If you are looking for ideas to create and sell PDF books online, you have landed in the right place. In this blog, we will show you how to create PDF books and sell them online only in 7 steps. 

Selling PDF books online is, to be honest, easy and hassle-free if you follow the right direction. It may sound daunting, especially if you don’t have much idea about technology and selling.

But believe me, I’ll guide you to easily make your job done. 

All you need to do is-

• prepare a WordPress site
• install Download Monitor plugin
• display your PDF books
• and start selling. 

Easy, right? 

Let’s check it in detail! 

Selling PDF Books Online- Is It Really Profitable?

To be very honest, there are many reasons to start an online PDF book-selling business.

The first and foremost reason is the market size and growth rate of the online PDF industry. 

You will be surprised to know that there are trillions of PDFs are created each year according to Adobe statistics. This many PDFs are created because there are consumers. 

According to Statista, It is predicted that the number of readers in the eBooks market will reach 1.1bn users by 2027.

Another research shows that by 2025, the Global PDF Market Share will rise up to $2.94 billion with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.68%.

Here is a year-by-year growth rate of the PDF market: 

Apart from this huge market size and growth rate of the PDF industry, there are a few more strong reasons to start an online PDF business: 

• Low Startup Costs: No printing, storage, or distribution fees.
• Global Reach: Sell to anyone, anywhere with an internet connection.
• High Profits: Sell your PDF countless times for minimal extra cost.
• Fast Launch: Skip traditional publishing delays and reach readers quickly.
• Easy to Manage: There is no such thing as delivery and inventory management. 

Selling PDF books online offers a cost-effective, scalable, and profitable way to share your knowledge and reach a global audience.

Now let’s focus on which type of PDFs are most popular to sell. 

Download Monitor

Grow your audience, track download performance, and convert your leads into paying customers with an easy-to-use digital downloads solution for WordPress

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7 Popular Types of PDFs You Can Sell Online

When it comes to selling PDFs online, there’s a wide variety of content that can be monetized successfully. 

Here are some of the most popular types of PDFs you can sell online:

1. E-books: E-books are perhaps the most common type of PDFs sold online. They cover a vast array of topics including fiction, non-fiction, self-help, educational, and more. 
2. Guides and Manuals: Guides and manuals provide detailed instructions, tips, and advice on specific topics such as cooking, gardening, DIY projects, software usage, fitness routines, and more. These PDFs are popular among hobbyists, enthusiasts, and individuals seeking practical knowledge in various areas.
3. Educational Resources: PDFs containing educational content such as study guides, lesson plans, worksheets, and course materials are in high demand, especially in the realm of online learning. Teachers, tutors, and educational institutions often create and sell PDFs to supplement their teaching resources.
4. Printables and Templates: Printables and templates are pre-designed documents that users can personalize and use for various purposes. Examples include planners, calendars, budget trackers, resume templates, wedding invitations, and more.
5. Reports and Whitepapers: Reports and whitepapers contain in-depth analysis, research findings, and insights on specific topics or industries. They are commonly used in business, academia, and government sectors for sharing valuable information and data. 
6. Art and Design Assets: PDFs can also be used to sell art prints, digital illustrations, graphic design templates, and other creative assets. Artists, designers, and photographers often distribute their work in PDF format for easy sharing and printing by customers.
7. Legal Documents and Forms: Legal documents such as contracts, agreements, waivers, and legal forms are essential for businesses, organizations, and individuals. 

These are just a few examples of the diverse range of PDFs that can be sold online. Now let’s focus on how to sell any kind of PDF books online using WordPress! 

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How to Sell PDF Books Online – 7 Easy Steps to Follow in WordPress

As we said at the beginning of this article, we will show you how to sell PDF books online in 7 steps, here are those 7 steps.

1. Create Your PDF Files 
2. Prepare Your Website 
3. Install the Download Monitor Plugin 
4. Configure the Basic Settings of the Download Monitor Plugin
5. Create the Required Pages for Your Website
6. Configure Payment Gateways 
7. Upload and Display Your PDF Books 

Took a quick look at the list? 

Perfect. Now let’s get started with the detailed discussion! 

Step 01: Create Your PDF Files

Creating your PDF files is the first step in the process of selling PDF books online. It’s where your ideas, knowledge, or creativity come to life in a digital format. 

Here’s how you can go about creating your PDF files:

• Content Creation: Begin by developing the content for your PDF book. This could be anything from writing a novel, compiling a collection of recipes, designing a how-to guide, or crafting educational materials. Consider your target audience and what type of content would appeal to them.
• Formatting and Design: Once you have your content ready, it’s time to format and design your PDF. Use a word processing or design software like Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, or Canva to lay out your content in an appealing and professional manner. 
• Structure: Organize your content into logical sections or chapters to make it easy for readers to navigate. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up text and improve readability. Consider adding a table of contents, index, or glossary if applicable to help readers find information quickly.
• Proofreading and Editing: Before finalizing your PDF, thoroughly proofread and edit the content to ensure accuracy, clarity, and coherence. Check for spelling and grammar errors, factual inaccuracies, and inconsistencies in formatting or style. 
• Conversion to PDF: Once you’re satisfied with the content and design of your PDF, convert it into a PDF format. Most word processing or design software have built-in tools to export documents as PDFs. 

That’s how you should prepare your PDF book. Now if your PDF book is ready, let’s jump into the next step!  

Step 02: Prepare Your Website

If you already have a ready WordPress site, you can skip this step and follow the next steps. However, if you don’t have a site already, follow this step to prepare your WordPress site first. 

Here is how you can prepare your site: 

• Choose a Domain Name: Pick a name for your business website that people will remember and that fits what you do. Make sure to register your website name with a trusted company like GoDaddy or Namecheap.
• Buy a Hosting Plan: Put your money into a hosting plan that suits your business needs. Find a hosting company that gives you fast loading times, lets you adjust your resources easily, and has great customer service. Some popular choices are Bluehost, SiteGround, and HostGator.
• Install WordPress on the Control Panel: Most hosting providers offer a one-click installation option for WordPress through their control panel. So, log in to your control panel and look for the “Softaculous Apps Installer” or “WordPress Installer” icon. Click on the icon and you’ll be redirected to a new interface where you’ll find the option to install WordPress like the following image: 

• Install a Theme: Select a WordPress theme that matches the look and features you want for your online store. Then install it by navigating to your WordPress dashboard -> Appearance -> Themes -> Add New Theme.  
• Optimize for Search Engines: Enhance your site’s visibility in search engine results by implementing basic SEO practices. Install an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to optimize meta titles, descriptions, technical SEO, and other on-page SEO settings. 

When you are done with all these basic configurations, jump into the next step.

Step 03: Install the Download Monitor Plugin

Download Monitor stands out as a top choice among WordPress plugins for selling digital products. With over 100,000 active users and high ratings of 4.5 out of 5, it’s a reliable option worth considering for your website.

Installing the Download Monitor plugin is an easy task. Follow the below process to install this plugin on your WordPress-powered website: 

• Within your WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to “Plugins” and then “Add New Plugin.”
• Search for “Download Monitor” and select the official plugin from WordPress.org.
• Click “Install Now” and wait for the installation to complete.
• Once installed, click “Activate” to start using the plugin.

That’s it! That’s how you should install the Download Monitor plugin. Now let’s move on to the next step! 

Download Monitor

Grow your audience, track download performance, and convert your traffic into email subscribers with an easy-to-use digital downloads solution for WordPress.

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Step 04: Configure the Basic Settings of the Download Monitor Plugin

After installing the Download Monitor plugin on your site, you need to enable the Shop feature of the plugin to sell PDF books online.

In order to enable the Shop feature, go to your WordPress dashboard and then navigate to Downloads -> Settings -> General -> check the “Shop Enabled” box.

That’s it! 

Now let’s move on to the next step! 

Step 05: Create the Required Pages for Your Website

In this step, you’ll be required to create these pages: 

• No Access Page 
• Cart Page
• Checkout Page 

Let’s check how you can do that! 

a) Create a No Access Page

If you are using the latest version of the Download Monitor plugin, the No Access should already be there. 

However, if the page isn’t there by default, simply, create a page. 

To create a page, navigate to the dashboard -> Pages -> add a new page naming it No Access. Then insert the below-mentioned shortcode:

[dlm_no_access]

To do that, insert the Shortcode block and then paste this code to get your job done. Then publish the page by clicking the “Publish” button. 

Then go to Downloads -> Settings -> Advanced -> Pages Setup -> No Access Page – select the page you created above which is the No Access page. 

Then hit the Save Changes button to save all the changes. 

b) Create a Cart Page 

Now you need to create a cart page. Creating a cart page is almost similar to creating the above-mentioned No Access page.  

Go to your WordPress dashboard -> Pages and click on the Add New Pages option. Then name the page “Cart Page”. Now add the [dlm_cart] shortcode to the page. 

Finally, click on the “Publish” button to publish the page. 

After you’ve published this new page, go to Downloads -> Settings -> Shop. In the Pages tab, select your newly created page as your cart page. Click Save Changes and you’re done.

c) Create a Checkout Page 

There is one more page you need to create, and that is the checkout page. Following the same procedure, create a new page and give this page a name, e.g., Checkout Page. 

Then add this shortcode to the page:

[dlm_checkout]

Now simply publish the page. 

Once you have published the page, go to Downloads -> Settings -> Shop. In the Pages tab, select your newly created page as your checkout page. 

Then click on the “Save Changes” button to complete the process. 

Step 06: Configure Payment Gateways

To accept payments, you’ll require a payment gateway. By default, the Download Monitor core plugin comes with the PayPal payment gateway. It allows you to accept payments via PayPal around the world. 

To use PayPal on your digital downloadable site, you’ll be required to do 3 things: 

1. Enable PayPal on your site 
2. Create a PayPal account 
3. Connect your PayPal account with your site 

First, check how to enable PayPal on your site. Navigate to your WordPress dashboard -> Downloads -> Shop -> Payment Gateway, and then enable PayPal.  

Finally, click on the “Save Changes” button to save this change. 

Now if you don’t have a PayPal account already, create a PayPal account first from the PayPal official site. Then connect your PayPal account to your digital downloads site. 

Check our step-by-step documentation to create and connect your PayPal account to your site.

Step 07: Upload and Display Your PDF Books

Now it’s time to upload your PDF on your site and display them.  

• To upload a product, go to your WordPress dashboard and click on “Shop”. Then hit the “Add New Product” to start the uploading process. 

Now insert your product name and description. Find out the option named “Insert Download”, and click on that option to upload your PDF file.

There you will find an option to upload your digital products from your local storage. Or, you can just drop your file here to upload it. 

After uploading the product, scroll down a bit and there you’ll find options to set the product price and the download item. Also, don’t forget to upload the feature image to attract your customers. 

Simply hit the “Publish” button to publish this product. Now have a look at your product page and see your product. 

Here is the preview of the product that we have just published:

You can also show this product on any of your pages or posts. All you need to do is copy the Shortcode and paste it on where you want to show it. 

Now if anyone clicks on the purchase button, he will be redirected to the Cart Page. 

The Cart Page will show the cart details. Here is our Cart Page: 

Now if you click on the Proceed to Checkout button, it will take you to the Checkout page. 

Here is the Checkout page preview: 

After completing the billing details if you click on the “Complete order” button, you will get your PDF copy right away. 

That’s how you can upload, display, and sell your PDF books online. 

2 Case Studies of Successful Online PDF Selling Business

The eBook world is full of chances for writers and smart folks with knowledge. Let’s look at two cool stories that show how eBooks can help people reach lots of readers and make good money.

Case Study 01

Amanda Hocking is a prime example of the success achievable through selling ebooks online. In 2010, she bypassed traditional publishing and self-published a series of young adult novels through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). 

Her captivating stories and strategic marketing on social media led to explosive sales, with her ebooks downloaded millions of times within a short period.  

Hocking’s success story demonstrates the potential for self-published authors to find a dedicated audience and achieve financial independence through ebooks.

Case Study 02

Derek Sivers is another entrepreneur who found success with ebooks. After selling his music distribution company CD Baby, he took some time to reflect and write a short, practical guide for entrepreneurs titled “This How You Do It.” 

Instead of following the traditional publishing route, Sivers decided to self-publish the book as a $10 ebook.  

By offering a lower price point and focusing on online sales through his own website,  “This How You Do It” achieved impressive sales figures and established Sivers as a thought leader in the business world.

How to Sell PDF Books Online – Ending Note 

The online PDF book-selling business is bursting with chances for you. Now that you’ve learned from this guide, you’re all set to make, sell, and share your valuable knowledge with people worldwide.

The key to your PDF business doing well is making top-notch content, finding the people who need it, and telling them about it in a way that grabs their attention. It’s okay to try new things, see what works, and keep improving.

So, are you excited to turn what you love into something that makes money? Start working on your awesome PDF book today, and begin your journey to being a successful online writer!

Having said that, if you have any further queries regarding this tutorial, feel free to share your queries with us using the comment box below. We would love to know your feedback.  

Download Monitor

Grow your audience, track download performance, and convert your traffic into email subscribers with an easy-to-use digital downloads solution for WordPress.

See Pricing