Step-by-step guide: Selling e-books on Square
E-books have surged in popularity due to their convenience, accessibility, and versatility. Readers appreciate the ability to carry an entire library on a single device, allowing them to enjoy their favorite books anytime, anywhere without the bulk of physical copies. E-book readers often come with features such as adjustable text size, integrated dictionaries, and search functions — enhancing the reading experience. For creators, making e-books is an enticing endeavor because of the low production costs, instant global distribution, and high profit margins. E-books’ digital format also allows for easy updates and revisions that keep their content current and valuable. Furthermore, the growing market for e-books provides a vast potential audience, making it an ideal platform for sharing knowledge, stories, and expertise while generating a steady stream of passive income.
In this guide, we’ll show you how you can start creating compelling e-books and selling them online with Square and SendOwl!Definitive guide to selling e-books, from creation to marketing
What are e-books?
E-books, or electronic books, are digital versions of traditional printed books that can be read on various digital devices. They’re formatted to provide a reading experience that’s similar to physical books — but with the additional features of adjustable text size, digital bookmarks, and search functions. E-books cover a wide range of genres and formats — from novels and textbooks to manuals and guides. Their digital nature allows for instant distribution and access, making them convenient for readers — and cost-effective creators. The portability of e-books enables readers to carry an extensive library on a single device, enhancing the accessibility and convenience of reading in the digital age.
Benefits of selling e-books — high profit margins and no storage
High profit margins
E-books have high profit margins primarily due to their minimal production and distribution costs. Unlike physical books, e-books do not require printing, binding, storage, or shipping, — significantly reducing overhead expenses. The initial costs involve writing, editing, formatting, and sometimes cover design, but these are typically one-time investments. Once created, e-books can be sold at scale without additional expenses, allowing for a greater percentage of each sale to be retained as profit. Digital distribution platforms also facilitate low-cost global reach, further enhancing profitability.
GuideThe absence of inventory management and storage costs contributes to the high profit margins, making e-books an attractive option for authors and publishers aiming for cost-effective and scalable revenue streams. You can keep all your e-book work on your laptop rather than in a warehouse, saving you time and money.
Setting up your Square Online store
To get started selling e-books on Square, you'll first need to set up your Square Online store and integrate it with SendOwl, a platform that specializes in digital product delivery.
Creating a Square account
Creating a Square Online account is a straightforward process that involves signing up on the Square website and following the prompts to set up your store. It’s a good idea to dedicate a special email address to this new account, to help you keep track of Square-specific messages. And make sure you download the Square app to keep up to date on your notifications.
Integrating SendOwl with your Square account
SendOwl seamlessly integrates with Square, providing a robust solution for selling digital products. Everything starts with your Square online dashboard, so head there and get started with the following steps:
Connecting Square and SendOwl accounts
Go to the “settings” page in your SendOwl account, and click the "Square settings'' link. Next, hit the “connect” button. Make sure to read the permissions that SendOwl requires to sync with your Square orders and securely deliver your digital content.
Linking SendOwl products to Square products
Once your accounts are connected, you can easily link your SendOwl products to corresponding products in your Square Online store. Head to your SendOwl dashboard, and hit the “sell” button on one of your products — you’ll then see a list of ways to sell your item. Click on “Square” and select the product you want to link. Now, when someone purchases the linked product from your Square checkout, SendOwl will safely deliver the digital file to your buyer.
Tools for creating e-books
Because an e-book is a digital product, all you need to create it is a computer, an internet connection, and some determination.
Writing tools
Choose a writing tool that suits your preferences and workflow. Popular options include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, and Ulysses. These tools offer features like collaboration, cloud storage, and export options.
Figure out a basic organization system, so you can keep track of drafts and and other iterations of your work — you may want to come back each year to create updated editions! Having all your work organized and stored in one place is a good way to save time and effort in the long run. You can also store e-book templates or designs for future use, just in case.
Formatting tools
Once your manuscript is ready, formatting is crucial for a professional-looking e-book. Consider using a tool like Vellum, Calibre, or Reedsy to ensure that your e-book looks polished across various devices.
Cover design tools
An eye-catching cover is essential for attracting potential readers. Utilize tools such as Canva, Adobe Spark, or Book Brush to design an appealing and genre-appropriate cover.
A stunning e-book cover design can catch eyes and lead to conversions from curious leads — we all know what it’s like to see a beautiful print book cover in a bookstore and stop to touch it. The same thing happens with e-books — you just click instead of touch! Think about what would catch your eye, and create that.
Uploading and listing your e-books
Uploading files to SendOwl
Upload your e-book files to SendOwl in your item library, ensuring they’re correctly formatted and ready to be sent to customers as a digital download.
Creating product listings on Square
In your online Square dashboard, create product listings for each of your e-books, providing detailed descriptions and engaging images to entice potential buyers. Make sure they’re connected with their corresponding products in SendOwl. Follow the instructions found under the “Linking SendOwl products to Square products'' section above, so that they can be delivered to your buyers. And download the Square app so that you never miss a notification!
Setting prices and descriptions
Once your items are in your Square item library, set appropriate prices for your e-books, based on factors such as production costs, market demand, and perceived value. Craft compelling descriptions of the unique aspects and values of the e-books you’re offering. Do a little research on similar products and their price points, so you can list the most competitive prices in your store.
Marketing your e-books
Now that your e-book listings are live on your Square store, it's time to drive traffic and generate sales through effective marketing tools and strategies.
Optimizing listings with relevant keywords and SEO
Research keywords related to your e-books, and incorporate them into your product titles, descriptions, and tags, to improve visibility in search results.
Promoting on social media platforms
Utilize social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to showcase your e-books, engage with your audience, and drive traffic to your Square Online store. Check out these resources on how to promote and sell digital products on TikTok and Instagram to get some ideas on content creation.
Before you launch your e-book, release snippets or reviews from beta readers to get potential customers excited — you might do this via blog posts. You can also create a pre-order list to help build excitement.
Reach out to influencers or bloggers in your niche for potential collaborations. Offer them a free copy of your e-book in exchange for an honest review, or consider a discount code that they can offer their audience when they purchase your book.
You could even offer a few free items — such as shorter e-books or other digital products,, to give potential customers a taste of your writing and expertise. They’ll be more likely to pay for an e-book if they have trust in the content they’ll be receiving.
Utilizing SendOwl data for informed marketing decisions
Monitor sales data and customer behavior within SendOwl to identify trends, track the performance of your marketing efforts, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your strategy. Your Square online dashboard will also be able to provide you with valuable user metrics that will help you make data-informed decisions.
Delivering your e-books securely
Ensuring the security of your digital downloads is crucial for protecting your products and customers' information. Here's how SendOwl helps you deliver e-books securely:
Unique, secure download links for each purchase
SendOwl generates unique download links for each customer, preventing unauthorized access and sharing of your digital files.
Customizable link expiration and usage limits
You can set expiration dates and usage limits on download links, to encourage timely downloads of purchases and prevent abuse of your products.
PDF stamping to prevent unauthorized sharing
SendOwl offers PDF-stamping functionality, which adds a watermark or personalized information to each downloaded file, discouraging piracy and unauthorized sharing.
Start creating and selling your e-books today on Square!
Selling e-books on Square can be a great way to generate passive income by using your expertise to create high value digital products. By following this step-by-step guide, you can set up your store, create unique e-books that people want to buy and read, and market those e-books effectively to reach your target audience. Here’s a rundown, so you can get started:
Set up your Square account, integrate SendOwl, and download the Square app.
Design attractive, high quality e-books using specialized editing and design software.
Upload your e-books to SendOwl, and create product listings on your online Square dashboard.
Implement marketing strategies to drive traffic and generate sales.
Deliver your e-books securely using SendOwl's customizable features, and receive timely updates on your orders via the Square app.
With the right tools, resources, and mindset, you have everything you need to succeed in selling e-books on Square. Get started today, and turn your passion into a thriving online business!
Matt Wells is the Head of Operations at SendOwl, a digital product delivery and access solutions for creators, solopreneurs and SMBs. An accomplished entrepreneur and technologist, he has founded multiple companies, including Virtual Value and Shujinko. Throughout Matt's career, he has built and led high-performing teams that consistently deliver world-class software solutions. With deep expertise in cloud engineering, infrastructure, and security, Matt has held impactful roles at Starbucks, CARDFREE.
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