online selling

Natives call it the digital era; for the rest of us immigrants, the new millennium seems more like a dark age. The fine craft of fiction writing may not be endangered – there’s still so much to be imagined, said and created – but readers’ indifference prevails. Sadly, this means that the good old days in which the difference between writers and publishing agents was apparent are now behind us. Those touched by the literary muse now need to know their fair share of marketing as well.

Not that there’s anything wrong with self-publishing; however unorthodox, this practise surely offers a couple of perks of its own. It’s all the newfangled concepts like content and blogging that sound awfully tedious to connoisseurs and artisans who work with words. Professional or not, writers of today can hardly escape publishing and reading streams of the digital age. And, in case they have selling in mind, getting familiar with the notion of an eBook cannot be avoided.

If scribbling is your passion and your skills are good enough to earn you a couple of bucks, this guide will help you become a paid writer in the paperless world.

Platforms vs Website

Not every literary buff can be a writer, but every writer is a literary buff, and we have to assume that you are too. If we’re right, then you’ve probably had your fair share of the Amazon Kindle Store. No, digital publication will ever replace that intoxicating smell that physical books have, but you must admit that, in certain occasions, they are quite convenient. Be it as it may, eBooks are what your readership wants, and something you’ll have to accept.

That said, you have to know that the ways eBooks are put to sale in the online environment differ depending on the purchasing platform. The aforementioned Amazon Kindle Store is the most popular solution, but is far from being the only one. Along with other significantly smaller eBook shops, writers can choose to sell their fiction without any mediator at all.

On-site book selling is not only a viable alternative to the practices established by industry moguls; in certain cases, it’s a better option.

Why Choose On-Site Selling 

Higher prices, for starters. By cutting off the middleman, you’re getting rid of additional costs as well, thus setting a realistic price and scooping all that you earn. Furthermore, you’re the only person in control of the publishing process, which allows you to stay on top of your launching schedule and choose the course most suitable to your own preferences.

Let’s think in marketing terms for a second – niche specialists differentiate organic reach from paid advertising, and most of them agree that the first option is more advantageous in the long run. The same comparison can be made between on-site and paid publishing: while the second is less risky, the first leverages the power of customer experience. By selling your books directly to your readers, you’re ensuring a more intimate relationship, built upon trust, loyalty and actionable feedback.

How to Launch An eBook Shop

Launching your own eBook shop might not be the easiest feat, but it will certainly pay off. The process itself will require building an ecommerce website and marketing your content. Since customer lifecycle and inbound marketing strategies are not something that can be briefly explained, we’ll focus on the first phase of your digital endeavour.

An ecommerce store is nothing more than a website with products on display and a payment system that regulates purchases. Since you won’t be selling dozens of products, but only a few of your works, you won’t be needing complicated procedures that most of the ecommerce stores require.

The only thing you’ll need to do, actually, is to find the best credit card processing companies on the market and secure your profits. Apart from that, the process is the same as with building any other website, so be sure to get acquainted with WordPress themes and everything they imply.

For your particular purpose, the best option is to start a blog with fragments of your writings, develop a marketing strategy that will spread the message on social media and offer the full-size eBooks for an additional price. Effective product descriptions and purchasing procedures may be indispensable when it comes to bulk ecommerce sellers, but you’ll have your abstracts, summaries and book segments to get potential buyers hooked and convince them to make a purchase. EBooks are digital goods, which means that no shipping solutions and expenses will be required.

From there on, your tour de force depends solely on marketing. Luckily, words are your strongest suit, and content writing won’t cause you any problems. Research your social media marketing options and share your content across all channels. If intriguing, engaging and original enough, your writing will sell itself.