What if we told you that you could monetize your expertise into a six-figure sum with just a single ebook? Such a bold statement is hardly believable, right? Yet, it’s true. (You’ll see several examples in a minute.)
In fact, the number of ebook users is steadily increasing year to year. It is likely to reach 1.2 billion readers by 2029. At the same time, revenues in the ebooks segment are also growing worldwide and are projected to surpass $15 billion in 2025.
Wouldn’t you also like to join the ranks of ebook revenue generators?
This guide will teach you how to turn your expertise into passive income by writing an ebook that earns extra money. Follow it, and your knowledge and skills will pay dividends while you’re sleeping!
Can an Ebook Really Become a Passive Income Stream?
Absolutely! And it has already become such for many authors. Yet, their earnings vary dramatically. Some earn relatively modest passive revenues from ebooks. Others see more substantial numbers, passing the $100,000 mark every month, depending on where they’re distributing those and on what exact conditions.
Here’s where you can sell your ebooks to earn passive income.
- Your Website or Third-Party Websites
If you have a website, then you can simply create a landing page for your ebook and sell it there directly. For example:
Danielle Hu, a travel influencer and business coach, passively makes an average of $1,000–$5,000 monthly. This is all thanks to two high-value ebooks generating sales on her website.
However, if you don’t have a website, you can enter affiliate programs with third parties to place your ebook on their websites and earn passive income.
- Ebook Distribution Services
Ebook distribution platforms or services act as digital intermediaries between you and your target readers. They typically take a commission with different terms concerning ebook royalty rates. On average, you may keep 60-70% of what you make passively with their assistance. Of course, this rate largely depends on the platform.
Here are some of the top publishing platforms with great royalty rates:
For example:
Fernando Kfer, a polymathic creative professional, is earning passive income from several ebooks on poetry, psychology, and self-help published across different platforms. Becoming Your Best Self by Fernando Kfer is currently priced at $20 on Kotobee Books.
- Ecommerce Platforms
Another splendid option to make money selling ebooks is through digital marketplaces like the following ones:
For example:
Steph Smith, a growth marketer specializing in content marketing, made over $130,000 by selling her ebook, Doing Content Right, on Gumroad.
How to Create eBooks That Generate Passive Income
Let’s think realistically: you can’t simply write anything and toss it online, then wait until your digital creation starts generating passive income. You should take a strategic and well-thought-out approach to this process, drawing a step-by-step roadmap.
So, take a look at the following steps, from defining your niche and stirring up the idea to promoting your ebook and warming up your prospective customers.
Step #1: Define Your Niche and Explore Ebook Ideas
Are you a brilliant financial expert? Or, do you have a passionate love for cooking, gardening, etc.? Or, perhaps you’re running a business and can talk about its ups and downs for hours.
Whether it’s closely tied to your university major, hobby, or your previous/current occupation, here are several niches you might be proficient in:
- Personal Finance
- Lifestyle
- Entrepreneurship
- Marketing and Sales
- Innovative Technologies (AI, AR/VR, IoT)
- Health and Wellness
Now, peer inside your niche for specific ebook ideas. You may go to Google Trends and see what people are googling these days or what pain points they experience within your field’s scope. Your ebook may be the answer to their question/problem based on your unique expertise.
For example, two former Amazon employees, Daniel Vassallo and Josh Pschorr, put everything they knew about AWS (Amazon Web Services) into a short digital book, The Good Parts of AWS. It’s kind of a practical guide for professional cloud developers on AWS complexities, featuring detailed code examples. The result? It already hit $97,000 in passive revenues in 2020.
Step #2. Decide on the Title (And Prioritize “Evergreen” Variants)
You’ve probably heard this ancient wisdom pulled from the archives of human experience: “As you name the boat, so shall it float.” Similarly, you’ll definitely want to choose a unique title for your ebook so it can be easily found by readers, instead of collecting digital dust on some forgotten corner of the virtual shelf. You should also make your title captivating enough to grab their attention instantly. Do that by promising valuable information that won’t lose relevance over time. This way, your ebook will stay “evergreen” or ever-relevant to continue earning you money in five or even ten years.
For example:
Suppose you’re writing an ebook in education about studying ancient languages (say, Latin). Your target readers are students who learn Latin. So, your ebook title variants can be The Best Way to Learn Latin or How to Learn Latin – A Comprehensive Guide.
Pro tip: Go to Google Trends and see how the search query popularity changes over time to decide on the best variant for better ebook discoverability with time.
Step #3. Pick an Ebook Creation Tool
Even when using an ebook creator tool, you’ll still need to write (or type) the content of your ebook. What the tool automates is not the writing itself, but the formatting, layout, design, interactivity, conversion to different formats (like EPUB or PDF), and sometimes even publishing or distribution.
For example:
Zara Khanna, a passionate traveler, chose Kotobee Author for her travel writing based on her experience. Today, she’s earning passive income with an ebook, Zara’s Travels: From Scotland to Singapore, sold on Amazon.
Kotobee has recently added an AI content creation tool that generates texts, questions, or images that can help you add more value to your ebooks.
Besides, it allows you to import anything from Word, PDF, EPUB, or HTML. For instance, you may convert your blog posts into an ebook and summarize the key points.
Step #4. Craft a Visually Attractive Ebook Cover
Did you know that 57% of readers literally judge books by their covers? Such judging also applies to ebooks. So, if you want to create an ebook that generates passive income, you can’t skip this step. It concerns crafting your cover to grab attention and compel readers to buy it.
Here’s how to design an excellent ebook cover that not only grabs attention but also helps drive sales:
- Color: Remember that colors evoke a strong emotional response. For instance, blue hints at calmness and professionalism, whereas red stimulates urgency, excitement, and passion. So make sure the color palette of the cover renders your ebook’s message.
- Fonts: Don’t overindulge. Use two font families at most.
- Title and subtitle: Make them bold and highly readable. Yet, the subtitle should be smaller than the title.
- Visuals: Choose emotionally resonant, high-quality photos or illustrations—no blurry or generic stock images.
You can do this all alone or use ebook design services and let professionals transform your cover into a dazzlingly beautiful layout.
For example:
Look at this green cover with seed sprouts for Plant Anatomy, an ebook created by Kotobee’s designers to emphasize plants’ growth and vitality.
Step #5. Create Dynamic Experiences with Interactive Elements
The more interactive an ebook is, the more engaging it becomes. How exactly? It shifts your readers from passive reading to active engagement as they fill in forms, play mini games, or interact with the content in various ways.
Here are a few examples of interactive elements you can add to your ebook:
For example:
Let’s say you want to earn passive income from your financial expertise with an ebook, The Freelancer’s Guide to Invoicing and Getting Paid. You can embed an invoice video instruction or a currency converter (if you target an international audience working with multiple currencies).
Step #6. Promote It Early and Warm Up Leads
Even prior to publishing and before you start selling your ebooks to make passive income, you should shake the social hive, create buzz, and engage with your target audience.
Social channels are the first and foremost promotional stage. To promote your ebooks on social media, create posts with calls-to-action like “Pre-order my ebook” or “Join the waitlist.” This way, you’ll capture leads into your ebook sales funnel and begin warming them up earlier.
For example:
See how Mia O’Shea (@miatheecreatorrr) did it with an Instagram reel: “My ebook is on Amazon for pre-order! Go get it!”
Pro tip: You can also interact with your ebook leads via all-encompassing cloud communications tools like HubSpot or Pipedrive. Such tools help you keep everything synced in one place: email, SMS, chatbot, and social media management. For example, if you have a personal website, set up a chatbot to say: “Hey! Want a quick sneak peek into Chapter 1 of the upcoming ebook _____? Leave your email address, and I’ll send it to you.
Final Thoughts
It’s time to monetize your knowledge and earn money while you sleep. Write your ebook once—profit forever with Kotobee. It will help you do everything, from formatting your ebook to marketing it successfully, without pain and strain.
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