I Sell My Expertise on Gumroad, Working 0 Hours — Here Is How

The beginner-friendly way to make money online

May 28th, Saturday, was one of my first days off in a year that I spent outside, having fun with friends and eating ice cream.

I usually work on side hustles on weekends, but I gave my mind a chance to rest this time.

After all, a busy mind is the biggest enemy of creativity.

Suddenly, I got this notification, which made me happier that day.

I realized that I didn’t only spend money on weekends. I actually made money working zero hours.

One sale after another, without me being directly involved in the sales process, earned me over $260 on Gumroad in the past months:

Where does this money come from?

In April 2022, I put together an ebook where I shared my marketing experience and explained how I write blog posts that rank on the Google front page.

As a marketer and writer, I’ve experimented with content formatting and optimization for three years.

During this period, I’ve helped a brand new hospital move its local business online, launched my website, and learned that an entire business could be built around one article.

The time has come to write an ebook about it.

This idea did not come to me on its own, to tell you the truth.

I’ve read many stories on Medium about how writers make four, five, and even six-figure revenue by selling ebooks online.

They write it once, put it for sale, and regularly make enough sales to sustain their living.

The idea was absolutely stunning, so I decided to try it.

I brainstormed what people might want to know about SEO writing, validated my ebook idea, and wrote an in-depth guide in Canva:

On April 10th, my ebook was live on Gumroad.

If you have not heard about Gumroad yet, it is a digital self-publishing marketplace where you can buy and sell different types of digital products.

I chose Gumroad to ensure flawless selling and buying experience.

Gumrod manages all administrative hustles like a sales page creation, payment system setup, etc.

As a content writer, I could focus on things that matter to me — helping people make their lives easier and better.

I put up a simple selling page with a persuasive sales copy to help prospects make a purchase decision.

The outcome?

I passively make money selling my ebook on Gumroad these days.

You don’t need to be an expert to make money on Gumroad. The platform was created to help you go from 0 to $1 regardless of your background and experience.

According to Sahil Lavingia, Gumroad founder and CEO:

“People need a way to pay rent.

It’s not, ‘Aw, I had to pay 10 bucks for this album when I could’ve gotten it for free.’ It’s, ‘I get to give this artist that I really like 10 dollars. And if enough people do it, this person might just create way more stuff for people.’

It should be a win-win for everybody.”

I am writing this story while sitting on a balcony, stress-free and enjoying the sunshine.

I am about to become a full-time creator in a month (shhh, it’s still a secret) because I’ve already realized the power of writing.

If you want to take the leap into self-employment, here is how you can sell your experience on Gumroad.

Sell your expertise on Gumroad with these 4 steps

1. Create a digital product

It can be an ebook, a checklist, a guide, a course, a presentation, or anything else. You choose!

If you are unsure what to sell, I reviewed the types of products that can be sold on Gumroad in this post. It should help you get started.

One essential thing to remember, though, is this:

If you figured out anything that makes your personal or professional life better, sell it!

Your tips might help others improve their lives too.

People are willing to pay to solve their problems. They want to make sure it will work out.

If you promise that your product will help them achieve X and Y, keep it!

We have enough clickbait these days. Better create something valuable.

2. Set up your profile

It takes a few minutes to set up an account on Gumroad.

You are only required to do three things to get started: (1) upload your photo, (2) write your bio, and (3) indicate your user name.

Once you are done, your profile will be available under the following URL:

username.gumroad.com

Here is what my Gumroad profile looks like:

The Gumroad profile is super clean.

You can only see my name, bio, ebook offer, and subscribe button as a user.

You neither need a website nor coding experience to sell on Gumroad.

Its functionality lets you quickly create a selling page, write a copy, upload your product (or paste a link) and share it with people worldwide.

3. Ask your friends for a favor

People trust people.

Therefore, your product will earn more trust if people say anything positive about it.

I am pretty sure you check testimonials before purchasing anything online. You trust customers but not sellers.

If the product is a piece of sh*t, people will mention it somewhere anyway.

An online reputation can either make or break your business. Therefore, it’s essential to take care of it.

Ask your friends to review your ebook and share their thoughts about it. If they find it insightful, add it to your sales page on Gumroad like this:

4. Don’t be silent; speak up

If you write on Medium, promote your ebook in your stories.

Talk about your ebook in the Quora answers if you write on Quora.

Active on social media? Great! You can let the world know that you launched your first digital product with one post.

There is no right or wrong way to promote your digital product. You can be as creative as you want.

Besides Medium, Quora, and social media, you can explore any of these ideas:

• Build an email list and promote your ebook in the newsletters.
• Guestpost on other websites.
• Collaborate with influencers in your niche.
• Build and grow your website (like I did).
• Advertise your ebook.

Final thoughts

Years of marketing and content writing taught me that anything could be sold online.

Topics do not matter.

Competition does not matter.

What matters, though, is your experience and selling skills.

I published an ebook on “How to hit Google front page,” knowing that hundreds of books on the same topics are sold online.

Nevertheless, I make money from my ebook on Gumroad.

Here is an action guide for anyone eager to write and sell an ebook:

• Brainstorm what makes your personal or professional life better.
• Write an ebook about it.
• Sell it on Gumroad.
• Promote.

Grab my guide to learn how you can make your first $1,500+ from selling ebooks on Gumroad.

You can get full access to every story on Medium for just $5/month by signing up through this link.

Your membership fee will directly support me and other writers on Medium to keep creating helpful content for you. :)