I myself am an author who has been writing and selling e-books online since 2002. One of the things I asked about from time to time is cost; such as how much it costs to start selling e-books on the Internet. There are several answers to this question, because it depends on the outputs that you use.
The cost of selling e-books through large outlets such as Amazon
It could literally be worth $ 0 - yes, nothing! - sell your e-book online if you go along this route. All you have to do is write it and upload it. This is also true for other sites, by the way, for example, Barnes and Noble, Lulu, etc.
What I like about selling e-books through these “big boxes” is that they take care of all the backend papers for you, for example, processing returns, delivering to customers and paying membership fees. And you get the most profit.
Therefore, if you do not have your own website or blog, and you don’t want to receive it, you can very effectively sell these stores without any costs.
The cost of self-publishing and Selling e-books through your own website / blog
I sell my books on sites like the ones mentioned above, as well as from my own websites. Below are some of the costs associated with this route.
Digital Delivery Provider: This applies to services such as e-Junkie or PayLoadz. They automatically deliver your book to customers as instant downloads. Cost: $ 0- $ 10 per month, depending on who you go with and how many books you list with them.
Web hosting: Cost: $ 0-10 per month. For example, if you use a free blogging platform, it can cost $ 0. I do not recommend it, but if you are just starting out and have very limited funds, then this is definitely an option.
Domain Name Registration: The note: Less popular extensions, such as dot pw, are usually cheaper than those that end in dot com. Many of them may have less than $ 5 per year. Cost: $ 3 - $ 15 per year.
Online service: Many of us already have a cable / internet package for personal use at home, so this is the cost you probably already carried anyway. Cost: $ 40- $ 100 per month.
Other expenses for self-publishing
These are the basics; There are several other expenses, such as the design of the ebook cover (software or person); and editor / editor. Although it is not absolutely necessary to start - especially if you have experience in these areas - they are high recommended.
Conclusion
As you can see, when you deduct the cost of an online service, you can start writing, self-publishing and selling your own e-books online for less than $ 20 a month. And the good thing about self publishing is that you save all the profits when you sell through your own website; and its significant share (up to 70 percent) when publishing through large stores such as Amazon.
And so selling e-books on the Internet can be very profitable - even if you sell only a few hundred copies per month.
