How to Write an Ebook and Sell It

To write an ebook, pick one narrow problem and one type of reader, outline the chapters before drafting, then write, edit, format and design a cover in that order. Knowing how to write an ebook is only half the job, though: you also need to choose where to sell it, set a price that survives the platform's cut, and get it in front of readers.

This guide walks through both halves, with the platform rules and fees as of 2026. It's written for practical, nonfiction ebooks, the kind people buy to solve a problem.

What makes an ebook worth buying?

People buy a nonfiction ebook for a specific result, not for information they could find in five minutes of searching. The narrower the promise, the easier the ebook is to write and to describe.

Compare:

• "A guide to gardening" (broad, crowded, hard to finish)
• "Grow salad greens on a small apartment balcony, from seed to first harvest" (specific reader, specific result)

To check demand, search Amazon's Kindle store and the marketplaces where your reader shops. Look for similar titles that are selling, and read their reviews. Two- and three-star reviews are the most useful: "too basic", "outdated", "no real examples" are gaps you can fill.

How do you plan and outline an ebook?

Write the promise first, then the outline. An outline turns a vague "I'll write a book" into a list of small, finishable pieces.

1. Write the promise in one sentence: who it's for and what they'll be able to do after reading.
2. List the steps a reader must go through to get that result. Each step is usually a chapter.
3. Under each chapter, write three to six bullet points: the key ideas, examples and actions.
4. Add the extras readers need: a short introduction, a checklist or summary, and a "what next" page.
5. Cut what doesn't serve the promise. Save it for a blog post or a second book.

How long should an ebook be?

There is no required length. A focused guide can be short if it fully delivers the result; padding makes it worse, not better. Write until the reader can do the thing, then stop.

How do you write the first draft?

Treat the draft as a job with a schedule, not a burst of inspiration.

• Set a fixed writing slot, such as 45 minutes a day, and a word target per session.
• Write chapters in any order. Start with the one you know best to build momentum.
• Don't edit while drafting. Mark gaps with a note like "EXAMPLE NEEDED" and keep going.
• Use concrete material: steps, examples, mistakes, checklists, screenshots you took yourself.
• Keep your sources. Note where every fact and figure comes from, so you can check and update it.

Using AI tools

If you plan to sell on Amazon, know the rule first. KDP's content guidelines require you to tell Amazon about AI-generated text, images or translations when you publish. Content you wrote yourself and only edited, refined or brainstormed with AI counts as AI-assisted and doesn't need disclosure. Either way, you're responsible for accuracy and for respecting other people's rights.

How do you edit, format and design the cover?

Editing is where a draft becomes a product. Formatting and the cover decide whether it looks like one.

Edit in passes

• Structure pass: does each chapter move the reader toward the promise? Reorder or cut.
• Clarity pass: shorter sentences, plain words, one idea per paragraph.
• Accuracy pass: check every fact, link and number against its source.
• Second reader: ask someone who matches your reader to follow the steps. A paid editor is optional, but it's the upgrade we'd consider first.

Format for each platform

• Amazon KDP accepts EPUB, DOCX and KPF files for ebooks, according to its help page on file formats; it no longer accepts MOBI. Amazon's free Kindle Create tool produces KPF files.
• Direct sales (Gumroad, Payhip, Hotmart) usually deliver a PDF, which keeps your layout fixed. Some authors add an EPUB for e-reader users.

If you design the ebook in Canva, check its rules for products for sale: ebooks with Pro content must be designed in Canva itself, and unedited Pro photos are limited to 480,000 pixels.

Design a cover that reads as a thumbnail

Most buyers first see your cover at a tiny size. Use a short title in large type, one strong image or shape, and high contrast. KDP's cover guidelines recommend 2,560 by 1,600 pixels (height by width), saved as JPEG in RGB color.

Where can you sell your ebook?

You can sell on a bookstore like Amazon, where readers already search, or on a checkout platform, where you bring the readers and keep more of each sale. Here's how the common options compare as of 2026:

Sources: KDP royalties, Gumroad pricing, Payhip pricing and Hotmart's fee page. Payment processing fees vary by country. For a wider comparison, including taxes, see where to sell digital products.

KDP Select: more exposure, but exclusivity

KDP Select is a free 90-day program that puts your ebook in Kindle Unlimited and makes it eligible for promotions, according to Amazon's help page. The catch, set out in the KDP terms: while enrolled, you can't sell or distribute that ebook in digital form anywhere else, and enrollment renews automatically every 90 days unless you opt out. Print and audio editions aren't affected.

So decide early: Amazon-only with Select, or Amazon plus your own PDF sales without it.

How should you price an ebook?

Price from what comparable ebooks sell for and the problem yours solves, then check what each platform leaves you. On Amazon.com, the 70% royalty option applies to list prices from $2.99 to $12.99 as of July 7, 2026 (it was $2.99 to $9.99 before), according to KDP's list price requirements. The 70% option also deducts a delivery cost, which KDP's pricing page lists at $0.15 per MB for Amazon.com.

Example (hypothetical): a 2 MB ebook listed at $7.99.

These are simplified; taxes, currency and processing fees change the real numbers. Keep images compressed, because file size eats into the Kindle royalty. For pricing methods and tiers, see how to price digital products.

How do you get your first readers?

Publishing doesn't bring buyers on its own. Most new ebooks sell few copies until the author builds some visibility, so plan the marketing before launch day.

• Write a clear description that states the promise, who it's for and what's inside.
• Offer a preview: the first chapter or a useful checklist, in exchange for an email address.
• Answer questions in communities where your reader already asks them, without spamming links.
• Publish related free content, such as blog posts, pins or short videos, that points to the ebook.

We cover these channels step by step in how to market digital products with no audience. Expect this part to take weeks or months, and to need adjusting along the way. Results depend on your topic, effort and execution.

Next steps

• See how an ebook fits into a wider plan in our guide to selling digital products.
• Compare platforms and tax handling in where to sell digital products.
• Not sure an ebook is the right format? Weigh it against other paths in our guide to making money online, or follow the full process in how to sell digital products.