The advent of the digital era has changed how we live and operate. We prefer WhatsApp over long, draining phone calls across international borders. We skip excruciating lines at the mall by choosing to shop online. There’s so much we can do with just a single click (and why not?), including activities like reading. Thanks to the ease and convenience of the internet, EBooks have become a huge, money-making online venture with a significant readership all over the world.
If you’re a stickler for the traditional way of reading, you’d be surprised to know just how lucrative EBooks are. As of 2020, EBooks had a global market share of a whopping $18.13 billion! Any entrepreneur has the chance to bag a share of that market, albeit with the right techniques. If you go by the statistics, writing EBooks is a profitable side hustle that you just can’t disregard. More so today, thanks to the wide array of EBook publishing platforms like Amazon and Kindle.
If you’re hoping to break into this market, we’re here to help you out. Since EBooks are still a relatively new concept, this guide will shed light on the untapped ways to make money by selling EBooks in 2022. There are three areas that you need to focus on, including writing, publishing, and marketing.
Table of Contents
Choose A Specific Topic
When you put pen to paper (so to say), you should choose a specific niche. While choosing a popular topic will provide value, it will also increase your competition. Why would a reader choose your EBook over the hundreds of others on, say, a basic topic like ‘how to make money?’ Instead, play it smart and narrow down your target market.
The more specific your niche, the lower your competition. You might instead write on ‘how to make money with a side hustle’ or ‘how to make money blogging?’ This will ensure that people looking for similar content will find your EBook relevant with a single search on Google.
Don’t Forget to Proofread!
When drafting content, you should follow the protocols of any kind of writing, like making it engaging and interesting. If you’re not confident in your writing skills, you can hire an EBook writing service to optimize your content to rank higher on Google. After writing the book, you shouldn’t rush into publishing.
Instead, take time to proofread the content to correct any grammatical or spelling errors. Nothing makes a worse impression for an EBook writer than releasing a book riddled with errors! If nothing else, simply run the content through Grammarly.
Add Authoritative Links for Marketing
If you want to make money selling EBooks in 2022, you want to increase the viewership as much as possible. EBooks are a lot different than conventional books. You want to ensure that people see this EBook as an authoritative and accurate source of information. That’s only possible when you use high-traffic links and research so that other websites are forced to use your EBook to link in their articles, effectively marketing your content.
Some authoritative sources that you can use include JSTOR, Harvard Business Review, Google Scholar, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg, to name a few. This link-building will help market your EBook to people looking for similar content and increase the chances of a sale.
Optimize Your EBook for Smartphones
Research shows an estimated 6.6 billion smartphone users exist in 2022, and approximately 54% of people read digital books on their smartphones. Knowing what your reader likes will increase the chances of sales. Hence, the key is optimizing your EBook for smartphones. There are two ways to do that. Firstly, you should choose the right publishing formats like ePub, AZW, and PDF that are considered universal and easily usable on any device. The next step is to ensure the EBook format for increased readability.
The biggest impediment to a mobile phone reading experience is the limited screen space. Throw in poor formatting, and you’re ready to lose a major chunk of your readers! The reader of today is smart and aware. They aren’t just looking for good content, but a comfortable overall experience. Enhance this reader experience by choosing a readable font like Times New Roman, Ariel, and Courier. In addition, choose a 12 pt. or 14 pt. font size for clear visibility, regardless of the device your reader uses.
Choose Popular Publishing Platforms
Given how crazily people are buying and reading EBooks, you’ll find a plethora of EBook publishing platforms. You’d find that many EBook writers publish their book on Amazon KDP and then an aggregate site as well. However, the higher the number of platforms you have to deal with, the more the hassle! Here are some of the best EBook publishing platforms of 2022 that are hugely popular for you to choose from:
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): widely popular/huge readership
- Barnes & Noble Press: Tried and trusted
- Blurb: complete EBook creation and selling platform
- Payhip: several EBook marketing features
- Visme: readymade EBook templates
Final Word
EBooks are the new goldmine of 2022. With the right tactics, you can write and publish an EBook that will get the readership and revenue you’re hoping for. With one successful EBook launch and sale, this low-cost and high-profit side hustle can soon become a full-fledged career. Take the plunge today and mint money through the convenience and accessibility of the internet. If you don’t have the time or expertise, hire an EBook writing service to help you take advantage of this raging trend.
