ebook through one or any of these methods—the option is yours!
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Sell Ebooks on your website.
Selling their ebook on their website is a standard option, especially for eCommerce business owners. You can either construct a basic landing page on Card with a call-to-action button to purchase the ebook and then send the customer a link to download it, or establish an online shop with Shopify and utilize their Digital Downloads tool to sell and download your ebook. Alternatively, you may construct a WordPress website and sell and download your ebook using a plugin like Easy Digital Downloads.
Other options exist, but selling your ebook on your website provides you complete control over your product and brand and immediate contact with your customers. The main downside is bringing traffic to your website yourself, which might be challenging if you don’t already have a following.
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Sell Ebooks on Amazon Kindle Books
It’s free to publish on Amazon Kindle, and it gives you access to Amazon’s large user base, making it simpler to get people to buy your book.
It’s essential to note that the EPUB file format is incompatible with Amazon Kindles; AZW, AZW3, KF8, and KFX are recommended. Go to the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing page to discover more about self-publishing on Amazon Kindle.
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Sell Ebooks on Apple Books
Apple Books is Apple’s main digital book store, and you may use their platform to self-publish your ebooks. Visit their Sell Your Books page to submit your book.
The main file types supported by Apple Books are EPUB (which may be authored with Apple Pages) and iBooks.
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Sell Ebooks on Google Play Books
Both Android and iOS devices may use the Google Play Books app, which supports EPUB files. You may just self-publish your ebook on their website; however, “seller sign-ups” require you to live in a country they support. Visit their How to Sell a Book on Google Play: A Checklist page to learn more.
Wrapping Up
We wish this post has cleared things up for you if you’ve ever wanted to write an ebook and sell it online but weren’t sure how.
To summarize, the following are the phases and steps involved in making an ebook:
- Determine the topic of your ebook and whether you want to write it yourself or pay someone to do it.
- Create the material for your ebook.
- Create your ebook graphics or get someone to do it for you.
- Logically arrange your ebook.
- Make sure your ebook includes multimedia to make it more exciting and valuable.
- Make an ebook version of your ebook (usually PDF or EPUB)
- Choose where you’d want to sell your ebooks.
- Appropriately price your ebook offerings.
- Make your ebooks available for purchase!
Also Read: 10 Must-Read Books for Startup Success
