Are you a blogger?
If so, you probably started blogging to say something you believe needed to be said. Perhaps you wanted to share your unique perspective on raising triplets or maybe you blog about personal finances, gardening or home repair.
Whatever your focus, you probably love writing. You might also have a legion of followers hanging on your every word. If so, it might be time you pushed yourself to write, publish and sell an ebook online.
Here’s why bloggers should consider self-publishing and selling ebooks.
It’s Easier Than You Might Think
Believe it or not, selling ebooks online is easier than you might think. Platform providers like Shopify allow for publishing and payment processing from the get-go, so you can start making sales right away.
Now, this is not to say that selling an ebook is easy – just that it’s easier than you might think. There is still a lot of work involved, including marketing your book. Fortunately, social media provides a low-cost method to expose your publication. For example, you can create a Facebook business page for your ebook or connect with podcasters interested in your subject matter. You may even have experience using social media to promote your blog posts. If so, you can use those same methods to point your audience toward your upcoming ebook.
You Already Have the Skills
The skills you need to succeed in e-publishing are – unsurprisingly – the same skills one needs to excel in the blogosphere. These skills include clear writing, eagle-eyed editing and an engaging voice. As a blogger, you are no stranger to these factors. So, in a way, you have a leg up on first-time writers.
Some bloggers even choose to republish their blog content as chapters for their ebook. If you are honest about this and call it out in your product description, most readers will be okay with repurposed content. Just be sure to also include some new content to make the purchase worthwhile.
If you are writing an ebook on a totally different topic than your blog, you should still push your current audience to check it out. It’s probably the case that some followers will be curious to learn more about your other works. But it’s also wise to follow up with new channels to widen your audience.
It’s a Good Way to Earn Income
Unless your blog hosts sponsored content and loads of advertising, it’s probably not bringing in a lot of income for you. Publishing an ebook is a better avenue for turning readers into real dollars.
Start by setting a reasonable price point for your ebook. If you are unsure, consider the costs of similar texts. For instance, if you are selling a self-published teen romance novel, find ebooks within your genre to determine a feasible price. Consider the number of pages, author popularity, whether the ebook has illustrations and the like. All of this plays a role in the total cost.
For the record though, going for volume is the best move. In other words, it is better to sell more ebooks at a cheaper price, than to sell almost no ebooks at a higher price.
eBooks Help Build Your Personal Brand
Right now, you might be “just a blogger.” But after you publish your ebook, you become an author. And that’s pretty exciting.
This kind of publicity can help cross-promote for your blog, thus giving more legitimacy to your name as a brand. Your social media profiles should be updated to say, “author of Poison Garden: A Guide to Nightshades & Other Poisonous Plants and full-time blogger at BiggerBadderGarden.com,” or what have you.
Excited about self-publishing and selling your own ebooks yet? Then get writing!
