What I Learned From Writing and Self-Publishing an eBook on Gumroad

People are willing to pay for content even if it’s available for free.

Writing an ebook starts with fear.

A fear that no one will buy and read it.

I bet every content creator goes through these fears before writing an ebook. However, only those who can overcome them eventually get published.

I was not an exception.

As a marketing expert and a content writer, I assumed I had a lot to share. But I did not dare to ask people to pay money for it.

University degrees and conventional jobs don’t teach selling skills for some reason. That’s why we are often so shy to ask for a well-deserved remuneration.

Years of writing on this platform and the top content creators’ journeys helped me gain the self-confidence to share my expertise with the world.

It turned out that writing and selling an ebook is a fun adventure that can teach a lot about leading an online business.

Here is what I learned from self-publishing my ebook on Gumroad.

For every seller, there is a buyer

Whatever you google online, you stumble upon hundreds of similar search results.

I sometimes think businesses and individual content creators copy high-ranking content, hoping to reach top search results.

Eventually, it becomes challenging for users to find content that actually answers their questions.

Same with books.

Barely someone invents the wheel. New books on the same conventional topics are published yearly.

For instance, here is what I see on Amazon every time I search for a new book about SEO:

As a marketer, who is well-aware of the topic, I often can not decide which book to buy cause they all look similar.

Yet, someone buys each of these books on Amazon.

It does not matter if you choose to write an ebook on a popular topic. Your story and unique experience are what readers are looking for.

It was a massive mindset shift for me.

I became open to sharing my professional, and personal experience with the world, and my ebook is proof of it.

If you hold a book idea deep inside, let it go out. Write your thoughts and let the whole world see them. You’ll be surprised how many people will learn from you and thank you later.

It’s not a money-printing machine

As much as I wanted my ebook to bring me decent income while sleeping, it did not happen. And I know why.

People are reluctant to pay money to anyone even if their offer seems attractive. They don’t know who you are and why they should trust you.

Furthermore, they don’t differentiate between you and someone else offering the same thing.

It’s not enough to publish an ebook to make decent money. Yet, many novice content creators still believe in this “pleasant-to-hear” lie.

I’ve made several ebook sales right after its publication because I had over 200 articles online, a Self Made Millennials website and decent content views on Quora.

Any online product or service requires consistent work and an engaged community to make sales.

Otherwise, an ebook will only serve as a great addition to your portfolio and proof of your expertise that makes some money occasionally.

If you want to make money selling ebooks, here is what you should do first, according to Tim Denning:

Build relationships with future readers who will buy your eBook by publishing free content so you can opt out of marketing if you choose.

People are willing to pay for content even if it’s available online for free

Joel Friedlander, a book designer, a blogger, and an author, repurposed 40 achieved blog posts for a 222-page book that is offered for $14.95 (print) or $4.99 (ebook) on Amazon.

Joel is not the only one who uses this trick.

I bet every content creator repurposes their content and publishes it as a book at some point in time.

Is it ethical?

Is it fair to ask for money for something available online for free?

I believe yes!

However, you might disagree with me.

Here is the thing, though.

People are busy and impatient most of the time. They have no desire to review many search results to find answers to their questions. That’s why they are eager to pay for the curated information with the author’s tips and experience.

Stressing specific problems and advertising a quick solution often leads to emotional purchases. It has worked in the past and will work in the future.

You are sold a hope that a particular ebook will help you solve your problems fast!

As a marketer, I knew that many specialists struggle to get their content to the first Google search result page. I knew it with my guts but never had data to prove it.

Since I have dozens of content views on this platform, I wrote a piece to validate my assumption.

“A simple way to write an article that hits Google search result” happened to be one of my most popular posts, which I turned into a 50-pages in-depth ebook.

Good news, it worked! Repurposed content can make sales even if it’s available online in one form or another.

Final thoughts

Several years of content writing and solopreneurship taught me that literally anything can be sold online.

Topic does not matter.

Competition does not matter.

What matters, though, is your unique experience and self-marketing.

I published an ebook on “How to hit Google front page,” knowing that thousands of experienced and novice marketers offer the same thing.

Yet, I make money from my ebook on Gumroad.

So, here is a quick action guide for anyone willing to publish an ebook:

• Find a topic you are passionate about and have related experience with.
• Write an ebook about it.
• Start selling it on Gumroad, Amazon, or elsewhere online.
• Promote it.

Remember, none of the sales you have is a coincidence or luck! They are directly linked to what you’ve done before!

Grab my 50-page guide to learn how I create blog posts that hit Google front page. You can easily replicate my 3-step process even if you are just starting.

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