As a writer, it brings me so much joy to create digital books, and make money from them. I’ve made more money from selling digital books than I’ve made as a published author.
In 2016, I got my first book publishing deal. I received a £25,000 advance for this, and I felt like all my dreams had come true.
I earned less than £5000 in two years from that deal.
I published my first e-guide on Gumroad in 2020, and made $59,000 in less than 6 months. I switched to Payhip in recent years, still selling on Gumroad too, and made $33,000 in three months from two ebooks.
Selling digital products is still my favorite way to make money online as a writer.
So what’s my strategy?
- I write long form articles (and short form)
- Publish the articles on Vocal media and Medium
- Direct people to my newsletters( I have several pages and newsletters)
- Share my articles on Flipboard, Pinterest, and Many Stories.
- Post long form, problem solving videos on YouTube.
That’s it for the most part.
It’s simple, nothing too complex, and I still receive sales from old articles, videos, and Pinterest posts.
The problem most people have is:
They create random e-guides and hope for the best. They don’t create problem-solving e-guides, and that’s the key.
Here are some ideas:
- The Overwhelmed Mum’s Guide to Getting It All Done (Without Burning Out)
- Time-Saving Systems for Busy Mums
- Meal Planning Made Simple for the Chaos of Motherhood
- The 15-Minute Daily Reset for Mums
- How to Create a Weekly Routine That Actually Works with Kids
These ideas are for busy mums. If I want to target busy mums, I’d create a YouTube channel, Medium page, and Pinterest page. I would make all my articles to free to read, and I’d create 3 pins for each article I post. I’d repurpose my articles into long form videos for YouTube, and share those on Pinterest too.
Facebook groups are also effective for marketing to specific groups. For busy mums, I would join parenting groups and mum groups.
The goal isn’t to sell, sell, sell. The goal is to connect and add value to the group. Selling will become so natural because people will notice how helpful you are in the group.
When it comes to selling digital products, I prefer to focus on topics I know and understand. However, I know some top sellers who follow the money, they focus on low competition, high search volume topics, and create high-quality e-guides to solve problems.
Currently, I run five Gumroad pages, and four Payhip pages, and on most days, I receive at least four sales from each page, sometimes more.
Benefits of selling digital products
1. High Profit Margins
Once your digital product is created, you can sell it over and over again with little to no extra cost. Unlike physical goods, there’s no inventory, shipping, or manufacturing. That means more money in your pocket with each sale.
2. Passive Income Potential
With the right setup—like a good sales page, email funnel, or affiliate strategy—your digital product can sell while you sleep. This makes it easier to create consistent income without trading hours for money.
3. Easy to Launch & Scale
You don’t need a warehouse, a team, or a huge budget. You can launch from your laptop with just a solid idea and some basic tools. And when your product gains traction, it’s easy to scale fast without worrying about logistics.
4. Global Reach
Digital products can be accessed from anywhere in the world. That means your customer base isn’t limited to your local area—you can sell to anyone, anywhere, at any time, instantly.
5. Freedom & Flexibility
Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, full-time creator, or just looking for extra income, selling digital products gives you the freedom to work on your terms. You control your time, your prices, and your creative direction.
____________________________
➡️I’ve put together a detailed Gumroad Blueprint guide to teach you how to build your Gumroad business from $0 to $50,000 in just a few months.
🚨Download it here