How to Make Money Selling eBooks Online: 12-Step Guide

Trying to make the most of make money selling ebooks? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.

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If you are looking for other ways to make money writing, then publishing an eBook is a excellent way to expand your income. You don’t need to be a professional writer, have perfect grammar, or have any publishing experience to get started.

Written by Jen Smith Last Updated: April 1, 2025 Reviewed by Jana Lynch

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A year into starting my first blog I knew two things: I loved writing and I’d made approximately zero dollars from it.

So I decided to self-publish a book.

But I didn’t just compile old blog posts into a book to sell on my website. I took the time to learn the ins and out of writing an eBook and selling it online, and I tried to be as strategic as possible.

I used ideas from writers who self-published before me and innovated some of my own marketing strategies. Some worked while others flopped.

But in the three years since I self-published my eBook, I’ve earned over $40,000 in passive income.

Selling eBooks isn’t simple money and it’s not for everyone. But if you already make money as a freelance writer or are looking for other ways to make money blogging, then publishing an eBook is a excellent way to expand your business.

Who Should Write and Sell eBooks?

Writing an eBook is a excellent way to make money blogging or try a new way to earn some side income.

You don’t need to be a professional writer, have perfect grammar, or have any publishing experience to make money selling eBooks, but there are a few criteria to consider:

1. You’re a subject matter expert. For nonfiction eBooks, you don’t have to be a writing expert, but you do need to be an expert in whatever topic you’re writing about. Fiction writers should be extremely knowledgeable about their genre.
2. You have a lot to say. When you self-publish, you can make your books as long or short as you want. That said, people are not going to be happy if your book is the length of a blog post. If you plan to sell your book, it should be at least 20,000 words for nonfiction. Fiction eBooks should be around 40,000 to 50,000 words.
3. You can maintain focus. Alternatively, if your book has 30,000 words that take you on multiple disconnected tangents, you haven’t helped or entertained your readers. You need to be able to maintain a clear and helpful focus to create a book that creates an impact. And for fiction books, you’ll need to make sure you have a solid plot that readers can easily follow.
4. You have a small amount of cash to invest in the project. Self-publishing is inexpensive but in most cases, it’s not free. You’ll want to budget at least a few hundred dollars for the project even if you plan to give away your book for free.

If this sounds reasonable, then your business may be ready to benefit from a self-published eBook.

Related: How to Become a Freelance Writer

How to Write and Design eBooks

The first part of making money from eBooks is to create one, but you need to figure out what type of eBook you’re creating. There are two types: eBooks that you give away for free or ones that people purchase upfront.

The ones that you give away for free are generally a bonus you offer to entice someone to sign up for your email list so you can sell them a higher-priced product or service later.

This doesn’t have to be a thousand-dollar product. Dana Shultz of Minimalist Baker does this, offering a free eBook featuring 20 of her most popular recipes. It allows new readers to immediately see what they can expect from her website and prime them to purchase her full-length cookbook.

The eBooks that people purchase upfront are typically held to a higher standard. The reader is likely very interested in the topic or a prolific reader, and you’re going to need to put a lot more work into this kind of book.

It’s up to you to decide which type of book you want to write based on what your end goals are. If your goal is marketing a high-priced course or service, then offering a free book is a excellent way to get your target audience on your email list. If you’re looking to make a profit from eBooks, then your strategy will be to create high-quality books that keep readers coming back.

1. Set a budget.

Decide how much you want , or can afford , to invest in your eBook. You can spend anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to tens of thousands of dollars to write, publish, and launch your eBook, so figure out what you can spend and still stay profitable.

When you decide your budget there are two expenses that you should prioritize over others: editing and cover design. Once you have those covered, the rest of your budget can be spent on other things.

Every good book needs a good editor, but you might also need a proofreader. If you’re on a tight budget, you can try to find an editor that will do both. You’ll need to budget from $200 to $1,000 or more for a 50,000-word manuscript.

Even if you’ve written an original and creative book with perfect copy, you’ll also need a high-quality book cover. Since people do judge a book by its cover, a rudimentary or unattractive cover may lead readers to assume the content is of poor quality as well. Try to budget anywhere from $100 to $400 or more to pay a graphic designer to create your book cover.

If you have money left in your budget, you can spend it on things like ads, formatting, and other book-related expenses.

2. Research and select a topic.

Everyone wants to start here, but it should come second. Since a book is an investment of time and money, you need to know your budget and do your research before picking your topic.

If you’re a fiction writer, research the genre you plan to write to find out what readers are buying, the tropes they enjoy, and read reviews of similar books. This will help you figure out how you can meet or exceed reader expectations or create something that seems lacking in that genre.

If you plan to write nonfiction, you should also do a comparison of their topic to some best-sellers. But it’s equally key to consider what you want to sell beyond the book. This will help position you as an expert when selling that product or service.

3. Write the book.

Create an outline and write a rough draft that makes a comprehensive resource or engaging story. It sounds simple, but this is where most people who think about writing a book become overwhelmed. It’s intimidating to think about writing an entire book, and numerous writers get stuck at this step.

It doesn’t need to be that way, though. Rough drafts are considered rough for a reason. Write the book the best you can according to your outline, but don’t overthink it. You’ll have plenty of time to fix the book once it gets to your editor.

Related: The 6 Best Freelance Writing Courses (According to Expert Freelance Writers)

4. Fact check, self-edit, and hire an editor.

Now is the time where your book goes from good to excellent. Prior to sending it to your professional editor, make sure you do some self-editing and fact-checking before putting the manuscript in someone else’s hands.

Your editor will then go through your book to make corrections and point out places for improvement. After it’s been edited, make sure you read through it to verify that it reads the way you want, everything is correct, and for fiction books, the plot is consistent and has no holes.

5. Format the book.

There are several formats your book will need to be in for various platforms. In general, a PDF is the bare minimum; this format is fine for free eBooks and eBooks sold on your website. If you want readers to have access to it on an eReader, you’ll n

Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check make money selling ebooks against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at dollarsprout.com.