Having a successful ebook takes planning and writing about a topic that people are interested in. Entering into the writer’s domain is not an easy task. With over 1 million self published books available you want to avoid getting lost in the sea of other publications out there.
Luckily, we have done the work for you. In this article we will cover what the top selling ebooks are and also how to plan your ebook to maximise your level of success.
Top 5 Best Selling Ebook Genres
Book genres can first be broken up into fiction and non-fiction. Fiction refers to something that is invented or untrue where non-fiction is based on facts and true events. The current best selling fiction genre is Romance Novels.
In the non-fiction genre Religious and inspirational books sell the best.
Looking at 2020 data from Amazon, a popular platform for writers to sell their work, the top 5 best selling ebook genres are:
- Religious and Spirituality
- Biographies and Memoirs
- Business and Money
- Self-help
- Cooking and Food
Top 5 Genres That Make The Most Money
The above genres are the best selling genres meaning that the highest number of books were sold within these categories. However, some genres may generate more profit with less books sold so it is important to also look at the top 5 genres that generated the most income:
Below are the top 5 genres that made the most money on Amazon:
- Romance / Erotica
- Crime / Mystery
- Religious / Inspirational
- Science Fiction / Fantasy
- Horror
How to Plan Your Ebook
Now that you know which genres of ebooks sell the most and make the most money, it is time to start planning your book. Here are 8 easy steps to follow that will help you to create your first ebook.
- Choose a topic that is in demand
The goal of your ebook should be to ultimately create sales. Therefore it is important to choose a topic that is popular and in demand. Look at best seller lists and choose a topic that you are comfortable with and will enjoy writing about.
- Outline the chapters
Any good book has a layout that makes sense and flows. Each chapter should cover a topic or idea, but must also form a cohesive part of the book as a whole.
Think about how the reader is going to be drawn in and how the book will benefit the reader. Then structure the chapters in such a way that it becomes a story or guide from start to finish.
- Breakdown the chapters
Each chapter can be broken down further into separate ideas or topics. Depending on the type of ebook you are writing the chapters can be broken into sections or bullets. It is important to keep the structure of the chapters cohesive. This method can make it easier for readers to understand the message or story being conveyed by the book.
- Design the ebook
You don’t need to be a professional designer to create a great looking ebook. There are many customizable templates available for download that can get you started.
There are however a few key points to remember when choosing a design like choosing the right colours. Ideally you would use your brand colours when writing a business ebook, but this is the part where creativity is unlimited.
Be wary of colours like red and green which can affect the way colourblind readers may view your book.
- Incorporating visuals
Graphs or images can be a great way of engaging a reader by stimulating their visual senses. Think of a cookbook for example. Bright and clear images showing the completed recipe can either entice the reader to try it out or put them off the dish completely.
It is possible to use stock images for generic themes, but invest in good quality images. It is best to leave out a bad image than include it in the book.
- Calls to Action
A call to action is a great way to generate other leads, get the conversation started or bring up new opportunities.
If you are writing a series, you can link to your webpage where readers can purchase the other books.
The type of CTA will depend on the type of ebook written, but it is an important aspect of any ebook writer wanting to promote and market their content.
- Convert into PDF or EPUB
This step is key to ensure your ebook is transferable to recipients. A universal format such as PDF can be displayed clearly and opened on most devices and can be protected so that your content can’t be edited or corrupted.
- Promote and market
There is no point in writing an ebook if no one is going to see or read it. You might want to create a landing page where the ebook can be downloaded from. You can also make use of sites such as Amazon to sell your ebook on.
Social media can be a powerful tool for marketing and can generate a lot of leads. Think about making the first book free if you are writing a series. If readers enjoyed the first book, they will want to purchase the rest.
