Most people will agree that writing an ebook is a great way to make money online. The demand for ebooks is through the roof, and if you can write one good enough, you can make a decent chunk of change.
You may wonder, though, when is it time to actually write your ebook? What skills do you need? How much should you charge? Is this the right time to write an ebook for your passions? Let’s explore this further.
The Demographics Of eBook Readers
If you’re looking to write an ebook to sell, you’ll want to target a specific audience. Luckily, you also have the option of general distribution, which will allow you to target as many people as possible. Regardless of your chosen method of distribution, it’s important to determine who your ideal reader is. Here are the demographics of eBook readers according to a 2017 report from the Publishing Institute.
Male
In 2017, 78% of eBook readers were men. This is a large increase from the 72.4% in 2016 and the 68.3% in 2015. What’s interesting is that even among men, the interest in reading eBooks has decreased. In fact, the largest group of male eBook readers are now 55-64 years old. This reflects the fact that men traditionally prefer reading physical books, and sales of eBooks among this group have decreased. Younger generations have largely replaced them.
The desire to read eBooks among men has decreased significantly. Some of this may be due to the explosion of digital reading platforms and the increasing distraction of smartphones. Men are now able to get the content they need while on the move. This makes reading a physical book unnecessary, and as a result, decreases their desire to read one. The younger generations have largely replaced them.
Female
Amongst female readers, interest in eBook reading has increased from 76.8% in 2016 to 78.3% in 2017. This is perhaps due to the fact that women have traditionally been the ones doing the reading and therefore have a greater interest in content that they enjoy. Younger generations have also helped to fuel this trend, with 77.2% of Gen Z stating that they read eBooks. This compares to 64% of millennials and 58% of baby boomers who reported the same. What’s important to note is that amongst all generations, interest in eBook reading has increased. The reason for this is that the content available on digital reading platforms has increased, and therefore, more people are able to enjoy reading.
Gen Z
The biggest group of eBook readers are now coming from the millennial generation, with 77.2% stating that they read content on their phones. This is compared to 64% of Gen Z, 58% of millennials and 56% of baby boomers. What’s interesting is that although this group represents just 16% of the total population, they’ve managed to influence the reading habits of the entire population. This is largely thanks to the content that is now available on digital reading platforms. With more people able to read content on the move, there’s more opportunity for people to find content that they enjoy. This has helped to increase the appeal of eBook reading amongst all generations.
What’s significant is that even amongst those who don’t read eBooks, 92% of people agree that it’s a great way to discover new content. This shows that there’s still plenty of interest in physical books, but the desire to read content on the move has increased. People are now looking for content that they can consume on the move and enjoy while on the bus, train or plane. This trend will only continue to grow as more and more people get caught up in the “content bubble”.
Millennials
With so much content available on smartphones and digital reading platforms, it’s easy for content to be overlooked if it’s not available on an app or a different device. This is why it’s so important to create content for all digital platforms, not just for a selective audience. What’s more, it’s important to ensure that every single detail of your content is perfected before releasing it. You’ll likely encounter issues with regard to formatting and language later on after the fact and will be forced to edit everything. This is why it’s essential to have everything perfect the first time around.
Baby Boomers
The generation that followed the baby boom, known as the baby boomers, are now on their third life stage, with 55-64 year olds making up 29.7% of the population. Although they make up the largest group of eBook readers, they represent the least affluent demographic within the group. Only 55% of baby boomers have a high school diploma, as compared to 74.1% of the total population. What’s important to note is that even amongst this demographic, interest in eBook reading has increased.
What’s interesting is that in 2019, 68.3% of the population will be aged 55 or over. This is the largest group of readers that you’ll ever face, so it’s important to understand what moves them. In the case of the baby boomers, it’s evident that technology has enabled them to keep up with the ever-changing world of modern society. Older generations have been able to keep abreast of trends and have adapted to new ways of living and working. This will undoubtedly continue as the world continues to evolve.
Aside from the changing demographic of eBook readers, there are a range of skills that you’ll need to possess if you’re looking to write an ebook. As well as having a solid command of the English language, you’ll need to know how to craft an outline, write a synopsis, and design a cover.
Basic Computer Skills
If you’ve ever written a blog post or article for your own leisure, you’ll know that it takes a lot of time to research the right words and write your content. To put it simply, content marketing isn’t something that just happens. It takes a lot of work to make something worthwhile. The same is true of an eBook. In order to write a good eBook, you’ll need to do a lot of research and put in the work to make sure that each and every word is chosen correctly. Even after the fact, you’ll need to go back and edit your content for any spelling errors or factual inaccuracies. Aside from taking time to perfect your content, you’ll need to know how to use a computer to efficiently write your eBook. This entails the ability to create a word processing document, use a spellchecker, and navigate online using a search engine or a web browser.
Marketing And Sales Skills
If you’re looking to market and sell your eBook, you’ll need to consider your approach. The type of marketing that will work best for you will depend on your target audience. If you’re trying to sell your eBook to the general public, you’ll want an aggressive digital marketing strategy to get the word out. This could include paid ads on social media, email marketing, and Google Adwords. In the case of eBookselling platforms like Amazon, you’ll also want to set up shop on their affiliate program. This will enable you to earn a commission on each sale that comes from your affiliate links.
When it comes to pricing, it’s important to consider your target audience and the economic climate. In most cases, a shorter ebook will be more profitable. The majority of the market for eBooks is currently made up of short-story collections, followed by how-to-guide eBooks and novels. The top earner in this sector is often the person, platform or blog that can produce the most content in the shortest amount of time. Creating an eBook doesn’t have to be expensive. It can often be done for free using online tools like Hubbot or Printful. From there, you can hire freelance writers to help you flesh out your content. As an independent contractor, you’ll have the ability to set your own hours and take on as much work as you can handle.