What ebooks sell the most?

Here at Australian eBook Publisher we often get asked what ebooks sell the most. We are hesitant to highlight any particular genre as being more successful than another. There are far too many variables involved with each project, book, author and marketing plan to take the narrow view that only the genre was relevant in the book's success. In addition markets are continually changing, so one person's success with a certain title one year, might be irrelevant for someone the following year. Within our own list of books we have seen successes for both fiction and non-fiction.

There are four keys to ebook selling success.

1. Quality product
2. Availability
3. Positioning
4. Promotion



1. Quality product
Is your book the best it can be? Good quality means it is:

1. Well written
2. Edited
3. Cover is designed well
4. Internals are well designed
5. Marketed

The truth is, people want to purchase good books, they certainly don’t open up the iBookstore or the Kindle store looking for a book that’s going to disappoint them. They will judge your book by its cover, blurb, length and more.

Make sure your book’s content is on point. Make sure it’s been edited (professionally not by your neighbour who used to work for the paper), make sure the tone of the text matches the audience you’re going for. For example, don’t write a novel for children that contains too much violence or uses words many children wouldn’t understand.

2. Availability
There’s not much point to creating an ebook if it’s impossible for someone to get it. Make sure your book is live on at least one ebook vendor. Some people choose to DIY their listings on vendors, others choose an aggregator, like Australian eBook Publisher. And then there are those who publish their books not on a vendor, but through their own website.

3. Positioning
Ensure your book matches your market. Good cover design, the right content, a great title, and the right metadata. Fill out as much information as you can about your book on the information you provide to vendors, or your aggregator. This includes things like accurate subject categories, clever keywords, a subtitle that matches the content, and a well-written web-optimised blurb.

Sales ranks often improve over time, but a critical time is just prior to your book's release. Good metadata and professional reviews go a long way.

4. Promotion
Book marketing or promotions are imperative for any book to succeed. Hiring a book publicist is highly recommended for any author. It's a complex industry, and you need someone who knows people and is keeping up with the trends.

Authors can do some of their own marketing, in a nutshell this means tell people about your book. Here is a small selection of ideas:

• arranging reviews with reputable sources
• encouraging readers to review
• creating an author website
• writing blogs, doing blog tours
• running promotions
• advertising in the right places, etc.